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Coincidentally - or not - red is this season's favourite cosmetic colour, turning up in almost every major collection. One company heavily promoting shades of red is Helena Rubinstein, where international artistic director Carlos Villalon-Hinojosa has called his latest line Cinderella. Somewhat confusingly, this turns out to have a strong oriental inspiration with red used not just on lips and cheekbones but also over - and under - eyes.

"I'm not inviting all women to look like this," says Carlos, news which will no doubt come as a relief to many Helena Rubinstein customers. "It's like a haute couture dress by Galliano; it's not for everybody. But the basics are. I've addressed this collection to young people, although there are two or three very classic lipsticks." A constant global traveller, Chilean-born Carlos, who is now based in Paris, admits he found inspiration for the Cinderella collection in Japanese kabuki artists and the courtesans of imperial China. "The story of China has touched me very much. These people are now open to a new world with an immense vision. And everyone knows Japan is a most important market."

In order to give his red and yellow extra authority, Carlos advises that the complexion be kept porcelain white and sprinkled with a fine veil of opalescent powder. Almost all attention is focused on lips and eyes where the colouring is exceptionally brilliant thanks to Red Alert liner, plus rouge and lipstick, with nails getting the same treatment. A dusting of sparkle for evening is also recommended.

Prices in this range start at £11 for Just Cheeks in China Red and include Rouge Glorious lipstick in Red Alert at £13.50 and Glorious Nail Lacquer in the same shade at £11.

Lancome makes its intentions very plain this season by calling the company's new range from its make-up artist Fred Farrugia, Rouge. The reds run from crimson to deepest berry, with matt, glitter or shine textures on offer. Among the particular delights here are red crayon kohls, red glitter topcoat nail varnishes in the Vernis Duos line and satin-finish Rouge Absolu for lips. Look out for Lancome's red mascara because over the next few months all sorts of colours are going to hit your eye lashes. Crayon Khol and Vernis Duo are the two most inexpensive items in this collection at £10 each, with mascara costing £14 and lipsticks priced at £12.50 and £13.50.

Other lines offering great reds for autumn/winter 1998 include Yves Saint Laurent Revlon. The former has terrific colour in nail lacquer (£12), Intense Lipcolour (£15) and lip lacquer (£12.50). Meanwhile, women worried about wearing bright red can opt instead for Revlon's Brazen-Berry range, full of deep fruity shades for lipsticks (£7.25), nail enamels (£5.95), eye shadows (£4.95) and cheek blusher (£7.95).

Red was the favourite cosmetic colour of the late Diana Vreeland, one of this century's greatest fashion editors - and the subject of a terrific one-woman show, Full Gallop, which opens later this week at London's Hampstead Theatre. She used to wear red not just around the eyes but out to her ears and across the temples. Without going quite that far, as the weather grows steadily greyer over the next few months, an outbreak of red may be just the colourful lift you and your spirits need.