"Makeup should be fun, not fascist," celebrity makeup artist KevynAucoin avers in Face Forward, his third book. One of the most adoredstylists among fashionistas, entertainment divas, and high-society jet setters,Southern-born Aucoin arrived on the New York fashion scene in the early '80s, aperiod he ridicules for its '50s-era conservatism and McCarthyistus-against-them values. His career since has been motivated by the feel-goodideals of acceptance, diversity, and self-love, and the vain world of beauty haseagerly participated in his vision. While one may puzzle on how it is he findsfulfillment in an industry known for its superficiality and elitism, Aucoin'swords are nonetheless infectious and the touches of his brushes inspired.Conceived as an exploration of the past, present, and future of beauty, FaceForward is an ingenious showcase of the transformative, creativepossibilities of makeup, with portraits of everyone from Julia Roberts to SharonStone, Martha Stewart to his mother, Thelma. His crafted visages range fromminimal-application makeovers of friends to elaborate re-creations of suchHollywood icons as Audrey Hepburn (Calista Flockhart), James Dean (GwynethPaltrow), and Veronica Lake (shockingly, Martha Stewart) and such pop-culturepersonalities as Cher (socialite Alexandra von Furstenberg) and Siouxsie Sioux(Winona Ryder). The final pages present his ideas for looks to come, such as"Explorer," Mary J. Blige covered in eggplant body makeup with a rainbow ofmetallic eye shadows over her eyes and thickly glossed red lips; "Floralia," afreckled Lucy Liu resembling a sprite from A Midsummer's Night Dream; and"Venusian de Milo," Sharon Stone as an orange-haired, one-breast-baring sci-fifemme fatale. Throughout, Aucoin augments an already colorful book withstep-by-step instruction, chatty commentary on each look and model, and riffs onsuch topics as friendship, politics (he repeatedly applauds the ClintonAdministration for embracing diversity in the '90s), and the environment."Appreciating (even highlighting) individuality is one of the great things aboutmakeup," asserts Aucoin, and Face Forward is a dazzling testament tothat belief. For those who see the fun of makeup and are eager to experimentwith the virtually unlimited possibilities of it, this book is a boon.--Rebecca Wright