Cold pencil is the easiest make-up trick for autumn

After several seasons of warm caramels, terracotta and glossy "latte" tones, autumn makeup is changing the temperature. On the runways for autumn and winter 2026, cooler contoured lips in brown, gray-beige, pink-brown and plum shades appeared, and the trend is already entering everyday makeup bags. One pencil is enough to give the face a different character, without completely changing the make-up routine.

Who What Wear The trend is associated with the 90s aesthetic, but the modern version is not a sharp dark border around a much lighter lipstick. The line is lightly smudged towards the inside of the lips, then a balm, gloss or lipstick of similar depth is applied over it. The result should look soft and sculpted, not like a drawn border.

The key is to guess your undertone, not blindly buy a product labeled "nude." Cooler skin tones often do better in mauve, taupe, plum, and brown tones without an orange cast. Olive and neutral skin tones can work well with muted pink-browns, while on darker skin tones, cool chocolate or deeper plum can give a clear definition without a gray, washed-out effect. The safest test is on the lips themselves and in daylight.

For a discreet daytime version, it is enough to go over the natural lip line and soften it with a fingertip or a brush. For an evening look, the pencil can cover most of the lips and serve as a base for lipstick. It makes sense to outline only very lightly, mainly in the middle of the upper and lower lips; a line that is too strong outside the natural corners quickly looks unnatural.

The trend is also appreciable because it doesn't require a new product collection. A cooler pencil can refresh an existing lipstick that seems too warm, and a clear balm over it gives the simplest version of the look. That's probably why it's making a comeback: makeup once again allows for visible handprints and a bit of character, but remains simple enough for a regular morning.

Article prepared with the support of AI tools.