Fall transition: 8 Beauty Panel tips for changing up your hair and makeup with the season
With September rolling in this (long) weekend, it might be time to finally admit that summer is coming to an end. It’s time to say goodbye to our favourite warm weather-inspired beauty trends and embrace what fall has to offer. Spring’s bright lipsticks and summer’s superfluous bronzer will be dearly missed, but with the fall beauty guide out, our anticipation to try the ombre lips of Christian Dior, the fluffy hair of Marc by Marc Jacobs and the divine red eyeshadow of Gucci is at an all time high. There is no question that this fall it’s all about being bold.
But if you’re not a drop-everything-and-go-for-it kinda gal, the best way to test out a new fall trend is to ease your way in. Which means keeping some of your spring and summer favourites going strong as the seasons change. To help with the transition, we asked the Beauty Panel to share which summer styles they’re keeping into fall and how they’re making it work.
Challenge 25: How do you transition your summer hair and makeup into fall? See the answers now! »
There’s nothing wrong with not being ready to let go of a favourite summer makeup routine—and there are plenty of ways to make it work for fall. Two of our newest Beauty Panel members chose lipstick as their ideal summer-to-fall transition. Michelle Nicole of A Lovely Allure enjoys playing with neutral colours and with fall approaching, she’s chosen a colour that resembles her natural lip colour with a slightly darker tint. Sticking to her summer regime of minimal makeup, Fun Size Beauty’s Stephanie Lau is carrying this look over to the cooler season but finishing it off with her favourite statement: a dark, bold lip. In the hair department, while Emily Chan of This Was Forever gives tips on how to repair frizzy dry hair (a result from too much time in the sun and chlorine filled pools), SYFGF’s JJ Cowan takes us through her favourite up-do of the season: the top bun.
Have a beauty question you want to see the panel answer? Send it our way at [email protected]. Read on for the answers to this week’s challenge and for more goodness, get to know all contributors on our Beauty Panel hub page.
Jump to: ALEEZA AGNO | CHRISTA POTTER | EMILY CHAN | JJ COWAN | MARILOU MOLES | MICHELLE LOUIS | SHAYNA WIWIERSKI | STEPHANIE LAU
Stephanie Lau
Toronto | Fun Size Beauty
I find that transitioning season to season is no simple task in terms of beauty regimen. It’s nearly fall, and there are aspects of summer that I just can’t let go of and fall trends that I can’t wait to incorporate into my makeup routine.
Summer has been all about minimal makeup for face and eyes, and I want to carry this forward to fall. For the face, I feel like dewy, glowing and bronzed skin is seasonless. So for fall, I decided to tone it down slightly by using a satin finish foundation, adding a subtle highlight on the cheeks, and lightening up on the bronzer. On my eyes, I started off with a pearlescent, sheer pink shadow all over the lid, and ran an aubergine pencil liner along my upper lashline for subtle definition.
Dark, bold lips are my favourite part about fall. This is partly why I like to keep it simple on the rest of my face. Don’t own any deep lip colours? You can easily create your own custom lip colour by patting a tiny bit of brown or burgundy eyeshadow over your favourite summer lipstick. I dabbed a little Maybelline Colour Tattoo in “Pomegranate Punk” over Maybelline Vivids Lipstick in “Vivid Rose.”
Products used: Marcelle Hydra C Foundation, Benefit Watt’s Up Highlighter, NYC Bronzer in “Sunny,” The Body Shop Colour Crush Eyeshadow in “Pink Crush,” Stila Smudge Stick Eyeliner in “Ladyfish,” Maybelline Colour Tattoo in “Pomegranate Punk” and Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivids Lipstick in “Vivid Rose”
Michelle Louis
Toronto | A Lovely Allure
I’ll admit it. I don’t typically change my routine when the weather changes. Right now, I’m in that “no, summer can’t be over!” mode that I’m sure many of you can relate to! However, I will definitely be bringing neutral lips and matte eyes into my fall routine! Recently, I have become more comfortable with matte shadows, and my go-to matte palette right now is The Balm’s Meet Matt(e) Nude Eyeshadow Pallete. I use the lighter shades of brown to define my crease and then build up the darker shades on the outer corners a little at a time. This helps avoid creating harsh lines that are difficult to blend out. Then I blend it all together with a fluffy blending brush.
