Not only is purple, in shades from lilac to plum, huge in fashion this fall, it appears that makeup is taking note and following suit. While purple makeup is normally found in translucent shades of lavender or amethyst on the face and dark plum on the nails, vivid hues of purple are popping up on the faces of the young fashionable set and in editorials. Take Rhianna at Gucci’s Tattoo Heart event to benefit Unicef, or Ali Stephen’s opaque purple pout in the November issue of Numero for example:

Certainly purple is not the safest choice in makeup, but I am totally loving this look, and it is a lot less scary than the black lipstick trend that everyone has been talking about since YSL’s fall 08 runway show. I tend to keep it very simple when it comes to my makeup, in fact, I hardly ever wear any. But when I decide to put it on, I like to go big. Orange red lipstick (NARS’ matte Heat Wave to be exact) was my go-to bright color last winter and I think I have found the 08/09 replacement.

Urban Decay is always a great choice for bright colors, and their Purple Haze eyeshadow doesn’t disappoint. I also like NARS’ cream eyeshadow in Maracaibo, a deep plum. Cream eyeshadow also makes a great eyeliner, all you need is an eyeliner brush to apply it in a thin line. Givenchy’s Purple Shine lipstick is transparent with a lot of shine. Not quite the daring matte color found on Ali Stephens, but for the lips,  I’m gonna go with baby steps…