Goodbye Neon Shadow, Hello Cat Eyes: Five Fall Makeup Tricks

As that golden summer tan starts to fade, you're going to have to come up with creative new ways to add a little color to your face this fall season. Many fashionistas don't exactly get excited about fall style because colors tend to be more muted and styles are somewhat less sexy. However, these four tips will show you how to dress up any autumn outfit with subtle but sensual makeup tricks. Ditch the glitter and neon eyeliner, and follow these makeup trends to keep your face fresh for fall.

Cat Eyes

Cat-eye glasses add a cute, feminine touch to an intellectual sweater-over-collared-shirt look, and lend nicely to a messy bun and skinny jeans. However, you can also wear contact lenses allowing your cat-eye makeup to smolder. For a more '60s-esque version of the cat-eye style, go for layered liquid and pencil liners to create a winged shape with a dot below the lash line for a little edge. You can also use this trend to add a touch of color — icy blue, emerald green or deep purple — to a darker-hued fall outfit.


Image by Flickr user Ashley Harrigan

Full Eyeliner

Maybelline makeup artist Gabriel Almodovar recommends capturing a bold liner look for fall by outlining the whole top eyelid, instead of just the edge near your lashes. Simply draw on arch from one side of your eye to the other, so your eyes truly pop when opened. For nighttime, add a touch of color by applying soft yellow-green eye shadow to your lids before applying your eyeliner.

Orange Eye Shadow

To embrace the surrounding fall environment, orange eye shadow allows you to coordinate with pumpkins and leaves. Blend a small amount of shadow on the lid, allotting more toward the outer edge of the eye. Add a complementing touch on the lower outer edge to create a nice shape. Keep the rest of your eye makeup simple to avoid overdoing it. A hint of brown mascara is perfect for completing the look. Orange is an especially flattering color for blue eyes.


Image by Flickr user Debs

Red Lip

Is there anything more classic or classy than a red lip? Perfect for brightening up beiges or adding edge to your favorite black pieces, a red lip can be made appropriate for the office versus the nightclub. For a daytime look, rock red lips with jeans, a tee, a smart, tweed blazer and lace-up boots. To translate to night, pair a long-sleeve little black dress with some leopard booties and rock those red lips.


Image by Flickr user Camila Zanon

Gray Haze

Smoky eyes are out — but that gray shade in your palette can still be useful for the fall. This mysterious trend was seen on the runway from stylists like Alexander Wang and Derek Lam, who both brought the look to life by shading right up to the brow bone. Keep the rest of the eye nude to prevent an overpowering effect, and experiment shades of light orange and peach for a more natural blend.

Linda is a fitness guru and freelance writer from the East Coast.