Transition Your Makeup from Summer to Fall Like a Pro

As the sun sets on summer, use these expert tips to gradually tweak your look -- without sacrificing your glow or spending a ton of dough.

Tip: Go easier on the self-tanner

If you, like most, have been getting your faux-glow on the last couple of months, it's time to start going easier on the self-tanner. Instead of slathering on face tanner like Banana Boat Summer Color Sunless Lotion $7.49 as usual, simply dab a couple of drops of the product into your moisturizer then apply. Diluting it this way will make your tan less intense, and help you ease into fazing it out completely. That way you won't suddenly wake up pasty (and feeling blah) and the transformation will look natural.

Reposition your bronzer

During the summer we create a sun-kissed glow by applying bronzer to the apples of our cheeks and areas where the sun naturally hits our face. To update your look, Stapleton says to "move your powder bronzer off your cheekbone and start using it under the cheekbone as a contour." More sculpted looks are perfect for fall and winter, and using bronzer to contour is a great baby step into taupe and brown blushes, which you can use later in the season, says Stapleton.

Transition your nails

Summer's nail trends were all about blue (with retro aqua being the favorite), concrete shades (silvery/gray hues), and mauve, says Stapleton. An easy way to shift into fall-toned nails is to go with slightly darker or more metallic version of your summer favorites. "Move into teals that are metallic and go deeper with the concretes -- closer to gray," says Stapleton. Or "take a 180 and get back to basic red," he adds. It's a fall staple that still feels fun, like summer.

Let your brows go (sorta)

Summer makeup tends to be light, which usually means less emphasis on the brows. In preparation for fall and winter, start to let your brows grow in a little so that you're on-trend come October. "It's always that going-to-battle look -- [brows are] bushier, tougher, more boyish," says Stapleton of fall/winter trends. This doesn’t mean they should look unkempt, he warns, just start to "fill them in a bit and brush them up with a clear gel." Try Ulta Eyebrow Gel, $6 to instantly get that fuller, Brooke Shields-esque look.

Cover up summer-skin damage

To look "fall appropriate" you should aim to get rid of telltale signs of summer sun damage. Hopefully you slathered on SPF like it was going out of style and don't have too much, but if you have obvious hyperpigmentation you can cover it up until your skin brightening treatments or peels (try Kiehl's Over-Night Biological Peel, $43) do their job. Stapleton suggests using a heavy concealer (applied after your foundation) and a small brush to "break up the skin discoloration by stippling the product [creating small dots] over the damaged area." Try one of these top-rated concealers to get flawless coverage. Finish by setting the foundation and concealer with powder.

Swap your lip pencil

Changing the color you line your lips with will instantly update your look. "If you've been wearing those amazing brights [corals, oranges, pinks] this summer, change your lip pencil to a darker hue and work it into the [bright] lipstick to give it a darker or dirtier cast -- this will mute it and make it fall-wearable," says Stapleton.

Ditch bright eyeshadow

Over the summer we have seen "bright poppy colors like oranges or light blues on the eyes" which should be retired as we move into fall, a classically more somber season, says Stapleton. Instead, wear subtle tones like metallic hues with satin textures and more muted shades.

Contour your face with highlights

You don't want to go too heavy on the contouring until the fall season is actually upon us, but in the meantime, try contouring your face subtly by highlighting your cheeks and the bridge of your nose, says Stapleton. "Dot a lighter concealer along cheek bones and nose -- all high planes of the face to accentuate the contours," he advises. This will give your face a more angled, structured look (reminiscent of fall) while still allowing you to hold on to that summer glow a bit longer.

If you have been following summer trends you have likely ditched your classic smoky eye, but putting some black eyeliner back into the mix of your eye makeup routine is a quick way to darken up your entire makeup look, says Stapleton. "Line the inside and outside of the eyes. Add that cat-like edge to the outer corners. This fall is all about the feline," says Stapleton.