What: From ladylike lavender to in your face violet, the color purple reigned all over Narcisco Rodriquez’s 2008 spring runway show.

The Word: Says Dick Page, the artistic director for Shiseido the Makeup in this week’s New York Times’ T magazine: “[Purple] makes for an interesting variation on the classic smoky eye.â€?

Our Word: Stroll up to any makeup counter these days and you’ll think you entered a Sanrio store. Everything is pink, purple, bright and fierce. If you typically shy away from color, now’s your chance to have some fun—more than any other color, varying shades of the royal hue seem to flatter most skin tones.  If you’re on the fair side, stick with opaque lavender eye shadows. At night, feel free to spruce it up with a dark purple eyeliner across the top rim of your lids. For you more olive-skinned ladies, run wild with bold grape lids and/or lips.

Photo: ManchesterEveningNews.co.uk