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Published on December 11, 2007

 The glittering extravagance of the holiday season has spilled over into makeup collections with six new looks introduced by leading cosmetic brands.

While Bobbi Brown is fulfilling fantasy cuteness with its "Pink Quartz" collection, MAC brings the cool sophistication of "Stylistics". Clinique is encouraging a sunny disposition with its "Happy and Bright Holiday 2007", but Laura Mercier prefers to show a darker side in the "Stormy Blue Sky" collection. Shu Uemura has turned to celebrated makeup artist Gina Brooke, who's helped create their "Muse" holiday collection, and Lancome is illuminating faces with its shimmering "Precious Light".

Bobbi Brown feels women should celebrate feminine splendour in shades of gold and sparkling pink. No matter what colour your skin is, she says, "pink is always 'in' ... like the pink quartz necklace that brightens your look as you slip it around your neck".

Look out for her new packaging: five shades - pink, quartz pink, rose, beige, brown, and gold - are offered for the eyes, cheeks and lips. The best-selling lip palette contains Sandwash Pink, Brownie, Raspberry and Rum Raisin while the most popular eye-shadow case has Bone, Wheat, Champagne and Expresso.

MAC has taken inspiration from the hip world of jazz, but given it a new twist. Its "Stylistic" collection draws on the cultivated cool of "Hepcats", Martin Wagner's black-and-white comic book series. Act smooth and be mellow is the retro message here.

The collection comprises Stylistics Lipstick, Lipglass and Sheerspark Pressed Powder. The lipstick comes in four colours, neutral mid-tone brown and gold pearl, sheer pink peach with pearl, vibrant yellow red, and deep berry.

Clinique's "Happy" collection evokes natural scents to appeal to the senses, and now the brand is adding a range of shades that capture the spirit of the season in a makeup look. Sparkling citrus and floral notes have been transformed into their colour counterparts - pink and peach.

The palette is fun and festive; use it with your party dress for a fabulously flirty look. Key to the look is the palette of luminous sheer-bronze pinks that highlight the eyes. For the face, Peony is a combination of different shades of pink that give a long-lasting fresh-but-subtle radiance.

Laura Mercier's tips for creating a beautiful haze around the eyes never fail: Always focus on the upper eyelid and apply the shadow as if it were diffusing into the air. Its "Stormy Blue Sky" collection has four shades: light blue, green, navy and black. Apply the lighter shades to begin with before moving on to the darker ones. Go for the blue from halfway up the eyelid to the eyebrow, then the green from the top of the eyebrow to corner of the eye. Delicate blending is the next important step.

Shu Uemura's "Muse" takes artistic inspiration from the paintings of Degas, Monet and Renoir as well as the colours found in the work of photojournalist Dan Eldon. Celebrity makeup artist Gina Brooke has lent her expert vision for a collection that pays homage to women's power and allure. She's created two versatile palettes, one for women who want a glamorous look, the other for those who prefer naturally chic neutrals.

With rich browns and opulent golds, these two Muse palettes reflect the warmth and luxury of the winter holiday season.

Lancome says its new collection was born of the special glitter you only get from diamonds. Delicate and exquisite, "Precious Light" certainly has a jewel-like quality. The diamond sheen of Precious Carat Lipgloss makes it the star of the collection, and it comes in a special Swarovski crystal case.

Add a magical twinkle to your eyes or lips simply by applying a touch of the gloss.

Kupluthai Pungkanon

The Nation