Tuesday, September 30, 2014

My Fall Color Palette: Eyes, Lips & Cheeks

Even though I'd been planning this post for about a month, there aren't really any totally unexpected product picks in here: just your usual berry, purple and plum shebang, with a couple warmer blushes and some greys thrown in for a good measure. What can I say? I like what I like.
I also haven't bought any make-up from fall/winter collections this year, so all of the products I'm featuring have been hiding in my stash and not getting the love they deserve - time to rectify the situation. In a way, think of this post as 'shopping my stash for fall'; let me know in the comments whether you're also sorting through your existing collection for seasonally appropriate hues, or if you've purchased some new products this month - I'd love to know!
Let's start with the eyes. While summer was all about wash of color on the lids with some smudgy eye pencils (read as 'couldn't be bothered to use more than one eyeshadow and be super precise with eyeliners'), I'm now craving some more put together looks. I haven't used my purples in a really long time and I like how they compliment my brown eyes, so I've unearthed a small GWP quad from Clinique with Frosted Blossom (light shimmery pink), Stone Violet (matte medium warm purple), a darker shade from Beach Plum duo (medium warm purple with gold shimmer) and Night Plum (matte aubergine). I'm wearing all four shades in the second FOTD below.
 
Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Forgiveness is another matte purple (very similar to Stone Violet) I like to use in the crease to give my eye more definition. The texture of the Illmasqua matte is far superior to the dinky Clinique quad: smooth, creamy, more pigmented and blendable. On a cooler side of the color spectrum, I've been playing around with some greys from my collection: that's MAC Vex and MAC Hocus Pocus. Two of my cream eyeshadow sticks pair really well with both greys and purples: Avon Extra Lasting Eyeshadow Pencil in Amethyst and Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Grey Pearl.
L-R: Clinique GWP quad, Illamasqua Forgiveness, MAC Vex, MAC Hocus Pocus, Avon Amethyst, Laura Mercier Grey Pearl.
I tried to reign in my lip product picks a little bit: that's usually the one element of my make-up routine I like to change out the most often. But here's an interesting detail: I haven't actually been that much into deep pinks and berries so far this fall (exhibit A: the first FOTD. Not digging that lip shade - it's Inglot Gel Lipstick no. 58 by the way, and as you can see, pointedly omitted from my lipstick picks). I'm all about the vampy blueberry shades, and deeper reds; and when I'm not feeling a dark lip, I reach for a sheer mauve gloss by way of Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly, which also pairs beautifully with those vampy lipsticks.
I like to wear all three of my deeper lipsticks either full strength or dabbed on as a stain: especially Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry requires some careful layering and general cajoling to apply evenly - I'm wearing it as a stain in the second FOTD, with more product layered in the center of my lips. Maybelline Color Sensational in Plum Perfect has a lot more reddy brown tones, so if you're into the 90s trend but you're a bit more cool-toned like me, it's a very nice shade for the colder months. Both Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Grandest Grape and fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Passion are the most moisturizing of the bunch, so a more practical choice when the lips get chapped thanks to the freezing temperatures outside.
L-R: Clinique Grandest Grape, Buxom Dolly, fresh Sugar Passion, Maybelline Plum Perfect, Revlon Black Cherry
Lastly, blush: oh, how I love thee. The skin on my cheeks has finally started to clear up, so I can have more fun with cheek products again! All three of my picks have a sculpting effect on my face, but additionally I've been pairing them with Benefit's Hoola bronzer, used as a contouring powder. I am now the most tan I've been this whole year (despite daily SPF application), so I'm milking it by using some darker cheek products in my stash.
NARS Sin blush in particular gives my face a lot more definition thanks to the very fine gold sheen which highlights my cheekbones (second FOTD below), while NYX Powder Blush in Mauve and NARS Douceur warm up my coloring and will compliment my fading tan - yes, I'm giving it another month tops. A bronze goddess, I am NOT...
L-R: NARS Sin, NARS Douceur, NYX Mauve
I've also returned to liquid eyeliners and cat flicks - they just pair so well with a bold lip. In terms of foundation, I'm still trying to make a dent in my Estee Lauder Double Wear Light; having used it for a solid couple months non-stop now, I have to say I've grown quite tired of it, even though the shade Intensity 1 is my perfect match right now. Nails in the first photo are Zoya Payton, which will be featured in an upcoming fall nail polish picks post.
I rarely use pencils in my waterline or to tightline, but I've been experimenting with slightly lighter shades, like the shimmery taupe of Sephora Contour Eyeliner in Flirting Game, which you can see in the photo below. I'm also into bolder brows, making good use of my Shu Uemura Seal Brown pencil - but I'm thinking of investing in a tinted brow gel (Benefit Gimme Brow?), and maybe even a brow powder (Anastasia?). Do you have any favorites you could recommend?
And that's a wrap! I feel like this post is a bit all over the place, but hopefully you guys enjoyed it nonetheless. How do you change up your make-up for fall? Are there any specific shades, placements or techniques you like to use in the colder season?

