AIRBRUSH IN A CAN SPRAY-ON MAKEUP PUTS NEW FACE ON FOUNDATION.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

MALIBU - In a town long accused of airbrushing away its imperfections, Rodger and Yolanda Halston may have just the thing - spray-on makeup.

``I like it because you don't have to reapply the stuff,'' North Hollywood beautician Melissa Parker said of the new ERA Face. ``I'm planning to buy it for myself. I'm just waiting for my own foundation to run out. It's like airbrush meets makeup.''

In couple of quick passes of a spray can, the entire face is covered in foundation, ready for lip gloss and eyeliner. The tiny bottles of beauty come in 10 different skin tones and a hefty price tag - $55 a bottle. Ah, but that's a small price for convenience.

``It'll cut 10 minutes out of a woman's daily routine,'' said Yolanda Halston. ``You don't have to put on separate foundation, concealer and powder. This is all of that in one quick step.''

The easy-on application has won fans in short order. Since its debut in December, ERA Face has been flying off the shelves of local beauty supply houses.

``It's very popular, one of the most popular products in our store,'' said Misti Woodring, a saleswoman for Malibu's Planet Blue. ``It's a great product, offering full coverage without being harsh on your face. Once people try it, they say 'Oh, my god, I can't believe they actually have this. It does everything.'''

The Halstons, husband and wife and business partners in Classified Cosmetics, have impressed some Hollywood makeup artists as well.

``This thing is a revolution,'' said Sam Berkerian, owner of Naimie's, a North Hollywood beauty supply company that caters to the entertainment industry. Artists have praised its durability and ease of application.

Based on strong sales in Los Angeles and New York, ERA Face is making a quick spritz across the country. Already available in Alabama, Colorado and Oklahoma, it should soon cover the domestic market, and the Halstons have their eyes on England as the next big target.

Though the couple have big plans, their company is decidedly small-time, with a staff of 10 and several dogs sharing a Malibu office.

``With just two people trying to change things, we didn't want to have our idea stolen,'' Rodger Halston said from their cozy office overlooking the Pacific Ocean. ``We didn't even tell our families until last May, and we'd been doing this for five years. We wanted to be very on the down-low.''

Hence the name Classified Cosmetics. The idea was born in 1997 as Yolanda Halston, a free-lance professional makeup artist, looked for a viable foundation to use on post-plastic-surgery sensitive skin. Finding nothing that suited her needs, she began kicking around ideas for developing her own. Not satisfied with just top-of-the-line ingredients, she envisioned a new delivery system similar to the airbrushes used for body paint.

Working without corporate benefactors, the pair spent the next half decade trying to work out the details. The project was totally self-funded in its nascent stage, with Yolanda Halston's makeup jobs and Rodger Halston's acting gigs paying the bills.

``We sold the condo, sold our vehicles, sold whatever to get the money for the research,'' he said. ``It was just us cheering each other on.''

Once complete, the concept proved to be a formidable one. Since it's self-contained inside its compact spray bottle, the makeup itself never comes into contact with the elements, keeping it perpetually pristine. In addition to adhering to damaged skin, and withstanding water and daily wear, Yolanda Halston points to ERA Face's convenience as its biggest asset.

``We're trying to get people into their daily lives smoother and faster,'' Rodger Halston added. ``It's a new era in makeup.''

Staff Writer Evan Pondel contributed to this story.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) A quick spritz and your foundation is in place, demonstrates Yolanda Halston, co-developer, with her husband, of spray-on makeup.

(2) The spray foundation was developed initially by the Halstons for gentle application to skin after plastic surgery.

(3) Classified Cosmetics founders Rodger and Yolanda Halston show their innovative spray foundations at their Malibu headquarters.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer