Fall - Wines and Berries

Are you ready for the fall?  I absolutely love this time of year.  Not only does the weather change and the air become a little more crisp, but all around us color palettes are changing.  From the trees to our clothing and even our makeup, bright greens, pinks and yellows are being shed for darker and richer hues of oranges, browns and burgundy.  I love it.  And although I do not necessarily follow the seasonal trend of wearing darker makeup during fall/winter while leaving brights for summer (I wear what I want, when I want), I can definitely appreciate it when others do and have no problem going darker for the occasion myself.

Deep berries and wines have always been associated with autumn and this fall is no different.  So let's have some fun and take a look at a few items, shall we?  Let's start with makeup.

This CoverGirl quad would be a nice kickoff to your search for "wine and berries" if you wanted to start off small.  I chose this because of the pretty burgundy on the left and pretty pink (third color).

The burgundy (satin) and pink (frost) are the obvious standouts in this quad as they have the best payoff.  The other two colors are OK, but are a little "dusty" for my taste. 

 
NARS' Love Joy (above) is a beautiful dusty rose with slight gold shimmer.  The shimmer does not overwhelm the face and the blush itself is buildable.  The color payoff is excellent, as with all of NARS blushes, and a little goes a long way. 

Inglot 452

This beauty of an eyeshadow (above) is Inglot's 452 and it is the prettiest cranberry color!  It has a pearl finish and excellent color payoff.

OMG, just look at that color.  Do you see it?  Wow...

Now this little palette here (above) is Making Faces by famous makeup artist, Kevyn Aucoin.  It is styled like a book and not only has eyeshadows, but also lip gloss, cream blush and a mini brush.

When you first open it, there's a guide showing you how to re-create the look the model is wearing.

And when you turn the "page", you find the eye, lip and cheek products.

All the colors are very pretty, but that Aubergine is what we're after right now.  Isn't it pretty?

For the lips, let's look at MAC's Dark Deed.  This is a dark berry that was limited edition via its Disney Villains collection, but I know that there are many comparable offerings out there.

What about the nails, Dolce?  Well, let's have a look at OPI's Midnight In Moscow, a beautiful black cherry color laced with gold pearl.

I had to take a pic of this in the sunlight so you could absorb the true magnificence of this color.  Now for some of you this may be old news, but for those that didn't get the memo - Moscow is absolutely gorgeous!

Ok, so we've got the face and nails together, but what to wear?  Let's take a quick look-see, shall we?

How about a nice wine-colored blouse and/or a fabulous pair of burgundy-brown shoes?

This lovely sheer blouse would be perfect under a wool blazer or indoor/outdoor leather jacket.  How about pairing it with dark washed, boot flared jeans or gabardine, wide-legged wool pants?

And these patent leather shoes are a lovely updated version of the loafer.  Okay, they may not be five-inch heels, but they're perfect for the office or casual date.  (Ladies, you don't have to wear sky high pumps all the time!  Give your feet a break once in a while.)

Whew!  Well, I know this post was a little long, but I got a tad bit excited about the various options available to get more "berry-fied" for the fall.  I promise that the oranges and browns will not be as long.  But in the meantime, have fun with this and don't be afraid to experiment and go dark.  If dark lips aren't your style then go for a pair of shoes or a top.  You only live once so don't sit on the sidelines... participate and live life out loud in COLOR!