The essential guide to what’s walking out of New York’s hippest boutiques right nowand the makeup to wear with it…
The designers have sent their creations down the runway, the magazine editors have made their pronouncements, but what women are actually buyingand wearing on the streetsright now is what counts. A quick survey of some of New York’s chicest shops reveals what’s really in style.
SHOCKING COLOR
Sarah McLachlan, Gina Gershon, Julia Roberts, and Sarah Jessica Parker browse at Alpana Bawa (41 Grand Street, 212-965-0559) for embroidered wrap tops, embroidered silk pin-tucked shirts, t-shirts and tanks in mouthwatering limegreens, fuschias, aquas and purples. With such brilliant color, neutral, natural makeup shades preferably in a dewy, sheeny, translucent texture are the most flattering. Mix the Halo 70 Instant Glow Booster from Yon-Ka with your regular moisturizer for a dewy glow, or Shu Uemura’s Luminizer in Pearl for a super-sheer pearly gleam. Almost Makeup from Clinique leaves a barely-there sheen.
JEWEL TONES
Helena Christiansen, Liv Tyler, and Susan Sarandon adore the bohemian Yaso (62 Grand Street, 212-941-8506). Walking out the shop right now are her bias-cut velvet dresses in rich jewel hues like golden rust, eggplant and moss green. The gorgeous, decadent hues in luxurious fabrics are even more stunning when teamed with a harmonizing eye color: Sungoldfrom Elizabeth Arden, Shag from Facewear, or Ladytron from Girl are sumptuous golden-rust eyecolors. The matte and iridescent duo Prune from T. LeClerc or Temper Temper from Too Faced are both fantastic, deep-eggplant shades. Les Quatres Ombres from Chanel in Mystères is a four-color palette of opulent jewel shades: jade, cidar, topaz and gold. 
HELL FOR LEATHER
Fashion editors and models are scrabbling over the lambskin leather pants with calf length side splits revealing snakeskin inserts at Christine Ganeaux (45 Crosby Street, 212-431-4462.) Very Chrissie Hynde particularly when coupled with edgy, slightly smoky eyeliner. The Kajal eyeliner pencil from Shu Uemura glides on like a dream. The CG Smoothers Gel Eyecolor in Midnight Metal from Cover Girl is a fat pencil of gel-based eye shadow and liner in a shimmering, smoldering, metallic grey; Face Stockholm’s smoothblack eyeliner is perfectly creamy, soft and smudgy.
RED HOT
If it’s red, it’s red hot: Jussara (125 Greene Street, 212-353-5050) can’t keep their perfect rich red stretch cotton knee-length skirts and hipster trousers with matching coats in the store; Shiraz bought the silk sequined red pants at Calypso (424 Broome Street, 212-274-0449); and every store is screaming red, red, red, red. Makeup artist Anna Bayle believes anyone can wear red lipstick.
“A red lip is about making a statement,Most women are afraid of wearing such bright color, but the perfect red brightens your face immediately.”When trying out a red shade,
Bayle advises moving the mirror away from your face rather than holding it a few inches away. “It’s about the whole effect, rather than just your mouth,” she says. “A good red will warm up your complexion.”
Anna Bayle Raj is a lacquer-ish, strong, royal crimson; Geranium from Alchemy is a rich, blue-red lipgloss. With nine delicious shades of red, the Century in Red lip palette from Three Custom Color can create any shade of red imaginable.
