FALL’S STARTING LINEUP: From subtle bronzers, neutral foundation, and crisp eyeliner to stronger lip coloring, a winning strategy this year puts the emphasis on subtle, autumn accents to bring out your classic good looks.
Back from vacation. Back to school. Back to basics. With the fall’s football season fast approaching, the time is near for a change of wardrobe and a change of makeup color. You can’t miss this year if you stick with classic colors. Plus, since you probably still have a little summer glow going, you can keep your makeup to a minimum. Focus on consistency by using a sheer foundation that accentuates your natural skin tone. Sheer coverage evens out skin tones and still looks natural and fresh. Here are some specifics for each facial feature.
SKIN Palladio Herbal Liquid Foundation is a water-based makeup with a lightweight, blendable texture that contains vitamins, herbs, and aloe vera. Using a specially designed brush such as Face Secrets Foundation Brush to apply liquid or cream makeup makes application a lot easier.
Start with the T-zone and then blend to the rest of the face and neck. If you have dark circles under the eyes or red blemishes, apply a small amount of Palladio Herbal Concealer and blend it with a wedge-shaped cosmetic sponge. The wedge shape is ideal for getting close to the eyes. If you worry about shine, try using Palladio Dual Wet & Dry Foundation like a powder to set the makeup and help it last longer.
EYES You can keep eyes warm and natural while still giving them added definition. Start with a neutral eye shadow color such as gold, copper, or sable over the entire lid. Then, using a slightly darker pencil in a similar warm shade, line the upper and lower lashes and smudge that in with the tip of your finger or a cotton swab.
Curling your lashes before applying mascara will also help define your eyes and make your lashes stand out. The biggest key to great mascara application is to brush the lashes after you have applied the mascara. This removes clumps and separates the lashes. Face Secrets makes a handy brush just for this.
CHEEKS Give your cheeks just a hint of color by using a powder or cream bronzer in a shade just one level darker than your natural color. Apply bronzer to the apples of the cheeks and then blend it in with the rest of the face. You don’t want to leave a distinctive line on your cheeks.
LIPS For lips, we will step up the color a bit, but we suggest opting for a gloss to give a distinct sheer shine. Steer away from the bubble-gum pink colors that you may have worn this summer and go for a berry or apple-colored gloss instead. This is going to give you a clean, crisp look for fall.
If you don’t like all the shine of gloss, you can go with a lip cream or lipstick, but choose a color that isn’t as bright as the gloss. Anytime you are using a darker shade, it is important to keep it from bleeding off the edges of your lips. Either line your lips with a matching pencil (please don’t go darker) or use a product such as Sealed With a Kiss to hold your lipstick exactly where you applied it.
Ernie McCraw is director of beauty education for Sally Beauty Company, the world’s largest distributor of professional beauty products. A licensed cosmetologist for more than 30 years, he is a frequent contributor to fashion and beauty publications nationwide.
Just as you wouldn’t expect to paint a masterpiece with a box of crayons, you can’t achieve cosmetics perfection without the proper tools. This guide can help you make all the right strokes.
