If I Could Design an Autumn / Winter Makeup Collection...

I've done a few posts now in this makeup creations series and this time I thought I'd put together a theme and some shades for my perfect Autumn / Winter makeup collection...


Theme

The theme was very easy for me this time! Nerd that I am, I think this would have to be themed around dark fantasy - think Grimms' Fairy Tales and Guillermo del Toro. I really like the idea of having three characters or concepts in this collection with a lipstick (let's call them the Matte Fantasy Lip Colours), eye crayon (the Magic Eye Colour Sticks), eyeshadow palette and cheek duo (the Legendary Cheeks Split Pans) in each. The kind of colour themes I'm thinking of here are plums (they're so autumnal!), a hint of green (twisted fairytales always seem to take place in the forest), some reds and of course browns and golds thrown in there, because it's not autumn without them...

The products & packaging

I want each of the three concepts to have the same products and similar packaging in their respective colour stories. The concepts I have are: the Red Queen, the Dark Forest and Twisted Magic. The lipsticks are going to be bullet form but with a slanted edge, not unlike this Glossier Generation G but I'd make the casing itself a little sturdier by using coloured metal - red for the queen shade, a green for the forest shade and a purple for the magic shade.

For the eye crayons, I want something that can be used as a smoky liner or as a shadow stick so the style of the By Terry Stylo Blackstar is perfect! It's a twist-up product (so requires no sharpening) with a pointed tip so it can be used in both ways easily. I'd want black packaging for this product with the colour of each shade shown on the base and which mini-collection it belongs to on the side (in red, green or  purple). 

For the eyeshadow palettes, I actually think the Zoeva Eyeshadow Palette packaging (with a reduced 4 shades on each row) is perfect. Cardboard packaging is definitely better for really getting creative with a theme and including artwork. I really like the idea of a compact palette with 8 shades and I'd want each palette to have a different image on the front. Here are some ideas and where I found them online, though I'd like my imagery to be a little less precise and more impressionistic with the colour themes running through them. (I'd also probably go with less cleavage - you can tell fanboys created some of these...!)

Red Queen:

Images from: 

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/453456256207127375/

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/809381364254999141/?lp=true

http://ennorath.wikia.com/wiki/Queen_Elysia_Al%27Tarim

Dark Forest:

Images from:

witcher.wikia.com/wiki/File:Tw3_concept_art_dark_forest.jpg

https://www.deviantart.com/raqmo/art/Dark-Forest-410833310

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/361554676325096025/?lp=true

http://sf.co.ua/id57692

Twisted Magic:

Images from:

http://fandomania.com/fan-art-friday-the-black-cauldron/

https://www.deviantart.com/tsabo6/art/Spell-Books-192928777

https://www.deviantart.com/lerectifieur/art/the-magic-Spell-of-Amilcana-137130680

For the powder cheek duos, something like the Becca x Jaclyn Hill Split Pan would be perfect as the component with the outer metal part that's gold here in each theme's respective colour.

The shades and formulas

For the lipstick it has to be red, obviously! I want the formula to be the same across the three shades and I've gone for a matte finish - I'd like something like the Urban Decay Vice Comfort Matte Lipstick | review. This is totally matte, very opaque, long-lasting and not at all drying! It has to be one of the best matte lipstick formulas out there. 

I've actually not come across my perfect formula for a liner and shadow crayon that's blendable across the lid but not so slippery that it doesn't stay in place on the lash line. I think the closest I've come would be the Bobbi Brown Longwear Cream Shadow Sticks | review. I want the formula to have a dewy-metallic finish like the By Terry Ombre Blackstars | review | that gives an opaque application and a multidimensional look. 

The eyeshadow palettes would be amazing if they had the formula of my Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Palette* | review. I'd want the shimmers to be in the two formulas this palette has: a soft, sheeny shimmer and the super-metallic finish. These mattes are so easy to blend (though of course they do kick up some fallout) so I'd like that formula in there too.

