Boston - January 11, 2005

Face Value

Coco Grace makeup artist

Remember when makeup was a daring thrill? When you had to hide your blush collection from your prying mom and lie to your pops that the hot-pink lip gloss was Vaseline? Gussying up may not be quite so top-secret anymore, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t risky.

Fuchsia mascara? Lime-green shadow? They worked when you were sporting Esprit jeans and Tretorns (the first time around, that is), but the stakes are higher now: black-tie dinners, Thursday dates. One tactical error, and you’re cosmetics road kill.

Your secret weapon: Coco Grace, a makeup artist who’s done her time in the trenches (fashion shows, photo shoots). She’ll come to your doorstep (and, better, your messy medicine cabinet) and transform you into a better-looking version of yourself in the blink of a (perfectly lined) eye. Throughout her rescue op, she’ll offer tips on skin hydration and when to toss those old tubes of hot-pink lip gloss.

Because your secret stash may have improved since junior high, but when it really counts, a little brush-up can be a thing of true beauty.

Coco Grace (617-277-7797).

  Wellness