PRELUDE BEAUTY FEBRUARY 2006

WORDS BY Christina Kallery

The Look of love

Preen yourself for that Valentine’s date with beauty tricks that will leave you irresistibly gorgeous.

Bewitching glances

For spellbinding looks that can’t help but enchant, choose smoky neutral shadows with just a hint of shimmer. The Stila Winter Bloom Palette in Fire Bloom (www.stilacosmetics.com) features an array of gold-tinged hues for an extra-flattering effect. To make eyes really stand out, finish off with a dark liner like the Smashbox Cream Eye Liner in Smashing Caviar (www.smashbox.com).

Kiss-me lips

For the most kissable lips, keep your pout naturally pretty with a subtle shine. Start out with a moisturizer like Einstein Lip Theory. Follow up with a soft berry or pink shade—we like the feminine hues found in The Quickie Chronicles’ Too Faced Sweet Tarte palette and the Nars Lip Gloss range, which includes a gorgeous peachy pink. Buy them at www.sephora.com.

Rosy cheeks

To fake that alluring “who me?” blush, try a light cream or gel formulation. Cherriflip Dream Creme Blush in Not My Real Name (www.cherriflip.com) smoothes on like a dream for a hint of nude pink glow, and Pop Beauty Popup Blush in Baby Flush swivels up to deliver the perfect angelic flush (www.popbeauty.com).

Captivatingly sexy skin

Nothing seduces like a glimpse of beautiful, glowing skin. Achieve ultimate touch-me radiance by smoothing highlighter on shoulders, collarbones and neck. A great one: Stila All Over Shimmer (www.stilacosmetics.com). To amp up your beguiling wiles, Not Soap Radio Reinforcement Moisturizing Shimmer (www.notsoapradio.com) blends ginseng and pheromone activators. Add a new dress and a pair of stilettos to the mix and you’re ready for that perfect date.