We love our collection of glosses, balms and blushes, but that doesn’t mean we don’t heart it when our makeup does double duty.

The new Instant Blush Magic Colour ($28) by Clarins is made for the cheeks but can also be used on the lips to enhance their natural hue.

The pale pink, glossy texture goes on clear and is activated by the skin’s acidity and heat, adjusting to your skin tone. The result is an instant natural-looking rosy glow and a light pink lip.

Double trouble.

At Shoppers Drug Mart.

They say beauty comes from within.

From within bottles, tubes, and vials, we say.

And the older we get, the more expensive those potions and powders need to be.

We’re in good company with Chanel’s Soleil Tan de Chanel ($51), a sheer illuminating fluid that gives a dewy, healthy glow mimicking the sunkissed tan of a woman of leisure.

The playground counts as leisure time, right?

At Chanel counters at Holt Renfrew, 604-681-3121 and The Bay Downtown, 604-681-6211.

Her Oscar dress was mellow yellow but the makeup verged on terracotta.

Avoid Sarah Jessica Parker’s unfortunate faux glow with a bronzer like the NARS Casino Bronzing Powder ($38). Pick a colour that’s a couple of shades deeper than your natural complexion (take note SJP, that’s a couple) and simply sweep it over your cheekbones for a natural, just-back-from-Bali shine.

Consider it the secret of a city girl.

At Murale, 20 Marie Labatte Rd., Shops at Don Mills, Toronto, 416-384-1864, www.murale.ca

What’s party season without a little shimmer and shine?

Rose gold is the hue du jour so we’re facing the season’s fêtes with a soft pink glint in our eye.

Try MAC pro pigment in rose gold for a dramatic effect or dabble with the delicate shades of amber and peach in Estée Lauder’s Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Rose Gold.

Pour yourself a pre-party flute of Veuve Clicquot Rose Champagne and you’ll be ready in no time. 

At The Bay, www.hbc.com

Like our search for the perfect LBD, we’ll always be on the hunt for mascara that gives us naturally thick, long and luxurious looking lashes.

Our new front-runner is Vasanti’s Long Lash Mascara in Intense Black ($16). It coats from root to tip without a single clump and is packed with Vitamin E, shea butter and jojoba seed oil to moisturize and condition.  It took us a couple of tries to adapt to the XL-sized brush but now we’re converted—and addicted—to the dramatic results. 

Need more proof? We’re even giving our beloved shu uemura curlers a rest.

At select Shoppers Drug Mart locations and  www.vasanticosmetics.com

We love the exaggerated Balmain shoulder, but what to pair with such a bold statement silhouette?

Try slinging BCBG’s gunmetal purse ($166) across your body. It’s tough enough to play on the feel of armour, but delicate enough that it won’t compete with your powerful posture.

In fact, gunmetal is a truly versatile accent tone for fall. Dab Urban Decay’s best-selling eyeshadow ($16) across your lids and you’ll be truly ready for battle.

Medium Crossbody Metal Bag at BCBG Eaton Centre, www.bcbg.com

Urban Decay Eyeshadow at Sephora, www.sephora.com

Nothing adds instant glam like a swipe of crimson red lippy. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the perfect pout:

• Use a primer—it’ll help the lipstick last longer and prevent bleeding.

• Outline the lips with a faint pencil line, starting from the corners and working your way in.

• Fill the lips in with your pencil. Again, it’ll help the colour last longer.

• Apply your favourite lipstick with continuous sweeps of your brush.

• Use an angled brush to sharpen up the edges.

• Clean up the edges with a concealer.

• Add a soft, clear gloss to finish.

Mwa, mwa!

For parties and piping hot dates, try the more audacious reds offered at trendier counters such as Nars and MAC.

There isn’t a make-up artist in town without a bottle of Giorgio Armani’s Fluid Sheer in her kit.

And now it’s Radiant Pigments ($40) that the A-list beauty set is desperate to get their lacquered paws on.

Equally light and sheer, this easy-to-blend liquid blush gives cheeks a rosy luminescence.

Just what we need right now, wouldn’t you say?

Available at Holt Renfrew, 50 Bloor W., Toronto, 416-922-2333, www.holtrenfrew.com