BY DESIGN : Groovy Redux: Low hip-huggers, high-contrast makeup and vinyl anything are all you need to join the ‘90s version of the Mod Squad. : The Face : Dark, Smoldering Eyes Eclipse the Lips

What’ll it be, ladies, Mod or Vamp?

The two trendiest looks in fall makeup have women doing an about-face at the makeup counter. “Women are either doing the really heavy, dark eye with the kohl pencils and the neutral lip or the really dark lips with the more subdued eye, but not both at once,” says Barbara Ocampo of Sebastian International, whose makeup line Trucco is sold in salons.

Either way, it’s high contrast.

The Mod scheme calls for eyes streaked with kohl and subtle, if not naked, lips, says Gina McGowan regional cosmetic director for Nordstrom. The boldest eyes feature a heavy black line (perhaps as much as an eighth of an inch) across the lower and upper lids. Dark eye shadow in such shades as Le Regard de Chanel’s Smoke and black mascara heighten the drama.

For variations on an understated mouth, Trucco offers a clear gloss; Prescriptive’s Satin Shoes neutral takes on a golden light; M.A.C.’s Pink is a frosty seashell shade, and Chanel’s Nude, Matte Nude, Beige and Bisque Frost all pass for naturals.

Lips also speak volumes in creating a Vamp image that began last fall with nails. Once Uma Thurman’s character in “Pulp Fiction” turned up in Vamp, a blackish-purple polish by Chanel, it had to be hip.

“We simply cannot satisfy the demand, so this fall we’ve launched a lipstick as well,” says Rosemarie Caccuri, director of public relations for fragrance and beauty at Chanel.

Several other cosmetic companies followed Chanel’s lead, developing truly deep lip shades in reds, browns and plums. Opi, sold in salons and beauty supply stores, offers fudgy metallic shades such as Burnt Sugarloaf and Innsbruck Bronze; Harem Brown by YSL Beaute is a combo of deep wine and hot fudge. At Bobbi Brown, where deep shades debuted last year in lip stains, Cranberry and Mocha are less intense options.

Unless Norma Desmond is a role model, these bold mouths should be paired with quiet, virtually makeup-free eyes, experts say. “These really dramatic looks are very tricky, they won’t look good on many people, except maybe the very young, models and great beauties,” Ocampo laments.