From your skin care to the shade of lipstick you choose, it’s important to revamp your beauty routine so you’re able to look flawless this fall season. Instead of letting the cold winter — and the dry skin that accompanies it — get you down, embrace it and let it serve as inspiration.
The importance of skin care cannot be stressed enough, especially in situations where you’re slathering makeup on your face. No matter how strong your contour game is, if you don’t take time to care for your skin, it will show.
Moisturizing should be an integral step in the routine for every skin type, especially in cooler temperatures. People with oily skin often skip this step, but hydrating your skin is never a bad thing. You just have to find the one moisturizer that is best suited to you. One that works well for all skin types is Cetaphil’s daily facial moisturizer. It’s lightweight, so it won’t clog your pores, but it still leaves your skin feeling hydrated.
Gentle exfoliation is also important. Along with providing a deep clean that can help smooth and brighten your skin, it can help remove those flaky dry patches that come along with the changing seasons. Be sure to limit exfoliation to once or twice a week, as overdoing it can agitate the skin and do more harm than good. Lip exfoliation should also be a part of your weekly beauty routine. Rubbing a mix of honey and sugar on your lips will remove dead skin.
Once you have a fresh canvas to play with, you can move on to the fun part: makeup.
Even though you wish it would stay forever, it’s important to remember that as the weather shifts, your tan will fade away. Keeping a deeper shade of foundation in a desperate attempt to hold on to that sun-kissed look is never a good look. It is normal to have two different foundation shades — a deeper one for spring and summer, and a lighter one for fall and winter. If you already have two foundations in rotation, keep in mind that it expires after anywhere from six to 12 months. While you won’t get sick from using old foundation, the product will start to separate and brighten as time passes, changing the way it looks when applied.
The warm colors of autumn should serve as an inspiration when deciding which color makeup to apply. Neutrals on the eyes like taupe, olive and dark browns are pretty year-round. Adding pops of burnt red, cranberry or bronze to the lid is more in-tune with the season. To add warmth and depth to your look, use a plum blush instead of the typical pink or coral.
Fall is not only associated with warm colors; darker colors are also emphasized. Update your red lips by using a deep wine shade. This color looks fabulous on all skin tones and should be a staple in your fall makeup bag. When using dark colors, be sure to use a matching lip liner to prevent your lipstick from spreading outside of the lip line. Brown lipstick is also very hot right now; from the lips of stars like Kylie Jenner and FKA Twigs, it’s clear that the quintessential ’90s color is making a serious comeback.
The key to truly rocking any of these styles is confidence. Don’t be afraid to stand out and go bold with your makeup. That being said, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, either. If you’re just starting out, you’re not going to step out of your dorm with a flawless Kim Kardashian-aesthetic on the first try, and that’s OK.
Whether you’re a self-proclaimed beauty guru, or still a bit intimidated at the thought of a cat eye, make the most out of this fall. Turn a new leaf and try something you’ve never done before.