Glam It Up?

Let the new season inspire you to try a new look—or two

As we welcome the beautifully colored leaves and cooler weather, we also look toward new hues and styles for hair, makeup and skin. Many studies report that when you look good, you feel better, and there is no better time than the fall to get started on your road to self-improvement.

The biggest change experts are noticing is with women’s hair. “We are seeing shorter haircuts with more texture instead of long extensions and long layers,” says Jennifer Oubre, a stylist at Paris Parker Salon. Formerly popular light blond is being replaced by nice red and auburn shades. Even men are getting involved with coloring but to a lesser extent. “We are doing more blending for men because they are less likely to get highlights. We are finding ways to infuse gray or lighter hair colors to get a solid, natural highlight instead of a full bleached-out process,” says Oubre. Most men are content keeping their brunet or dirty-blond color.

For makeup, ladies are going natural. “Lips that are made with a natural pigment are really pretty. They can be berry, a nice orange or a deep tangerine,” says Oubre. If you do not like to make changes, there are still attractive options. “Reds will always be popular, but we are getting more purple and orange undertones to them,” says Oubre. This way, red can still look good on you even if you are not blond and fair-skinned. “For eyes, using a single color that is natural but has a bit of something to it, like a nice gold or opal color, and doing it from your lash to almost your eyebrow is popular,” says Oubre.

Your skin can change between seasons when it is not as humid and warm. “It is nice to have a few extra minutes scheduled so the aesthetician can talk to you and come up with a customized treatment,” says Jessica Brandow, the spa coordinator at Belladonna Day Spa. Everyone has different goals, whether it is anti-aging or preventing breakouts. “We carry Eminence, which is a line of organic skin products naturally made from fruit, vegetables and natural enzymes,” says Brandow.

If you are looking to relax, the oh-so-sweet sugar body scrub is popular this fall. “It is a fairly natural sugar and honey-based body scrub done by a massage therapist. They do a hydrating lotion application afterwards using massage techniques to make sure you are exfoliated and your skin is prepared to absorb any sort of moisture,” says Brandow. This scrub will keep you glowing and smooth for a long time.

Be careful with self-tanners this fall. “You should do a scrub or exfoliation before putting it on because if self-tanner attaches to dead skin, it will flake off when your skin does,” says Brandow. You can also get a closer shave if you are well-exfoliated.

Do not forget your nails and toes. “A popular color people get is nude, dark red or purple,” says Charlie Winn of Star Nails. You can make just about any fall color work for you.

If you are looking for a procedure to help you clean up brown spots or wrinkles you developed over the summer, you may turn to intense pulse light or resurfacing lasers like Fraxel. You may also take action to prevent further sun damage. “A hot topic now is vitamin D and prevention of skin cancer,” says Deirdre Hooper, a dermatologist at Audubon Dermatology. It is not as hard as you may guess. “A beauty trend is preventing ongoing aging and skin cancer by taking vitamin D, both oral and topical like a cream or drop,” says Hooper.

Powerful antioxidants can be given by your dermatologist, but you can get them on your own. “There are vitamin C and other plant product antioxidants available at the drug store,” says Hooper. In demand, too, are nutraceuticals, which is just a fancy word for an anti-aging pill. “People ask what type of supplements they should use, but since it is hard to prove that an oral supplement helps your skin, I recommend vitamin D and antioxidants, which can help your skin and overall health,” says Hooper.

Even though summer is over, continue to wear sunscreen. “You should have a sun protection factor of 30 with broad spectrum,” says Hooper. This is important in light of the vitamin D controversy. “It can be confusing because vitamin D is present in sunlight, but the vitamin D you get in the supplement is the same that you get in natural sunlight. Either way, your body has to convert a precursor to vitamin D,” says Hooper. One is not more natural than the other. “There is no guarantee that natural sunlight will raise your vitamin D to the appropriate level, whereas if you supplement, you know how much you are getting,” says Hooper.

Another up-and-coming trend is aqua porens. “It has just been discovered, and they are little channels that go through your cells like water pumps. It is the newest generation coming out in moisturizers,” says Hooper. This is something to be on the lookout for next few months. As for now, it is time to get glam!