YSL Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Balm Crystal Color

YSL's Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Balm Crystal Color ($30) has landed - at Sephora. I had expected it to arrive at Neiman Marcus in late June or July. Suddenly, it appeared as a temporary Sephora exclusive. I jumped for joy because it's the replacement for my beloved YSL Gloss Volupté Sheer Sensual Gloss Sticks, which I started hoarding the moment I learned they were being discontinued.

This glossy, tinted balm will dress your lips in a sheer veil of brilliant transparent color boosted with vitamin-laden and antioxidant-rich fruit extracts. Its ultra-light texture leaves my lips feeling soft and hydrated - just the way I like them.

There are six shades. Since I was online and didn't have an opportunity to play with them, I ordered all six. I'm glad I did. There isn't one I don't like. Here are the shades, as described by Sephora and YSL.

• 01 Lush Coconut, sheer nude beige with golden shimmer
• 02 Dewy Papaya, sheer fresh peach
• 03 Juicy Grapefruit, sheer fresh baby pink with golden shimmer
• 04 Succulent Pomegranate, sheer bright pink with red undertones
• 05 Mouthwatering Berry, sheer reddish blackberry
• 06 Luscious Cherry, sheer cherry red with golden shimmer

Here is a photo of all six tubes. The tubes are silver in color, as opposed to the golden tubes in which the Rouge Volupté lip colors are housed. That will help me find one of them in my makeup bag in a hurry, particularly since Rouge Volupté Perle in Stellar Pink is with me at all times. Each balm has a representation of its shade in the decorative color band on the tube - helpful for people like me who carry more than one along.

When you read "sheer" with each description, there's a reason. If you are looking for pigmented lipsticks, this is not your lip color. If you want a natural, hydrating color that you can swipe and go, you will adore Volupté Sheer Candy.

To get swatches for you, I applied four or five swipes of each shade on my arm and took my photo outdoors in bright sunlight. I swatched in numerical order from top (near my wrist) to bottom. The photo at left shows that, with one exception, they increase in pigmentation as you move from 01 to 06. The lightest one is 03, Juicy Grapefruit (third from top), which is a barely there pink.

I have had 01, Lush Coconut, at my desk at work for a few days. I love it! The nude color is perfect for a quick touch-up or dose of moisture for my lips, and I've needed almost continuous moisture on my lips since I burned them with something early in the week. Don't let the appearance of the shades in the tube mislead you. All of these, even the one that appears to be orange, are extremely wearable.

I added two photos to show you the shades from slightly different angles. Can you tell I love Sheer Candy? At right, with the sun making the shades reflect in an arc, the shades show off their glossiness. Below, with the sun at a different angle, you can still see how glossy the Sheer Candy shades will be on your lips. You certainly don't need to apply lip gloss over these beauties!

The Sheer Candy's do have a fruity fragrance, much like the Gloss Volupté Sheer Sensual Gloss Sticks (possibly the same). The mango fragrance of its predecessor didn't bother me at all, and this one doesn't either. However, if you didn't like the gloss sticks, try before you buy.

I love them! Right now, you can only purchase YSL's Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Balm Crystal Color at Sephora. They are scheduled to arrive at YSL counters at the department stores in July.

Top photo courtesy of Sephora

YSL Beauté's Rouge Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Lip Balm from the Spring 2013 Makeup Collection

There are two new YSL Beauté Rouge Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Lip Balms ($30) for Spring 2013: Framboise Craquante (#12) and Moka Griotte (#13). When they arrived at Saks, without the rest of the collection, I grilled the YSL rep to make sure they really were brand new shades. I have purchased every other Sheer Candy Glossy Lip Balm, and I wanted to make sure I didn't have these shades.

It seems a little odd to be featuring spring today. It's cold and grey outside. So far this morning, we had sleet, rain, freezing rain, and snow. Hopefully, it will switch over to all rain very soon. It's a good thing I got photos a few days ago.

I fell in love with YSL's Rouge Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Balm when it was introduced. The glossy, tinted balm dresses the lips in a sheer veil of brilliant transparent color boosted with vitamin-laden and antioxidant-rich fruit extracts. Its ultra-light texture leaves my lips feeling soft and hydrated and looking shiny - just the way I like them. The juicy, sheer color is perfect for any time of year; its soothing, moisturizing texture feels sublime.

Framboise Craquante (#12) is the pink shown at left above; Moka Griotte (#13) is on the right. I swatched with  #12 at the top of my arm and #13 below.

You can see they are very sheer. These tinted lip balms provide just enough color, while making my lips feel spoiled. I can wear every shade because they are sheer - even the corals!

Moka Griotte looks particularly stunning when combined with the rose pigment in my lips. I wore it yesterday. I love these tinted balms so much, I'm wondering if I should start to hoard them. You know how companies discontinue your favorite everythings? My bras, for example.

What's totally unfair to U.S. shoppers is that there is a third, surprising shade that is exclusive to Selfridges. Selfridges is not anywhere near my shopping haunts. It's called Frosted Mint (#11), and it's light turquoise blue. You can see it at MakeUp4All. I really want it.

