Back to School Beauty

The weather may be unpredictable—have you boarded up your windows against Irene?—but the calendar doesn’t lie: summer is almost over, and fall is right around the corner. The changing of seasons, leaves, and hair and makeup! We asked celebrity makeup artist Jake Bailey and celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak for their takes on how to look your best during the back-to-school season—even if school is long over, it’s the season of reinvention.

THE FACE
“In the fall, I find myself using warmer pigments: tawny blushes, warm brown- and olive-hued shadows, deeper lip colors, etc. You want to make sure you use a liquid foundation with a lot of moisture, as the colder weather can easily dry out your skin and give it a dull, ‘stale’ look. I recommend CoverGirl’s new Natureluxe Silk Foundation, which has a super lightweight texture and tons of emollients to keep a fresh, dewy finish in cold weather. It’s also got great coverage—and I always lean towards full-coverage foundation because you can use a lot less of it to get a ‘polished’ look. Ultimately, the less product you have on your face, the better, if you want to maintain a fresh look.

“I also love cream and liquid blushes and eyeshadows, because they can go directly over unpowdered skin or foundation and are much easier to use than powder shadows. They also come in amazing new waterproof formulas that are virtually maintenance-free. They have a ‘dewier’ look which will stand up to the dry, cold weather, much like the liquid foundation. Powder should be applied sparingly, but often it is completely unnecessary in dry weather unless you use powder eyeshadows and blushes or have particularly oily skin. These will not blend well on unpowdered skin.

“Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Cream Blushes are my current favorite, though you have to blend quickly because once they set, they aren’t going to budge. CoverGirl’s Intense Shadow Blast is a liquid formula for your eyes with a built-in primer that blends with incredible ease. Use with a fingertip for a soft, smoky look that’s not too dramatic for daytime—and, as with the blushes, this stuff does not move. They also have a warm brown and an olive shade which is always perfect for fall.

“Finish your look with a meticulous mascara application. CoverGirl has a new mascara called Lash Perfection, which has the most incredible brush—gazillions of tiny bristles that wrap each lash for amazing separation. Perfect for the OCD lash fans.” —Jake Bailey

THE HAIR
“There are a few styles that I’m loving for ‘back to school.’ The important thing to remember here is that hair should be fun, a bit trendy and, for this specific season, have that done but not salon-done-up look. I’m loving a ’60s-inspired ponytail with some height at the crown for the new season, allowing some pieces around the face to fall and frame it. It’s really fun and youthful, yet casual. I love slept-in-looking hair. Very loosely braid wet hair in one big braid, spray with a texture spray, let dry all the way, and let out the hair. Another fun look for fall is hair accessories, which I always love, especially for the holiday seasons. The key to accessorizing is keeping it simple and also starting with an effortless natural texture in the hair. Finally, a messy knot is always a sexy easy look to create, even on second-day hair. Throw the hair up and off of the face into a mid-height ponytail. Twist the pony tightly and let it take a knot-like shape. Pin in place. With fingers, rough up around the face, and you’re good to go!” —Mara Roszak

SARAH HOWARD IS THE EDITOR OF BEAUTY BANTER.