Brown-Based Lipsticks Kiss Off the Red Menace

New York fashion magazine editors may splash their pages with fuchsia disco makeup applied by the darlings of the avant-garde. But when their royal highnesses head out for a night on the town, they book an appointment with makeup artist Bobbi Brown.

Brown’s take on fall’s color-saturated palette is simple: “If you look great in red lipstick, great. But if you look silly, forget it.” Blondes, in her opinion, fall into the latter category--yellow hair plus ruby lips equals color overkill. Amazingly enough, though, thin-lipped women needn’t rule red out completely. “I know a lot of women who have thin lips who look good in red lipstick.”

The reddest hue in her brown-based product line--Essentials--is No. 10. “I’ve replaced a lot of my friends’ YSL red lipstick with it. It’s bright, but not glaring.” But before spilling for a tube, Brown--who will visit Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills on Wednesday--suggests experimenting with degrees of red.

“Everyone has a red lipstick pencil. Draw it over whatever lipstick you have and you’ll get a reddish tint.” And relax. “It’s not brain surgery,” she says.

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The Natural World: We’re not an outdoor person, particularly. But we were utterly mesmerized by a photo journey into that parallel universe, courtesy of Evelyn Lauder’s new book, “The Seasons Observed.” Published by Abrams to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness month, the book is a fund-raising vehicle. Its proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Lauder, senior corporate vice president of Estee Lauder, shot the book’s 76 photographs over the past dozen years while traveling around the world for business and pleasure. “When you’re in the country, what you see and smell has a tranquilizing effect,” she said. “That’s what I try to convey.”

Lauder herself is a combination of tranquillity and accomplishment: During the course of a phone conversation, the former teacher simultaneously juggled the seating arrangements for an impending dinner party. “That was easy!” she said with a laugh. Asked if the disease had touched her friends or relatives, Lauder answered: “Is there anybody you don’t know who hasn’t been touched by it in some way?”

Lauder will sign her book Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills and Oct. 13 at noon at Bullock’s South Coast Plaza, then at 4 p.m. at Bullock’s Sherman Oaks.

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Born to Be Styled: The chunky sterling silver jewelry was exquisite and the superbly made jackets were spectacular. OK, so it wasn’t Chanel and everything did smell slightly of exhaust fumes. The Los Angeles Harley-Davidson dealership fashion show Friday night in South Gate featured volunteer models on a makeshift runway in the parts department--all of them upstaged by the introduction of the newest Harley, the 1995 all-black Bad Boy. But like Chanel, this invitation-only audience of best customers (bikers who’d spent $1,000 or more in the last year in sales, service or parts) were polite as they watched the show and feasted on champagne and gourmet cheesecake.

Dealership co-owner Tom Elsaesser says clothing has become an important part of his business. “Ten years ago, there were just two jackets hanging in the back. Now, we sell more clothing than replacement parts by a ratio of 3 to 1.”

It makes sense. Bikes and parts are expensive (an average bike is $14,000 to $18,000) but cool leather jackets that can stand up to encounters with asphalt are around $400. Try that in a pantywaist Chanel jacket.

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Cleavage Report: Madonna has given her torpedo bra a rest. In her new video “Secrets,” which premiered this week on MTV, the nose-studded super vixen writhes around in a . . . Wonderbra. Enough already with those things. We’re already on to the next phase in bust line re-imagining--the pointy-chested look you get with those good old Playtex up-thrusters (under $10 at Ross Dress for Less).

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Good Causes: A limited-edition T-shirt designed by Ralph Lauren goes on sale this week to raise money for breast cancer research. Produced under the auspices of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the shirt’s message reads: “Fashion Targets Breast Cancer” and carries a target.

The shirts sell for $15, with $5 from every sale designated for the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Lauren, chairman of the target effort, established the center in 1989 to honor the Washington Post fashion editor, who died of breast cancer in 1990.

“We figure the T-shirt will raise $2.5 million,” Lauren said. “To get the word out, magazine publishers gave us about $3 million worth of space to run the double-page ads.”

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Around Town: Stephanie Taupin, wife of Elton John collaborator Bernie Taupin, stages her first fashion show at Cicada restaurant Friday, using skills honed performing the same job at Le Dome . . . “NYPD Blue’s” Emmy-winning actor Dennis Franz displayed award-winning shopping skills Saturday at the Westside Pavilion . . . Question: Are we the only ones nostalgic for the more ferocious-looking Marcia Clark?

* Inside Out is published Thursdays.