Someone at an event recently told me that September is the new January, and I couldn’t agree more. Maybe it’s the back-to-school energy buzzing in the air, but September is rife with new beginnings. Similar to how I might switch up my habits in the New Year (at least for a few weeks…), the start of fall is a perfect time to freshen up my routine. And my makeup regimen is the first to receive an overhaul.
After a summer filled with bright hues and mattifying textures (and sweat… lots of sweat), I’m itching to dive into the cool, moodier shades of fall. So I consulted celebrity makeup artists (all of whom are on the front lines of the beauty trend cycle) on the hottest makeup looks this upcoming season. Spoiler: Many of them scream “French cool girl.” Ahead, discover all the inspo for your fall makeup mood board and the products you’ll need for each autumnal moment.
1. Burgundy Lips
Burgundy is shaping up to dominate this fall, both in the fashion and beauty spaces. In terms of the latter, we can expect to see a bunch of oxblood-stained lips for a moody, fall flair. “As we’ve reached the tail end of ‘clean girl’ makeup, we are embracing bolder looks while still making them super wearable. For example, a bold, fall burgundy lip paired with fresh skin,” says celebrity makeup artist Kelli Anne Sewell, founder of Makeup by Kelli Anne. The juxtaposition feels very French coded, if I do say so myself.
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e.l.f. Cosmetics
Pout Clout Lip Plumping Pen
Pat McGrath Labs
Mattetrance Lipstick
Westman Atelier
Lip Suede Matte Lipstick
2. Grungy Eyes
PSA: Fall 2024 has all eyes on eye makeup. “I think we will finally, actually see EYE LOOKS!” cheers celebrity makeup artist Nikki DeRoest, founder of Ciele Cosmetics. “I think we are moving away from a dust of bronzer on the lids and into more intentional eye looks that create a statement.” I share her excitement—maximalist eyes are just so fun, especially when you lean into smoky, grungy hues that appear both lived-in yet dramatic.
“I’m loving smoky winged liner as well as tightlining the eyes,” agrees Sewell. “I feel like this takes any eye look from day to night, and depending on the colors you choose, it really enhances the eye color.”
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Bobbi Brown
Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow & Kohl Eyeliner
Dior
Diorshow 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette
Laura Mercier
Caviar Stick Eyeshadow
3. Minimal Blush
Beauty trends exist on a pendulum swing. We often trade one extreme for another, and this has never been truer with the ebb and flow of blush. “I think we are moving away from blush blindness and the ‘sunburnt skin’ trend and instead bringing complexion back to its natural and simpler nature,” Sewell predicts.
I couldn’t agree more, especially after seeing loads of minimal-blush looks on this season’s New York Fashion Week runways. Legendary makeup artist Diane Kendal even told me backstage that she suspects bold blush will make way for just a kiss of color on the cheeks. “If you just have that hint of color on the cheeks, it’s amazing how it transforms the whole face,” she said at Jason Wu.
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Violette_Fr
Bisou Blush in Louise
SheGlam
Sun Sculpt Liquid Contour in Warm Honey
Ciele
Tint & Protect Serum Foundation With SPF 50+
4. Cinnamon Spice
That’s not to say blush will completely fall out of favor. For those who crave blooming cheeks, celebrity makeup artist Kirin Bhatty encourages reaching for gorgeous autumnal hues, “like plums, reds, berries and browns,” she says.
Better yet, apply these shades on the lips and lids too for a monochromatic color story DeRoest dubs “cinnamon spice.” It perfectly iterates on the “latte makeup” trend we saw dominate last year—prioritize not only rich browns but also burnt orange, maroon, and rust to add just a hint of fall spice. “I’m loving smudgy liners via creamy pencils or shadow sticks in [these] deep tones,” Bhatty says regarding eye looks. “Anything that’s easy to apply and smudge out for an effortless effect.”
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e.l.f. Cosmetics
No Budge Shadow Stick
Merit
Flush Balm Cream Blush
5. Colorful Lashes
(Image credit: Launch Metrics)
“I am seeing more and more looks using colored mascara—think bright blue and purple—that bleed into the liner as well, so it’s a full monochromatic eye that continues out into the mascara,” shares DeRoest. Models sported cobalt blue mascara on LaQuan Smith’s runways this NYFW, which certainly makes me want to cop a vibrant blue tube. Otherwise, I’m partial to a swipe of burgundy to help my blue-green eyes pop (plus, as I mentioned, the hue is deliciously on-trend), but you can choose whichever jewel-tone hue strikes your fancy. It’s a fail-safe way to craft maximalist eyes with little effort.
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Hermès
Trait d’Hermès Revitalizing Care Mascara
L’Oréal Paris
Voluminous Original Mascara, Deep Burgundy
Half Magic
Eyelectric Extreme Lengthening Mascara
6. Blurred Lines
All three makeup artists I spoke to mentioned the rise of blurry, pressed-in lips, which means it’s likely already taking over the beauty zeitgeist in a major way. “We are moving toward a very soft, diffused edge on the lip versus an overlined pout,” notes Sewell. “I’m not sure if this has any connection to people dissolving their filler, but I think we are moving away from that huge pouty lip and embracing that through products that apply softer.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely seen blurry lips all over my Instagram and TikTok feeds. (The hashtag #blurredlips already has 113 million views and counting!)
Now, blurred lips are nothing new—the diffused, “Popsicle pout” is a K-beauty mainstay—but DeRoest says the U.S. beauty market will have a slightly different twist. “Asia has a lot more red and coral blurred lip trends, but here, it will be more about the deep berry, brown, and burgundy blurred lips,” she mentions. (I repeat: Burgundy is coming in hot!) Bhatty agrees with the color story, especially calling out rich, berry-brown tones that scream autumn. Not to mention a blurred berry lip feels very French.
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Ilia
Lip Sketch Hydrating Lipstick + Lip Liner Crayon
7. Matte Moments
After years of hailing dewy, glass-like, “glazed donut” skin, beauty fans have finally moved toward matte looks. Case in point? More and more brands are launching setting powders, and product launches tend to reflect consumer behavior—clearly, the people want to be more matte! “I think we will see powder re-emerge as a makeup bag staple,” adds Bhatty. “This means that dewy skin will be balanced with a matte T-zone. I love this for the cooler months—it’s a little more put together.”
DeRoest echoes the sentiment, predicting that skin will have less of a glowy emphasis. “Still radiant, but more polished with more coverage,” she notes.
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Makeup By Mario
Surrealskin Talc-Free Soft Blur Setting Powder
SheGlam
Insta-Ready Face & Under Eye Setting Powder Duo
Kosas
Cloud Set Brightening Powder