It’s fall again, and the ever-changing cycle of make up trends is up to date on that. Fall is the season where people go back to school or work, but it is also a perfect time to try out new things. There are many different looks you can work with and in my mind, these four staples are perfect for the fall season:
1) Moisturizer
I know, this is more a skin care product suggestion rather than a cosmetic one, but taking care of your skin is really important especially when the weather gets cold and windy. Often skin can get dry from fall weather, which can lead to breakouts. I know my skin can be dry during colder seasons, so I always put on moisturizer before applying any other cosmetic products. After all, having good skin is a huge advantage when it comes to looking flawless!
For me, I personally use the Laura Mercier Tinted Moistizuer during the warmer months. The product gives me a natural and sheer look while feeling light on your face as well. It has some good coverage and can be built up for more coverage. During the colder months I use Cetaphil, to help my dry skin and to prevent breakouts. The tinted moistuzer is available at Sephora, both in stores and online (travel size in select tones: $26 CAD, full size: $56 CAD), while the Cetaphil facial moistener ($14-16 CAD) is available in Walmart, superstores and drugstores.
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisterizer
2) Dark and MLBB (My Lips But Better) lipsticks
As the weather gets colder, a lot of people feel like dressing in dark colors. A lot of people also like to wear bold lipstick with dark outfits, to stand out. There is a huge continuum of fall lipstick colors, from berry to dark plum.
Personally, I really like to wear burgundy lipstick for a night out – it definitely gets me compliments! At first, I was hesitant at the idea of wearing dark lipsticks because I thought they would be more flattering against dark tones and would look weird against my fair skin, but MAC’s Diva (described as a burgundy matte color) really compliments my face nicely. It’s a good deep red that doesn’t make me look like a clown, and I think this color would flatter everyone. NARS’ matte lipstick in Amsterdam is a good alternative for people who want a more muted look.
MAC’s Diva and NARS’ Amsterdam lipsticks
Rebel is another bold matte lipstick that is a perfect berry color for fall. It may look scary when you first open the bullet-shaped tube and see it, but it looks different on actual lips! If you want to push the line further in dark lipsticks, you will like MAC’s Cyber and NARS’ Train Bleu! They are beautiful matte plum colors and if you like risks that pay off, go for them. Just mind that in general dark lipsticks can be patchy. If you find your lipstick patchy, try using a lipstick primer first.
MAC’s Rebel, MAC’s Cyber and NARS’ Train Bleu
If you’re still nervous about wearing dark and bold lipsticks, you could try wearing MLBB (My Lips But Better) lipsticks for a natural look. I personally find MAC’s Faux, a satin type lipstick, and the Apricot lip shimmer from Burt’s Bees ($6 CAD, available in drugstores) good matches for my lip. They’ll flatter almost anyone! NARS’ Rikugien lip pencil and MAC’s Twig, Brave and Velvet Teddy are flattering as well.
If the MAC and NARS lipstick prices are too high for you, there are alternatives at drugstores. NYX has a large range of lipsticks and lip creams in different colors. Wet and Wild always have several good dupes for the MAC counterparts.
The MAC lipsticks are available in MAC stores and in select department stores such as the Bay ($22 CAD). The less expensive NYX lipsticks and lip creams are available in select drugstores such as London Drugs and Rexall ($8-10 CAD). The Wet and Wild lip products are also available at drugstores and select superstores ($4 CAD).
3) Burgundy, brown and orange eye shadows
Burgundy, brown and orange eye shadows obviously coordinate with the fall season. If you’re worrying that burgundy and orange shadows don’t suit you well (in fact, they go well with almost all skin tones, but they flatter the best on warmer skin tones), try out Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Modern Renaissance eye shadow palette, as I feel that the colors are high quality, wearable and versatile on nearly everyone. The colors are also perfect for autumn and winter moods.
The Modern Renaissance palette is available in Sephora stores (it’s very popular so expect to wait for it to go back in stock for a while) and on the Anastasia Beverly Hills’ website ($40 USD and $55 CAD plus shipping rates).
Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Modern Renaissance eye shadow palette
Brown eye shadows are versatile on pretty much everyone and will flatter your eyes for sure, no matter what color they are! You can do a natural everyday eye look or a dramatic look for the night out, as I do with the Too Faced Natural Eyes palette. The palette is available on the Too Faced website and in Sephora stores ($49 CAD). MAC also has a huge range of brown eye shadows as well – anyone can find at least one shadow that’ll flatter them. I also tried the NYX naturals palette ($10 CAD) and it was decent for the price! NYX palettes are available in select drugstores such as Rexall and London Drugs.
Burgundy and berry eye shadows are definitely bold. They make blue eyes pop in particular. If you’re daring or want a bold look for nights out, burgundy eye shadow is the thing for you. MAC has several amazing burgundy shadows in a select range, especially the popular shade Cranberry, which is a frost-type shadow and will make blue and green eyes pop. While the MAC eye shadows are $22 CAD each if you buy in singles, there is a cheaper way to get the same shadows from MAC — if you get a custom pro palette from a standing MAC store, the shadows are $8 CAD each!
4) Bold blushes
Again, this may not be comfortable for everyone, but if you’re brave enough to wear dark and/or bold blushes then this season is perfect for you! I took a risk and tried this trend.
NARS is known for their blushes and they have several good ones for fall/winter moods. Seduction is a beautiful deep burgundy blush with soft sheen that may be intimidating at first glance, but it’s definitely wearable for warm medium-dark tones. If you’re still not sure if you can wear Seduction, or if you think it’d look clownish on your skin, you can opt for Dolce Vita from NARS. Dolce Vita is described as a “matte dusty rode” blush. I tried Dolce Vita on a recommendation and I fell in love with it; it’s definitely highly pigmented but if you apply it with a light hand and then blend it, it looks gorgeous! It looks like you just came back from a blustery day with a healthy flush on your cheeks. The NARS blushes are available at Sephora and the NARS website ($38 CAD).
NARS blushes in Dolce Vita and Seduction
If these prices intimidate you, there are also good blushes at the drugstore at cheap prices! Milani has a good range of shades and they are highly pigmented compared to other drugstore blushes. Lady Rouge, Love Potion and Tea Rose are bold colors at a good price. They are available at select drugstores and several superstores in Canada ($8.99 CAD).
What we’ve learned…
Autumn-themed makeup trends may be risky, but they are perfect for the cold-weather aesthetics. And who knows, taking risks with your makeup may well pay off. I hope you get a lot of compliments this fall!