I’m still using a lot of the makeup I bought last fall but I’ve made a few changes so I thought I’d walk you through my new routine for fall 2023.

Of course, you need a good base for makeup and I take skincare very seriously. You can find the products I use and treatments I swear by in my Summer Skincare for Face and Body post from June 2023. My colorist just commented on how great my skin looked at my appointment yesterday so I can attest that it’s working. I also had a Clear and Brilliant laser in late August which always creates a clear and smooth base for makeup.

Also, before I begin, I want to say that if I’m working at home, I don’t usually wear makeup. But if I’m going anywhere, I will not leave my apartment unless I’m showered and my hair and makeup are done. I think this is the result of the way I was raised and also from spending many years working in a corporate environment. There was no rolling out of bed and going to work. Come to think of it, I didn’t even do that in college. It’s a mark of respect for other people, as much as yourself, to put your best self forward. 

There are so many people who pride themselves on not wearing makeup but I think it’s important to constantly reevaluate our look from our hair and make up to our fashions. While you might be able to get away with not wearing makeup when you’re younger, our features fade as we age. Eyebrows get thinner and lighter, our skin isn’t as plump and youthful. I think a little makeup can offset the effects of age and also make us feel better. 

I’m also not saying you need to use everything here. You can pick and choose what you need or products for areas you want to highlight. I’m just giving you options.

I used La Mer The Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation SPF 20 for years but switched to the Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Dewy Foundation Drops when they debuted last fall. I thought I liked it but the dewy nature of the product doesn’t make it a good base for other products. I found everything just melted off. I do think it’s good if you just want a glow and don’t wear much makeup. But since I’ve switched back to La Mer The Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation SPF 20 I find what my makeup lasts the entire day again. I also appreciate that it also includes SPF as an additional barrier to sun damage.

I know it’s expensive but the Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer with SPF 27 really works and it lasts forever. It’s the perfect consistency that is thick enough to cover but stays dewy and doesn’t dry matte or accentuate lines. I had one tube that wasn’t empty but I decided to buy a new one so I could keep it in the pouch with essentials I move from bag to bag. I do like using it with a concealer brush which helps apply it to the corner of my eyes and around my nose.

Once you start spending time and money taking care of your skin and getting lasers, you have to be careful with the sun which means you will be much paler than in the past. I use the Westman Atelier Face Trace Cream Contour Stick in Biscuit as a contour to carve out my cheekbones and add a little to my forehead and places the sun would hit to warm up my skin.

I’ve tried a lot of bronzers over the years and the most natural looking one for me is the Tom Ford Soleil Glow Bronzer and Bronzer Brush. They’re a little pricy but last a long time which is amazing considering how much I use to achieve a sunkissed bit of color.

I use a little Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick in Petal but I’m begnning to wonder if I can skip this product and just use the Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Rose Ecrin alone. I keep one of these blushes in my bag for on the go touch ups. I love that it has a brush included so I don’t have to worry about forgetting a brush or the brush rubbing color off on my makeup bag. I had been loyal to Nars blush for year but even if you don’t drop their blush compact, the hinge always breaks before you even barely make a dent in the blush. I finally got fed up and I’m very happy with the Chanel replacement.

Before I move on to other products, I use a magnifying mirror and the Hourglass Vanish Foundation Brush to make sure everything is blended. Sometimes I don’t notice in a larger mirror that I didn’t quite blend in concealer around my nose or the corner of my eyes.

I just received this Powder Brush from La Bouche Rouge that I ordered and can’t wait to use it for powder or other products.

I do my eyebrows before my eyes because sometimes you need less eye makeup if your brows are on point. I prefer to have my brows dyed since it makes them look fuller and then you also don’t have to fill them in but sometimes they come out too dark. It also doesn’t last that long so I use the Anastasia Brow Wiz Ultra-Slim Precision Brow Pencil when I need to fill them in. Then I use the Anastasia Strong Hold Clear Brow Gel to keep them in place.

I’ve been using the MAC Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base Primer for a year and I’m very happy with its performance. My eye makeup now stays on and rarely creases. You need to press your base color directly into the primer before it dries. I love this Laura Mercier Eye Basics Primer as an all over lid color too. I use it over the MAC primer for extra hold.

I used to be loyal to Shu Uemura eyelash curler but I felt like it wasn’t working as well as it used to either. So I switched to the Chanel Eyelash Curler and I’m so much happier. It feels tighter and stronger and curls my lashes right away so I don’t have to curl them multiple times.

