Foliage-festooned forest dwellers. Fearsome tribal warriors. Martians.

These aren't the images that you would ordinarily associate with beauty products, but then "What on Earth,'' the hair and beauty spectacle that is being staged by the Eden salon at City Hall Theatre on Wednesday, isn't your ordinary marketing ploy.

Co-produced by Eden manager Mr. Ian Egerton and stylist Mr. Chris Brannon, the show, which has more in common with a Broadway or West End musical than a traditional fashion event, actually has three purposes.

In addition, for example, to introducing the Eden salon's new line of aromatherapeutic Aveda products and raising an expected four-figure sum for each of four local causes -- the National Trust, Keep Bermuda Beautiful, the Bermuda Biological Station and the Physical Abuse Centre -- "What on Earth,'' Mr. Egerton said, has also been conceived by its organisers to show the inherent correlation between the beauty industry and ecology, using fantastic images and affectingly "earthy'' music to do so.

"This,'' Mr. Brannon said of the extravaganza, "will not be your regular catwalk fashion show.

"You will,'' he told Taste, "be so thoroughly entertained that you will think you are slap bang in the middle of a Broadway show. You will see hair so avant-garde that you would only expect to see it in magazines or the movies.'' Expanding on Mr. Brannon's movie analogy, the hair stylist Murray (who, a la Cher and Madonna, goes by a single name) added: "We call it (the show) the `Pulp Fiction' of ecology. Nothing in it joins but all of it joins together.'' Indeed, the "What on Earth'' show will be comprised of some wildly divergent montages, from the steamy depths of a tropical rain forest to the outer reaches of space.

Consequently, Mr. Egerton told Taste, the resulting "mini-plays,'' which will nonetheless be centred around the overriding theme of the environment, should appeal to audience members who wouldn't normally be interested in beauty -- namely men.

"We are anticipating,'' the co-producer said, "a broad spectrum of people -- young and old, male and female. Men in particular will enjoy the warrior images, the tribal scenes. There is something in these little plays for everyone.'' To play the tribal warriors and numerous other characters, Mr. Egerton and Mr.

Brannon have assembled a remarkable 50 or so models, most of whom have never appeared onstage before.

"They have been rehearsing an average of six nights a week for the past several months,'' said Mr. Brannon, who drew on some past theatrical experience -- both onstage and off -- to choreograph "What on Earth.'' "They (the models) have been working very hard.'' As dedicated as the onstage pewrformers may be, however, the real stars of the show, by the producers' own admission, should be the hair and make-up people.

"It will really show,'' Mr. Egerton said of their efforts, "the extent of the stylists' creativity here. We (at Eden) have often done backstage work for many fashion shows and beauty contests. This time, we wanted to get away from the traditional French roll and show people how creative their stylists really are.'' Needless to say, Mr. Egerton told Taste, the audience at City Hall on Wednesday will probably contain a great many of Island's hair and beauty workers, who regularly attend each other's events out of professional interest.

At the same time, he said, the "What on Earth'' show should also serve as a good opportunity for the public to get a glimpse of the industry's cutting edge.

"These days, the beauty industry is using a lot more natural products,'' Mr.

Egerton explained. "The general public should be aware of that and make use of them.'' To get the word out, consequently, a number of the "What on Earth'' models were recruited to make an informal promotional appearance this week during Harbour Night festivities in Hamilton, where they strolled down Front Street in full Amazonian costume.

Despite the abundance of heads that the models no doubt turned, however, their presence was not, as the producers of the beauty spectacle might agree, an indication that the beauty industry has gone to pot. It should have been, rather, regarded as an indication that the rain forest -- as well as the overall philosophy of ecological preservation that it symbolises -- has come to the beauty industry.

"What on Earth,'' a hair and beauty show in aid of four local causes, begins at 8 p.m. at City Hall Theatre on September 6. Tickets, which cost $25 per person in advance and $30 at the door, can be purchased at City Hall, Eden or each of the four charities.