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Why fall is the best season for makeup

Fall is the undisputed champion of seasons. No, no, I don't want to hear about your love of spring. Spring is cold and muddy. But fall? Fall glows.

We're flirting with fall.

The temperature drops. I make chili. It warms up again before we can finish the chili.

The cycle continues.

Fall is the undisputed champion of seasons. No, no, I don't want to hear about your love of spring. Spring is cold and muddy. But fall? Fall glows.

Fall is crisp and golden and pumpkins and hayrides.

And fall makeup! Fall is my favorite season for makeup.

Trends come and go, but these fall makeup truths are here to stay.

Deep wine lips. The color looks as though they've been stained after a glass of red, though the crisp, precise application makes it clear that's not the case. When wearing dark shades, I opt for long-wear blends to ensure the lip color doesn't go skipping around outside my lip line and down onto my chin. Try the Too Faced Melted Matte Liquified Long Wear Matte Lipstick in Bend and Snap!, $21 at Sephora; Tarte Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Hangry, $20 at Sephora; or the Rimmel Provocalips in Kiss Fatal, $6.59 at Target.

Matte skin. The dewy skin of summer makes way for smooth, porcelain complexions. Try a matte-finish foundation, like the Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation, $40 at Sephora; or the Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation, $5.99 at drugstores. Alternatively, you can mattify your normal foundation by adding a little Urban Decay the Velvetizer Mix-In Medium, $34 a Sephora. The loose powder mattifies the skin and makes your foundation provide fuller coverage. A little goes a long way!

Less bronzer, with a stronger contour. You're not trying to fake a tan anymore, so you can put away the super-dark bronzer. But you'll still want to add dimension to your face, so feel free to amp up your contour and really carve out those cheekbones. I swear by the Kat Von D Shade + Light Face Contour Refillable Palette, $49 at Sephora; the NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette, $24.99 at Ulta, also is very good.

Strong brows. I always like a bold brow, but I really love them in the fall. I start with the NYX Micro Brow Pencil, $9.99 at Ulta. I use the spoolie end to brush through the hairs, then fill in any sparse areas with the pencil end. I set everything with the NYX Tinted Brow Mascara, $6.99 at Ulta.

Alison Smith loves fall colors — all the orange eye shadow, please! Got a burning beauty question? Email asmith@philly.com.