A lip colour is something I always had trouble wearing when I was younger. When I was in elementary school, one of the teachers told me I was too obsessed with bright lip colours, it was distracting and I should stop wearing it to school! Today, I feel more comfortable wearing neutral pinks that don’t stray too far from my natural colour, on my lips. Here I used L’Oreal Colour Riche lipstick in “Rose Taffeta,” which is like a neutral rose pink on me. Kind of like my lips but slightly darker, and better!
I can’t forget to mention, matte skin is in for fall! I used Revlon Colorstay for Combination/Oily Skin on my skin and slightly mattified it with Rimmel’s Stay Matte Pressed Powder, and then added a bit of highlighter afterwards so I still have a bit of a glow.
Products used: Revlon Colorstay Combination/Oily Skin in “Buff,” L’Oréal The Touche Magique Under-Eye Concealer in “Ivory Beige,” Too Faced Bronzer in “Original Chocolate,” The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter, Rimmel Stay Matte in “Transparent,” The Balm’s Meet Matt(e) Nude Eyeshadow Pallete in “Matt Lombardi,” “Matt Singh,” “Matt Hung,” “Matt Garcia” and “Matt Wood,” Urban Decay Naked Palette in “Virgin,” Rimmel Scandal Eyes Bad to the Bronze Pencil, Cailyn Gel Liner in “Black,” Maybelline Rocket Volum Waterproof, Palty Eyebrow Tint, MUA Pro-Brow Kit, Chella Dark Brown Eyebrow Colour, L’Oréal Colour Riche Lipstick in “Rose Taffeta”
JJ Cowan
Toronto | Secrets From Your Girlfriends
Living in Canada, I always feel like I am in a state of transitional beauty because of the always-fluctuating climate. Even as this summer comes to an end, I could not help but wonder at several points this season if we were going to have a summer at all, I am sure many felt the same way.
So, here we are on the cusp of fall and another transitional beauty cycle lays ahead, which happens to be one of my favorite seasons because it is still warm enough to wear your hair down without it getting tangled in your coat. However, it is a period when I retreat to my trusted up do, the top bun that is generally a constant hairstyle in my life because it is so easy to master. It also looks so chic. It literally is the one-minute hair-do that can take an unwashed head and turn it into a pristine, polished look to take you through the day.
I generally leave my hair un-brushed when placing it in a messy bun and use both dry shampoo and hair spray to give it some extra volume, both I apply prior to putting my hair up. I then scoop up my hair in a top ponytail and simply wrap my hair in a bun and secure it with a couple of bobby pins, and just like that I am ready for the day.
Products used: Redken Dry Shampoo and Hairspray, Bobby Pins
Aleeza Agno
Toronto | Stylish & Literate
It’s often difficult for me to bid adieu to summer, so I like to ease myself into fall with a few transitional beauty pieces.
Bronzer is an easy way to hang on to that summer glow. Just lightly sweep it along the temple, cheeks, and jaw line to quickly warm up the face. Skip the shimmer and go for a matte bronzer to create a more natural look.
A mix of bright sheer lipsticks and stains were a staple for me in the summer. For the fall, I keep the same textures, but I like to switch up the shades to deeper, richer colours. Here I created a deep berry stain using the Annabelle Twist Up Lipstick Crayon in Cherry and then I added a tinted lip balm over it for a glossier finish.
Lastly, nails one of my favourite beauty accessories. While there are no rules to nail colours, fall is when I like to trade my neon polishes for dark plums and crimsons. Nail polish is the quickest way to make the switch from summer to fall.
