If I Was A Dark Autumn….

 Nothing shouts elegant like Dark Autumn.

What would I do if I were in this seasonal category? 

I’d buy a satiny/silk ivory blouse, pair it with some dark coffee brown trousers and an Hermes replica belt in snakeskin. Round toed dark maroon brown dress shoes with a slight heel, a maroon print scarf that contains plum and leaf green. Carry a Polene slouchy handbag in that same leaf green. 

Assemble a mix and match capsule wardrobe. Any seasonal category can do this, but with Autumn, you can close your eyes, choose a skirt or pants, a blouse, accessories and shoes, and end up with a great look every single time. That’s because the palettes are lower in contrast, with Dark Autumn being more crisp. 

Burgundy brown nail polish with a copper shimmer for every day. Revlon Rum Raisin would be a great lipstick color.  Clinique Black Honey is nice for a more sheer look. 

Jewelry in jade, garnet, amethyst, hammered or burnished metals. Antique pearls. Citrine, peridot, amber with dark veins. When I think of Dark Autumn, rich decadence comes to mind, like gourmet chocolate, pomegranates, dark cherries and Merlot in a glass by the firelight. 

Not feeling the formality? Try a deep plum t shirt with your favorite jeans and some vintage clog sandals. Fringe suede handbag in a patchwork design. A garnet glass bead choker necklace made of macrame’. 

I could go on forever about this seasonal category, because the choices and possibilities are endless, particularly when it comes to cosmetics. With that being mentioned, I’d pick quality over quantity and keep my collection small rather than large.

-T

Pantone COTY

 Depending upon what seasonal category you are, Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2025 is either a huge hit, or a disappointment. The buzz on it has been polarizing. Many people love it, but others are wondering if next year’s COTY is even much of a color to begin with. 

Enter Pantone 17-1230 Mocha Mousse. The year of interior decorating with lots of neutral tones has arrived.

Whom is this color a good fit for in the upcoming year? 

Soft Summer and Soft Autumn really come out on the winning end, depending upon how much rose is in the undertone. Cooler versions will work well for True Summer and Light Summer. I would say any Winter or Spring influenced season could easily sit this one out. 

The trend over the last two decades has been cosmetics in neutral tones. I feel, with Mocha Mousse, we will be seeing more selections, even though the fashion prediction for Winter 2024/2025 favors a bolder outlook. 

If you aren’t into Mocha Mousse, other popular colors will be this selection which contains brighter, but still muted colors that fit anywhere from True Summer to Soft Autumn. Fall/Winter 2024/2025 is full of many options that will look great on all 3 Autumns, with Dark Autumn coming up the winner. 

If you are placed in a Spring or Winter based seasonal category, 2025 won’t be the greatest. Here’s hoping for something more fitting in 2026! 

-T

If I Was A Bright Spring….

Bright Spring is more heavily weighted towards True Spring than Bright Winter is. As a result, it is warmer and more lively than Bright Winter. It can be a very adventurous palette with a good amount of sparky energy. For a good explanation of how Bright Winter and Bright Spring compare, please check out this blog post by Cate Linden for all the details. 

A good thing to try is color contrast. Imagine a bright blue jacket, fuchsia pants and a patterned blouse with yellow in the print that ties it all together. If that’s more than you feel like navigating, how about a clear ivory jumpsuit with a Kelly green scarf and some shiny gold jewelry? You will find a nice collage here of solid color options if you don’t feel ready to push the envelope. 

For jewelry, I tend to like rose gold and yellow gold better for Bright Spring than silver. Shine is good, both in fabric and metal finishes. Make sure any stones have sparkle, or at least a high polished finish. 

Lipsticks colors I think work very well are a hot melon pink, tomato red, red-orange and red violet. Try to steer clear of heavy matte finishes. 

I feel that wearing multi colored eye shadow is too distracting on anyone, but mixing ivory, gold and a peach orange with some brown eye liner is a more daring look worth trying. Here are some options.

