Hottest Makeup Shade

The hottest shade in makeup

Think pink as your re-tool your makeup bag with seasonal eyeliners, lipsticks, blushes and shadows. Glossy or matte, shimmering or flat, pink is definitely in.

Though pink has been a color mainstay in the makeup palette for years (the go-go glitter '70s and the fuschia '80s), this year's pinks are painting a very different picture. They're being brushed, smeared, glided and dabbed-on in a fresh way, with the ultimate artistry yielding a look that's so natural, it looks like you're not wearing makeup at all.

The "What makeup?" look, ironically, is sending makeup mavens hightailing it to their favorite counters for a look that's naturally beautiful.

Looking pretty in pink
Now that pink has unanimously been declared the color of the counters, you need to know how to wear it wisely. Even the slightest wayward wand or careless color choice can transform perfectly-pinched pink cheeks to clown-worthy circles. Just continue repeating this mantra as you apply: "I want to look natural, pretty and polished." It sounds ambitious, but when done right, this season's pinks come across as just that. They're clean and effortless in their simplicity, but sexy and beautiful, too.

Pink can and should be worn monochromatically?there aren't many colors you can wear on your eyes, cheeks and mouth simultaneously. Be careful around your eyes?the wrong color or too much of the right one can leave even the perkiest of us looking tired or hung-over.

Your blush should give you a natural wash of post-exercise color?start your stroke at the apple of your cheek, applying less pressure as you brush diagonally downward.

Handle with care
Stella Mikhail, a makeup artist for Trish McEvoy cosmetics, says pink is the perfect color because everyone can wear it. "You just have to find the shade that's right for you," she cautions. And if you're not sure where to start, her advice should save you plenty of pink-smeared cotton swabs.

If you have fair skin and light hair, Mikhail recommends translucent products with a little shimmer (ahem, not glitter). Naturally-fair skin has a pink undertone that will be enhanced slightly. Women with olive skin can pull off a true pink. Because the pigment will be stronger, Mikhail suggests products more on the matte side.

African-American skin looks beautiful in pink makeup with a blue cast (think mauves) and a warm undertone?it will show up healthily and won't look ashy. Pinky mattes and pink-corals work well on Asian complexions. The best indicator of what works and what doesn't is your mirror?try everything on.

Who's wearing it?
Because this makeup trend is so universally appealing and looks great on everyone, the more appropriate question might be: Who's not wearing it? Glam rockers, the bawdy and gaudy, and '80s purists who can't part with their smoky eyes and fire-engine red lipstick may be the only holdouts.

The very nature of this makeup movement?to look like you're not wearing makeup?makes trendspotting a little trickier than most. We did, however, spy up-to-the-minute celebrities Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger and Jennifer Love Hewitt looking pretty in pink already this season.

Gotta have it
Delux Beauty, a New York City brand carried at high-end boutiques like Chicago's Endo-Exo fabulous array of very wearable pink products, all easily blended and applied with your fingertips. The mistake-proof, stain-free Flush Stick ($30) gives a dewy finish without being messy or sticky, and the lip glosses have a longer-than-average shine ($15).

Bobbi Brown is known for a clean, natural approach to makeup. Stella Mikhail recommends Bobbi Brown's Pale Pink Blush as a universal color. Wear her Lip Tint SPF 15 in Blossom Tint all year long?great glossy texture with just enough healthy color.

You'll find a battery of girlish, pink products at the stila counter at most department stores. One of the most usable products out there: Convertible Color ($28), a gel-based cream blush that can be used on your cheeks, eyes and lips?try it in Lilium, Forget Me Not or Petunia. Their pink Lip Polish in colors like Garish, Glow or Twinkle ($24) is a glassy gloss that has more pigment than Stila's coveted fruit-scented lip glazes.

And, for those of you who are already wondering about the next trend in makeup, you may want to minimize your investment. You'll be tickled pink by Revlon's impressive selection of reasonably-priced products: LipGlide Color Gloss in Pink Lightening, Patent Leather Pink, Cherry Ice ($8.99) and Illuminance Cr?me Shadow (a swatch of four shades of pink, Pink Petals) are good bets that won't break the bank.