Products used: Benefit Box O’ Powder in “Hoola,” Maybelline Babylips in “Pink Shock,” Annabelle TwistUp Retractable Lipstick Crayon in “Cherry” and RGB Nail Polish in “Deep”
Emily Chan
Toronto | THISWASFOREVER
There is one thing that I will not miss about summer and that is post-summer hair damage! My hair tends to get dull, frizzy, dry and brittle after spending too much time in the sun, chlorine, salt water and air conditioning. So for the fall season, I always try to let my hair recover in order to get it back to its original condition. Two problems that my hair faces when September rolls along are dryness and frizz. It’s close to impossible for hair to repair itself, so replacing the lost moisture and fixing the frizz problem are my priorities for the next month.
I highly recommend this new Pantene Pro-V Smooth Lisse Serum with Argan Oil from Morocco. This product not only provides instant silky softness but it also provides intense moisture. I especially like to use 2 pumps of the product onto my wet hair at night just before I head to bed. I concentrate on the drier parts of my hair, usually towards the ends, and rub the product into my hair. I allow the product to work overnight for maximum result. The next morning, I am guaranteed to have hair that has a brilliant shine. Without a doubt, I’ll be using this product constantly during the next few months.
Product used: Pantene Pro-V Smooth Lisse Serum with Argan Oil from Morocco
Shayna Wiwierski
Winnipeg | A Pop of Colour
Fall for me is all about deep vampy lips. Although I do like to wear this look, occasionally, I will rock a neutral lip year round. The neutral lip is super hot for summer, and as we are transitioning into fall, you can certainly break some rules and wear it as the weather gets colder.
I am obsessed with Marc Jacobs LoveMarc Lip Gel in “Strange Magic,” which is a pinky nude hue. This creamy formula is perfect for Labour Day long weekend and beyond.
Product used: Marc Jacobs LoveMarc Lip Gel in “Strange Magic”
Marilou Moles
Ottawa | Twenty York Street
Skincare is one thing that knows no season and I have several summer favourites that will make its way back into my fall selection. I recently tried Olay’s Regenerist line and I love the anti-aging features, which I hope will pay off beautifully in the future.
This summer I’ve been particularly concerned about my eyes and have started using more protecting serums like this one from Vichy. It has a bonus element of a roll-on ball; I put it in the fridge for cooling and anti-puffing benefits. The new L’Oreal’s Excess Mascara, a gentle (it washes off easily) yet ultra effective in lengthening and volumizing, will definitely make its way to the next season!
Products used: Vichy Aqua Eye Roll-on, Olay Regenerist, Olay Eye Concealer, L’Oréal Excess Mascara and Ecotools Makeup Brushes
Christa Potter
Kawartha Lakes| Perilously Pale
It’s hard to believe that the leaves are already starting to fall and autumn is around the corner. When it comes to transitioning my look from summer to fall, my favourite thing to do is to find new fall collections that will carry me right through from summer until winter. With fall collections hitting counters as early as August it’s nice to be able to put our new purchases for the next season to use right away like the Lise Watier Tartantastique Eyeshadow Quartet. It makes the transition easy with its unique shade compilation. By focusing on the bright aqua and purple in the palette on the eyes, fresh looking skin, bronzed complexion, and bright pink cheeks, this fall palette works perfectly for the summer. Bring the focus more to the eyes with the deep hunter green in the palette, a dark green liner, a more refined complexion and deep plum on the cheeks, and you have the perfect fall look.
Products used: Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in “Light,” Lise Watier Bronzing Powder in “Havana Matte,” Lise Watier Blush-On Powder in “Rose Eclat,” Lise Watier Dramatique Intense Liner in “Prune,” YSL Baby Doll Mascara in “Black,” Lise Watier Haute Lumiere Gloss in “Natural Shine,” Lise Watier Quatour Tartantastique Eyeshadow Quartet, Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in “#6 Emerald,” Lancôme Visionnaire Skin Correcting Makeup Duo Foundation in “Ivory 140” lightened with Face Atelier Ultra Foundation in “Zero Minus,” Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in “Plum Attraction” and Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in “Kiss You”
