Even while the long, hot days are still upon us, many women are ready to start thinking about trading their glowy summer shine for matte drama when fall arrives. Who doesn’t love the moody looks that match the darker days and chilling winds of winter? Making the leap from barely-there makeup to a more fall-like feel can be tricky. A few subtle tweaks to summer’s sheer, lightweight foundation and bronze glow can make your makeup routine blissful and carefree all winter long. Think about deepening your color palette just slightly to take your makeup temperature just a little cooler.
Start with your best complexion.
A good skincare routine helps makeup stay on longer, so make taking care of your skin your priority. Use exfoliators on the areas where you want makeup to last the longest throughout the day. Concentrate moisturizer on the high points of your face—temples and cheekbones—before moving to chin, neck and chest. Use any moisturizer that’s left on the t-zone of forehead and nose. You’ll get less greasy buildup on areas that are naturally oily.
Transition to a velvety facial finish.
That means a fall look that’s less wet than your summer glow but not necessarily super matte or powdery. Your Fall face makeup should look effortless and not overdone. Here’s where texture and formula play a big part. Start by using a face oil or moisturizer with a foundation that’s sheer and glowing everywhere on your face. Then switch to something that’s gives full coverage in the t-zone. As the days grow cooler, shifting your formulas to creams will help dryer skin. The richer application glides over any rough dry patches.
Focus on blush more than bronze.
Use bronzer sparingly for a dramatic effect. Put blush all over to give the face an instant, effortless lift and follow up with a touch of bronze so the contrast can be fresh. Experiment using lipsticks for cheek color. They give a better glow and complement the skin better than powder blushes.
Hang on to summer’s makeup trends for eyes.
Keep playing around with the lids that are all one color and don’t abandon those trending graphic neon eye liners. The natural shadow on eyes gives one-color lids a two-color ombre look. Create a complementary tone story in the Fall with dark eyes, light lips or light eyes, dark lips. Move from summer’s golden bronzes toward moodier eye shades as the days grow shorter. Experiment with navy or gray/brown mushroom shades. Give a nod to cashmere and suede in matte textures.
Deepen your summer lip color.
Take your lip color from a summer bright and deepen it a bit, for example, make a cherry a black cherry. Layer a deep colored gloss over your usual color or simply blot your usual color lipstick to a more matte finish that will feel more autumnal. Try pairing a deep, berry lip to go along with a pop of color on the eyes. It’s a fun, unexpected turn on the autumn makeup when most are going for a dramatic look.