Fashion: slap dash

Put on a bright, brave face this winter. Styling by Charlie Harrington Photographs by David Slijper

Fashions in make-up change quite as constantly and as signally as fashions in dress. None of us would be seen dead these days, of course, in pale blue eyeshadow, apricot lipstick or thick panstick, but in numerous more subtle ways our maquillage may mark us out as being rather less than a la mode. If your outfit is utterly "now", but your make-up is ever so slightly "then", if you opt for neutral eyeshadow and a telltale flicking-up of the eyeliner, you cannot hope to achieve the total fashion look. So how to avoid such style solecisms?

We asked top make-up artist Alex Babsky to give us some insider tips to achieve the face for winter 1997. Her advice appears on these pages.

The latest looks, advises Babsky, have almost no base. Start with a light moisturising with a dusting of powder, preferably something with a touch of shimmer (try gold loose powder, pounds 15, by Face Stockholm, available from Liberty, Regent Street, London W1, enquiries 0171-734 1234), and use it wherever the light will catch your face - on the bridge of the nose, the top of cheek bones, cupid's bow and brow bones. A dusting in the corner of the eye gives a fresh, alert feel. If you can bear to leave out the mascara, then do, and just use eyelash curlers.

On the right lines Take eyeliner straight across the eye from the inside corner, extending past outside corner - no flicking up, no tapering, just a straight line. Keep the lips pale so the emphasis remains on the eye. Use a pencil for a softer, less perfect line; liquid that can look dated. Pencil eyeliner, pounds 7.50, by Shu Umera, Thomas Neal Centre, Earlham Street, London WC2, enquiries and mail order, 0171-379 6627

Lippy lovely (far left) The boldest look of the season is undoubtedly red lips. Avoid lip liner and apply straight from the stick; keep blotting until a solid matt colour is achieved. Choose an old cosmetic house for a touch of luxury in a modern face. Red Lips, pounds 12.50, by Estee Lauder or M165 Red, pounds 10, by Shu Umera, Authentic Red Rouge Pur, pounds 14.50, by Yves Saint Laurent, or Rouge Velours, pounds 16, by Guerlain. All are available from major department stores.

Brow know-how The brow is defined and lengthened, while the eye is left bare of make- up to give it a more dramatic emphasis. The only other block of colour is the lips which are more of a stain. Use Shu Umera's seal brown hard formula eyebrow pencil, pounds 7.50, or any other hard pencil. Make sure you comb the colour through with an eyebrow brush.

Turn around, bright eyes Choose a cream colour which can be applied with your finger. Feel your way around the eye, rather than applying with a disciplined precision. Go for a bold colour rather than a neutral shade: be brave and try egg- yolk yellow or Astro-turf green. You may need to define brows as a stop- off point for colour. Some lipstick shades can be suitably emphatic, or choose a point of creamy yellow eye shadow 214, pounds 4.95, by Screen Face, 48 Monmouth Street, London WC2, 24 Powis Terrace, London W11, mail order and enquiries 0171-221 8289, yellow 340 eye shadow, pounds 9, by Shu Umera. Make-up Alex Babsky. Model Hannah Lockwood