Now that the weather is poised to 'turn', beauty lovers can look forward to easier skincare routines and more elaborate make-up looks. If you are anything like me, you will be trying to put long, hot days and sticky nights behind you and embracing autumn beauty for all it is worth.
As well as having increased staying power, make-up can be that little bit heavier and, of course, more experimental when the temperature drops.
Autumn, traditionally a time of launches, is already seeing a slew of new product offerings - from skincare essentials to themed palettes. I'll list my top picks, as well as the ones to avoid, below.
While a number of beauty advent calendars have been unveiled, very few 2023 boxes are currently available for sale. It is still unclear if Amazon will follow up on its highly acclaimed 2021 calendar. I considered it the best for that year. There is not even a hint of one at the moment, which doesn't fill me with confidence. Currently, the platform is awash with old boxes - some dating back to 2020. Who wants to be 'surprised' by something that was popular three years ago? Not me!
The only calendar I can currently recommend is W7's Beauty Blast, which retails at around £19.99.
Autumn beauty launches in make-up
Nomad Cosmetics has released a standout eyeshadow palette with a holographic lid. It's called Ghost Town USA and boasts 18 shades that encapsulate the old Wild West. Unfortunately, it is not yet available in the UK. If you are a US reader, the palette retails for $49 and is available here.
Lameila is a make-up brand trending on Chinese platform Temu - hence products slowly seeping onto Amazon. I recommend its mini eyeshadow palettes. The formula is not overly pigmented, making shades effortless to work with. They are buildable so you can use them straight-off as transition shades without having to worry about blending being an issue. I predict these palettes will be a top stocking filler this year. Originally £2.99, I see the price has crept up to £3.99 and I'll take that as an indication that demand is there.
Another brand making an appearance in the UK is Muge Leen and, like Lameila, its products are not that pigmented either. Being an eyeshadow addict, I've really turned away from anything that is heralded as 'highly pigmented'. All that means to me is a blending mess. It's much easier to build a shade than apply far too much to start with - unless you are a complete pro, of course.
It's the 45th anniversary of the release of Grease - a movie I remember queuing up to see as a 12-year-old. The milestone has prompted Makeup Revolution to launch an entire Grease-themed range. One of the new palettes is dedicated to the legendary Pink Ladies while another is in the shape of the T Birds' car. I'm not particularly a fan of film-themed make-up. I prefer 'grown-up' looking cosmetics. However, I'm still a fan of Grease so this quite large collection turned my head. If you want to take a look at the products, visit Revolution's website here.
One of the things I've noticed about Revolution is that it keeps the best new launches to itself for quite a while before making them more widely available. This frustrates me as an Amazon Prime member. It's always cheaper for me to buy from Amazon because I get free delivery - even if I only spend a small amount. I'll let you know if and when the Grease x Revolution products appear on Amazon.
Prime Prometics has relaunched its PrimeLash Mascara in the UK. The product is aimed at the over-50s and, in my opinion, is vastly over-priced - almost £30. This is another example of mature women being exploited by a beauty brand. In the main, mascara formulas are all pretty similar. Why pay more than you have to? Give this one a miss.
Peel-off lip stains, made popular on the likes of TikTok, are coming on the market. They aren't expensive, are a bit of fun and, from what I've seen, actually work. Something to keep an eye out for.
Also coming online are superstay skin tints. If you are looking for a long-wear foundation that offers excellent coverage, stay away from mere tints. Instead, take a look at Catrice Cosmetics' HD foundation. It's waterproof, sweat proof and lasts up to 24 hours. I tested it over the summer and won't be buying anything else from now on. Impressed is an understatement. While this product has been around a while, it's new to me. I 'discovered' it thanks to a throw-away comment by a YouTuber. In passing, she mentioned it, saying the foundation 'doesn't get the love it deserves'. I immediately checked it out and was amazed to find it has a cult following.
Autumn beauty launches in skincare
Boots has released a range of beauty boxes packed with premium skincare products. Unfortunately, they are on the pricey side, with the cheaper ones starting from around £40. I don't know why Boots doesn't bundle some of its own cheap-as-chips, but really effective, products together. A bundle made up from its Glow range would be amazing - and affordable.
Emma Hardie launched her travel and gift sets ahead of the autumn beauty rush, but they are set to dominate Christmas wish lists this year. As well as offering outstanding value for money, the bundles deliver good sized products. After an astounding launch, the Amazing Travel Set has settled at around the £34 mark. This is disappointing as it was previously around £18 (albeit 'on offer'). I'm sure, if the price had been kept below £25, it would have attracted many more repeat purchasers. Also in the gift set range is The Midas Edit and The Brilliance Edit, both very reasonably priced.
I do promote Emma Hardie's skincare range. It's one of the few premium brands I support. For one, Emma delivers brilliant products and, two, she's not greedy. Her skincare products are as good as, if not better than, the likes of Elemis and Charlotte Tilbury, but they are not extortionate. I salute her for keeping her feet on the ground and making her products not just fabulous but more widely available. I hated it when she was stuck on QVC.
Revolution Pro is milking the success of its Miracle range for all it's worth! New products include the Miracle Night Cream and the Miracle Eye Serum. Both are very reasonably priced. Will be interesting to see what sort of reviews they get.
The Ordinary, whose No Brainer skincare set is virtually always out of stock on Amazon, has launched The Clear Set and ESPA has unveiled its new 'optimal' cleansing oil.
Clinique has extended its Take The Day Off range, adding a charcoal cleansing balm. It will be a waiting game to see how well this sells. It 'grabs' me, don't know about you. Because it's Clinique, of course, the product doesn't contain just any old charcoal. It’s 'Japanese charcoal'! Not sure what is so special about charcoal from Japan. Possibly blacker, burnt for longer? I don't know. It baffled me when I came across it.
Be prepared for some way-out product and ingredient names. Glycolipid, Fx Acyl-Glutathione, Chia and Ceramidin. Don't know about you, but I'd rather see straight-up names. Weird ones just make me think I'm being duped.
REN, the clean skincare brand, has adopted the Evergloss and Everhydrate branding.
The biggest autumn beauty skincare launch is Lancôme's Rénergie H.P.N. 300 serum and cream range. I was initially excited about this. It has rave reviews. However, the use of baffling terminology has put me off. H.P.N. 300? Give me a break - it sounds like a sexually transmitted disease or a new strain of Covid!
Right, so look out for Grease-themed make-up, Emma Hardie skincare sets, eyeshadow from Lameila and peel off lip stains.
Thinking ahead to Christmas? I’m right with you.
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