Blur The Lines: The Autumn Beauty Trend To Try Now
Smudgy eyes, morning-after lips and unexpected colour make a compelling case for imperfect beauty …
Make-up has taken a back seat to skincare in the years since 2020. We’ve seen the skincare market go bananas, and our bathroom shelves groan under the weight of all the creams and elixirs we couldn’t resist. Colour cosmetics have been pushed into third place in terms of sales, after skin, haircare and fragrance.
But this season sees the return of bold colour. We always love autumnal beauty, with its rich lip colours and sultry eye make-up. It’s as welcome as pulling on your favourite coat after months of attempting to master summer dressing. Beauty is taking a more relaxed, punk attitude now. The mood is “imperfect”, messy and unfinished. That doesn’t mean scruffy and dishevelled; autumn’s more textured, cool looks are the antidote to the so-called “flawless” face that confronts us on social media.
In her book of essays, The Most Normal Woman (Tramp Press), Irish writer Róisín Kiberd discusses the demise of ubiquitous so-called “clean girl” beauty. Instead of an unattainable “perfection”, let’s embrace a refreshingly relaxed approach: the coolness of a smudgy, lived-in liner or morning after blurred lipstick. Beauty with a punk edge is fun. Look to the Prada and Saint Laurent catwalks for high-glam, edgy, elegantly vampish inspiration, and Chanel for streaks of light via glitter, chrome, shimmer and sheen.
Chanel Fall 2026
Dior’s Lucky Clover collection champions fresh, vibrant greens and pinks. Turn up the colour via cranberry-coloured blush – a Simone Rocha signature look – or try adding a so edge to a smoky eye with hints of warm caramel, espresso and toffee. . Chanel’s Les 9 Ombres The New Smoky offers a colourful twist on a classic look. A luscious autumnal berry lip, blurred and worn-in, is one of the great joys of the colder months; the colour confindent Haus Labs has plenty of options, such as the Atomic Shape Lip Lacquer.
Les Ombres 9, Brown Thomas
Atomic Shake High Shine Lip Lacquer, Haus Labs.
