It’s below 80 degrees in New York City. I repeat: it’s below 80 degrees in New York City!! This whole last week I could feel fall nipping at my sweaty little heels as I attempted to soak in the last warm summer days and evenings. For as sad as I am to pack away my favorite sandals and Bermuda shorts, my beauty routine is eager to bid farewell to the melasma patches, sweat, and congestion of the last three months. It’s also right about now when I revisit my makeup collection and swap barely there lip glosses and balms for high-impact colors. Nothing helps to light up your face and complement that lingering summer glow quite like an autumn lipstick.
The shades that I gravitate towards come September and throughout fall are warm, earthy, and rich, inspired by the textures I’m wearing in my wardrobe like suede and velvet. The goal? To feel as sensual and luxurious as possible, like I’m constantly on the verge of attending a candlelit cocktail party in a Greenwich Village townhouse. Luckily, this is also the time of year when my favorite beauty brands are debuting their latest and greatest lip colors, so the options for your cool weather makeup routine are pleasantly robust. Unsure of where to start? These are the fall lipstick colors I always reach for after Labor Day.
Orange Crush
All I’m saying is that I’ve been an orange lipstick fan well before Miss Taylor Swift decided to get engaged in the shade and subsequently break the internet. Don’t discount this unexpected color!
This luxury formula is well worth the price tag in my opinion. It’s creamy, comfortable, and the colors are so richly pigmented. My favorite, Orange Boite, is inspired by the iconic Hermès box—chic.
A stunning orange-red in a high-shine finish that won’t break your beauty budget. Please and thank you.
Rich Rose
A deep, luxurious rose lip looks absolutely stunning on every skin tone and has been my go-to shade for close to a decade now.
I’ve really come around to liquid lipstick in the last few years and this formula is one of the main reasons why—it’s so comfortable and it wears beautifully for hours on end. Shade 531 is a drop-dead gorgeous warm rose.
If a lip stain is more your vibe, this new formula from one of my favorite makeup artists, Violette, is out of this world good. It’s glossy, sexy, and utterly fabulous.
Vampy Wine
Whether it’s my eagerness for the second half of Wednesday season two to premiere or the grunge makeup trend taking over my FYP, I am definitely channeling my inner vamp for fall. A sultry wine-colored lip is my go-to trick for an elevated but still moody cool look.
I’m not usually one for a matte lipstick but leave it to iconic makeup artist Gucci Westman to make me eat my words. This formula is so comfortable on the lips and this luscious wine shade is simply divine.
Looking for a glossier, lightweight option? Turn to Rihanna, of course. This formula is a longtime resident in my makeup bag, and the Riri shade makes the moody mauve color feel particularly fresh and modern.
Brownish-Red Beauty
Any beauty fan can tell you that “red lipstick” is simply an umbrella term for dozens of undertones and slight variations. My favorite option for fall is a brown-meets-red shade that really captures the warmth and cozy energy of the season.
This color…THIS COLOR. It’s so painfully beautiful, I keep a tube in every bag to keep my lips looking immaculate from day to night. Not that I need to reapply that often—it has crazy staying power.
I previewed this collection earlier in the summer in Cannes and it took everything I had not to slip this ridiculously perfect color into my bag to take back to the States. Now that it’s finally for sale, I’m scooping it up to wear to all my fall dinner parties.
Ruby Red Realness
Listen, every lipstick fan needs a power red in her collection and fall is the perfect moment to bring it back into rotation. My favorite true red shade has a warm undertone since my complexion leans neutral to golden, but if you have a cooler complexion, look for a blueish-red shade to help your lips pop.
A splurge-worthy red if there ever was one, this luxe autumnal red is so vibrant and pretty, I want a matching balm, gloss, blush—the works! The formula also feels weightless on my lips and lasts through at least two glasses of wine, just for the record.
Dame Pat McGrath never steers me wrong when it comes to an exceptional lipstick, and this electric bright scarlet red shade is calling to me for a true come-hither lip look. I blot the edges with my finger after applying for a soft, diffused effect.
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