If you can buy only one makeup item this holiday season, let it be lipstick — red lipstick, that is. The reddest you can handle.

That's the word from Tim Quinn, celebrity makeup artist with Giorgio Armani Beauty and Gina Brooke, Madonna's makeup artist and celebrity artist for Shu Uemura cosmetics.

"The red lip is very empowering," Quinn explained. He recently oversaw the makeup for celebrities at the The Women's Conference in California, including Maria Shriver, Caroline Kennedy and Carolyn Albright. They all wanted red lips.

"A little red lipstick can dress everything up," Quinn said in a phone interview from his home in Florida.

What's hip, he avows, is a classic red, inspired by the hit TV show "Mad Men."

Quinn said the classic Hitchcock blonde can wear a true blue red.

Women with olive complexions look better in a warmer red, with a brown undertone, "or even orangey red," Quinn said. "If you're super fair, look for a sheer version of red. If you're a little afraid of the full red, you can do a red lip gloss."

Both Shriver and Kennedy typically opt for nude lipsticks, but even they went for red during the conference. Which red did they choose? Giorgio Armani's Rouge 400. "It's full-bodied but doesn't travel," Quinn said of the popular shade.

If using a red lipstick that might travel, Quinn advised blotting with a tissue and lightly brushing lips with loose powder.

"Get it at the drug store or get it at Neiman Marcus," Quinn said. "But do get a red lipstick for the holidays."

Brooke agrees. "My favorite holiday beauty trend is a bold lip," she wrote in an e-mail interview, having just returned from touring with Madonna. She recommends priming the lips for a smoother application. Her favorite primer is Shu Uemura's Phyto Black Lift Lip & Eye Cream. She applies a lip liner (her fave is Shu's No. 192) to the entire lip. "Be sure to line the rim of the lip to create the appearance of a larger lip; dark lips can sometimes make the lips appear smaller. Polish your lips off using Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited (No. 165) for a brighter, bolder festive lip."

SMOKIN' EYES

What to wear with the red lipstick? Quinn said it's OK to have a smokey eye with a strong lip.

But this year it's all about color, even on a smokey eye. "Add more color on the smokey eye," Quinn said. "Add green or silver to give it a bright effect. Boost the color rather than doing the same old black or gray smokey eye. But don't get carried away. You don't want to look like a Christmas tree."

LUSH LASHES

"People have become lash obsessed," Quinn quipped. To make lashes lush, he coats the top of the lash first. Then, he coats the undersides, pulling the lash up with the brush stroke. "It forms a little cover over the whole lash, not just the bottom of the lash," he said.

Quinn is not afraid to wield the mascara wand. "Twirl the brush and work with it," he advises.

"I also focus a little more mascara on the outer edges and that gives a little lift to the outer edge. You'll get the same look as false eyelashes without the glue and all that scary stuff."

Brooke is a known false lash afficionado, having created the iconic mink and diamond lashes for Madonna. She recommends applying individual lashes for a natural look, while a full-length lash, in her view, provides a more glamorous appearance.

"Apply lash adhesive to the base of the lash, wait for the glue to adhere and apply the false lash as close to the lash line as possible. By doing so, this will create the illusion that our eyes are much wider and brighter."

"The smokey eye and red lips are a big look but keep everything else velvety and clean," Quinn advised. "The complexion should be clean with a soft cheek, maybe in a raspberry shade." It's not necessary to go out and buy a bunch of new cosmetics, he added: "Look for the inspiration and go through your makeup box because you probably have it in there. The only things that get dated are liquids. Nothing wrong with a five-year-old eye shadow."