A closer look at high-definition makeup

By Melissa Magsaysay, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

It's not just for TV: We try out the new HD cosmetics from Christian Dior, Smashbox and Cargo in the bright sun and under fluorescent lights.

GET ready for your close-up. A new category of cosmetics hitting stores now is designed to achieve a flawless-looking face under the microscope of pore-magnifying, fine line-focusing, high-definition television.

The products are already popular with Hollywood makeup artists, but now brands such as Cargo and Christian Dior are being marketed to the everywoman who wants to look like a perfectly porcelain-skinned Nicole Kidman, whether she's under the harsh florescent lights of the office or in the soft focus of an outdoor patio.