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Hello, lovelies!

This week on the blog, we are sharing fall makeovers. I generally wear the same neutral eyeshadows year round, sometimes mixing in a bit of a darker color in the fall and winter. I swap out my blush and lip colors every fall and spring. I’m a fan of makeup but don’t feel I have much natural talent in this area so am always thrilled to get tips from a professional like Carmen at Private Edition in Nashville who did this makeover.

Here’s my before shot. Full disclosure: I did put on a bit of brow pencil and mascara so you would know I have eyebrows and eyelashes (more on that shortly). And I thought I had swiped on a bit of clear lip gloss, but clearly it has some color in it. I don’t have any products on my skin, but I had used one of my favorite exfoliating products earlier that day. For more about why I’m a fan of exfoliation and what products I use daily to try to have the best possible canvas for makeup, read my post on skincare products.

BB Cream

My first makeup step is something to even out my skin tone. I tend toward very sheer products. Whichever product you use, putting it on with your fingers will usually give you less coverage than applying it with a brush. I told Carmen I wanted to try lots of new products while I had the chance so she used a BB that is a moisturizer, foundation, sunscreen, and anti-wrinkle cream all in one product. What a time saver!

Eyes

Next up are my eyes, beginning with eye primer, which I consider a must-have product. You can wear it alone if you just want a quick eye routine, and it will look more finished than bare lids. If you like eyeshadow like I do, it will stay on much longer with primer as the first layer.

For my eyeshadows, Carmen used the By Terry ombre mercure shadow stick on my lower lid with Therapy Systems sweet tea shadow in the crease of my eyelid. As a lifelong Southerner, sweet tea is one of my favorite names for a color ever. For a limited time, Your Style Vault Complete Insiders can get a 20% discount on any Therapy System products.

Next up is eyeliner. I will confess this is a product I often skip though when I do wear it think I should do so more often. Here Carmen is showing the secret to making eyeliner look great: getting it close to your lash line. She’s using a blue gel liner from one of my favorite makeup brands: Trish McEvoy.

Now we come to mascara, which is one of my two favorite makeup products. Carmen completely blew my mind when she told me blue mascara is in again, and not just if you have blue eyes (those of you who were teenagers in the 80s like me may be having the same reaction I did: seriously?). Today’s blue mascaras are darker than the ones I wore 30 years ago, and I think Carmen is right that this shade makes your eyes look brighter. If you’re skeptical, you can do what I’ve been doing since this makeover: putting on a layer of blue mascara followed by a layer of black, then putting a light coat of the blue on top. The reason I’m starting with the blue (you could just do black topped with blue) is because this one is a growth booster that is supposed to give your lashes more volume, length, and thickness. My lashes are still long, but at 45 they are definitely thinner and sparser than when I was young so I am very hopeful this product will help. I was really happy to find a product that combines color and lash benefits as I have not been consistent with using separate products for this. Style Vault Complete Insiders can find this mascara in my fall makeup collection.

Now that my eyes are done, it is time to work on my eyebrows. I’m one of those people who is grateful for every birthday but not for what they are doing to my eyebrows. Back in the day, I had eyebrows so thick that I could not go without brow gel. Now my brows seem to be constantly getting thinner so I no longer leave the house without putting makeup on them. Even if you catch me with nothing else on my face, like when I’m at the gym, my brows will not be bare. I’ve been wearing pencil and have tried several brands but haven’t been thrilled with any of them. Carmen showed me how to apply brow powder, and a little goes a long way. In addition to paying close attention to makeup professionals to learn the best techniques for application, the most valuable thing I have done for my skills is to buy good brushes. They go a long way in making up for what I lack in talent. Therapy Systems has a number to choose from and don’t forget about the 20% discount you’ll get on any of their products if you’re a Style Vault Complete Insider. Carmen finished off my brows with a very light application of a brow mascara that adds a bit more color and keeps my brows in place.

Face

To give my face some color, Carmen applied bronzer followed by blush. As a fair-skinned person, I have to be careful with my blush application. I need to wear enough to have color, which is often more than I put on at first, but must be careful not to put so much that it looks fake or clownish. I also have to remember that if I’m going to be having cocktails, that will give me more color in my cheeks thanks to the fact that I have a bit of rosacea (keeping it real and giving an explanation to those of you for whom alcohol has the same effect, but you didn’t know why).

Lips

Last but not least, we get to lip color, which is my other favorite makeup product. I like any excuse for a bold lip so I was thrilled with this beautiful red Carmen chose for me (By Terry’s Click Stick in baby brick). She promises it has great staying power, which is my number one requirement for lipstick after many years of products that wouldn’t stay on for long. I will say this is one area in makeup where I’ve seen great improvement over the years. Lip liner would probably help my lip color stay put, but it (along with bronzer and concealer) is something I never manage to wear. I only have so much patience and time. Carmen finished my lips with a sheer gloss that has just a bit of color. This tones down the bright color a bit and adds some shine. I always like having a great gloss to use alone on days when I want something on my lips but not a bright color.

Here’s my after picture. I like how this is a pretty look but not overdone. And it helps that my hair was being very cooperative. Barbara made my day when she asked if I had gotten a blowout, which I hadn’t. I always say nothing makes me feel as invincible as a good hair day.

Here’s our full group before and after the makeovers. For details on their looks, read Tina, Barbara, and Jessica’s posts this week. I have to laugh that after Tina suggested we wear gray as a neutral (a challenge for me because it isn’t one a frequent color in my wardrobe), she showed up in black. And clearly I didn’t get the high heels memo.

Once I was all dolled up, I went ahead and took my pictures for our upcoming series on fall jeans so look for that soon. In the meantime, tag me on Instagram with your favorite makeup items for fall. And for more details on some of these makeup products along with a few of my longtime personal favorites, check out my fall makeup collection in Your Style Vault Complete.

Until next time,

Francie