In the summer it’s hard to wear makeup, because it literally just melts off of your face. But with Fall comes the return of fashion, making an effort, layering, and decorating your face (because makeup can be used for artistry, not just making yourself look “prettier,” of course). Below is a combination of a mood board and a how-to of some of iconic makeup looks, to be used as inspiration for the most stylish months of the year.
1. Blue Eyeshadow
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Remember that blue eyeshadow that you bought back in 2012 right after Moonrise Kingdom came out, and you were obsessed with Suzy’s 60s-throwback look? Well it’s time to fish it out of your junk drawer. Although it seems counter-intuitive, blue eyeshadow is surprisingly versatile—it’s not just for wearing at night. (See Sharon Stone in Casino, and Christina Ricci in Buffalo 66 for references.) But a lot of people are picking up on modern ways to wear blue eyeshadow, like Cara Delevigne, Lupita Nyong’o, Gigi Hadid — the list goes on. It does take a certain attitude to wear blue on the eyelids, but if you go for it, you will get compliments.
2. Thin Eyebrows (Yes, Really)
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Today, if your eyebrows aren’t the size of the Mojave Desert, the struggle is real. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Throughout the decades, many bad bitches have had thin brows, from Bette Davis in the 30s (who we know, from that horrificlly catchy song, was known for her eyes), to Pam Anderson to Angelina Jolie. There’s something about thin eyebrows that’s quite devious—in a hot way. So if you have naturally thin eyebrows, or if you overplucked in the 90s and now they won’t fucking grow back, don’t fret—embrace your skinny upper-eye hair. As my mother always says, own the real estate
And although light eyebrows are also beautiful (see Mia Goth for case in point), it’s fun to color them up. If you have light eyebrows, try a brow definer, and a brow brush to help you shape them with precision.
3. Glitter!
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Glitter makes every outfit infinitely more glamorous. If you’re worried that glitter isn’t “adult,” please see Jerry Hall, who was the queen of sparkling lids at Studio 54. Trying with sticking to silver and gold, and then if you feel like getting more adventurous, you can go full-on Cher.
4. Doe Eyes
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Having cartoonishly big eyes is never a bad thing. Thick eyelashes were a big look in the late 60s (aka the decade that keeps on giving)— think Twiggy, or Pattie Boyd, the woman who both George Harrison and Eric Clapton wrote songs about (examples include The Beatles’ “Something” and Eric Clapton’s “Layla” via his band Derek and the Dominoes). All three women famously had doll-like lashes on the bottom that were often painted on with a fine liner. (Although my personal favorite doe-eyed queen was Sharon Tate #RestInPower.) For the doll-like bottom lashes, you need a liner with a fine tip. This look needs a good mascara, clearly, which will enhance your lashes. It won’t clump, so you can keep applying it until you feel like you’re literally in the 1960s.
5. The Hot Zombie
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Looking hot but also dead has been going in and out of style for decades now. If you’re like me and grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, you likely worshiped heroin chic models, the entire cast of Girl, Interrupted, and the girls from The Craft. And you don’t need to have an Instagram account to know that the early 2000s are back. (You could dress like Britney Spears during the Justin Timberlake breakup era (pre-Kevin Federline though), and you would likely be street snapped.) And since the 2000s feel like two days ago for many of us, it’s not hard to forget the smoky eye and glossy nude lip look that we all tried and failed at when we were 13.
For this look you’ll need a pencil, smudgable eyeliner (if you’re adventurous, you can try red instead of the obvious black). And if you want to feel alive under your dead eyes, there’s bareMinerals’s Well-Rested CC Eye Primer which will give life back to your eyes with minerals like magnesium, copper, and zinc. It also has caffeine in it (lol), which actually helps get rid of puffiness and gives antioxidant protection, and Aloe, which will soothe and calm your skin. Because looking dead doesn’t need to involve feeling dead, ya know?
By Kristen Cochrane and Karley Sciortino
This post was created in partnership with Dermstore and Violet Grey