I found my Rouge Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Lip Balm from the Spring 2013 Makeup Collection at Saks Fifth Avenue at Chevy Chase. I see that Nordstrom has them too, so I suspect they are arriving at counters everywhere.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty

YSL VOLUPTÉ SHEER CANDY Glossy Balm Crystal Color - New Shades

I was thrilled when I saw at Sephora that YSL had introduced new shades of my favorite glossy tinted lip balm, YSL VOLUPTÉ SHEER CANDY Glossy Balm Crystal Color ($34). I ordered three instantly: Belle Cannelle (#14), Rose Candy (#15), and Fraise Ganache (#17). I don't know why I didn't order the fourth, Cherise Desir (#16). It must have been a moment of temporary insanity. I'll go back for it later today.

This balm dresses your lips in a sheer veil of brilliant color boosted with vitamin- and antioxidant-rich fruit extracts. Its ultralight, sensual texture leaves my lips feeling soft and hydrated, although not for up to eight hours, as YSL claims. It is ideal for year-round use, and I use my Sheer Candys in any season. I think I have all - if not close to all - shades. Look at how many I purchased the moment they were introduced in 2011.

Here are my three new shades, shown in numeric order from left to right. I was able to get some photographs during a 15-minute, late-afternoon break in an all-day conference call I struggled to hear via phone. It was actually nice to dash outside for a few minutes on a lovely day.

I swatched these shades in the same order, starting with Belle Canelle at the top of my arm, moving down with Rose Candy, and ending at the bottom with Fraise Ganache. I had to swatch quickly, and it was fairly late in the afternoon, so these aren't the best photos I could have taken.However, given the sheerness of the Sheer Candy Glossy Balms, it's possible more time wouldn't have allowed for better photos.

I love these hybrid lipsticks! They are sheer, but colorful enough to add a polished gleam to my lips. The Sheer Candy's do have a fruity taste. The mango fragrance doesn't bother me at all. However, if you don't like any fragrance on your lips, try before you buy.

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

YSL's Rouge Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Balm Crystal Color - Four New Shades

This past spring, I fell in love with YSL's Rouge Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Balm Crystal Color ($30). I purchased every shade. The glossy, tinted balm dresses the lips in a sheer veil of brilliant transparent color boosted with vitamin-laden and antioxidant-rich fruit extracts. Its ultra-light texture leaves my lips feeling soft and hydrated and looking shiny - just the way I like them.

I was delighted that four new shades have been introduced this fall.

• Sweet Fig (#7)
• Iced Plum (#8)
• Cool Guava (#9)
• Tangy Mandarine (#10)

I purchased three of the four, shown at right. I do not have #7, Sweet Fig, pictured above at left. Long story, but it came home with me by accident, so I took its picture.

As in the spring, I'm thrilled to have these new colorful and glossy lip balms. YSL must have known me when it introduced Rouge Volupté Sheer Candy. The shades are so sheer they are wearable by all - no matter what their shade. I even purchased what appears to be orange in the tube, but it's a wearable shade - even for us cool-skin types. I would have purchased the one new shade I didn't purchase if money were no concern. It's pretty, but I had to draw the line somewhere.

Glossy balm. Crystal color. Lips are adorned with a sheer veil of brilliant color. Boosted with fruit extract rich in vitamins and antioxidants, lips become deliciously sensual. The ultra-light texture leaves lips feeling soft and hydrated for up to eight hours and is ideal for year-round use. The juicy, sheer color is perfect for summer while the soothing, moisturizing texture feels sublime.

I took my swatch photos in full sun in alphabetical order, starting with #8 near my wrist and working down to #10. In one photo, my arm faced the sun directly, and in the other, I turned it at a slight angle to show more color. The shade not swatched, #7 Sweet Fig, is a very sheer brick red. How do my three new beauties look? Sheer, pastel, and flattering!

While #8, Iced Plum, and #9, Cool Guava, look almost indistinguishable on my arm, one is more lavender, as you can see in the tube. On the skin and lips, #9, Tangy Mandarine, is a brilliantly flattering ripe peach - so much prettier than it appears at first glance in the tube. That's a lesson. Try these in person; you'll fine the shades much softer on the lips than they appear in the tubes.

As we all expect from YSL, the tubes are gorgeous - classy and functional, with their hint of the color behind the central logo on each. That's a touch that distinguishes these glossy and colorful balms from other brands. I can glance into my makeup bag and select the shade I want in an instant - and I always have at least one of these with me.

I'm a happy beauty addict this week! I purchased my new YSL Rouge Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Balm Crystal Color shades at Neiman Marcus. They are available at YSL's Web site and will be at other YSL counters soon.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty

YSL Beauté Rouge Volupté Perle for the Spring 2012 Candy Face Collection

YSL Beauté's Spring 2012 Collection is called Candy Face, a perfect name for the bright hues, including yellow, red, blue, purple, and, of course, tangerine. The collection includes eye shadow palettes, gel blushes, lipsticks, lip glosses, and nail lacquers.

The creator of collection and YSL Makeup Creative Director Lloyd Simmonds described it as...

