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As Summer slowly transitions to Autumn my mind not only considers a change of wardrobe but a change in both my skincare and beauty routines. After years of practice I find getting a head works best, integrating a complexion boosting serum and moisturiser along with a healthy dose of hydration to ward off what I like to call 'central-heating skin' aka parched, flaky skin that sneaks up on you when you start to wonder why your makeup isn't sitting well and settling into fine lines and wrinkles mere minutes of application.
Speaking of makeup, while I still prefer a light base I transition to something more hydrating to keep a glow to the skin as well as a good quality smudge-proof mascara and hydrating lipstick - both staples within my makeup bag come the crisper, colder months.
Autumn Skincare Refresh
Much like how I would rejuvenate my wardrobe come Autumn I like to have a seasonal declutter of any used or old skincare too. This often gives me tangible gaps within my skincare routine where I can add in some new and exciting seasonal appropriate products. A brand I've been eager to try out is Korean skincare brand; Medicube - a brand that has shot to popularity for their viral easy-to-use skincare pads, effective ingredients and not to mention aesthetically pleasing packaging.
While a serum doesn't feature in my skincare routine for most of the year, it certainly does as the temperature dips to offer another layer of hydration. This Autumn I will be adding Medicube Age-R vita C pro Ampoule serum to my daily morning routine which not only offer good levels of hydration but is a potent brightening treatment that not only increases radiance but improves skin tone giving a more youthful complexion - something I'm certainly after once the central heating is a daily necessity. This is also a perfect choice as the serum doesn't need to be over thought and can be applied daily after morning cleansing for a continuous luminous glow come rain or shine - possibly more rain, I fear.
As for moisturiser, I, like many have been intrigued by capsule creams recently, which lets be honest, looks simply more fun to use than a standard opaque face cream. Intriguing suspended capsules aside, Medicube's Deep Vita C Capsule Cream will be my go-to cream of choice this Autumn for a few reasons. The above mentioned brightening effects the Vita C range gives but also the fact the formula is infused with pore-minimising niacinamide and skin-plumping hyaluronic acid which the skin simply drinks up.
So far this product has slotted into my transitional skincare routine flawlessly and I'm now a total convert of capsule creams as I'm finding you can add as little or as much of the bursting active ingredient capsules as you want depending on what your skin requires that day. For now I'm enjoying scooping out mainly the gel-based cream with the provided mini spatula, but come colder days I know I will be fishing out full capsules for a richer feeling cream to truly hydrate the skin.
For days were a little extra plumping and hydration is required I'm also adding in the popular PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Toner Pads along with social media famous PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask set from the same range. Both of these products have the capacity to bring dull dry skin back to life and will feature heavily in my autumnal evening routine not only as a bit of a pamper but to truly hydrate and plump my skin.
Autumn Beauty Refresh
Now that skincare has been covered, onto another favourite topic of mine; Autumnal makeup! Who am I kidding? I love makeup 365 days of the year! However, there is something about glowing autumn skin paired with a warm toned nude lip and subtle smoky eye I can't get enough of. It's simply chef's kiss to me!
This does come with somewhat of a caveat; a good autumnal makeup look has to be achieved with the right products. I say this as a realist, knowing from one moment to the next you can go from an skin-parching heated room to the damp windy outdoors where your eyes are steaming from the biting wind. Autumn makeup isn't without its challenges.
For me, my first swap is with my base makeup, with my go-to foundation from Estee Lauder. While going fuller on coverage is tempting to hide redness come the colder months, I find it only leads to an overall heavier look to the skin. Plus with good skincare going for a more sheer skin tint makes sense. Estee Lauder Futurist SkinTint Serum Foundation SPF 20 specifically creates the ultimate your-skin-but-better finish. Not only is this lightweight foundation a joy to apply and blend, whether that be with fingertips or with a blending sponge, but the healthy-looking skin glow is gives is like no other I've come across - most importantly the glow lasts all-day without looking patchy or oily. I also love that if I skip sunscreen, which is easy enough to do when the sun stops making an appearance, the foundation offers a generous SPF 20 coverage.
As for eyes, along with a simple single matte brown shade over the lid, I like to transition to eye makeup that will stay in place whatever the weather. For this the Estee Lauder Lash Drama Mascara Gift Set not only makes sense and it contains a mascara, eyeliner and eye cream, but it's great value.
The full-size Sumptuous Extreme Mascara is one of my long-time favourites as it stays put, never flaking or smudging by the end of the day. It also offers a pretty impressive false-lash effect with or without the aid of eyelash curlers. As for the full-size Double Wear Infinite Waterproof Eyeliner it's one of those products that truly feels waterproof, requiring a cleansing balm and some elbow grease to fully remove it in the evening. I personally like to use this on my upper waterline to give the illusion of a more lifted eye and fuller lash line and find it glides on with precision.
Finally, the gift set also includes a travel deluxe size of the Advanced Night Repair Eye Gel Creme which targets dark circles and lines extremely well. In the past I've experienced the odd milia spot under my eyes when using heavier eye creams so I appreciate that while this eye cream packs a punch in terms of the ingredients the gel cream formula is light enough for all skin types.
For lips, any kind of gloss is simply out come Autumn - if you're a fellow long haired girly you will know any kind of tacky finish lip product combined with even the hint of a breeze simply does not work. In place of a gloss I like to opt for a comfortable cream formula lipstick and my go-to this Autumn is Estee Lauder Pure Color Creme Lipstick in shade Conquer.
As you would expect from any Estee Lauder lipstick the wear time is spot on and with both raspberry & apricot natural oils it sits incredibly comfortably on the lips which is ideal for this time of year. As for the shade; Conquer is almost a berry toned pink nude shade that I believe would compliment all skin tones well. If you are after just one new makeup purchase this season I would definitely check out this wonderful range of lipsticks.
Lastly, before stepping out of the door and into the crisp Autumn air a spritz of many people's favourite scent; Estee Lauda Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche. While this is a nod to warm sun-drenched days with it's warm notes of coconut, jasmine and vanilla, this fragrance is almost nostalgia for the season gone, smelling as comforting as a cashmere blanket while also being an uplifting scent.
If you're anything like me and like to blind buy perfume then this truly is a crowd-pleaser that not only feels familiar but is the perfect transitional scent.
