When fall rolls around, makeup enthusiasts come out to play (and so does the PSL). We’ve had enough time with the bright, fun shades of summer and spring. Now it’s time for something a little warmer and moodier to match the tone of the changing season.

 

 

 

Those rust shades, warm chocolate tones, and deep smoky bronzes have been begging to come out of the drawer for months. Now is their time to shine, and your time to shine in them.

How Makeup Changes In The Fall

Fall makeup is generally a little warmer and a little darker. Summer has us all in shimmery bronze tones with fun pops of color, like a bright pink lip or a cobalt blue liner. The season is beachy and carefree, and the styles we choose tend to reflect that.

 

In the fall, the weather is a little cooler. You’re not spending time out by the pool or going sailing. You’re inside by a fire. You’re enjoying a pumpkin spice latte at your favorite cozy little coffee shop. You’ve ditched the margaritas on the water for red wine at a boutique bar. You’ve traded in your light floral sundresses for a knit tunic and your high boots. Everything’s a little more intimate. It’s warmer. It’s all a little more sultry.

 

Fall gives us the perfect opportunity to choose darker shades and be a little more heavy-handed. Your makeup isn’t going to sweat off like it did in the summer. Your jewel-toned smokey eye will still be holding strong after last call. If you’ve ever wanted to play a mysterious, seductive role, now’s the time to do it. 

The Perfect Autumn Complexion

 

The warmer seasons are about radiance. The cooler seasons are about softness. Your very glowy summer look is still beautiful, but you might want to consider switching to satin or matte finishes for your foundation in the fall. You can always add a subtle aura of a champagne glow with your favorite highlighter. Your skin will still look crisp, smooth, and flawless.

 

You might want to begin toning down the bronzer as the seasons change. Bronzer is a summer must-have because it gives the appearance of glowing tanned skin without the damage of UV rays from the sun or a tanning bed.

 

In the fall, the sun isn’t as strong as it was in the summer, so you don’t want to add a crazy fake tan right now. Bronzer might begin to look a little too artificial as the leaves start changing, and the promise of snow begins to appear.

 

Instead of using bronzer, use a matte contour to add warmth and dimension to the skin in a way that will appear more natural. If you’re fully devoted to the glow, you can always use a soft shimmery highlighter to add a realistic radiance to your skin. 

Bold Lips Make A Statement

One of the easiest fall looks is to allow your lips to make a statement. Try no-makeup makeup with a light false lash and a subtle winged liner on a perfect complexion. It’s basically the everyday bare minimum look.

 

Think of the makeup you’d toss on really quick to run a few errands, and then take a little extra time to make sure your foundation and concealer are perfect. Then, let your lip color do all the talking. Matte and satin finishes on the lips are perfect for autumn. Your color palette is deeper and a little sexier.

 

Fall is the time for those deep berry and plum lipsticks you were never sure you’d wear. They’re very commanding colors that draw a lot of attention, and they usually conflict with brighter and more complex summer eye looks. By toning down your eye look and sticking to the basics, you’re creating the perfect platform to display deep, rich colors.

 

 

 

If berries and plums aren’t your thing, try deep shades of brick, hot cocoa browns, and rich, dark terracotta colors. Think of the colors of the changing leaves. It’s the natural color palette of fall, and there’s never been a better time to match the plants. You probably don’t want to do that when they’re bright and green. 

Crisp And Matte

Fall is the best time to break out your neutral matte shades and start playing with creative color palettes. Deep peach, graham cracker gold, rich red wine, dark chocolate, warm vanilla, rusty orange, and dark plum are tried and true fall matte shades. Start by using a lighter shade on the eye’s inner corner, gradually fading it into a brighter, more exciting color towards the outer corner.

 

 

Using a warm vanilla shade on the inner corner and bringing it into a plum, chocolate, or rust shade on the outer corner is a great way to play with color without making the eye look too dark or too heavy. It’s a great work-appropriate way to incorporate fun fall shades.

 

Just use a mid-tone brown or taupe to add depth to the crease and pull a small amount of your fun shade underneath your lower lash line to perfect the shape.

 

Smoldering Metallics

 

The colors of a roaring fire and brilliant jewel tones make for some of the most captivating smokey eyes. These colors fit beautifully within a fall motif, and many of them will keep working like a dream all the way until the end of winter.

 

Think of the metallic shades of gemstones. Amethyst, ruby, sapphire, topaz, emerald, and citrine are very bold statement colors. Infuse them with a shimmery finish, and they’ve even more eye-catching. Using them as a core color for a smokey eye will draw a lot of attention.

 

You can either fill the entire eyelid with your jewel tone or use it to create a halo smokey eye. If you can find a complementary deep-toned matte shade to pair with your jewel tone, a halo eye will make a bold statement for fall parties and formal events.

 

Press your jewel-tone shade into the center of the lid, and then apply your matte tone on both the inner and outer corners. Apply the matte tone along the lower lash line. Then, blend the matte tone through the crease of your eye and smoke it out at the lower lashes.

 

If jewel tones are a bit too loud for you, you can do the same thing with copper, rich amber, chocolate, gold, deep champagne, or a soft cranberry shade. These colors make statements, but they aren’t so far removed from a neutral palette that someone with more conservative tastes would feel uncomfortable with their boldness.

 

Fall Lashes

 

Summery lashes are light, carefree, and wispy. Fall lashes leave some room for dramatics. As colors get deeper and eye looks become more elaborate, very full, very dark lashes can easily come into play. If you’ve been waiting all year to experiment with the most elaborate, over the top styles you can find, now is a perfect time.

 

Bossy Lash, Money Lash, Dolly Lash, and Boujie Lash are the perfect complement to sexy, sultry fall eye looks. Monochromatic jewel-tone looks play well with big lashes because a large lash won’t obstruct the color or detail when everything is the same hue. Magnetizing them to a thicker, darker black line will create even more contrast. 

 

Fall Brow Trends

By now, we all know the importance of keeping our brows on-point. Fall brows are a little different from summer brows. Many people change their hair color to something a little deeper in the fall. Platinum might become a beautiful mixture of brown and blonde tones known as bronde. Ginger might become a deep, rich auburn. Soft ash brown might go to a warmer chocolate tone.

 

Make sure you’ve picked a brow product that will better match your fall locks. You don’t want an exact match in color intensity— only in the hue. Use the same undertone, but go about two shades lighter on your brows than on your hair. This contrast will keep your brows from looking too stark or artificial. 

 

 

 

You might have opted for a thinner, lighter brow in the summer. Let them grow out a little bit— it’s perfectly fine. Most of us probably don’t shave our legs as much in the fall as we do in the summer. They’re covered in warm pants or fleece-lined leggings, so no one is going to see that stubble. Treat your brows the same way you treat your legs. A little bit of natural brow hair growth looks cozy and warm.

 

Keep your brows neatly groomed but slightly imprecise. A fuller brow provides better balance for deeper, smokier eye looks and offsets the impact of deep, bold lip colors. 

Conclusion

If you fancy yourself the creative type, fall is the time of year when you really begin to thrive. You’re trying new recipes. You’re knitting scarves, sweaters, and beanies. You’re spending more time indoors exploring your artistic talents. Don’t be afraid to treat your makeup like an art project. At the end of the day, every color palette you have is no different from an artist’s paint palette.