In terms of the cheek duos - I'd have to nab the Mineral Blush and Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed formulas from Becca's Split Pans (discontinued) | review | as well as the packaging! The intense, dewy highlighter formula can't be beaten and I love the luminous matte look their blushers give.

Red Queen

This part of the collection is all about the classic evil queen look with a more modern twist. The key themes here are red, charcoal, cool tones and chiseled cheeks. 

The colour I'd want for the lipstick is something like MAC's Matte Lipstick in Chili | review | - a warm tone with some hints of brown to give it that seasonal twist but a colour that's still unmistakably red.

For the shadow stick, a deep steely grey colour like Drift from my Urban Decay Born to Run Palette* | review | is perfect, though of course this is a powder formula, I think the tone is spot-on for a smokey eye look to fit with this theme. 

I want the eyeshadow palette to be cool-toned with that one pop of muted red. You won't find a cream or black matte in any of my palettes because I personally don't use them myself and I'm sure that if it's that integral - people can just use them from other palettes or singles! I didn't want to waste any space in an 8-pan palette with 'filler' shades - I wanted everything to link in with the theme.

I have two Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow Pans | review | in this palette - Starry Eyed is a cool pinky-champagne and Mesmerised is a cool, steely deep grey-purple. Also on the foiled side, I also have Mineral from my Ace Beaute Classical Paradise Eyeshadow Palette | review | which is a more mink-silver colour and the ColourPop Pressed Shadow in High Strung (discontinued) | review | which is a more mid-toned pinky-berry. Starry Eyed and even Mineral can be used over the lid or as inner corner highlights. High Strung gives a different lid colour option and Mesmerised is perfect for adding some smokiness to the outer part of the lid. The softer shimmer I have in here is Peace from the Stila Eyes Are the Window Palette in Soul | review. This can be used on the lower lash line or all over the lid for a deeper look (maybe with Mineral or Starry Eyed pressed in the centre) - this is a sort of cool purple-brown.

For the mattes I have the MAC Eyeshadow Pan in Quarry | review | which is a classic taupe-mauve mid-toned transition colour that I always wear with my more cool-toned makeup looks. I also have Anastasia Eyeshadow Single Pan in Deep Plum | review | a colour that's as the name suggests! This is to add depth and smokiness on the outer part of the crease or across the lash line. Then there's my pop of red - Get Your Glory from the Zoeva Opulence Eyeshadow Palette* | review. It couldn't be a Red Queen Palette without a red! This muted pinky-red stands out in the palette but is subdued and autumnal enough to work with the wider colour scheme. You can just pop something like this in the crease to take the look to the next level.

When I think of a fabulously evil villainess, I definitely think of high cheekbones! I've chosen a frosty, slightly gold-toned highlight in the Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Brilliant Light | review. Instead of a blusher, for this one compact, it had to be a contour shade for me - I've opted for this cool-toned colour from my Sleek Contour Kit in Medium | review | as it's totally matte and gives the cheekbones a chiselled look.

Dark Forest

This mini-theme is all about earthy tones with some nice greens and browns, as well as golds and oranges mixed in. I think that out of all the themes I've come up with for this collection, this is the one I gravitate towards naturally, though it's been fun to experiment with colours outside my comfort zone for this post!

For the lip colour, the warm terracotta brown nude colour of my Huda Beauty Liquid Matte in Trendsetter | review. With all of the bold colours in this collection, there was definitely room for something more neutral and with the eyeshadow palette I've created for the Dark Forest theme having the potential to be quite eye-catching, I thought it would fit in best here.

For the eye pencil I wanted something warm and smokey and the rich, brown-gold-bronze tone of the Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon in Amber Haze | review | is perfect! I chose a colour that's gorgeous worn as an eyeshadow or that would work as a liner with the palette. I think this ties in beautifully with the other colours for this sub-collection.