14 comments:

  1. Wow, that Clinique GWP Quad is really not bad at all! While I think I'd pass on the Chubby Stick, helloooo Revlon Black Cherry!!
    O.k. I'm ready for Fall now, bring it on. I was just rummaging through my stash again to re-create Lisa Eldridge's Plum tutorial, this time with slightly a different twist (maybe putting a gold sparkle on top of the plum). I may also get out the matte velvet lipsticks which were trendy two years ago. I haven't bought anything from Fall collection yet, in fact a bit out of the loop about the whole Fall offering now, sadly.

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    1. I know - I've gotten rid of all my other GWP eyeshadow palettes and only kept this one, it's just so handy and I don't have any other plummy purple palettes. I need to go rewatch that LE tutorial; gold and plum sound pretty awesome! You know, I think it may be a good thing you're out of the loop - the less you know about current releases, the less likely you are to spend on new products. I'm trying to be a minimalist too!

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    2. Monika, you know which other counter gives good GWP: Estee Lauder! I got a Pure Color lipstick from them, also a good Bronze Goddess blush + bronzer combo and Sumptuous Extreme Mascara. I don't personally use a lot of EL stuffs, but my aunts & mom use EL skin care and when they restock, I usually try to time it when they have good GWPs. Def. worth checking -- only if you can get the items that you want to get (to keep the spirit of minimalism :-D).

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  2. I love this post! I've also been shopping my stash for fall makeup. I'm not one to buy from a fall collection, but I do purchase the Holiday collections that are popping up everywhere now. I just love the Sephora Flirting Game liner! Looks like something I may want to get.

    Great job!
    Des | Simple Charm Beauty

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    1. Hi Des! Oh, what are you planning to get from the Holiday releases? I'm a bit tempted to get the Buxom Lip Polish set that Sephora offers every year. Sephora's Contour eyeliners are fantastic, do check them out next time you're shopping in store!

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  3. Fall is my favorite season, makeup-wise and otherwise! (Yesterday I officially became a white-lady cliché by buying pumpkin-caramel hand soap at Whole Foods, but I don't even care.) I've spent way too much time trying to make Revlon Black Cherry work for me, but I've never tried it as a stain--genius! I love that slightly messy, smudgy look.

    Also, the entire internet is trying to convince me to buy NARS Sin this week. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out...

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    1. Mmm, pumpkin caramel - hell, we can both be white lady cliches :) Yeah, Black Cherry is a bit of a b*tch to apply, but dabbed on top of a little lip balm, it can cooperate; I've also found that it actually evens itself out a bit after about an hour or so. Do get NARS Sin - it's pretty awesome, although a light hand is required for us pale folk!

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  4. I absolutely love all the colours on your face (and YOUR FACE!) in that last photo. Wow, really breathtaking, Monika!

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  5. Love everything about this post and love how they come together on your beautiful face!

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  6. Both looks are so different yet so pretty! especially love the just bitten lip look in the last picture! I think Anastasia brow whiz or powder duo would be really good! They have a match for almost every hair color I think!

    Divya | TheConscienceFund

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  7. Nice post!
    And beautiful fotd, as per usual!

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  8. I love what you picked out! I'm with you: haven't done much shopping for fall makeup—only a couple of lipsticks, one of which was bought with store credit. I've been cleaning out my makeup so I've rediscovered a few things. I'm big fan of Buxom's Dolly—it's my lip product of choice when I don't know what to wear haha. Either that or Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Berry.
    You look gorgeous, as always,—love the looks!

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  9. I chose darker colours. Especially lips and nail polish. Oh and the new Essence mat glosses suck. But there are some nice new things in the new A/W range. A pity you don't have Catrice.

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  10. I am shopping my stash this fall. Not that I haven't been tempted by new offerings. But the new colors are so similar to what I already have that I can't justify buying new. I especially like the second FOTD. Just gorgeous!

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