Dana Scully Had The Quintessential Fall Makeup. Copy It With These 6 Products, All Perfect for 40ish Gals.
Couldn’t be less in the zeitgeist. And yet, it felt right.
Image: The X Files | Fox
If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission. Gifted items will be called out (gifted), and affiliate links will include an asterisk (*). We have to eat, after all.
by The Candidly Team
Last week we wrote about THIS makeup look that’s haunted us for 20 years, and today we decided to do something even less topical.
But for us Gen Xers, and perhaps more specifically us nerdy Gen Xers, there is perhaps no better example of gorgeous, autumnal “no makeup makeup” than on the exquisite Dana Scully. Let’s gaze:
Image: The X Files | Fox
Image: The X Files | Fox
Image: The X Files | Fox
Of course she has the perfect peaches-and-cream skin and auburn hair, but we promise this look is gorj on anyone, takes under 3 minutes, is perfect for beginners, is especially gorgeous on mature skin, and lasts all day. So if you feel like your routine needs a change-up, but you’re feeling old/tired and want to look refreshed without looking makeuppy, try this. And remember, the truth is out there.
1. Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner in Cinnamon
This product is THE lynchpin of this entire makeup—there is simply no other soft, cinnamony color like it. And we’ve tried. Everything. The subtle warm shimmer makes every eye color sparkle, but it’s light enough to not bring out the bags under our eyes. Worth the annoying price tag.
Price: $34
2. Lancôme Définicils High Definition Lengthening Mascara
This mascara is SUCH a classic, because it separates every. single. lash. Truly like no other mascara. And of course for this DS look the color must be brown for ultimate warmth and softness. You also won’t believe what a difference brown makes for your eye color.
Price: $42
3. Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation
Don’t be scared. This foundation is UNREAL on mature skin. Even though it’s technically full coverage, it glides over texture, wrinkles, pores, and doesn’t exacerbate lines. We’re not sure how, but it doesn’t. It’s like a real-life filter, and we’re hooked. We mix it into our moisturizer or sometimes our face oil so the consistency is more like a tinted moisturizer, but the coverage is still miraculous. And the concealer* is even more astonishing. Especially under the nostrils and in the corners of the eyes. Try it. Seriously.
Price: $52
4. IT Cosmetics Glow with Confidence Sun Cream Blush in Sunlit 10
This product, in this color, is absolutely imperative for that soft, peachy, subtlety aprés-alien vibe. There is NOTHING like this blush formula. We can barely explain it to you. But we’ll try. Because it’s our job. Ok so it’s almost like a soft mousse and it’s deeply pigmented so you only need the tiniest dab. We use this brush* and it’s the easiest, most perfect companion—it’s also just generally the best cream blush brush you’ll ever use if cream blush always looks splotchy on you).
Price: $34
5. Merit Signature
Lip Liner In Bespoke
There’s a reason this liner in this exact shade has been out of stock for months—IT’S UTTER PERFECTION. If you zoom in on SD above, you’ll see she actually has quite a defined lip line, but this liner is also sheer, so it makes your lips look bigger while never giving you that dreaded line. See before and after pics that will make you think the photos are doctored, here.
Price: $24
6. Laneige Glaze Craze Tinted Lip Serum in Cinnamon Sugar
There are a lot of lip glosses and balms that claim they’re the perfect, rich, fall, nude shade. The fact is, they’re not, and this is. We won’t embarrass ourselves by telling you how many we’ve tried in order to find the best rich, fall, nude shade, but it’s a lot. Ok, it’s 42. We bought and tried 42. And this one? Is the one. It has the tiiiiiniest hint of mauve so it never goes too orange or too pink, it tastes delicious, and with the liner above, your lips look nearly twice their size. But in a tasteful, autumnal, pragmatic, Dana Scully way.
Price: $22
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
We have to eat.
