Fall is the season of crisp air, crunchy leaves, and pumpkin-spiced coffee. It's also the season in which beauty-obsessed people—like me, your friendly neighborhood beauty editor—reevaluate their routines. Whether it's making intelligent skincare swaps, repairing summer hair damage, or testing new makeup products, fall is a season of refreshing and revamping.
As beauty editors, we do all of the above, but this year, we're especially excited about our makeup routines—specifically when it comes to lip products. That's because we just got the low-down on the trendiest fall lip combo, courtesy of celebrity makeup artist Etienne Ortega. His clients include the likes of Lana Del Rey and Christina Aguilera, so rest assured that his trend predictions are legit. Ahead, see all three products that are a part of the lip combo. Plus, see how it looks IRL on four different Who What Wear beauty editors.
The Ultimate Fall Lip Combo
"For the fall, I am so excited to bring back deeper tones and lip colors," Ortega says. When it comes to his favorite lip combo of the season, it comes down to three specific products. The first is this—his own Soft Contour Lip Liner in the shade Euphoria, which is a deep, rosey-brown color. "The undertone of Euphoric because it has more red in it than my other shades," he says.
This lip liner features a fine tip for ultimate precision, a soft-matte finish, and a smudge and transfer-proof formula. Plus, each one is infused with blue agave leaf extract and vitamin E to soften and hydrate the lips.
Next, he applies his Agave Glow Color Stick in the shade Nubes to the center of the lips. "I use this combo on Christina [Aguilera] all the time," he says. "It’s such a universal nude shade where it stands as a light pop in the center—my staple!"
This product is designed to be used on both the lips and the cheeks (oh, how we love a multipurpose makeup product). Ortega says they "melt" into the skin, providing the perfect wash of hydrating color with a dewy finish. That's probably because of the blue agave leaf extract, vitamin E, and jojoba oil in the formula.
The final product is this cushiony, high-shine lip gloss. Spoiler alert: the entire Who What Wear team is obsessed with it. It's become a staple product in many of our makeup bags.
It's so good that sometimes he doesn't use the Color Stick at all. "Sometimes I used just the Euphoric liner with the Por Vida gloss," he says. "It's important to know your lip shape too! If I’m working with a fuller set of lips, I typically will do more liner than glow stick as opposed to with a smaller set of lips."
Kaitlyn McLintock, Associate Beauty Editor
Kaitlyn McLintock wearing Ortega Soft Contour Lip Liner in Euphoric, Agave Glow Color Stick in Nubes, and Liquid Icon Hyper Gloss in Por Vida.
What's your go-to fall lip combo?
I usually stick to pinky-mauve shades, regardless of the season, unless I'm going out or attending an event, in which case I'll wear a bright red lip. For the former, it's usually Make Up For Ever's Artist Color Pencil Longwear Lip Liner ($24) in either Wherever Walnut or Anywhere Caffeine, topped with Haus Labs PhD Hybrid Lip Glaze Plumping Gloss ($26) in either Macaron or Guava. These items create a muted pink, glossy lip I love and wear often.
What did you think about this new fall lip combo?
I'm not going to lie—I was downright scared to try this lip combo because of the brown-mauve lip liner. It looked too deep for my skin tone, not to mention it was way out of my pinky-mauve comfort zone. That said, I discovered that the light shade of the Color Stick pulled it back a lot, making it look much more suitable for my light skin tone. In fact, the two products melded together to create this cool-girl, caramel color that I really enjoyed. When I topped it with the gloss, I was sold. It created this shiny, glassy, fall-appropriate lip look that was fun to play up with pink blush and a touch of bronzer.
Shop Kaitlyn's Other Favorite Fall Lip Products
Shawna Hudson, Associate Beauty Editor
Shawna Hudson wearing Ortega Soft Contour Lip Liner in Euphoric, Agave Glow Color Stick in Nubes, and Liquid Icon Hyper Gloss in Por Vida.
What's your go-to fall lip combo?
"I don't usually combine products for my lip looks. I really only wear a nice gloss, like Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil in Rosewood Nights ($26), or just straight-up lipstick for events and other occasions. One of my all-time favorite fall lipsticks is Violette_Fr's Petal Bouche in Cerise Desir ($31).
What did you think about this new fall lip combo?
" I love this! Honestly, it's a bit different than something I'd normally wear, but it's beautiful on the lips and doesn't make them look too overdone! I'm not usually one for lip liner, but this one is so buttery, glides right onto the lips, and is actually super forgiving. I like to keep my makeup simple most days so I'd wear this with a bit of blush and mascara and call it a day."
Shop Shawna's Other Favorite Fall Lip Products
Jamie Schneider, Senior Beauty Editor
Jamie Schneider wearing Ortega Soft Contour Lip Liner in Euphoric, Agave Glow Color Stick in Nubes, and Liquid Icon Hyper Gloss in Por Vida.
What's your go-to fall lip combo?
"My usual lip combo (regardless of the season) is Tower 28's One Liner in Work of Art ($15) topped with Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution Hydrating Lipstick in Pillow Talk ($35), followed by a generous dollop of Saie's Glossybounce High-Shine Hydrating Lip Gloss Oil in Play ($22). The pinky-mauve situation is my absolute failsafe for everyday makeup, and I don’t usually stray unless I’m testing something new! Even then, I always find myself drawn back to the trio."
What did you think about this new fall lip combo?
"At first, I thought the deep mauve liner (Euphoric) would be too dark for me, but the super-light Color Stick actually helped blend the rich pigment into a much softer payoff. (I used the shade Nudes.) The clear gloss is totally my new staple. The doe-foot applicator is nice and plush, hugging the entire surface of my lips with just one swipe. It’s nonsticky—just like my Saie fave—and I find myself itching to glide it on multiple times per day. Overall, I love the brown-mauve equation I ended up with. It still leans natural but feels like a fresh, fall-inspired take on my usual combo."
Shop Jamie's Other Favorite Fall Lip Products
Erin Jahns, Beauty Director
Erin Jahns wearing Ortega Soft Contour Lip Liner in Euphoric and Liquid Icon Hyper Gloss in Por Vida.
What's your go-to fall lip combo?
"I've gone through so many different phases when it comes to how I approach my lips. In the last couple of years, I've settled into a very low-maintenance approach where a long-wearing stain (like one of Wonderskin's Wonder Blading Lip Stain Masques, $22) and a touch of shine (via a nonsticky oil or gloss) has become my daily uniform. My lips are naturally pretty pink in color, so it doesn't take much to slightly intensify their hue with the my-lips-but-better effect I love. To add just a bit more tint and shine, I typically top my Wonderskin stain with one of Hourglass's Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balms ($36)—shades Rise and Desire are two of my faves."
What did you think about this new fall lip combo?
"I am a huge fan of Etienne's work and had only heard rave reviews about his namesake makeup line, so I couldn't wait to experiment with a mix of his lip products. (Not to mention that I am absurdly obsessed with his client Lana Del Rey's beauty aesthetic.) Because I'm really into a high-shine finish right now, I simply used the Soft Contour Lip Liner in Euphoric ($16) (OMG—so creamy and pigmented!) with the Liquid Icon Hyper Gloss in Pure Vida ($18). I'm extremely sensitive when it comes to glosses because they need to give me intense, mirror-like shine, but they can't be sticky, they can't gob up in the corners of the mouth (truly my worst nightmare), and they have to have some staying power. This gloss checked and exceeded all of the above criteria and is my new hyper fixation when it comes to clear lip glosses."
Shop Erin's Other Favorite Fall Lip Products
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