I was wondering if this kind of post might be in any way relevant until I read a headline that proclaimed that dark lipsticks are hot for fall. Shocker, I know! And as newsworthy as the fact that Christmas is in December. After that, I decided that this post is absolutely necessary, even if it’ll only show you that there’re indeed a plethora of dark lips in all high-end fall makeup collections, amongst other things. And that you, indeed you!, worthy consumer of beauty news and lipsticks, might actually choose between the best and the worst of the crop of fall collections.

If there’s one thread that connects every collection I’ll talk about, it’s red. Red is everywhere, and it’s cranked up in volume. Incidentally, all collections I’ll feature about will come out at some time in August, no matter where you are in the world. I also tried to find as many swatches as possible of items I’m talking about and included them in the post.

 

Chanel – Le Rouge

Chanel Fall 2016 makeup collection
Chanel Le Rouge Fall collection promo pic (© Chanel)

Because red is apparently the thing of the moment (funny, really, with all those Kylie-esque nudes all over social media), let’s start with the reddest of the red of all collections: Chanel’s Le Rouge. It’s been created by their new Global Creative Director, Lucia Pica, and it’s supposed to have a hint of red colour in every product in their collection. What emerges is a collection of products that I believe to look stunning on certain types, and awful on others. That goes for a lot of collections, but with this one, swatching before buying should be mandatory. When reddish shades go wrong, they’ll look disastrously wrong. The all-matte quad isn’t as intimidating colour-wise as it looks in the pan, ditto the blush (swatch). Don’t buy the sheer red jelly polish, total waste of money (you’ll find a sheer red easily everywhere). I also have a long-time animosity towards the Illusion d’Ombres because you’ll have to wear them literally everyday to get your money’s worth before they dry out and become unusable. (Nothing wrong with colours and texture both, though. Stunning!) The two copper and olive eye liners look good, but Chanel’s stylos can be hit and miss. Lipsticks – you’re very likely to find a shade that suits you, and both the Rouge Allure and Rouge Allure Sheen formula are perfectly nice. Shades range from nude/brown to pink, orange and different shades of red (swatch). It’s a bold and, for Chanel, daring collection, but I can’t see anything that I’ve absolutely have to own. I don’t see any obvious misses as well, either.

 

Dior – Skyline

Dior Fall 2016 makeup collection
Dior Fall 2016 Skyline product (© Dior)

 

Inspiration behind that was the ‘autumnal landscape of Paris’, and what we get from that is the stunning Eiffel tower pattern on the eyeshadow quads. I read ‘Skyfall collection’ when I first came across Dior Fall, and would’ve vastly preferred that, thank you. But the Eiffel Tower will do as well.

As always with Dior, the collection is ginormous, and I decided that I’ll only cover the pieces I like. Positivity for the win! Ok. I like both quads and they seem to swatch nicely. They’re also quite poised between the poles of wearable and not too boring in including little pops of colour in mostly neutral shades. The highlighting powder called Nude Air Luminizer (swatch) reminds of Dior’s two summer hits that looked similar and sold out in no time. I expect nothing different from this very glowy golden-peach powder. Rumours have it that it becomes permanent, but I’ve no idea whether that’s true or not. Very fall-ish, and nicely tied into the visuals are both nail polishes and lipsticks (addict formula). I’m surprisingly into the single eye shadows as well. I like the jewel-like colours a lot and Dior singles often have a nice quality. Also included are brow and contouring products, glosses and concealers. A collection that screams ‘fall’ to me. It manages its theme and its colours deftly, while not inducing snores from makeup addicts and has a stunning visual that might be my fave for this year’s batch.

 

 

YSL – Scandal

YSL Scandal Fall 2016
Promo pic of YSL Scandal collection (© YSL)

(We’ll just leave behind the notion that a somewhat smokey eye with red lips can be in any way scandalous.) Cara looks like she went into her hairdresser’s with a pic of Kate Middleton in hand, and has to pose in such a way that makes me repeat one of the Fug Girls immortal sentences: ‘Hands are no pants!’ Anyways, next to Dior’s tons of stuff, here’s a fall collection that looks nearly minimal. Also, very nice, and fairly close to Dior’s colour scheme. While I like Dior’s execution better, I had one look at the promo pics and immediately identified two items I absolutely must have: Cara’s orange-red lipstick and the palette. It looks a tad more pigmented than Dior’s, and I’ve never owned a YSL palette before (swatch). Good enough reason for me. I find the nail polishes totally yawn-worthy, which is a pity after their hits of the last two seasons. A plum and green crème? I can give you those in spades. Lip oils – uagh. Text marker like eye liner? Please no. Full Metal Shadows? Nope, Armani’s are still better. Rouge Couture Mat Lipsticks? A world of yes. (Swatches) Astrid loves the Lip and Cheek stains, so there’s that. I’ll still be here for the palette and lipsticks. Scandal on, YSL.

