BEAUTIFALL

Queens, it's finally here. My favorite time of year, Fall. Leaves are falling, the weather is getting chilly, your boo is feeling a little extra lovey dovey, the holidays are right around the corner. It's lit! In today's #Beauty blog post, I figured I'd help you all get set up to slay your Fall. Here are my top 10 Fall beauty tips, tricks, and must haves!

My 10 Jazzy Fall Tips

Exfoliate & Moisturize

This is first for a reason. Queens, even though our skin is practically covered up during the Fall and Winter months, that does not mean that you should neglect your skincare routine. If anything, because the cold is a lot harsher on our skin than the heat, we should step up our skincare game.

With that said, it's important to make sure that you exfoliate your skin at least once per week and you should moisturize daily. For myself, I exfoliate my body every Sunday evening by using an exfoliating loofa and dry brushing.

I use the exfoliating loofa in my spa bath, using it to wash down my skin and stubborn areas. The sponge I use already has soap embedded in it, so I just rub my body down in a circular motion with the loofa. If you're interested in exfoliating this way, you can check out the loofa that I use here.

When I get out of the bath, I use a dry brush to further exfoliate my skin and improve blood circulation. A dry brush is exactly what it sounds like. It's a brush for your body with bristles that are hard enough to exfoliate your skin, but not harsh enough to harm your skin. You use the handle the brush comes with to brush your skin in long slow movements. I usually do about twenty strokes for each area. If you're interested in trying dry brushing, check out the brush I use here.

Protective Hairstyle

With Fall comes lots of changes. You're working to wrap up the final pieces of all of your goals for the year. You're planning your goals for the next year. You're planning and hosting holiday plans. It can get very busy real quick. The last thing you want to worry about is your hair. That's why Fall is the perfect time to put your hair into a protective style and just let it be for the rest of the year.

For those of you who are melanin deficient, a protective style is a hair style that you can put your hair in and keep your hair in for a long period of time; on average 1-3 months. It's called a protective hairstyle because it protects your hair from damage that can be incurred from daily manipulation. Your ends are securely tucked away and your hair, for the most part, is left a lone. In the end you get a cute hairstyle that's low maintenance and built to last.

My favorite go to protective hairstyle is Marley twists, which I install myself. Yes hunty! I am cheap and I can not justify spending $150-300 to have someone do something that I can learn to do myself. So, when I first got the idea to put my hair into Marley twists, I googled and Youtube'd how to install them yourself and found the two strand twist method. If you'd like to learn how to do this, start with this video. Marley twists last a long time and can be put in lots of different secondary styles. They are cute and very low maintenance.

Other great protective hairstyles are braids, goddess twists, two part chunky twists and so much more. My advice would be to google protective hairstyles and find something cute and funky that'd work for you.

Lips

Cold weather is a staple during the Fall, Queens. And with cold weather, again, comes dry skin that can lead to painful cracks and tears. It's important that we keep our body and face exfoliated and moisturized. But most importantly, it's important to keep our lips nice and moisturized as well.

Take that extra step to make sure that your lips stay silky smooth, plump, and kissable. Carry Chapstick in all of your bags, leave some in the car and on your desk at work. Don't forget to moisturize your lips before you go to bed too. If you want a Chapstick that gets the job done and smells amazing, especially for the Fall season, I recommend my favorite: Chapstick in the Pumpkin Pie flavor.

It's also important to note that Fall weather is the perfect weather for my favorite lip, a matte lip. I'm definitely a girl who loves to wear bold and bright lip colors with a rico suave finish. My favorite matte lipstick is the #FentyBeauty #Stunna Lip Paint. I love the brown, the black, their purple, their red....ugh Queens...they're all good. However, Stunna Lip paint can be pretty pricy for a Queen on a Budget in which case, I recommend taking a trip to your local CVS or Walgreens and browsing the aisles. You're sure to find something just as good in just the right color.

To achieve the same muted 90's fashion lip finish, I would also recommend giving a lip stain a try as well.

Finally, if you really want to stand out with the perfect pout, I would highly reccomend something completely different than a matte lip. In fact, I insist that you rush to Instagram as soon as you finish reading this post, and search up #StayGoldenCosmetics. Oh my Gosh Queens. Their glitter lip kits are the truth, the lie, and everything in between. I purchased one for my birthday in the color vamp and am sooooooo in love. The finish is absolutely flawless. Your lips sparkle and shine like the Queens they are. The best part is, the formula is so smooth that even though you're wearing glitter, it doesn't feel gritty on your lips. Plus, the formula lasts all day Queens. Last Friday, I wore my glitter lip kit throughout the entire day. I ate breakfast, lunch and two snacks. I completed a hard core HIIT workout and even wore a mask most of the day. My lips stayed slaying throughout it all.