I was using Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner in cassis but I thought I lost it so I started using the Chanel Boy de Chanel 3-in-1 Eye Pencil in brown that I had on hand. It says that it stays put for 12 hours and I have to say that I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how long it lasts. When I get home from being out all day or an event, my eye makeup hasn’t budged which was not the case in the past. I don’t like a crisp eyeliner line so after I apply it, I smudge it into my top lash line. I never apply any eye products under my eye.

I started using this Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in medium over a year ago and it has been a game changer. I’ve also barely made a dent in it so it’s worth the money. The five long-lasting colors are smudgeproof and actually stay on all day. It comes with applicators but I bought the Westman Atelier Clean Eyeshadow I Brush that I use to apply the light base color. I use the Clean Eyeshadow II Brush for the darker colors. For day, I use the light color as a base and the two middle colors for definition. For an evening out, I add the bottom two colors for more depth.

This Wander Beauty Mile High Club Length and Define Mascara is the only one that doesn’t end up smudges under my eyes by the end of the day. I love it and have been using it for years.

If you don’t want to wear mascara, I highly recommend getting your eyelashes tinted. The color is distributed along the entire lash so it makes them look fuller and darker. I love getting my lashes tinted before I travel, especially when I have an overnight flight. A lash tint is also good for hot climates because you don’t have to worry about mascara smudging under your yes. Same if you like to swim a lot or sweat at yoga or the gym.

I think the regular Clear + Brilliant laser treatments I get every year are the reason for my glowing skin but this Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in radiant and Powder Brush is my other secret weapon. I use it instead of pressed powder and all over my face. It creates a glow but you do need clear skin to start so it’s important to keep up with your skincare routine. I might start using it with the Powder Brush from La Bouche Rouge and see if that changes how it looks.

The one Westman Atelier product I don’t like is the highlighter because it doesn’t last. One that I do love is the Chanel Le Blanc Rosy Light Drops. It gives a great highlight color and actually stays on your face and doesn’t disappear as quickly as other highlighters.

I keep this Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder in my bag for touch ups and so I have a mirror. Again, I love that it comes with its own brush so I just need this one product.

My favorite Chanel lip gloss in Giggle was discontinued so I wanted to find something new that was in stock. I came up with a layered look with products that can also be worn alone. I start with the Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Tint in Cherie. I let it dry and then top it with the Westman Atelier Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Gloss in Garconne. They are the perfect lip colored products but together they are even better.

Since the duo above is not a long lasting combination, I am always trying other lipsticks. I ordered these at the end of summer but they didn’t start to work until fall since they are a better complement to heavier and darker fabrics. I love the Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Inattendu (left) for day. If you want a little more shine, add a little of the Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Caramel on top. It’s the closest thing I’ve found to the discontinued color Giggle.

The Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Sensation (middle) is a bit darker and better for evening in my opinion.

To stave off chapped lips now that it’s cold again, I use the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Vanilla. I only use this in my apartment because it’s not hygienic to dip your finger into a product when you are out and about or traveling. Instead, I keep a By Terry Baume de Rose Crystalline in all my bags. It gives a great clear gloss look to lips while keeping them hydrated.

I switched to a Russian Manicure this summer and I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to a regular one. They make my cuticles look amazing and the special gel builder polish lasts 2-4 weeks. It’s honestly indestructible. I prefer two weeks since my nails grow fast but I can stretch it to three weeks since the regrowth isn’t as noticeable with a pale color.

I would definitely get a Russian Pedicure with the gel polish if I was going on a beach vacation or a long trip but I just don’t think I need it for regular life. I have them use my regular polish and have switched to the dark Hermès Les Mains Hermès Nail Enamel in Rouge H which is perfect for fall weather and heavier fashions. I might try the Chanel Le Vernis Long Wear Nail Colour in Rouge Noir for my next pedicure.

I splurged on this Hermès Bolide Makeup Bag last year because it’s the perfect size to hold all the compacts and larger Westman Atelier products. I sprayed it with a stain repellent before using it and it’s held up pretty well. I like that it coordinates with the Celine makeup case I bought myself for Christmas 2021.

Less expensive options that I really like is the Linen Travel Pouch and the Pinstripe Travel Case that opens from the top so you can see everything.

Just a reminder that I’ve used most of these products for a full year which is why I stand behind everything in this post. I always try to use products for at least one week before recommending them so you can be assured of my suggestions.

Bon week-end!

XOXO,

HC