STYLE : Spring Beauty : The Latest on Looks

Suddenly, our beholder’s eye sees beauty so differently. The first hint of change came last fall, when designers showed their spring collections. Fashion had clearly evolved: Loose, flowing layers of clothing totally eclipsed the structured, tailored styles of recent years. And then beauty’s Diva, with her chalky skin, neutral lid and dark, matte mouth, began to look like yesterday’s muse. This season, our ideal is personified by The Gamin, an insouciant child-woman with arched brows, flushed cheeks, pouty lips and not a whit of self-consciousness.

How do you create the face of Spring 1993? To begin, there’s clear, sun-touched skin--Lancome’s Imanance foundation offers both a luminous tint and SPF 8 protection. For a glossy, natural-looking mouth,Clinique’s Almost Lipstick gives sparkle and shine. Like magic,Clinique’s Cheek Base turns from liquid to powder for just a dusting of blush. Eyelids are subtly colored--Prescriptives’ Eyeshadow Doubles and Chanel’s Ombre Facettes each provide two shades, one for shadow and one for highlight. Arched brows are enhanced with Lancome’s Modele Sour- cils. On the hands, shorter nails have just a hint of color, via Estee Lauder’s Perfect Finish Nail Lacquer.

For night, add intensity: deeper tones on eyelids, rich lips in shades of raisin or beet, lash-lengthening mascara or false eyelashes. After years of neutrals, real color makes a comeback: Lids sport blue or green accents, dusky kohl or pearlized highlighters.

Above all, the key word for today’s makeup is sheer. Choosing the right makeup means asking one question--does the natural skin tone, lip tone, lid tone or nail shade show through?