The Beauty Girl

Orange isn’t the most popular color. Perhaps that’s why those who favor it don’t just like it, they love it. My friend Ann is gaga for orange. If something comes in that color (watch band, scarf, bedspread), she’ll wrap herself in it. The question is, how far would she, or you for that matter, go if I were to tell you this sunset shade was as talked about during fashion week as the temporary tattoos that debuted at Chanel.Would you swathe your eyes, lips or cheeks in this hue? Your initial reaction, like Ann’s, may be eww! Before you bypass this trend, note that the rest of the beauty world has gotten on board with an orange-based palette for this spring and beyond. Call it coral, apricot, peach, sunburnt orange (you get the picture) brands including Make Up For Ever, MAC, and Bobbi Brown are making the shade as approachable as a neutral. From here on out, think of orange as the new brown.To ensure you get it right (the goal is to enhance your face, not look like you’ve OD’d on carrots), I asked education manager Erin McCarthy from Make Up For Ever, their Lipstick #201 was layered with Glossy Full Couleur #2 to create the sassy pout at Prada’s Fall fashion show (shown right), for her best tips. Orange ya glad?You wouldn’t wear a floral print head to toe and the same rule of thumb applies here. Make one feature the star.Eyes Don’t be scared. Orange will make your eyes pop just as beautifully as bronze and gold. Medium and dark skin tones can pull off pure and neon oranges. The brighter the better. Fair skin types look best in muddy yellow/orange tones (my favorite is Mally Beauty New Naturals Twin Shadow in wheat/autumn, which has a beautiful burnt orange). Keep the rest of the face simple. “A bronzer on the cheeks and transparent gloss on the lips is all you need to finish this look.”Lips You don’t need much to balance a tangerine mouth. Just a light peach or apricot blush swiped high on the cheekbones with a soft brown shadow or black mascara, says McCarthy. To replicate the lip look at Rebecca Taylor, apply MAC lipstick in lady danger. If you need help picking your color, remember that fair skinned ladies can play it safe with pink-based oranges like coral whereas bold oranges show up best on darker skin tones.Cheeks If you have fair skin, “a peachy blush applied on the apples in light circular motions is the trick to achieving that ethereal glow.” If you have a darker complexion, this is your chance to throw caution to the wind.