Mod look is in the eyes

THE FACE

The 1960s face is defined by pale skin, heavy brows and raccoon eyes rimmed by false eyelashes, and pale lips. Although Edie Sedgwick's look was dramatic and memorable, those who aim for such a look today run the risk of looking like a time-travel refugee, a drag queen or Liza Minnelli. All of this is fine if that's the effect you're after, but on a day-to-day basis, I'm guessing that it's not.

THE BEAUTY EVENT Try this updated mod look by Trish McEvoy and many others as cosmetic lines present their spring color collections: » Place: Neiman Marcus Cosmetics, Level 1 » When: Today through March 11 during store hours » Admission: Free » Note: Receive a Neiman Marcus totebag filled with cosmetics samples with any cosmetics or fragrance purchase of $85 or more.

Luckily for us, makeup has improved drastically since the days when Sedgwick donned her heavy foundation, white frosted eyeshadow and thick eyeliner, so there's no need to cake it on, which has an aging effect.

A 2007 update of Sedgwick's look goes easy on artificiality, while playing up bare skin and nude lips, and focusing on the eyes.

The essential tools are white eyeshadow, eyeliner and nude lip color. At the Nars counter at Neiman Marcus, Isidra Suga created an updated mod look for model Raena Cassidy using Nars products, while Leann Tsuda did the same for Maggie using Trish McEvoy products.

Key to the look is giving the skin a soft, semimatte finish for a subtle, youthful glow. Eyes have a clean look with a hint of shimmer all over and neutral color blended into the brow bone. Use an eyeliner brush to create the dramatic winged look on top and bottom.

Suga started by giving Cassidy's cheeks a wash of color with Nars semi-matte cream color wands to give them a radiant glow, as if you're flushed from exercise.

"It's the J. Lo look. There's no foundation, only cream color to keep her skin looking natural, but glowing," Suga said.

Tip: For a no-fuss nude lip, swipe your lips with Kiehl's baby lip balm ($7.50 at NM). The dose of moisture naturally plumps and adds shine.

After a dusting of bronzer, she worked on Cassidy's eyes by giving them a hint of Nars "Edie" shimmer all over, "Blondie" on the brow bone, white eye pencil on the lower inner eye and "Black Moon" eyeliner pencil winged out on top of the eye and smudged at the lower lashes.

At home, you could also wet an eyeliner brush dipped into black eyeshadow to create a more dramatic effect, though Suga said forming a straight line takes practice. If in doubt, she says, stick close to the lashline, rather than try for the winged cat-eye or other artificial look.

Eyebrows should be well-defined. Lips are lined with a natural colored lip pencil, like "Hush," then filled in with peach shimmer lip color like Nars' Velvet Matte lip pencil "Bettina." The light color gives lips a plump, youthful look.

Tsuda created the same look with Trish McEvoy's Nude blush on the cheeks, "Sable" and "Glaze Cream" eyeshadows on eyelids, "Definer" eyeliner and "Peach Shimmer" lipstick.

Even those who don't want the total look will find use of a mere touch of white an instant eye-opener, giving the most sleepy eyelids an instant wide-eyed lift. Today's creamy formulations make the color wearable for women of all ages, but a little goes a long way, used on the inside corner of your eye, or just a dot above your iris.