From New York to Sydney, Los Angeles to Kuala Lumpur -- no matter where I travel these days, I see women that are tickled pink. I just got back from a conference in Malaysia, and I was struck by how many local women were sporting bright pink pouts. Diana Vreeland once said that pink is the navy blue of India. Maybe it's also the red of Malaysia. The formerly saccharine makeup color, associated with Malibu Barbie and her kind, has emerged as the most universally flattering shade around. It's true that pink instantly lifts and brightens every skin tone -- I certainly relied on it at the most recent fashion shows in New York, applying the jazzy hue to all kinds of faces. The spectrum of new pink shades is vast, from dainty roses to electric fuchsias, and it's just about locating the right one for you. Pink works for eyes, lips and cheeks, but never all at the same time. Choose a region to focus on, and follow my think-pink manifesto.
Think Pink with Napoleon Perdis. Above, from left: Mosaic Powder in Gleamer, Color Disc Eye Shadow in Pink Slink, DeVine Godess Lipstick in Calypso, Cheek to Chic Blush Duo #3
LIGHT/FAIR COMPLEXIONS
Eyes: First give the eyes some definition with a coat of black mascara. When selecting an eye shadow, try soft shades like champagne pink or bubblegum pink, and sweep color across the entire eye lid. To create a little edge, line the inner rim of the eyes with a dark pencil.
Cheeks: A hint of candy blush on the apples of cheeks gives you that lit-from-within look that beauty editors rave about. Using a cream blush formula, smile while you apply and aim for the fullness at the front of the cheek. Apply in a tapping motion to avoid a circle of color.
Lips: Bright lip shades are all the rage so try a vibrant hue like my DeVine Goddess in Eros. For a softer look, apply a pink gloss like my Luminous Lip Veil in In the Flesh, and finish with a lip pencil to perfect the shape of your pout.
MEDIUM COMPLEXIONS
Eyes: A bold streak of color across the top lash line was a recurring trend during the spring runway shows. Try replicating the look with a flamingo pink hue like my Color Disc in Pink Slink. Applying with an angled brush, start from the inner corner of the lash line and slowly work your way to the outer corner and flick upwards for dramatic effect.
Cheeks: To enhance the natural rosiness of the cheeks, sweep a matte blush along the cheekbone towards the hair line. A blush like my Mosaic Powder in Gleamer, with its combination of pink shades, is perfect for medium skin tones.
Lips: Select a color two shades darker than your natural lip color, something like my DeVine Goddess Lipstick in Hera. Apply by loading up your lip brush with a generous amount of lipstick and apply color right to the outer corners. Finish with lip liner to avoid bleeding and to keep color in place.
DARK COMPLEXIONS
Eyes: Select deeper shades like wine and burgundy with pink undertones. Pat a shade like my Color Disc in All That Shiraz onto the eyelid and into the socket of the eye, blending at the edges for a sweet look.
Cheeks: Pinkish brown shades work nicely on darker complexions. Using a large blush brush, sweep a taupe blush with pink undertones like my Cheek to Chic Blush Duo #3 onto the cheekbones. Glide the deeper color along the cheekbones and soften by layering the lighter shade to give dimension.
Lips: Brilliant orchid pink lips turned up at a few spring shows, and my DeVine Goddess in Calypso is the perfect way to approximate them. Before applying lipstick, prep the lips with a lip primer or a concealer to create a clean canvas for long-lasting lip color. Now that's pretty in pink.