When looking for lip gloss, it’s not uncommon for us gals to get a little Goldilocks: “This gloss is too orange, this gloss is too brown.”

To get gloss that’s just right, we suggest a Hâut Gloss party with your girlfriends. Have Joanne Lepp, owner of Hâut Minerals, bring her gloss bar to you and she’ll mix her magic minerals till it’s the perfect shade for each person’s pucker. You pick your flavour too, like peppermint or lemon meringue, and the tube you take away also protects with a natural SPF8.  

No more grinning and bearing a so-so shade.

$24.50 per gloss, call 1-800-983-2456 or visit www.hautminerals.com

We know make up should be purged when it’s past its prime, but with all the product we own, there’s no telling whether we’ve had our lip glosses for 12 months or two.

Cargo has come up with a clever little invention that solves our gloss or toss conundrum. The new packaging for the classic gloss line has a tiny strip that slowly turns red to tell you how long you’ve had it kicking around in the bottom of your bag.

And the pretty non-sticky stuff inside (we suggest “Whistler” for its subtle peach hue and geographical proximity) is so worth putting on our pucker, it’ll be gone in no time.

$24 at BeautyMark, 103-1120 Hamilton St., Vancouver, 604-642-2294, www.beautymark.ca