I’m Leaning Into Autumn By Switching From Black to Brown Makeup

Alexa, play “Eyes on Fire” by Blue Foundation. Hoa, hoa, hoa season has arrived. As a natural redhead with skin as fair as it comes, I look forward to autumn every year. Finally, I can crawl out of the shade I’ve been hiding in all summer and pack away the heaps of SPF 50+ that have taken over my vanity unit. Goodbye summer wardrobe. Hello gorgeous, green, Antropologie trench coat I girl-mathed my way into “investing” in last year.

It’s around this time of year I change my bright, summery auburn hair into a darker, richer colour to suit the crisp, earthy toned leaves falling around London. I swap out my silver accessories for beautiful gold pieces instead and I’d go as far to say I even change my mood, going for a “mysterious Kristen Stewart in Twilight” vibe.

As I go through the metamorphosis into autumn-Chloe, I was looking for more ways to lean into the season and because I built my TikTok for you page brick by brick, obviously the perfect inspiration landed on my feed: Brown makeup. My go-to look is a classic black kitten eyeliner flick, black mascara and a lick of pink blush so it was pretty easy to find a few brown makeup products to replace them with.

Firstly, my favourite and the most important, eyeliner. When the time comes, you’ll have to pry the ONE/SIZE Point Made Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Pen (£19) out of my cold, dead hands. I don’t know how Patrick Starrr created such an incredible eyeliner but I silently thank him for it every day, so I thought finding a brown replacement was going to be impossible. Luckily, Charlotte Tilbury came to the rescue with the Feline Flick in Super Brown (£25). The felt tip applicator was easy to use as I drew the kitten eyeliner across the top of my lid. I really liked the light brown shade. It suited my eye colour and freckles perfectly and looked a lot more subtle than my usual black shade.

Next up, I tested out a few brown mascaras. I liked the e.l.f. Lash XTNDR Mascara (£7) in Deep Brown and the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (£28) in Chocolate but I really fell in love with the L’Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes Panorama Mascara (£13) in brown. The application was clump-free – an absolute must for my short and stubby lashes – and the shade complimented the eyeliner perfectly. It’s quite a dark brown, as opposed to a redder option, but when I compared it to black mascara, I could really notice a difference. Again, it gave my eyes a softer and subtler look, perfect for this time of year.

In order to really commit to the bit, I wanted to switch up my complexion products as well. I needed to look for a new bronzer anyway after Glossier discontinued the Solar Paint range and my supplies were running low, so I picked up the Pixi On-the-Glow Bronze (£18) in Soft Glow. I’m a big fan of the On-the-Glow blushes already and it’s the same for the bronzer. The applicator is so easy to use, especially for someone who’s not got great contouring skills. It gave my cheeks a really warm, sun-kissed glow. To make sure the colour lasted, I added a dusting of the By Terry Tea to Tan Sun Powder (£49) in Fair Bronze. As for blush, I stuck to my usual pink tone but I went for a slightly warmer coral option with the Pat McGrath Labs Divine Cream Blush: Legendary Glow Color Balm (£27) in Paradise Peony.

Overall, I really enjoyed my brown makeup transformation. I think it compliments the season perfectly, as well as my natural redhead tones. The product swaps were easy to make, just a few changes in my makeup bag. It’s an easy, affordable way to lean into the aesthetic without making a big commitment like going from blonde to brown hair or buying a whole new wardrobe. Next time you pop into Boots, pick up a brown mascara, I promise you won’t regret it.

Chloe Dunn is a social content producer at PS UK. With more than six years of experience in social media marketing, she is always on the lookout for the latest viral buzz. Working across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest, Chloe specialises in bringing people together virtually and building global online communities. She has previously worked in the music industry, including at a major record label and for the UK’s biggest group of music venues.