How To Change Your Beauty Routine For Fall

Here it comes: my most favorite season of all, autumn. I love layering chunky sweaters over black opaque tights, chai latte in hand, and a cool breeze blowing across my face. It's an awesome, in-between season for fashion, but it's also important to learn how to change your beauty routine for fall. You can certainly wear your coral reds and white nail polish come September, so long as you've properly transitioned the rest of your skin, hair, and body over, too!

Summer is fun and all, but it can make beauty high maintenance. The sun can fade your hair color, your skin can become dry from sun exposure or oily from humidity, and sunscreen and sweat can cause breakouts. Smell ya later, summer. Although you may not realize it, fall has some killer perks for your beauty routine, and you can make the most of it by switching things up and making small tweaks to your makeup bag.

Fall is the time for matte formulas, rich colors, and a more in-depth skincare routine. Below, I rounded up some necessary steps for taking your beauty routine and makeup drawer into fall.

1. Switch your moisturizer

You may have been using a lighter, sheerer moisturizer in the summer months since your skin is hydrated (or even oily) from all that humidity. The winter months are bound to bring drier skin, so start preparing now by using a heavier, thicker moisturizer.

No matter how careful you were over the summer, you probably earned some skin damage from the sun. Repair discoloration or scarring by choosing a moisturizer that corrects and hydrates. Oils and oil-based products will do the most for your skin in winter months.

Yes to Grapefruit Even Skin Tone Moisturizer with SPF 15, $15.99, yestocarrots.com

2. Switch your formulas

If you've been wearing sparkly, shiny, or sheen-finish makeup products, it's time to switch to matte. That goes for lip products, bronzers, and even eyeshadows. Fall and winter is a great time to play up richer and darker colors, and matte formulas are best for adding depth. If you have bright, neon lipsticks or blushes you'd like to bring into fall, make sure they're matte. You can still wear that fuchsia lip you love with the right finish.

Kiss Me More Liquid To Matte Lip Cream, $19, hotmakeup.com

3. Take care of your lips

While we're talking about lips, make sure you're exfoliating your lips as the months get colder. While you're probably already stocking up on your favorite lip balm in preparation for winter, all that moisturizing will be in vain if you're not hydrating healthy skin to begin with. Gently exfoliate your lips throughout the week, and then apply balm or Vaseline after you've sloughed off dead and damaged skin.

4. Take care of your hair

In the summertime, we may head out the door with still damp hair and never think twice. In the winter, we are blow drying and styling with hot tools on the daily, damaging and drying hair at a faster rate. In the fall and winter, make sure you're hydrating your hair. You can even switch cotton pillowcases for satin to minimize frizz.

Its a A 10 Miracle Leave-In Potion Plus Keratin, itsa10haircare.com

5. Ditch your toner

Most toners contain alcohol, a major drying ingredient. Instead, use oil on your face (you can even use olive oil), like this Argan Gold Elixir from ENESSA. It's made with a combination of Argan, Rosehip, Jojoba and essential oils, which contain anti-aging properties that work together to reinvigorate your skin. Sure, it sounds counter intuitive, especially for oily skin types, but the more hydrated your skin, the less acne you'll have. Toner, paired with a wicked windchill, will only dry out and damage your skin.

Argan Gold Elixir, $79.95, enessa.com

6. Grab jewel tones

The time for vampy makeup is nigh. But if those deep plums scare you, choose jewel-toned makeup. They're richer than summer shades but still complimentary to all skin tones. After you've applied eyeliner, smudge a jewel-toned shadow all across the bottom lid line for a look with a sultry depth.

NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow in Subra, $29.00, narscosmetics.com

7. Swap your foundation shade

Sooner or later, that (safe!) tan will wear off. Prepare by getting a lighter shade of your foundation so you don't look like a washed out ghost (or like you're sick) at the office. You can mix your lighter and darker shades as you transition, getting the perfectly matched foundation for your skintone.

Image: Eli Defaria/Unsplash