Have we lost the art of elegant drama? Elegant is not a problem: black eyeliner, smoky eyes, a sweep of red lipstick. Easy-peasy, dot-to-dot stuff. Drama, too, has its own clear territory. It ranges from an eyelid slathered in ruby-red slipper glitter, all the way through to a Lady Gaga-style white stripe.

But we have lost something: the art of combining the two. This is what I found myself contemplating at a Richard Avedon exhibition in New York. There were endless photographs of the 1950s model Dovima, looking sculpted and sinewy in everything from a tweed suit in a Paris street to a draped dress by the Egyptian pyramids, but always, always, sporting her signature two lines of eyeliner — one across the lash line, the other tracing the socket, and both shooting out in parallel lines to just outside the edge of the eye. It’s attention-grabbing stuff, but not over-the-top, and never self-conscious.

It’s time to bring it back. And I’d say I’m slightly ahead of the trend, given the make-up artist Val Garland’s work at the Moschino A/W show. Her inspiration came from “a nod to Avedon” and from Serge Lutens and Irving Penn. “I wanted to make it feel more graphic,” she explains. “I called it a facelift liner because it gave the girls stretched eyes.” Garland recommends Mac Penultimate liner (£11.74) or YSL Easy Liner (£21). I would also give By Terry Ligne Blackstar (£20.55; spacenk.co.uk) good marks, even though, when angled upwards, the “ink” doesn’t deliver as well, which makes re-doing the line almost essential. You could also try Maybelline New York Line Express in blue (£5) for a lighter touch.

PULSE POINTS

Orange crush

The buzz word for fragrance? Orange. A simple dash can take you to a sweetly summery place. Bois d’Orange is an ode to “the secret gardens of Andalusia”. Take that to mean a light, woody fragrance, with a citrus core. Roger & Gallet Bois d’Orange fresh fragrant water spray, £27 for 100ml; 01444 255700

Go green

Witness the return of a classic: the first Hermès cologne was created in 1979 by Françoise Caron and fuses green leaves with citrus notes for a crisp, understated fragrance. It is part of a set of three — each scent comes in an orange box tied with a colour-coded ribbon. Special stuff. Hermès Eau d’Orange Verte, £64.50 for 100ml, from Harrods

Darling buds

The first of a new range of Prada fragrances in the Ephemeral Infusion collection, Prada’s limited-edition summer scent is based on pretty white orange blossom, and smells exactly like a summer romance. Indulge yourself. Prada Infusion Fleur d’Oranger, £61 for 100ml; 020 7494 6220

THE PROFESSIONALS

I suffer from red, blotchy spots on the backs of my arms and legs, which makes me very self-conscious. I have tried various creams, but nothing seems to help. What would you suggest?

Mel, Bath

The medical term for this is keratosis pilaris; it is hereditary, but you can grow out of it. I suggest you consult your doctor. Some GPs recommend using a salt body scrub on dry skin, followed by a light moisturiser such as Johnson’s Baby Oil (£2.09). Alternatively, my new favourite is Clinique Turnaround Body Smoothing Cream (£22.51), which exfoliates and hydrates at the same time.

Send your beauty dilemmas to thebeholder@sunday-times.co.uk

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