In Pursuit of Beauty ...
Layer on 'the look' for holiday glamor

The secrets to holiday beauty this season? A glamorous layering of color and texture and an attitude that plays it to the hilt

Layering--in everything from makeup to fragrance--is beauty's new big thing, lake the trimmings on a lavishly wrapped gift box, each detail adds intrigue and fun to the treasure inside: a vibrant, confident you. "It's the season of unabashed glamour," says Ross Burton, director of national makeup artists, East Coast, for Lancome Cosmetics. To get the look, first consult with your stylist, then start to create your own holiday style. Start with a light-reflecting foundation. Then layer eyes with several dusky shades, from gray, ebony and blue to earthy tones of green and antique gold. Define brows with a darkened color and pronounced shape. Follow up with blushing cheeks and dewy lips. Mane ingredient: yuletide tresses with the added verve of multidimensional color and volume to contrast dark roots (no longer a no-no) with a halo of color-enhancing highlights.

The temptation with layered looks, typically, is to pile on the products. But layering, as it is defined this season, is all about balance--the placement and amount of color used are of equal weight. Case in point: the coloring trend known as hair-tipping, in which color is randomly added to the ends of the hair while the roots remain untouched. "Tipping is fun because it's created to look like color that's grown out," says celeb hairstylist Oscar James, who adds that the same look can be achieved with clip-on hair or a few strategically placed tracks by your hairstylist.

Beauty's balancing act also applies to holiday eyes, lips and cheeks. Bold eyescan be tempered with subdued hues on the cheeks and lips. To take the idea a step further, a streak of silver liner offsets the season's smoky, sultry shades. The effect can also be achieved in reverse by shifting the emphasis from eyes to lips, using a deep holidayberry shade to create a sexy pout while keeping eyes understated.

Part of layering's allure is the freedom it gives you to create a look that is distinctly your own, whether you're mixing nail colors, creating a personalized bath elixer or experimenting with shimmer and fragrance. One way to play up your best assets-- striking cheekbones, satiny shoulders, sexy decolletage and gorgeous gams--is with a shimmering powder. Another: Experiment with nail color. "Holiday is talon time," says nail guru Jan Arnold, cofounder of Creative Nail Design.

The new sleeker, almondshaped nail is at its berry best in deep shades of red, burgundy

and chianti, with the added sparkle of flecked metallics. Your cosmetician will have all the newest colors and metallics, ready for the holidays.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Essence Communications, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group