Instant Fall Updates For Gals on a Budget...Beauty

I tend to write this blog as a bit of a fantasy-land..sure, I'll talk about products, clothing, and accessories that I actually own, but there have also been a myriad of covetable finds have written about that are merely that...covetable. As much as I'd love to, I can't drop thousands of dollars on a designer bag at the drop of a hat, or buy four pairs of new boots every fall (an outdoor pair, an ankle pair, riding boots, and knee highs...see? My fantasy!).

My girlfriend Steph (of the blog From Scratch) and I were commiserating about the real-world financial restrictions of fall shopping over email the other day, and she suggested I feature some ways to "spruce up" for fall, without sucking your wallet dry. So, over the next few weeks I'll be making some suggestions on how you can update your look to say "Fall, 2011" without breaking the bank. First up, the wonderful world of BEAUTY...

Update # 1...If you haven't already, rock a red lip!

Pretty Red Pouts at DVF

Red lips are one of those trends that don't seem to be disappearing anytime soon (like the Ugg Boot). This fall, brightly coloured pouts were shown at Diane Von Furstenburg, Gucci, and Giles among others, so if you've already adopted the trend, bring out your fave shade of crimson again. Or, try one of these picks below:

M.A.C. Lipstick in Runaway Red, $18

Joe Fresh Lipstick in Poppy, $6

Update #2...Go Metallic!

There were lots of smokey yet sparkly eyes on the runways, and it's a perfect look to add to your beauty repertoire (for evening of course...don't want to frighten anyone at the office!). The good news is while we'd all love a luxuriously velvet-y Dior palette, there are lots of cheapie options out there that do the job too. For instance...

Rimmel Eye Shadow in Smokey Noir, $7.49

Update #3...Nail It

There's always a hot nail colour that dominates fall (usually by Chanel)..luckily, there are lots of polish options available for the frugal fashionista, and a trendy nail colour is always a way to look current without shelling out much dough. This year, Chanel's Graphite, a shimmery gunmetal colour was all the rage after it was shown in the Fall 2011 runway show. A good alternative...

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Gunmetal...around $10

There you have it...a few Fall trends to replicate on the cheap. Enjoy!