Greetings Gorgeous Lover Heads!

Sure, one could certainly make a case that I am ‘technically‘ late on the authoritative timeline for a fall beauty post.

But in my defense a) My entire life’s brand is built around the idea of being LATE as you will come to learn when I launch my 1st book + b) It just became fall in my neck of the woods like 8 seconds ago—so STAND DOWN SOLDIER, STAND DOWN I SAYYYYYY!

*I have no idea where that just came from?

…Soooo Whose ((((excited)))) for some FALL BEAUTY 2016 ??!!!

SKIN

Getting foxy-ready for fall beauty should start to take shape in late August. I’m pretty disciplined with my skin and the state thereof—after all its the canvas that people first notice, amirite darlings?

I always recommend getting a facial that cleanses and relaxes the skin for fall. As for myself, I ventured off to one of my favourite oasis’s in downtown Toronto, the Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie Paris. I enjoyed a decadent VINOSOURCE Treatment that uses fresh grapes, (yup fresh grapes!) + a host of luxurious Caudalie products to cleanse and restore radiance to the skin, followed by a heavenly massage.

I’m thinking of joining a reggae band I’m so relaxed!

I would also recommend for women 35 and up a microdermabrasion or laser treatment to get rid of sun damage spots and ruddiness, and of course a sesh with my boyfriend BO—all of which I’ve written about before. It goes without saying that cleansing, an SPF and moisturizer has to be maintained to keep your skin foxy on the daily.

Maybe she’s born with it? Like hell she is.

Maybe she lives in a Kardashian beauty blowtorch dystopia and simply tries her best to keep everything from falling, sinking or sagging!?

And please no letters about how you are au natural and never do a thing? 

To that I say, slow golf claps for you, McWrinkles.

My late mother was the rare exception to the rule, but after a certain age, most women are doing something to stave off the sands of time. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look your best, and if you can achieve it with appearing like you’ve done very little (like JLo or Jen Aniston) who believe me have both done A LOT, that is the ideal. I’m not one for curtain pulling on the beauty regimes of others, but its common knowledge that both look fab due to GOOD work, not miracle genetics—although JLO’s are certainly impressive! She’s also stayed farrrr away from the drugs & the drank and that too helps in spades.

Hair

Care Free Curl

Weird Science’s ‘Lisa’s’ 80’s Curl…

Not since the early-to-mid 80’s has curly hair been so fashionable as we saw for the Fall 2016 runway shows. And that’s good news for so many of us who have been flat ironing and blowing out our curls for decades.

FREEDOM!

Dark Brunettes

I do believe it was Kate Winslet’s ‘Rose’ who uttered the memorable line to Leo DiCaprio’s ‘Jack’… “Paint me like one of your Rodarte girls…”

K fyyyyyne, that never happened but the 2016 Rodarte gals really are my fall hair inspo foxy supernovas. Brunettes were seen strutting all over the runways, showcasing rich dark chocolate to jet black hair colour.

Bang It

Several versions of bangs were also front & centre for fall 2016 to accommodate stick straight or curly hair as you can see ↑ above and here. Honourable mention has to go out to model-of-the-moment Katie Moore’s career changing punk cut with short fringed bangs.

I decided to put these fall hair trends to the test so with my Rodarte gals saved on my iPhone, I set off to Tony & Guy in downtown Toronto–their only Canadian salon.

London’s famed brand Tony & Guy is all about ‘polished edge,’ and my colourist Nicole took me from my end-of-summer straw-textured brown/blonde vomit colour to a shiny and gorgeous dark chocolate brown.

Next up I was lucky enough to have a private appointment with Chicago celebrity stylist Anthony Cristiano while he was in town for TIFF! Cristiano is model Adriana Lima’s personal stylist and I was honored to get exclusively “banged” by him. Heh, heh.

 When all was said and done, professional make up appliqué  included—my beau thought I was one face with the late great Suzanne Pleshette but I see more of a Connie Sellecca circa ‘Hotel‘ vibe.

I’ll let you decide…

While my above make up is a tad heavy, I’m the 1st to admit that I definitely need to wear makeup (at least cover up, mascara & lipstick) before I subject the world to my face. Trust me, I fully admire Alicia Key’s #NoMakeupMovement, it’s just not something I can personally get away with.

…And that brings us to fall 2016 make up trends! While I’ve written about my ‘staple’ fall faves in the past, I’m going to stick to specifically what caught my eye for fall 2016 and the most wearable trends. After all, what works on the runway doesn’t always translate to “back to life, back to re-al-ity.”

Lips

Dark lips for fall certainly isn’t reinventing the beauty wheel, but there are more options available this season than ever! From dark Bordeaux’s to matte blue/black offerings in glossy and matte versions.

*Click on the photos to see products.

Another micro trend that surfaced was a gradiant two/three toned ombré lip as was seen at Creatures of the Wind + San Andres. The idea is to put one lipstick on all over and then build a darker or lighter application of lipstick(s) and gloss in the centre. I LOVE, LOOOVE the Creatures of the Wind blood red effect.

