Face Forward
"Makeup should be fun, not fascist," celebrity makeup artist Kevyn  Aucoin avers inFace Forward, his third book. One of the most adored  stylists among fashionistas, entertainment divas, and high-society jet setters,  Southern-born Aucoin arrived on the New York fashion scene in the early '80s, a  period he ridicules for its '50s-era conservatism and McCarthyist  us-against-them values. His career since has been motivated by the feel-good  ideals of acceptance, diversity, and self-love, and the vain world of beauty has  eagerly participated in his vision. While one may puzzle on how it is he finds  fulfillment in an industry known for its superficiality and elitism, Aucoin's  words are nonetheless infectious and the touches of his brushes inspired.Conceived as an exploration of the past, present, and future of beauty,Face  Forwardis an ingenious showcase of the transformative, creative  possibilities of makeup, with portraits of everyone from Julia Roberts to Sharon  Stone, Martha Stewart to his mother, Thelma. His crafted visages range from  minimal-application makeovers of friends to elaborate re-creations of such  Hollywood icons as Audrey Hepburn (Calista Flockhart), James Dean (Gwyneth  Paltrow), and Veronica Lake (shockingly, Martha Stewart) and such pop-culture  personalities as Cher (socialite Alexandra von Furstenberg) and Siouxsie Sioux  (Winona Ryder). The final pages present his ideas for looks to come, such as  "Explorer," Mary J. Blige covered in eggplant body makeup with a rainbow of  metallic eye shadows over her eyes and thickly glossed red lips; "Floralia," a  freckled Lucy Liu resembling a sprite fromA Midsummer's Night Dream; and  "Venusian de Milo," Sharon Stone as an orange-haired, one-breast-baring sci-fi  femme fatale. Throughout, Aucoin augments an already colorful book with  step-by-step instruction, chatty commentary on each look and model, and riffs on  such topics as friendship, politics (he repeatedly applauds the Clinton  Administration for embracing diversity in the '90s), and the environment."Appreciating (even highlighting) individuality is one of the great things about  makeup," asserts Aucoin, andFace Forwardis a dazzling testament to  that belief. For those who see the fun of makeup and are eager to experiment  with the virtually unlimited possibilities of it, this book is a boon.--Rebecca Wright