 

Guerlain

Guerlain fall makeup 2016
Guerlain Fall 2016 collection (© Guerlain)

Six new quads and two new KissKiss lipsticks in nude and red (swatches). The eye shadow palettes come in variants of purple, blue, pink, gold, grey, and nude. The eyes shadows in the palettes are supposed to have a new formula with ‘light-reflecting pigments’ and different finishes. You’re supposed to be able to do all kinds of looks with one palette – from natural to bold. All of this doesn’t tell me a thing about what the new palettes are supposed to be like. Because all that PR spiel mentioned above – that’s what ALL palettes should do, right? Consider me baffled.

 

 

Nars – Powerfall

Nars Powerfall collection fall 2016
Nars Powerfall collection promo pic (© Nars)

Nars is answering the prayers of makeup addicts everywhere because a) nearly every product but one lipstick becomes permanent after the launch and b) the collection is nicely balanced for all skintones, and reflecting that, the ‘face’ of the collection is a WOC (something you see rarely in mainstream brands, alas). They also launch a completely new product, the Velvet Eyeliners (think creamy kohl liner in rich tones) in nine shades. The contour and blush duos will work great on deeper skintones, while the gold, rose and indigo shades of their best-selling Dual Intensity Eyeshadows will work on everyone who likes a bit of high-intensity shimmer on their eyes. In contrast, lips are deep red and matte. (Swatches) A collection with pieces that compliments each other nicely, totally wearable, good quality, no fuss.

 

 

Tom Ford – Orchid Collection

Tom Ford fall 2016
Tom Ford Velvet Orchid promo pic (© Tom Ford)

Inspired apparently by the ‘Black and Velvet Orchid’, this is very pared back and incredibly luxe (both reflected in the dark purple cases of the actual products and their price. Ouch.). I hate the original Black Orchid perfume with a passion, especially because a (male) friend of mine used to wear it and it smelled amazing. On me, it smelled like a brothel in a very hot climate. Let’s just say I’m a bit conflicted about the fragrance. We have two lipsticks (plum and burgundy, of course!), two blushes (official description says the colours are ‘gold’ and ‘lavender’, which makes me think that at least one will actually be a highlighter) and two solid perfumes (Black Orchid and Velvet Orchid) in this collection. Everything looks good. Everything exudes high-end quality (swatches). I’m sure you’ll find similar products without the exorbitant price tag (well, maybe not for the solid perfumes).

 

 

Lancome & Sonia Rykiel

Lancome fall 2016
Lancome & Sonia Rykiel collection promo pic (© Lancome)

Just gets a mention because of Lisa Eldridge, their creative director, and Sonia Rykiel, the cooperation partner for this particular collab whom I like for her colourful and playful creations. She did a H&M collab once and I wore some of clothes to pieces, including a wonderful pair of striped satin ballet flats. Rykiel is big on stripes, as you can see from the packaging. Included in the collection are two eye shadow palettes with 9 shades included in each, one in blues, one in purples (both very wearable and pretty). There’re four double-ended Lip Crayons with a matte and glossy shade included in each. That’s a concept I like in theory, but in real life I wish they’d made twist-up pencils, because sharpening glossy sticks? Ugh. (Swatches) The cushion blushes are utterly covetable, one in pink, one in coral. Cute packaging with an innovation product? YES. I haven’t seen swatches yet. Swatches are important, though, because these are basically cream blushes, and cream blushes can go horribly wrong when the formula isn’t right. Four nail polishes – nice formula – with colours and texture (good ol’ cream finish) that I’ve seen a thousand times.

