Make Room for Fashion: Seasonal Make-Up

Labor Day was the signal to get back to business (last minute back-to-school shopping, getting the kids back on a regular sleep schedule, and shaking the sand out of our beach bags). But as we say goodbye to long summer days, we also wave adios to the ease of summer dresses, flip flops and a touch of lip gloss to send us on our way. Think about it. We (usually) shelve our white jeans, stash our summer accessories and sandals, dust off the coats and polish up our winter boots. Shouldn’t our make-up change with the seasons, too? In fall and especially winter, when that summer glow wears off and my true paleness shows through, I find myself needing to make a little more effort with make-up. I reached out to the folks at my favorite make-up line, Laura Mercier, to get some advice on how we busy moms should refresh the contents of our make-up bags for fall. “Most women need more hydration for their skin as the weather changes,” says Matin Maulawizada, Laura Mercier Global Artistry Director, and he suggests trading in a tinted moisturizer for a “more cushiony” foundation, which also creates a less casual, more polished look. He says more coverage in eye shadows is a good idea too, moving away from summery, shimmery cream shadows and instead going for a sophisticated matte eye color. Here in Manhattan, cooler days are a welcome relief until they suddenly morph into chilly mornings then freezing winter days and chapped lip prevention becomes a hot topic. According to Maulawizada, fall is the time to replace a sheer color or lip gloss with a crè me lipstick. It’s longer lasting, hydrates chapped lips and adds texture to your look. “Rich browns and taupes are big this fall,” says Maulawizada when asked which colors are new and fresh for the change of season. “All the ‘values’ are medium, which means that there is no heavy smoky eye or super goth lip.” Which probably wouldn’t be a good look for drop off on the first day of school anyway!