Laura Mercier Mini Lip Glacé Collection for Holiday 2012

Every year, Laura Mercier creates a limited-edition Mini Lip Glacé Collection ($38) for the holidays, and every year I purchase one - sometimes two. They are a nice buy, possibly a $64 value as described at Sephora. I'm never sure how they calculate those values. No matter. The set is fabulous.

This year's set of four high-shine, perfectly pigmented lip glosses offers rich, long-lasting color and brilliant shine for creating the appearance of fuller lips.

This set features a sampler of four bestselling shades to give your lips some extra holiday sparkle, gloss, and shine - a bit of lip luxury. Wear the shades solo for a soft-shimmer tint, mix them together to create your own personal shade, or layer one with with your favorite lipstick. You'll find these little wonders very satisfactory.

The set contains four mini Lip Glacés in Blush, Baby Doll, Rose, and Bare Beige. Here's a close-up taken at my house in full sun. The swatch photos were taken at the same time in the same order.

I tried to get one full-on sunshine photo (below) and one turned slightly at an angle to the sun to show how shiny these lovely colors are without help from the sun (above).

There isn't a discardable shade in this set. From peach to warm pink, rose pink to golden beige, these are every-woman shades in a set that was carefully edited to appeal to all of us.

I purchased my set at Sephora, where it is said to be exclusive. You can also find other Mini Lip Glacé Collections at Laura Mercier's Web site and store counters. Make sure to give them a look-see.

Photo at top courtesy of Sephora; other photos by Best Things in Beauty