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Although I’m someone who champions wearing whatever makeup you want, I can’t deny that there seems to be a fixed set of colors for fall. That does not mean that you should refrain from wearing a baby pink if it’s what you want, but since people tend to gravitate towards dark and dramatic colors for fall, here are my personal picks.

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PURPLE
  1. L’Oreal’s Color Caresse Wet Shine Stain in Berry Persistent – The formula is lovely (I already talked about it here), and this shade is great for those who don’t quite want to commit to a true purple or berry hue. It’s a pinkish berry color with a hint of purple, and it’s also buildable so you can wear anything from a tint to a full on berry lip. Even though it’s a gloss/stain formulation the color is highly pigmented, so it will show on any skintone.
  2. OCC Lip Tar in Hoochie – You already know about liptars, right? If not read this. OK, good. The formula on these is for the most part consistent, and Hoochie is not an exception. Sephora describes it as “magenta” but it reads more towards the blue side of the magenta spectrum. It’s an odd color in that it looks more pink or blue depending on whoever wears it, but it always looks bright on everyone so it’s not for the faint of heart.
  3. Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Fierce – This is pretty much middle of the road not too blue not too red purple. Illamasqua’s intense lipgloss formula is one of the select few lipgloss formulations I can stand as it’s glossy but not tacky and decently lightweight while being pigmented. It also lasts much longer than most other lipglosses I have tried.
  4. OCC Lip Tar in Lydia – The color is described as a “darkroom plum” which, granted, sounds a bit vague. However, the color is exactly what it sounds like – a dusty light purplish-plum that’s perfect for those who want to try purple but don’t want to delve in that deep quite yet.
  5. M.A.C Cyber – This was one of the first lipsticks I ever owned, and its remained a favorite ever since. The color is a deep reddish purple that almost leans on wine but is a bit too blue for that. That’s just with one layer though, when layered Cyber turns into a lovely purple black. Cyber is one of M.A.C’s satin formulas, so it’s pigmented without drying you out.
L2REDS
  1. Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in Really Red – While I don’t personally own this lipstick, I know a number of trustworthy people who list it as a favorite. It’s a near true red that pulls more orange than blue, so keep that in mind if it’s one you are considering.
  2. OCC Lip Tar in NSFW– NSFW is probably one of the most balanced reds I’ve ever come across, so technically it should look good on everyone. If you’re someone who is concerned about whether your skintone clashes or not (honestly though, get over it) this might be one of the safest bets you can make if for some reason you’re unable to swatch your reds. That being said, it’s one of my most worn reds because it’s fairly understated due to the color balance. Or something like that.
  3. M.A.C Ruby Woo – I don’t know what I can say about Ruby Woo that hasn’t been said before, but here’s the short story. It’s dry, dry as a damn desert. Honestly, it’s probably one of the driest lipsticks I’ve ever used. It’s also the most pigmented and long wearing M.A.C lipstick you’re likely to come across, so don’t let the dryness frighten you. If you feel like going for it, keep in mind that it’s both incredibly bright, and very blue-toned. This isn’t the easy to wear red NSFW is.
  4. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in F-Bomb – Admittedly, I don’t own this one either but it’s high on my “to-buy” list. I’ve tried the formula out and it’s very soft and hydrading while being both pigmented and able to stay put. It looks a bit bluer in the tube than on my skin, so it’s difficult to gauge the undertones. It touts itself as a “classic red,” whatever that means.
  5. Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw – There are a lot of liquid lipsticks out on the market, and I guess this one has gotten undeservedly buried under the mass of others because it’s a nice lipstick without much hype. It’s described as a “brick red”, which is a pretty apt description. I wear this a lot on days when I know I’ll be busy because it only comes off after a decent amount of scrubbing and remover. It is slightly drying, but really, what else would you expect from a liquid lipstick?
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BROWN AND WINE
  1. M.A.C Film Noir – Film Noir is a deep red brown, almost like clotted blood. It’s a satin formulation, so even though it’s dark, it won’t dry your lips out. I do have a bit of a slip problem with this color, probably because it is so very dark. However, it’s nothing that some blotting and careful application can’t fix.
  2. OCC Black Dahlia – This liptar, while beautiful, has a bit of an odd formula. It leans towards being a stain, but it’s not one of OCC’s stained glosses. I’m not quite sure what it is exactly, but I do know that I love it. While it looks a bit drastic in the tube, it actually applies as a brown toned burgundy. The color is quite buildable, and it’s also easy to tone down a few notches.
  3. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Shame – Shame, like Black Dahlia, is another burgundy, albeit much more red toned. It’s a good lipstick for those who want to try a dark wine lip but don’t quite want to go all the way yet.
  4. Buxom Full Bodied Lipstick in Menace – Like UD’s Revolution Lipsticks, the Full Bodied formula is one that I’ve tied and love, but haven’t gotten around to buying yet. It’s yet another one of those things that I pensively carry around Sephora for a bit before I feel guilty and put it back. This specific color is more of a true wine than the others on the list, and it’s a buildable formula so it can be worn as opaque as you want.
  5. Illamasua Growl – Illamasqua’s matte lipstick formula is one of my favorites because it’s both very matte and very pigmented. Obviously, it’s also drying but not near the level of Ruby Woo. The color is a reddish brown that doesn’t quite reach the darkness levels of Film Noir.
L4THE WILD CARDS
  1. Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids in Vibrant Mandarin – A lot of people like to say that orange is a summer color, but it’s about as fall a color as it gets (pumpkins? leaves? squash? hello?). It’s an orange that leans strongly towards red, so for some it will be a good transitional color I guess. Hopefully it will convince them that orange belongs in the fall, too.
  2. OCC Lip Tar in Authentic – Authentic is a metallic copper with an orange sheen. It sounds a bit odd, but it actually looks quite lovely on. It reminds me of those corny fake orange leaves everyone decorates with but, like, better.
  3. Illamasqua Magnetism – This isn’t the same Illamasqua formula I talked about earlier, it’s similarly pigmented but glossy and hydrating. The color’s a bit odd too, it doesn’t quite know if it’s a pink or berry or red. So this might be a good bet for you if you have no idea what you want.
  4. Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense #15 Pearly Violet – I actually bought this color for Spring because I was (and still am) obsessed with Haider Ackermann’s SS 2013 makeup (and collection). The color is a bright metallic purple that’s slightly drying but I don’t particularly care. I’ve been wearing it a lot since December and I always get a lot of questions on as to what lipstick it is and where I got it, so it seems to be a rather popular color regardless of season. It’s fun and interesting and metallic.
  5. OCC Lip Tar in Nylon – Yeah, I know, bright pink is a summer color but also, whatever, I don’t care. Raf Simons’ models walked out with vivid pink lips, and if it’s good enough for Dior it’s surely a good enough pick for fall. Plus it’ll make your mouth look radioactive.