Generally speaking, I’m a creature of habit when it comes to my makeup bag—something that’s only been exacerbated now that most of my time is spent either working alone at home or looking after a toddler. After all, let’s be real: While I wear makeup to make myself feel good, there’s not much motivation for applying a neon eyeliner or colour-block shadow with only a 21-month-old to appreciate it. However, this month, I’ve been feeling the urge to get a bit more experimental when it comes to my makeup looks thanks to a combination of September’s classic back-to-school feeling and the return of red carpet events and all of those glamorous beauty looks. There’s no doubt that celebrities have really been bringing out the big guns when it comes to beautiful autumn makeup looks, and I’m feeling inspired. Stepping out in bolder colour palettes and embracing modern takes on nostalgic trends, the A-list have really been pushing the beauty boundaries for the season ahead.
So with my Saved folder on Instagram absolutely bursting at the seams with makeup inspiration, I thought it was the perfect time to share the celebrity makeup looks that I can’t wait to copy this autumn. Ahead, find 10 of my favourite looks and some of the products I’ll be reaching for to re-create them at home.
One of the biggest TikTok fashion trends of the summer was Gen Z’s penchant for acid green, and it looks like the vibrant lime hue is now making its way into our makeup bags for autumn with Gemma Chan stepping out in zesty-green eye shadow at this year’s Met Gala. By keeping the rest of the makeup minimal and applying just one bold slick of colour to the eyelids, this is one eye shadow look that I think will look just as good IRL as it does on the red carpet.
There’s so much to love about this playful makeup look that Gigi Hadid wore for day one of New York Fashion Week, but for me, it’s all about the glitter. I love the way that the golden sparkle has been patted over a lavender base to add dimension. In fact, this glitter is so chunky that at first glance, I thought it was sequins. Yes, it might feel a little out-there for an everyday look, but I definitely can see myself applying glitter to bare eyelids for a subtler take on the trend.
There is a lot of colour around at the moment, so Lily Aldridge’s homage to neutrals feels like a breath of fresh air. Sure, bronze eyelids, berry cheeks and tawny lips are something of a classic combination for autumn, but it’s the mix of diffused mattes and sheeny creamy textures that keep this universal makeup look feeling so modern.
From the fluttery lashes to the sharply defined brow arches, everything about Jorja Smith’s eye look is beauty perfection—and that’s before we’ve even got to the eye shadow. Complementing her lavender dress perfectly, Smith’s soft lilac lids prove that wearing colour doesn’t always mean reaching for the brightest shade in the palette. By blending the soft lilac with golds, this eye look is the ultimate homage to a classic smoky eye.
Flushed, rosy cheeks that look like you’ve just stepped back inside after a brisk walk are one of my favourite autumn makeup trends—and Tracee Ellis Ross just reminded me why. Seriously, how healthy does her skin look thanks to the pop of pink on the apples of her cheeks? I’ll be copying this one immediately.
My skin always looks so dull in autumn. I feel like once we’ve waved goodbye to summer, it pretty much wants to hibernate. But Hailey Bieber’s glowy complexion at this year’s Met Gala has put radiance-boosting skincare firmly on my autumn beauty agenda. Sure, highlighters and cream bronzers will help to re-create some of Bieber’s luminosity, but I’m a firm believer in layering face oils and glowy primers for the best chance of creating a truly lit-from-within beauty look.
When it comes to both beauty and fashion, the ’90s are definitely having a moment—and I’ve never been more here for it than when I spotted this ultimate ’90s lip look from Lizzo. The combination of matte brown lip liner and high-shine pink gloss looks just as good now as it did back then, and I can’t wait to try it for myself.
Alongside Gen Z green, there’s another colour rising in popularity for autumn: purple. And while we’ve already talked about the appeal of Jorja Smith’s hazy lilac lids, Olivia Palermo’s bolder approach to pigment has also caught my eye with the audacious mix of orchid eyelids and violet liner looking undeniably cool.
Despite mask-wearing being a mainstay of our daily lives, the resurgence of red lipstick has been one of the breakout makeup trends of 2021, and Lydia West’s bold, pillar-box red lip proves that it isn’t going anywhere for autumn, either. There are so many brilliant red lipsticks on the market, but I’ll be revisiting some cult classics to re-create this look for the season ahead.
Over the last couple of years, our love of contour seems to have been replaced with a more natural approach to bronzer placement. But I think that’s about to change with Rochelle Humes stepping out with the most chiselled-looking cheekbones at this year’s National Television Awards. However, unlike the shadow-grey shades of a classic contour, Humes has opted to stick to warmer shades of bronze to highlight cheekbones for a more modern take on this sculpting technique. I adore it.
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