While many cosmetic lines such as NARS and YSL are showing images of strong eyes and lips for Fall, (there is a whiff of 70's Disco), judging from the runways of Chanel, Burberry Prorsum, Dolce & Gabbana, and Marc Jacobs, I would say the Sixties are back. As I predicted, the straight hair has officially returned. With 60's homages seen in ads for St. John, Gucci, and Dior, and soon, with the fashion movie; 'Factory Girl', based on the short life of Sixties party socialite, Edie Sedgwick; straight hair and false eyelashes will be de rigeur for fashionistas everywhere. The straight hair of Fall 2005 is not yet the lifeless, bone-straight look of a few years ago. This hair is a bit softer, a little tousled with a bit of lift at the root, but nothing so obviously retro as teasing. This volume is either achieved with rollers just at the top of the head, or blown in with a hair dryer. Ends can be soft, and even with a little wispy wave but again, not an obvious retro flip.

For face, foundation is smooth and matte, not dry, there's always room for dew-y, but save any shimmer for an evening party.

Eyes are the main focal point. Eyeliner, graphic and bold is what you will see everywhere. While you may feel silly wearing a paisely design over your eyes, (You should, leave that crazy make-up where it belongs--in magazine editorials and on runways!) a cat-eye or a dark shadow crease is the order of the day. Try and stay away from white eyeshadow, it rarely looks good on anyone. You can however, use very pale pastels in shades such as cream, peach, or pink, without looking like you got your eye make-up at Staples. If you would rather not deal with proper placement of your eyeshadow, a fun and easy (!) way to go is to use false eyelashes.

I know what you're thinking, "no way could I do that myself", but yes you can. It just takes a bit of practice and patience. Don't wait until 5 minutes before you have to leave for a party or try to put them on in the back of a cab!

First, find some lashes you like and that are appropriate for the look you are trying to achieve. You will see that false lashes come in a variety of sizes, styles, and colors. Some lashes are obviously geared toward the professional performer or make-up artist; these aren't for the faint-of-heart. They tend to be very big and a bit on the stiff side. Some lashes are geared toward those whose lashes are on the sparse side and want a natural look; we're not interested. The ones we want are fun, obvious, and ready to party!



Unless you're an alien, they're not likely to fit; all false eyelashes are made a bit on the long side. Do a test fit first to see how much needs to be cut. Gently! pull the lash from the case by the band, if you grab it by the hair you might mangle the hair and that's never good. Place the band as close to your eyelash line as possible. The glue used to stick the lashes to the case should be enough to hold the lashes to your eyelid and give you a general idea of how much you need to trim. Use a small pair of scissors or even a toenail clipper will work.

Now that you have the lashes the size you want; if you have never worn them before, NOW is a great time to practice. Practice getting the lashes as close to your lashline as possible without poking out your eye. Some people like to use orangewood sticks or the end of a thin make-up brush. (Having a performance background, I've done it for so many years, I can place them with just my fingers on myself or anyone else.) Whatever is most comfortable, remember, this shouldn't be rushed. Now that you've practiced, you're ready for the real thing; with glue.

Some people advocate the use of a black liner, just on top, in case you're not able to get the band really close to your lashes, the eyeliner helps mask sloppy placement. If you're good and you can get close, try using lashes on a clear band, and definitely use glue which will dry clear, not black. The black glue just tends to be a huge mess. Make sure you are specifically using eyelash adhesive. I know it sounds obvious, but never use nail glue or any other kind of glue near your eyes! And unless you're 70 years old and looking for something permanent, check the label. Some eyelash adhesives are meant to be "permanent" and keep individual lashes on for up to a week. Not fun trying to take those off same evening...



Place a little adhesive on the band of the lashes, wave it a little to let the glue get tacky and then place the lashes. Try not to go too far toward the outside of your eyes, you might end up looking sad, (but you will have already practiced with placement.) Gently hold and press the false eyelashes for two minutes. If they're going to pop up, it's usually the inner corners. It's best to keep the eye you're working on closed, usually the movement of blinking can make the lashes not stick. If they don't stick; pull off any excess glue from the band and from your eyes, take a deep breath and try again. It often takes a couple of tries; but like riding a bike, once you get it, you'll never forget and a whole world is opened before you.



At first they might feel heavy, this can be alleviated by using mascara. Which might seem like overkill, but the mascara just joins your own lashes to the others so you don't feel like you have a caterpillar on your eyes. After about five minutes you'll forget you're wearing them. To remove, find the false lashes and gently pull away from the lid in one direction--left or right but not straight out. There shouldn't be much, if any glue left on your eyelids, if there is, use a gentle, oil-based eyemake-up remover. If you don't have that, most any oil will do: vaseline, vegetable oil, olive oil, etc. Eyelash glue is basically a light latex and as we all know; latex gets broken down by oil. The oil will cause the glue to ball up and make it very easy to pull away from your eyelashes. Be very careful not to get any oil in your eye. It might seem like a lot of trouble at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will see how much fun you can have with your make-up and you won't ever wait for October 31st again!



To complete the Sixties face for this fall, cheeks are lightly blushed or bare, and lips are clear or pale.





Happy Labor Day!!