 

Givenchy – Superstellar

Givenchy fall 2016 collection
Givenchy Superstellar promo pic (© Givenchy)

There’s apparently a trend in the makeup world to either go BIIIIIIIG or very very small for their seasonal collections lately, and Givenchy is one of the brands that apparently said ‘hey, you know what? Seven products is totally fine with us!’. So, we have: One visually stunning eye shadow palette that is clearly a collector’s piece and totally impractical to use (silver, coral, purple), one green mascara (because why not?), blue and silver liquid eyeliners (hey, allllll the colours!), one blue nail polish (ditto) and one red and pink lipstick. Because there was obviously a directive to use all the colours, dammit. Does this collection make any sense? Please enlighten me, Givenchy. Well, at least the palette is awfully pretty, and the lips are red (swatches). Phew!

 

 

Clarins

Clarins Fall 2016
Clarins Fall 2016 promo pic (© Clarins)

I love hats, I love floppy hats, and the super-sultry smokey eye and floppy hat combo the model sports in the visual is my platonic fall look ideal. It doesn’t get any more perfect than that. *swoons*

Sadly, the whole collection is a total snooze. Four quads (swatches) in variations of neutrals (each one tailored for one specific eye colour) and nudes, a blush in a rosewood colour and four lipsticks that are the most granny-ish I’ve ever seen – a rosewood again, a nude, a darker nude and a tame red (all in the Joli Rouge formula). Accompanying this snooze-fest will be the new Supra Volume Mascara that claims not only to make your lashes more voluminous after application (because it’s mascara, duh!), but will help them grow more voluminous after a while. Ooo-kay? Clarins, have you been living under a rock for the last few years?! Aren’t we all nuded out after all the Nakeds and what-nots? The collection certainly shines when it comes to formulas, but really, I’m falling asleep as I type. Innovations? New ideas? Nope, not here.

 

MAC – It’s A Strike

MAC fall 2016 collection
MAC It’s a Strike collection promo pic (© MAC)

Mac throws out a collection which theme couldn’t be more random – bowling?! But if you’re a bowling fan with a passion for makeup, you’re in luck. For all others, it’s still a pretty collection, with appealing colours spot on for the fall colour scheme. We’ve plums, browns, nudes, and to make things interesting, a lime eye shadow and nail polish, and a hot pink lipstick and lipglass. There’s also the return of the Pearlmatte powders, and it’s the collection piece with bowling pins and balls imprint. I don’t care a bit about it, but I think the collection on the whole is very well done (though not innovatively – remember the palettes from Cult of Cherry? Really similar colours!), with its products very well put together. You could pick any three out of them and create a look that wouldn’t look jarring. What’s interesting is that both lipsticks and eye shadows are nearly all matte. I also like some of the product formulas a lot – Creamsheen Glasses are my fave lipgloss formula and Casual Colors make great cream blushes (get Have a lovely day! It’s a gorgeous nude!). The Fluidline Pens aren’t half-bad, either (permanent, though). From the lipsticks (also a lot of permanent colours) get Liquid Lurex, very much on trend with a kind of tarnished gold glitter (also fab as a topper over other lipsticks) (swatches). Huh. Wouldn’t have thought that from all Fall collections, this would be one of my favourites.

 

 

Final thoughts of the Fall 2016 makeup collections

 

Some of this fall’s collections leave me stone cold, mainly Clarins (snooze), Givenchy (wha?), and Tom Ford. Nars is lovely done (take a note, Clarins, this is how to do basic but not make customers fall asleep), but in the end, not for me. I like Lancome’s packaging a lot, but not enough to be tempted to shell out for the blush. (I’ll wait until it’s available at the L’Oreal brand from Lancome’s mother company.) Guerlain’s palettes remind me of things I’ve seen a thousand times already. Chanel’s collection has an interesting concept, but will be difficult for a lot of people to pull of. I don’t see anything that would tempt me, either. I’ll be going either for YSL’s or Dior’s plummy palette because I like the colour combo and design, and I must have the orange Rouge Couture Mat lipstick by YSL. If I’m feeling spendy, I’ll also go for the stunning Dior highlighting powder, because I actually showed restraint with their summer ones and didn’t get any. Very likely I’ll get some pieces from MAC along the way, Liquid Lurex is high on my list because I skipped it last time it came out. So here’s my list – how does yours look like?