Glam it up with bold lips, eyes

We've been trained so well. When it comes to makeup, few dare to slip up on the rules: If you go with bold eyes, you stick to nude lips; or strong lips, then light eyes.

This holiday season, feel free to throw away the rule book and have a little fun with the lips and the eyes.

"The old makeup rules of five or six years ago are starting to go away, and we're moving toward a full face of makeup," says Fiquet Bailey, owner of Luxe Apothecary in Raleigh. "It's a very '80s look."

She credits lipstick theory.

That theory is, of course, that in times of economic trouble, women turn to a new tube of lipstick as a budget-friendly way to update their look, instead of expensive jewelry or clothing.

"A tube of lipstick isn't a big commitment," Bailey says. "You're still getting your shopping fix. And it's a quick, easy way to update your look."

Bailey says it's a theory that European women embrace, recession or not. Without large closets in their homes for new clothes, they invest in better quality clothes and fewer of them. And then they stay current each season by changing makeup looks.

"They invest in good pieces, and they take really good care of their skin," she says.

So with a new tube of brighter lipstick, just how do you pull off this new bolder, brighter face? It may take some practice, Bailey says.

After all, many women have reformed since the days of heavy-handed black eyeliner pencil.

The first step is to embrace the season's bold colors. Purple and fuchsia might be the color of a new sweater, but not necessarily what you'd wear on your lids and lips. But in economic slowdowns, the trend has always been toward darker color, especially on the lips.

"We are selling more and more lipstick and brighter lipstick," Bailey says. "It's been all doom and gloom, and people want some fun."

As for the eyes, don't think you have to bring back Joan Jett. Today's '80s look is more refined. "It's not the bad, gaudy '80s," Bailey says.

You'll still want your black eyeliner, especially around the inner eye rim, just use less of it. Bailey suggests keeping the eyeliner close to the lashline.

And don't be afraid to try deeper, richer eyeshadows to create a smoky eye.

Or better still, for a more modern look, pair black pencil on the inner rim with gold (for lighter skin tones) or bronze (for darker skin tones) shadow along the lower lash line, using a smudge brush or soft angled brush.

Colored liner is another popular trend, Bailey says. "That's the quickest way to have fun but still be slightly conservative."

For this holiday season, one of her favorite looks is a gold, smoldering eye with a rich, bronzy brown eyeliner. Then she adds a golden-apple cheek color for a fresh-from-the-cold flushed look.

"Makeup's definitely back," Bailey says.