Photo: Kevin Cremens

Sheer Style
After all the wild and crazy polishes we've been seeing (and wearing)—raucous red, glaring green, startling cyan—a transparent look, like you get with YSL Beauté La Laque Couture Pop Water ($27; YSLBeautyUS.com), feels as fresh as a fall morning. One coat in any of the four shades: (clockwise from top: Orange Drop, Fuchsia Rain, Rouge Wet and Rose Splash) gives nails a translucent blush; add another coat or two to deepen the color.

Photo: Ben Goldstein/Studio D

Black Beauties
Black has long been my go-to wardrobe color—call it the Victorian widow look. Now I've noticed my penchant for sartorial somberness has migrated to my beauty routine. Here are five new gems, all in my favorite shade.

Clockwise from top: Shiseido Future Solution LX Replenishing Treatment Oil ($175; Shiseido.com), with six luxurious oils that moisturize to the max; Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Satin Mood ($300; NeimanMarcus.com), a sexy oriental scent; Tweezerman ProMaster Lash Curler ($22; Sephora.com), its first for deep-set eyes; Bioré Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar ($6.50; drugstores), a deep-cleaning natural black charcoal soap; and for blissfully soft hands, Elizabeth and James Nirvana Hand Cream ($15; Sephora.com).

Photo: Ben Goldstein/Studio D

Foundation Sensation
You know that lit-from-within complexion that stars radiate on the red carpet? You know they don't wake up like that, right? The secret to their glow is a hardworking base, like the new Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Liquid Foundation and Ultra HD Stick Foundation ($43 each; Sephora.com), which marry translucent coverage, hydration and light-reflecting properties that render you instantly luminous. As if you needed more enticement: The liquid comes in (count 'em) 40 shades, from porcelain to deep.

Photo: Ben Goldstein/Studio D

Gloss Art
If you fancy affordable custom couture, grab the Givenchy Gloss Révélateur Intense ($31; Barneys.com), which transforms into a color determined by the pH of your lips, so it looks different on everyone (on me it's a rosy pink). It's deeply hydrating but has the light, unsticky feel of a balm.

Photo: Ben Goldstein/Studio D

Brush Crush
What does perfection look like? This: Sephora has partnered with the Japanese company Hakuhodo, famous for its makeup and calligraphy brushes, to produce five limited edition, gorgeously designed tools with hand-sculpted synthetic bristles (Hakuhodo + Sephora Pro Brush Collection, $30 to $54; Sephora.com). No matter how unskilled you are with blushes and powders, these brushes will make you feel positively masterful.

If you have a question about makeup, skincare or haircare, ask Val at askval@hearst.com or oprah.com/askval. Follow Val on Twitter @thisisvalmonroe.
From the September 2015 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine