5 SIMPLE WAYS to freshen up your look for autumn
When that summer glow goes, call in the pros, writes Ashleigh Cometti
COOLER TEMPERATURES call for cosseting textures and richer palettes — in our wardrobes and our beauty routines. When it comes to physical appearance, a change in season makes most people crave a dramatic change. But reinventing yourself doesn’t need to be an expensive exercise (despite what your favourite romcom would have you believe). A few small tweaks can have a big impact, many of which can be done from the comfort of your home.
Below, three beauty authorities share their 10 tips on how to upgrade your look for the new season, with the littlest of effort.
1 CURATE YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE WITH SEASONALLY APPROPRIATE PRODUCTS
So says Deborah Sampson, public relations and global brand specialist for Antipodes. “Skin gets dry and stressed in autumn with the changing of the weather, higher winds and lower humidity levels,” she explains. “Switching to oilbased products ensures skin stays soft and nourished.”
Consider making the switch to an oilbased cleansing balm for your first cleanse in the evening. On contact with water, a cleansing balm melts into a milky emulsion to help remove makeup and impurities without stripping the skin. Next, upgrade your moisturiser with a few drops of an enriching face oil like Antipodes Divine Avocado Oil & Rosehip Face Oil, $36, which helps nourish skin and form a protective barrier against the elements, Deborah says. Finish off your autumn appropriate skincare routine with a swipe of oil-rich eye cream to hydrate and protect the delicate under-eye area.
2 WEAR A NEW LIP COLOUR
It’s one of the fastest and most uplifting ways to change up your seasonal makeup, says M.A.C Aotearoa senior artist Kiekie Stanners. “It doesn’t need to be dramatically different from a current favourite, but just that subtle nuance of a slightly different tone can change up your mood instantly,” she says.
Her picks for autumn include burnt brick, plum or rich reds that are sure to make a bold beauty statement over the coming months. Try M.A.C Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour in the shade Fashion Emergency, $43.
3 GIVE YOUR SCALP SOME POSTSUMMER TLC BY MULTIMASKING
Autumn is an ideal time to focus on scalp health and get your strands back in top condition, says Sean Mahoney, a stylist at Auckland-based salon Colleen. “If you have a little extra time on your hands try multimasking,” Sean says. “Yes, just like your face, you can multi-mask your hair. This DIY treatment is great for targeting specific hair concerns and undoing any damage caused by heated tools and environmental stressors.”
Sean loves combining two of Davines’ The Circle Chronicles masks when multimasking, and advises using The Wake-Up Circle mask, $20, to restore tone and hydration to the scalp and the first inch of hair, and The Spotlight Circle mask, $20, on mid-sections to ends to boost shine and enhance colour without weighing hair down. Leave on for 15 minutes before rinsing out and following with your daily conditioner. “Your hair and scalp will love you for this,” Sean says.
4 TRY EXPERIMENTING WITH A NEW EYE MAKEUP TECHNIQUE
When it comes to your autumnal eye look, now’s the time to step out of your comfort zone, Kiekie says. “If you usually go for a sweep of eyeshadow over the lids, play with using a colour to define the lash line of the eyes. Use a fine brush to apply along the top lash line for definition and give a flash of colour rather than a smoked-out effect,” she says. Use an eyeliner brush to apply M.A.C Pro Longwear Paint Pot, $48, in the shade Bougie for a fresh spin on eyeliner in a burgundy shade, or look to the shade Born To Beam for a hint of gold sparkle.
5 EMBRACE PROBIOTICS
Probiotic skincare remains a hot topic in skincare this year, and Deborah advises applying these wonder bugs to skin daily to help balance the skin’s microbiome and strengthen the skin’s barrier. Introduce a probiotic face cream into your nightly skincare routine, such as the new Antipodes Culture Probiotic Night Recovery Water Cream, $65, an ultrahydrating water cream which features Kalibiome AGE Probiotic, a natural, non-live bacteria (also known as a “postbiotic”) that helps to balance the skin’s bad bacteria, locks moisture into the skin’s epidermal layers and defends against environmental aggressors like pollution. “Skin loses more moisture at night, so a night cream with probiotics is an excellent choice as it works double time to balance your microbiome, repair your skin barrier and hydrate throughout the night,” Deborah says.