Stay away from black or brown shoes. Gold, clear ivory, or any of your palette colors will be much nicer choices. Color blocking with accessories like this just looks joyful , which is everything Bright Spring authentically is. 

What would I do if I were a Bright Spring? I’d get comfortable with the warmer end of the palette and play with complimentary colors like this . Try out lip balms and glosses to get used to more saturated lipstick shades. I’d also be pre-planning my Spring and Summer wardrobe!! 

-T

The Ease of Being Autumn

 There is a tremendous blessing in being placed inside of an Autumn based seasonal category. 

Soft Summer

Soft Autumn

True Autumn

Dark Autumn

Just recently, I was looking online for shoes and handbags. If you are looking for quality leather goods, the sheer amount of choices is astounding….from sandy, rose brown and tan to burgundy, wine, warm copper and ochre. If you are an Autumn season and are on the hunt, I highly recommend Fossil as a brand. You won’t spend a ton of money and their leather goods last a very long time. Coach and Longchamps have also proven their mettle as established brands that have stood the test of time. 

Cosmetics are very easy for Autumns. Soft Summer does so well with browns that have a rose base. The Urban Decay Naked 3 palette and Clinique Honey Affair are beautiful choices. Add a pinky nude or muted wine lipstick, some blush in a muted mauve and you’ve got a real winner of a combination. 

Soft Autumns are decidedly warmer in undertone. Bare Minerals Sunlit Eyeshsdow Palette is a nice one. This seasonal category can wear nude lips like no other, and the choices are vast! Just, please avoid that concealer lips look.Terra cotta, warm muted pink, and honey are great colors to try. 

True Autumn can go full on bronze goddess. Bronzer and contour live on your skin with harmony. My favorite eye shadow palette is Bobbi Brown Bronzed Nudes. Truthfully, Bobbi Brown is a great brand for anyone who is an Autumn. Lipsticks include burnt orange, warmed copper, copper brown and muted red orange. 

Dark Autumn is the deepest. Cooler in tone than True Autumn, Dark Autumn is less blended, and more contrasting. The Tarte Maneater After Dark palette is a great choice. You can also use bronzer and contour effectively. Lipstick colors include cinnamon rose, wine with added gold shimmer, medium to deep terra cotta and browned burgundy. 

IMHO-Soft Autumn, True Autumn and Dark Autumn have a ton of room for mixing, matching and borrowing from one another. The color palettes, by nature are lower contrast and more on the muted side. I don’t recommend a Soft Summer cheating into these tonal categories because of having a mauve/rose base. However, Dark Winter may be a good place to stray. More on this later! 

-T

Current Bright Winter Cosmetics List

 It is nice to streamline things on my dressing table. Declutter all of those things that don’t work and keep those that do. 

Eyeshadow: I used to have the  Colorpop Stone Cold Fox shadow palette, and need to replace it at some point. For now, I use Cover Girl Eye Enhancers Tapestry Taupe and Maybelline Expert Wear in Vanilla. 

My favorite eye pencil is Maybelline Tattoo Studio in Bold Brown. If you don’t like the harsh edge black can have, this is a good option. 

There are two blushes I have that I use most often. By Mario in Raspberry, which is more like a bright coral pink in stick form and MAC Extra Dimension Blush in Rosy Cheeks, a clear raspberry color with shimmer. 

Lipstick: 

Clinique Confetti Pop, a nice hot pink that I am loving right now. 

MUFE Edgy Marmalade. Clear coral red.  I have worn this one down. 

L’Oreal Fresh As A Rose. Bright red with shimmer. It doesn’t last all day, but the price point is great and it is a close dupe to MAC Fusion pink. 

Clinique Punch Pop, a medium fuchsia plum.

Dior Addict 536 Lucky, a bright watermelon red balm. Doesn’t last all day, but it’s so pretty it’s worth the cost of admission. 

ULTA brand lipstick, white tube. 312, red violet. 

MAC Impassioned, a clear coral. A classic I’ve worn for several years. 

Watch for my series: “If I Was A…..” for makeup recommendations. I will start with Bright Spring! 

-T