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?