Summer is slipping away into shorter days and cooler nights, but our laments at the prospect of packing our swimsuits away for another year are tempered by promises of falling leaves, new sweaters, and nights in relaxing. Another benefit to the shift in season? The chance to revisit our beauty routines and try something different to compliment our changing wardrobes.
Here are four beauty trends to try as we transition into autumn.
Give new life to the classic smoky eye
We’d say the smoky eye was back, that would imply that it ever left the building. Has there ever really been a season when the smoky eye was considered a bad idea? So that said, we need not list off all the runways and red carpets where it’s appeared as a herald for dramatic autumn styling; suffice to say, there have been many. The tip then is really to get out your favourite blending brush and experiment. Mix it up. Make it your own. Contrast a radiant matt white lid with a shadowy dark corner, as seen at the Armani Prive AW16 couture show. Or, if a steady hand and patience for careful blending are two things you lack, try something more smudgy and grungy. Black liner smudged along the waterline was given the stamp of approval by designers like Chloe and Versace for this season.
Luminous Skin, Hugo Boss NYFW
Pair luminous skin with effortless hair
There’s no beauty more, well, beautiful than the natural kind. That can mean ditching the beauty routine all together and bursting out the door makeup-free. As Alicia Keys has been proving in what some have termed the “#nomakeup revolution”, appearing in public fresh-faced is nothing to be shy about — it all comes down to what feels good to you. If you associate wearing no makeup with a kind of facial nakedness, there’s always the “no-makeup makeup” route: a little concealer, a dusting of luminous shimmer to the brow bone and cheeks, and a coat or two of mascara to lift up your look and your spirits. For a luscious autumn beauty look pair your fresh, glowing skin with an effortless yet smooth hairstyle and it will all come together perfectly. We refer you to the slick low knot crafted by Redken for the Hugo Boss winter show. Easy, neat and naturally beautiful, ready to be worn anywhere (and relatively weather-proof, too).
Red lips, Cushnie et Ochs
Don’t be afraid of an autumn red lip
The red lip is another perennial mainstay of the beauty world. And yet, many women associate the more vibrant red shades with the beaming bright days of summer. If you’re to look at the autumn runway trends, rich lips abounded: the deep, plum-shaded Gothics to the lacquered candy-apple glosses. A key look this particular season was the red stain: a little less fussy, a little more relaxed, it’s the red-lipped look that doesn’t require time and brushes (just dab some colour onto the center of the lips, and blot together.) Another option is to give vintage glamour a modern twist: a perfect, bold red lip, subtle eyes, and a smooth, slicked-back hairstyle (a la Cushnie et Ochs).
Try strong brows for a strong look
Bold brows, Armani Prive AW16
If you weren’t born with Audrey Hepburn’s brows, that’s a shame – but at the same time welcome to the club, because who was? For everyone else there’s brow pencils and gels and combs which, when used in combination, can give the illusion of stronger and fuller brows. Be wary of choosing the right colour for your hair tone, and if you can’t find the exact colour as a pencil don’t be afraid to trawl through the rainbow of eyeshadow palettes at your favourite makeup counter and settle on a powder and brush instead. One way to style them is to channel Armani Prive, who used thick brows — drawn to a straight, squared shape — as a compliment to an ’80s power-woman silhouette. With storm clouds as brows, the logic seems to follow, you can’t help but rule the boardroom.