Product Faves 

I simply adore Tom Ford lipsticks. While they are certainly an investment (*In Canada they are $68.00 each for a full sized tube) I have to say they are absolutely worth the price. The pigments are outstanding, the packaging divine and the lipstick lasts at the very least a full year. And because they are made with such incredible ingredients Brazilian murumuru butter to chamomila flower oil it can last several years.

This fall Tom Ford re-launched their best-seller (*for a limited time only at Holt Renfrew) Black Orchid and introduced a newer pared down version called Velvet Orchid. The Black Orchid doesn’t go on as dark as you would expect and both are simply divine. I am also in love with “Jay” a colour previously launched in 2015.

Another colour that is back in a huge way is the classic red lip. Like the LBD, a red lip truly never goes out of style.

Chanel dedicated their entire fall 2016 collection appropriately titled LE ROUGE COLLECTION N°1 with a stand out gorgeous matte red called Rouge Charnel. That’s right the r is intentional, and not a typo—grammar police! 

Shiseido also launched their “Rouge Rouge” lipstick collection and YSL offers up bright red Baby Doll lip stain that is both for your lips and cheeks.

And lastly, iconic make up artist Pat McGrath launched her line Pat McGrath Labs line of Lust 004 lip kits online and through Sephora. The line includes 6 incredible high shine lipsticks, a gloss and various loose coloured glitters from gold to crimson red that can be mixed together or used alone. If the entire glitter look is a little much for your tastes, McGrath suggests just using a tiny bit of glitter in the center of your lips for a softer sparkle!

Eyes

While I normally like to focus on trends and products in equal measure, fall eyes weren’t as innovative as I would have liked.  Sure there was the “dead in the eyes” smoky look that was all le rage (yawnathon, nothing to see here…) and the dyed eye brow trend might be great for an Oompa Loompa convention, (I’m sure there are several)  but I don’t see it translating to a night on the town, never mind the kids drop-off at preschool, ya dig lil’ mamas?

Instead there were a host of intoxicating eyeshadow palette(s)that that are more than worth mentioning.

Royal blues are a definite trend for fall 2016 (Navy/Cobalt/Teal) and I adore the Nars dual intensity eye shadow in ‘Arcturas.’ It ingénue who drips all the sexies—Emily Ratajkowski—was on trend wearing Lorac products for her teal winged eye at the 2016 Emmy’s.

Speaking of celebs who seem to smoulder for a living, Victoria Beckham launched her new makeup line in collaboration with Estée Lauder. Here’s just a sampling of some of my favourites, that deep forest green shadow and sexy 80’s-siren red lipstick are all kinds of YASSS QUEEN!

A palette that made my knees weak was YSL’s limited edition “Scandal” Full Metal Eyeshadow. The colours (notice the deep blue, the gold, the violet!?!?) the potential combinations, **WET or DRY**—I am having a full blown beauty big-O!  Everyone of  Tom Ford’s eye palettes are simply divine. Their latest duo palette is from their AW runway line, (Tom thinks FW is way too pedestrian to speak of, so it’s Autumn/Winter at TOM FORD peasants!) + I’m not certain when this last TF quad was launched but I want to warmly straddle it.

And lastly Giorgio Armani will only be launching their F/W runway palette (includes luminous sheer pressed powder) in mid October for a limited time—so who you calling late-to-print-a-fall-beauty-post Willis?

Nails

Nails and nail art are as common as a daily weather and traffic update here at The Pop Culture Rainman. While there were new fall trends-a-plenty, I didn’t fall in love with the majority of them and relied instead on my own broad tastes as CLEARLY, someone isn’t doing their job right at ye old FALL 2016 Trend & Co?!?!

It’s totally a place btw.

Chrome Nails

 

Chrome Nails are a huge nail trend that started making waves in the late summer that is still going strong for fall 2016. What may appear like simple metallic nail polish, is really the result of a much more detailed process of a base colour, a gel top coat, a nail lamp, loose chrome powder, a sponge tip applicator and Richard Simmons Sweatin’ to the Oldies volumes 1-3 on DVD.

Ok fyyyne, Richard Simmons Sweatin’ to the OLDS isn’t totally necessary, but I do strongly recommend it.

Personally, I think this trend needs to go back to Buck Rogers territory where it belongs. I find it tacky hideousness, but I know many women are loving it so here’s some rando YouTube chrome nail tutorial so you can get the gist.

 

 

In terms of Metallic nail art trends I am loving the following combinations of silver and gold…

…And these are my personal picks for French Manicure and Reverse French nail art combo’s with some of my favourite fall colours. Mossy ((deep)) greens are huge for fall 2016!

Lastly strictly plugging nail polishes might seem as mundane as walking into Starbucks to order a regular black coffee (I mean what kind of maniac does that?!?!)—but the colours available this season **feel** like a salted caramel mocha frappuccino with extra whipped cream, so were totes good.

Wait, what?

Polish that has polish…

*Click on photos for product info. FYI the Zoya colour is from 2015, but that and another Zoya colour called ‘Hope’ perfectly fit my fall colour schemes.

 

And that my lovelies, is how you do fall foxy beauty.

‘Cause being late is the new early…

XOXO,