Autumn Leaves, Yes, and Autumn Lips: New and Cornerstone Products
Every change of season – even since the climate crisis began – encourages, nay, requires us to do something different and get something (or some things) new. Clothes, accessories, music, and, of course, makeup are premiered, presented, and relaunched by businesses large and small, and the public is eager to help them beat their LY numbers.
Right or wrong, makeup brands rarely introduce shades, tones, and colors that are anything other than complementary to autumn leaves and the colors of fall’s and winter’s clothes. This season’s lip products aren’t that different, and there are a few standouts from the traditional (and typical) burgundy, chocolate, and orange.
In keeping with what we must do for the sake of everyone’s health, the products that follow were tested by me after an obsessive sanitization, or purchased by me. If you’re not in the market for a shift in what you apply to your pucker and pout, jump to the end where I’ve shared some makeup artist tricks that will help to elevate and reset your existing collection of lipsticks, glosses, pencils, and balms.
Spring in the Fall
There is a nude for every face, and when you want a nude tone that’s longwearing, shiny, and hydrating, look no further than wet n wild MegaLast Liquid Catsuit High-Shine Lipstick in Send Nudes. Called a lipstick, this has the texture and delivery of a lip gloss. In its pigment, finish, and duration on the mouth, it is a lipstick. It’s surprisingly steady on the lips, and not made any less present by its moisturizing ingredients, which include Vitamin E, Murumuru Butter, and Macadamia Oil to name a few. Price begins at $3.99, and it’s available at most drugstores and mass retailers around the US.
Summer in the Fall
I don’t know when tinted lip balms became so good, because there was a time when Bonne Bell was the look, and the only. Today, brands from the inexpensive to luxury recognize people’s need for hydration and color. Leading the charge at the affordable price point – and organic to boot – is Physicians Formula Organic Wear Tinted Lip Treatment in Tickled Pink. This not quite coral, partially peach, subtle rose tone is a beautiful, wearable, seasonless pink, though if you’re tan from the beach or temporary tint, this is a stunning color. Organic Coconut and Jojoba oils ensure your lips are as hydrated as they are pigmented. Price starts at $9.49, and will vary depending upon the drugstore or retailer you visit.
Classic in the Fall, and Year Round
Red lipstick is, for some people, the end-all, be-all. Some of us don’t vibe to red, and among the reasons it’s useful to have an ideal red lipstick in your quiver is nothing makes a statement like a red lip. Christian Dior’s possible signature lipstick color exists in Rouge Dior 999. This wearable by pretty much everyone item is available in velvet, matte, and satin (my favorite) finishes. Comfortable, flattering, and not chalky, it is comprised of “natural-origin” floral ingredients that hydrate and protect, including red peony extract (Christian Dior loved this flower), pomegranate flower extract, and shea butter. And, always upleveling, this lipstick is refillable, so you invest in the case, with the cap that clicks, and replenish the pigment. Note that the case is fragile, and dropping it can make the twist up challenging, if not impossible. Not that I know this from personal experience. Sephora sells all of the CD lipsticks, and it’s available there for $38.
Lip Color Hacks
Similar to not buying shoes, bras, and jewelry online (unless you know the brand and have experience wearing its products), you need to buy lip colors in person at stores. The photos provided by the companies are rarely high resolution photos. And between all of the filters and levels on desktop and mobile sites, you’re unlikely to see what the color actually is and, more importantly, the way it looks on your mouth and the way it feels, dries down, and adjusts to your activities (drinking, smoking, talking). And sometimes, the provided photos are not accurate. Mistakes are made on the interwebs, and accuracy is guaranteed when you try and buy in-store.
Take the time – you’re worth it! – to go to stores and try on sanitized lip colors. Take advantage of stores’ return policies (they’re usually on the back of your receipt, and anyone at the cash wrap will tell you upon request), especially when – like in drugstores and Target – there are no products for sampling.
While there is a red lipstick for everyone, a few factors are in play when we choose our red(s). The color of our teeth and our skin tone are the key players to find a red that flatters. And to witness how everything co-exists you must – are you sensing a trend? – try them on smooth, soft, clean lips. Do this in different light and while wearing different outfits so you can see how all tones affect the red on your lips.
Some lipsticks are truly pigmented and look perfect on people with darker skin tones. When you want to wear, for example, a lip color you saw on Alek Wek, Gabrielle Union, or Grace Jones, and you’re concerned that your skin tone could be overwhelmed by it. Trust: you can wear it. Apply the rich pigment to one lip and press your lips together. It will provide the color and depth you want without being too much. Apply a slick of something shiny without shimmer to make a lip that works for you.
This fall, try something new. If you love pinks, add a plum. If you’re about lots of shimmer, play with shine (in brief, shimmer is like glitter and shine is wet). Lip balm + lip pencil = non-drying matte lip color. Let your inherent style come through.
