Beauty Report: Embrace the season

Almost two weeks into September, it is no longer socially acceptable to pretend that it’s still summer. Autumn is here, and we

have to accept the change in climate and wardrobe that comes with it.

The weather may be cold and capricious, but autumn opens up a world of exciting possibility for the make-up lover. Deeper hues that are evening wear in summer suddenly become appropriate for daytime, and those of us who want to can retreat back inside that cosy veil of heavier coverage foundation.

Your make-up bag will be a welcome distraction from the cooling weather, and thankfully the biggest shake-up in the cosmetics calendar takes place in autumn, when subtlety is replaced with depth and drama.

Anyone who is attached to a bright summer lip need not part ways with it just because the gloomy weather is setting in. Intense colour will survive well into winter, and Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipsticks (€19), available in 11 shades, are excellent.

They range from eye-watering brights to soft nudes, and an almost black shade for the very brave. These are true mattes – there’s no soft sheen, just a big, loud statement of confidence.

They look extraordinary on the lips and feel very comfortable to wear, offering impressive lasting power. For an almost neon orange-red that defies the changing seasons, try Matte Tilt.

Understated shades can work just as well for autumn as they do in the summer sun. Bobbi Brown Greige eye palette (€68) captures shades on the grey-beige spectrum perfectly. It contains eight sumptuous colours in finishes that vary from matte to sparkle, and will take you from day to night. This neat little palette will fit in a handbag without taking up too much space or weighing you down.

After work, buff one of the brown shades into the crease of the eye, dab a touch of the iridescent sparkle in the centre of the lid, and you’re suddenly appropriately attired for evening. It’s a universally flattering palette, suiting everyone, regardless of age or skin tone.

When autumn hits and the leaves change, the world starts to smell different. Suddenly, the crisper, zestier fragrances of summer don’t feel quite right any more, and something warmer and more comforting is called for.

Jo Loves is a fragrance brand that was set up by Jo Malone in 2011, five years after she left Jo Malone London, that behemoth of fragrance brands. She has continued her love affair with fragrance at the Jo Loves flagship store in Belgravia.

Her latest fragrance, Red Truffle 21 (£45/€62, from joloves.com), is bizarre, wonderful, and interesting, by turns.

She combines truffle, a love it or hate it scent, with black pepper, earthy green fig, bitter citrus and the sharpness of vetiver and pine leaves to create a winter fragrance that is as warm as it is surprising. It sits happily on men or on women.

[ lkennedy@irishtimes.com ]