For the eyeshadow palette I've gone more on the matte side, as I think these warm tones are the kinds of colours a lot of people would do an all-matte look with. I've chosen two shades from my Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette* | review | which are: Burnt Orange and Sienna (as crease / transition colours). I also chose the Nabla Single Eyeshadow in Radikal | and Golden Apple from the Ace Beaute palette I mentioned earlier, to add some greens into the mix. Radikal is a darker, more muted green, whereas Golden Apple is mid-toned, wearable and warm, with an olive tone. Finally, there's Fireside from the Tarte Tartelette Toasted Palette | review | which is a functional shade - a cool charcoal-toned matte for adding some smokiness to the look.

At the same time, I wanted some variation in the small number of shimmers I have in here so that this palette is versatile. I've chosen two of the Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow Pans | review. The first is Magic Act; a very light gold colour that works as a highlight or all over the lid, then as a darker shade, the orange-red Flame Thrower. I also have Idia from my Juvia's Place Warrior Palette | review | which is a very warm amber gold.

For the cheek duo, I wanted to keep things relatively simple to tie in with the lip colour. I've chosen the bronzed, dewy-look Illamasqua Beyond Highlighter in Epic* | review | for the highlight and then the colour Pleasure Model from the MAC Sweet Copper Cheek Compact (discontinued) | review. Pleasure Model is a warm, rosy-brown colour that pairs perfectly with the lipstick for this theme.

Twisted Magic

This final mini-theme is where those purples come in, mixed with some warm tones and a little bit of glitz.

The lipstick of course has to be a colour like the old classic - MAC's Diva Matte Lipstick | review. It's that perfect warm reddish-purple shade. 

For the eye crayon I've gone with the By Terry Stylo Blackstar in Purplyn Gem* | review. This is the perfect deep purple shade that fits perfect with the colours I've chosen for the eyeshadow palette.

This palette was probably the most fun for me to create because it's a little different for me but still kind of within my comfort zone. For shimmers I've chosen Luscious from the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette | review | which is another shade that could be a highlight or a lid colour and has a warm, slightly pinky-champagne tone. I've also gone with Cuba from the OPV Oshun Palette | review | which is a stunning warm copper. Also on the foiled side, we have the bright yellow gold Bronze, another from my Soft Glam palette. These give a bit of variation for lid colours. I have some more muted shimmers that add some deeper tones to this palette too. There's Be Blunt - a plummy-raspberry shimmer from the ColourPop Give it to Me Straight Eyeshadow Palette | review | and a darker, cooler plum - the Anastasia Beverly Hills Single in Truffle | review.

In terms of mattes, Soft Glam has contributed two shades to this palette - Cyprus Umber  and Dusty Rose. Cyprus Umber is a deep charcoal colour that works so well with purple-toned looks across the lash line or to smoke things out. Dusty Rose is a warm mid-toned purple that's a great transition / crease colour. Finally, for an extra little pop, I've gone with this vibrant purple Damsel from the ColourPop She Eyeshadow Palette | review.

Lastly, we have the magic-themed cheek duo! The highlight is in interesting rosy pink - one of the shades from the Pixi Glow-y Gossamer Duo in Subtle Sunrise* | review. The blusher is a liquid formula, but let's just pretend it's powder! I chose this colour as it ties in with the lip shade without being over-the-top when they're combined. I went with the Glossier Cloud Paint in Storm | review | which is a gorgeous warm plum tone.

I hope you enjoyed this post - I had so much fun putting it together and looking at colours in my collection that I wouldn't necessarily pair together on myself but that are amazing for this theme. It's not often I get to combine my love of reading fantasy novels with my love of makeup... If you decide to do something similar, please do tag me as I'd love to see what people come up with!

What colours would you incorporate into an autumn / winter makeup collection if you could create your own?

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Disclosure - products marked * were sent to me for consideration however all opinions remain my own.

Read more posts from this series here!