Usually, after the Oscars I’m all about the dresses and a healthy dose of snark. And don’t get me wrong, I love both. But as my daughter inches closer and closer to tweendom and the dreaded middle school years and inevitable mean girls, making fun of other women’s looks seems more and more like what it actually is: stupid.

So instead of jumping on the fashion police bandwagon, I teamed up with Melissa Scrofani and Meredith Hayman—two of my favorite local beauty gurus—to celebrate our most loved looks of the night and show you how you can achieve them too.

First up, Melissa is talking about hair…

When I have a question—whether normal like What time does BJs open? or obnoxious, like when I’m trying to prove to my husband that I know all of the things and type Is Chris Hemsworth Australian?!—I usually turn to the magical oracle that is Google. It doesn’t let me down and leaves me feeling like a smug, fancy pants know-it-all (he is, indeed, Australian).

Still, once in awhile, I want the added comfort of speaking to an actual expert on the topic that I’m looking into, rather than a chorus of randos on the internet. I know I’m not alone in this, right? Google is my BFF, but there really is no substitute to an actual trained expert.

That’s why I decided to start a new series called Ask the Expert. I’ll take our burning questions and bring them to trained professionals. My first burning question?

I’m a big fan of simple steps that make a big impact. Whether it’s throwing on some accessories so that you don’t look like you were getting dressed with a child hanging from your torso or using coconut milk to make you feel like you’re on a tropical getaway, I’m all for it.

And I have to tell you, there are not many things that are simpler than slapping on some lip color. I absolutely love the idea of changing up your color to fit whatever mood you might be in that day (as long as they work with your skin tone, of course).

So I went on a little treasure hunt and picked out five different shades that will tell your friends what kind of mood you’re in before you say a word.

OK. Let’s take a break from all of this fall talk for a second.

Instead, let’s talk about the makeup at the Band of Outsiders ready to wear Spring 2012 show.

I’m loving those flushed cheeks! So cute and fresh! It’s like the models went for a brisk walk on a nice crisp day (OK, I guess we can talk about fall).

Marcus Tondo / GoRunway.com

Love, love, love!

I was so in love that I attempted to do this look on my own cheeks (ignore the wet hair, weird angle and serious need for a brow grooming session… I’m a mom not a model!).I could use a little more blending, but I think this look is really doable for real world girls. It can make a tired girl (and with only a couple of hours of sleep under my belt, that would be me!) look a little more awake.

Now you would think that putting on a little blush wouldn’t require a how-to. But if you’re like me and you don’t wear much makeup, a little insight (even if it’s in the form of I don’t want to look like that!) might save you some time.

So how did I do it? Well any makeup tip I’ve ever read concerning blush has said to smile and apply it to the apples of your cheeks in an upward motion.

After evening out my skin tone with a little liquid makeup (Covergirl TRUblend in soft honey, if you’re curious) to cover some of my lovely rosacea, I smiled wide and rubbed on some Covergirl and Olay Simply Ageless sculpting blush in rich cinnamon (it was on sale so I had to give it a try!). I then put the teensiest bit of Covergirl Cheekers Blush in rose silk on top (I know I’m starting to sound like a walking Covergirl advertisement but I swear I’m getting no compensation for this post. I just like me some Covergirl!).

What do you think? Are you into pink cheeks or are you not feeling it so much? There were girls with a variety of skin tones rocking this look on the runway and they all looked so fresh! Would you wear it?

In case you’re interested in the rest of my makeup:
Eyeliner: NYC Kohl brow/eyeliner in charcoal
Eyeshadow: I used my finger to apply Covergirl Cheekers Bronzer in Golden Tan
Mascara: Covergirl LashBlast Volume Blasting Mascara in black
Lips: Vaseline