For more tips on how to keep your lips in tip top shape, you can revisit the blog post I wrote on Kissable Lips here.

Scarfs

Scarfs! They're so versatile and comfy. Queen, your Fall wardrobe is incomplete if you don't have at least three scarfs: a head scarf, an infinity scarf, and a silk scarf.

A head scarf is perfect for those days when you are just over your head or going for a more laid back and relaxed look. The perfect head scarf works as a statement piece and is loud with bold colors and a fire print. That with a plain monochrome #NakedWardrobe or #Yeezy type outfix makes for a stylish combination for all types of occasions.

There's many ways to wear a head scarf, but my favorite is the triple front knot. If you don't know how to tie a top knot, here's a great tutorial.

Whomever invented the infinity scarf is god sent. I'm telling you Queen, there is nothing more fluffy and warm...well, there is, but it's just great and it goes on and on. An infinity scarf is a scarf where the ends are already sewn together into a one big loop. You can wear the loop and wrap it around your arms. Or you can wrap the scarf around your neck again and again to build layers of warm fuzzy goodness. I recently purchased three infinity scarves from Shoedazzle. They are fluffy, warm and come in great colors. If you're interested, check them out here.

A silk scarf is just so damn stylish Queen. I mean, skip a necklace and use a silk scarf to accent your favorite sweater and you've got the perfect fall look for holiday shopping. Again, you can choose a statement piece that's bright and flashy to accent a more monochrome outfit. Or you can use a solid bold color to finish off your look. Either way, your neck will be warm and you'll look damn good!

Sweaters

Pull overs, button ups, cardigans oh my! I mean, do I need to say anymore? Fall and sweaters go together like marshmallows and graham crackers. If you're a Queen on a budget, I recommend searching for this year's sweater finds at Ross or Marshalls. You can find cute designer sweaters for a fraction of the normal price. Make sure to mix it up and have a bit of fun. It's been a tough year for so many of us, let's spice things up a bit. Try a style you never thought you'd like or a color that you may have detested years ago. If you're a solid color fashionista, try a print or stripped sweater. If you normally go for a turtleneck sweater, try an oversized sweater dress. Try something new, step outside the box or step back into the box. Whatever you choose, just have fun.

Leggings

Hear me out. Most people reach for their jeans when Fall comes around. However, a sturdy pair of thick leggings are warmer, more flexible, and they make your butt look amazing. Plus, leggings are cheaper than jeans. You can get a nice pear of thick cotton black leggings from Walmart for less than $10. Trust me, I have about forty pair.

Boots

Next to scarfs, boots are my next favorite Fall fashion item. They come in all types of colors and styles and they help you command whatever room you're in. Booties, knee highs, combat, whatever style you choose you will stop the room and have every eye on you. I would recommend making sure you have at least one pair of each of the staples in your closet. That way you are ready for any occasion. The staples are: a combat boot, a heeled boot, and a knee high boot, and an ugg-type boot.

Now, if you're on a budget, don't worry, I have just the plan for you. Two words: JustFab and ShoeDazzle. Queens, these two companies are, right now, offering new members their first pair of shoes for just $10. Queens, I purchased 4 pairs of boots and three infinity scarfs for my birthday and spent less than $100 between the two sights. Plus, right now, both sites are pushing boots heavily and are littered with hundreds of cute styles.

Accessorize

Queens, whatever you do, don't forget to accessorize. You can be wearing the most basic outfit with a dull sweater, and 5 year old boots. Yet, dress that outfit up with some gold hoop earrings and a statement necklace and viola: fall fashionista! Here are the staples that I recommend:

A pair of thick hoop earrings

A statement necklace

A cute pair of stud earrings

A choker

A pendant necklace

Choose the Right Scent

Queens, to top off your flawless Fall looks, don't forget to add the perfect scent. It's the cherry on top for a great outfit. In the Fall, I usually like to go for more sweet and fruity scents. I'll choose a vanilla or apple cinnamon scent. What the scent is, is up to you. But whatever you choose, make sure to invest in the body wash, the lotion, and the spray.

At the end of the day, the most important tip that I can give you to have the most beautiful Fall 2020 is don't forget your crown. Whether you have everything on this list or not, Queen you are beautiful and beauty is automatically amplified this time of year because everyone and everything is just feeling the spirit. You are a Queen and if no one has told you today, you are beautiful just the way you are.

It's going to be a great day to conquer the world. Step into the Queen you're meant to be and SLAY!

-Queen Maree

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED OCTOBER 28, 2020