I am not sure about you, but I know that there are few feelings as overwhelmingly joyous as temperatures going from “sitting in uni lecture with sweat running down your back” to “just need a light jacket.” With this cooling off, I always like to switch up my make-up routine. Think about it, everyone always buys new clothes for the fall, so why not switch up your beauty products as well? Now, it is certainly not a requirement to wear warm red and orange or brilliant jewel-toned eye-shadows when autumn falls back into our lives, but there is something so fun about matching the changing leaves to your eyelids. As a Sephora VIB Rouge and fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, I will tell you with absolutely zero professional authority the fun products I have/will be enjoying as Pumpkin Spice Latté-season takes over.
Anastasia Beverly Hills; Modern Renaissance Palette
This palette honestly slayed me more than RuPaul’s Emmy win (which is to say, an exorbitant amount). Also, if you haven’t yet heard of this product, I question your life choices. I have green eyes, so one of my favourite fall looks is a reddish, smoky eye. To be perfectly honest, though, the colours are so beautiful and could work on so many different complexions with different eye colours. The colours are mainly warm-toned, and they are über pigmented. My only gripe would be that the pan gets super powdery when you dip your brush in, but it a small price to pay for the colour payoff. It is currently sold-out, both on Sephora.com and Anastasia’s website, but keep an eye out when you’re at a brick-and-mortar Sephora because you never know when they may have gotten a new shipment in. And on another note, Anastasia makes really consistently fabulous palettes in general, so if these colours are not speaking you, try and get your hands on a different one that’s in stock.
Touch in Sol, Metallist Liquid Foil & Glitter Shadow Duo
Okay, these are sold out currently, too, so I am sorry for being the worst. These are so fabulous though and I still feel obligated to tell you how much I love them. The premise of the product is that on one side you have a liquid shadow, which is sort of the consistency of a liquid lipstick. Then, on the other side, you have a gorgeous complimentary micro-glitter to wear on top. What I love about this is its versatility. I have worn the liquid shadow alone, or underneath some the shades from the Anastasia palette above. I have also layered the red micro glitter on top of LAX by ColourPop for a really bold lip look. The consistency of this product is super opaque, so it can most definitely be worn alone. My favourite colour is Adelio, which is the burgundy shade. It is perfect for recreating Lady Gaga’s make-up look from the Superbowl earlier this year. Also, Talia (the silver) makes a flamazing inner-corner highlight.
Kat Von D, Shade + Light Contour Quad
This is one of those products that I kept saying I was going to buy, but waited and waited and waited to actually purchase it. It is a decision that I deeply regret. I ended up getting the Sage one (the bottom left in the photo above), and I now use the greyish-taupe contour shade as my transition colour every single day. It blends heavenly, there isn’t a lot of powder kick-up, and the colours are crazy pigmented. I also like that there are four different quads, so you can pick the colours you know you will use the most. I also think it is quite affordable based on the amount of quality product you are buying. It is great for someone who does not want to spend 60 or 70 bucks on a palette of 10 colours only to use about two of them. This product is, like most of Kat’s products, solid and dependable, with really pretty natural colours for those that do not want glitter on their eyes for a uni lecture. Plus, the deeper tones are perfect for autumn.
Marc Jacobs Beauty, Air Blush Soft Glow Duo
Disclaimer: these are not sold-out, but they are stupid expensive. I think they are totally gorgeous, and they have suggestive names (Lush & Libido, Lines & Last Night, etc.), so that alone is worth the price of admission for me. They are like the make-up version of the 50 Shades of Grey movie: slightly sexual and paying for it makes you kind of uncomfortable. If you have some extra cash to splurge, please use it on these blushes. If you love more “natural” make-up, these will change your life more than Stranger Things changed my summer. They give the perfect wind-flushed look. They are also super fun because you can mix in the lighter or the darker shade for a more customized colour. And honestly, the Marc Jacobs quality is always A+. So, buy one of these before they sell out (like every other thing I recommended).
NYX’s liquid lipsticks are one of my favourite drug store products, and these are no exception. I saw them at an ULTA back home, and just thought they looked like fun. They are pigmented, creamy, and they have a really even application. They are extrememly colourful, so they are not for someone who is sort of “afraid” of make-up. (For those individuals, check out the NYX Lingerie liquid lip collection; stunning neutrals for every skintone). I think fall is just the time to bust out the fun stuff, though. Warning: they do dry your lips out like the Sahara desert, so be sure to moisturize before you apply!
L’Oréal Paris, Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation
This is perfect for those of you that love BB creams, but want actual coverage instead of applying it and just having it disappear on your face. It has SPF 15, so yay for sun protection, and is perfect at hydrating throughout the day as your walking through the drying autumn air. I am on the combination side, so I do like to mix in a bit of COVERFX Custom Blot Drops into this, but if you have dryer skin, as long as you start out with a great moisturizer you are good to go. The consistency reminds me a lot of Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, but this one is way more affordable. Get it. Go. Now. Bye.
Tarte, Shape Tape Countour Concealer
This concealer changed the game for me. YouTuber’s love this concealer; I love this concealer; everybody loves this concealer. It blends like a dream and is too perfect for baking, because it honestly refuses to crease. You can buy multiple shades and use them to contour and highlight, or just buy a shade a couple tones lighter than your skin to hide those undereye circles. Just be sure to set with a bit powder even if you don’t bake!
Milk Makeup, Holographic Stick in “Supernova”
This product is insane. Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler insane. If you want to go with a “cooler” look, this is the highlighter for you. It has a balmy texture that is sort of tacky, so it can be worn on its own or underneath another powder highlight if you really want to blind people with your facial glow (which I always do). Warning: do not, I mean do not, try to swipe the stick on your face if you have foundation on. It will take your product right off and you will look a hot mess. What I like to do is take a densely packed face brush and swirl it around right on top of the product, and dab it onto my face that way. The product is buildable as well, but more is more for me so I always go really heavily. It gives an awesome holographic, multi-dimensional effect that is really fun. If you want to save a bit of money, a great dupe for this product is the NYX Bright Idea Illuminating Stick in “Lavender Lust.” The only problem with that is you lose some of the holographic effect, but it is the same general principle.
Anna Sui, Nail Color in “Olivine Green”
I would buy this just for the bottle, to be honest. The bottle is so gorgeous and looks so chic on a mirrored vanity tray. This colour is perfect for fall; I love a good deep green. I also love that this is a glitter polish, but the “underneath” colour actually shows up and you don’t have to layer 100 different nail polishes to get colour pay-off.
Maison Margiela, ‘Replica’ By The Fireplace
Margiela makes my absolute favourite of all-time perfume, Jazz Club, but I have to say — this is an insansely close second. It is impossible for me to describe how incredible this smells. Go to Sephora and test it out, because it literally smells like a crackling fire. You think it would be weird a scent, but once it settles and mixes in with the natural chemistry of your body, it has the most alluring, delcious, and perfect for those cold months smell.