Spring Fling.

SpringFling

Forget the usual batch of tried-and-true pastels. This season we're head over heels for all things dazzling and daring. By Catherine Piercy

In every great love story, rules must be broken. Where would literature be, after all, if Romeo had simply invited Juliet and the Capulets over for cappuccino? This spring, makeup artists are engaging in a forbidden romance of their own, lavishing lips, eyes, and cheeks with colors beyond the traditional pastels. Gold, khaki, and bronze -- even bright orange eyeliner and iridescent shadow -- look strangely irresistible. "Women have been taught a lot of slavish rules about what they absolutely cannot put on their face," says makeup artist Dick Page. "This spring, pick a color you're drawn to and experiment with different ways to wear it -- much like you would do with a favorite piece of jewelry." Whatever your fancy, there's no danger in flirting with the season's unconventional shades -- their sheer textures and soft metallic undertones are as flattering as they are adventurous. Happy ending guaranteed.

Berry Lips The ripest new take on red is juicy berry. "Use any shade, just be sure the formula is creamy," says Page, who dabbed on a bright raspberry with his finger, along with red blush and a glaze of white highlighting cream on the cheeks, forehead, chin, and inner corners of the eyes. Silk dress by BCBG Max Azria Collection. Makeup colors: Illuminating highlighting cream, Wild Rose blush, and Berry lip tint by Estee Lauder. Highlighters, opposite page: Smashbox Smashing Glare (pink), Biotherm Light Drops 02 (gold), Benefit Hollywood Glow (bronze), and Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer #2 (white). These pages: Makeup, Dick Page; hair, Harry Josh for Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon; manicure, Sheril Bailey. Fashion editor: Paul Cavaco. Details, see Credits page.

Khaki Eyes It may be a favorite of camp counselors, but a soft haze of khaki shadow around the eyes "can be quite romantic," Page says. If you're worried about the color looking drab, choose a shade with metallic undertones, like the gold-flecked powder Page brushed over the eyelids and under the lower lashes. By applying rosy blush high on the cheekbones, rather than the apples, "it's more feminine -- and draws attention back to the eyes." Silk dress from Dior by John Galliano. Makeup colors: Landscape eye-shadow quad, Soft Rose blush, and Bubble Gum lip gloss by L'Oreal. Details, see Credits page.

Green Shadow As Kermit the Frog said, "It's not easy being green." Still, Page believes "there's no need to be afraid of intense green shadow." To give it a sophisticated edge, choose a shade with gold undertones. "It keeps the color from looking severe and adds a flattering bit of shine," he says. With eyes this vivid, Page skipped the blush and dabbed a creamy burgundy lipstick onto the mouth with his finger: "It should look like a very soft stain." Chiffon dress by Rebecca Taylor. Makeup colors: Diorwild eye-shadow duo and Burgundy Brown lipstick by Dior. Details, see Credits page.

Bright Liner "Play colors," as Page likes to call bright orange, cobalt blue, and pea green, can be as liberating as play clothes. "Give ...