The gleam of an infinite profusion of dazzling fruit jellies, translucent raspberry, and wild strawberry, mandarin orange, melon, mango, and persimmon bring a gorgeous flush to the Yves Saint Laurent woman’s face. Her smile is as bright as shining sugared drops and syrups: shocking cherry, tangerine, grape, and pomegranate, crystallized rose petals, mint, and chocolate.

Is there any shade we left out? The moment I saw the four new Rouge Volupté Perle $34) shades, I know they would be mine. This YSL formula has been a super-hit (with me and many others) since its introduction in 2010. Called a Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick with SPF 15, Rouge Volupté Perle is just as popular as its award-winning sister, Rouge Volupté, if not more so. I called my sales associate at Neiman Marcus and asked her to get me all four. I'm as thrilled as I expected to be - with all of them.

The new shades are limited edition shades: 113, Iridescent Burgundy; 114, Sparkling Fuchsia; 115, Shimmering Coral; and 116, Milky Pink (I chose to use their English names). They are shown in that order, left to right, in both photos above, YSL's and mine.

My swatch photos were taken in full sun over the weekend. Today, we've had snow, which is melting as it hits the ground. The weather has been certifiably schizophrenic. I swatched in the same order listed above, top to bottom on my arm. There's a color for every taste.

Iridescent Burgundy at the top is a sheer rose red. Its sheerness makes it wearable - even by red phobes like me. Sparkling Fuchsia is bright rose pink. I suppose you could call it fuchsia, but it's more wearable than many blue-toned fuchsia shades. Shimmering Coral is our Pantone tangerine for spring - in a pastel tone. Almost every spring collection has some variation on tangerine. This one's light and luscious - extremely pretty. Even though I'm not normally attracted to orange tones, this one is stunning on the lips. If you think you can't wear that shade, please try it and let us know. I think it's going to be a star. Milky Pink is spring's pretty-in-pink shade. I could live in it. It has the same depth of color and radiance as Shimmering Coral, just in spring's other color story, pink.

This creamy and nourishing lipstick is enveloped in a luxurious gold case with the timeless YSL logo that speaks to its elegance. It makes my lips feel soft and supple instantly, while it drenches them in gorgeous color with a satiny-pearl finish.

The formula offers a perfect blend of nourishing and soothing ingredients with voluptuous pearls (transparent crystal pearls and colored pearls) that bless the lips with a subtle shine that’s utterly irresistible. I have lived in one of the original shades, Stellar Pink (#104), since its introduction. It's long-lasting on me, feels great, and offers perfect pink color. I think I've bought three of them! I never leave home without it. Now, I must decide which one of these new beauties will travel with me for spring. Any thoughts?

If you are a YSL addict like me, you should know that there's a lot more to see in the Candy Face collection. I'll try to publish photos of the rest of the stunning collection later today. I purchased the two glosses, and as soon as I can get swatch photos, I'll also show them to you.

The YSL Beauté Candy Face Collection has arrived at YSL counters. It's also available at YSL's Web site, where shipping is free right now.

By the way, if you see that there are also new Rouge Volupté Sheer Candy Shades (which set my heart ablaze momentarily), they are re-promoted shades.

Photos at top courtesy of YSL Beauté; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Lèvres Scintellantes Glossimer in Happy from the Reflets D'été de Chanel Summer 2014 Collection

Mix. Match. Mismatch. Bolder is better with this candy-bright collection, featuring playful shades to coordinate or clash for a sweet summer look. 

I have to admit that I got my first look at Chanel's Reflets D'été de Chanel Summer 2014 Collection weeks ago. I studied all the colors and came away with one: Lèvres Scintellantes Glossimer in Happy (#186, $29.50).

I wanted one of the five glosses that might show up on my lips. The glosses all offer transparent candy pops of color. The nail colors are pretty, but lately I haven't had the time for nail lacquer. There was an eye shadow, the limited-edition New Moon, that spoke to me, but not loudly enough for me to purchase it. Overall, I found this collection to be better for others than me.

I took photos of Happy in full, mid-day sun. You can see from the difference in color between the tube and the applicator that the tube does not represent the color well. In my swatch photos below, you'll see a very sheer candy pink.

The pigment in my lips adds some rose to the shade, but it is very transparent, like a Gummy Bear. It was one of the "darkest" colors in the collection. Happy is a cheerful color; it was perfectly named.

You can see Chanel's Summer 2014 Collection at this link. I read somewhere that the pieces in the collection were all sold out. That's not true. You can order from Chanel.

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

Tarte Crown Jewels Lip Gloss Giveaway Contest

Tarte designed the Crown Jewels "three pack" of lip glosses as three gifts in one! The ultimate in one-stop shopping, Crown Jewels can be given as one deluxe gift or broken apart for three of your favorite divas, trendsetters, and green goddesses. Better yet, Tarte suggested using two sets as gifts and keeping one!

That's exactly what I'm going to do. This week's giveaway contest will have two winners. One will win a five-gloss Glittering Green Goddesses set with glosses in sheer nude-peach, sheer beige, sheer sweet pink, sheer cotton candy pink, and sheer shimmering cinnamon (shown at top). The other will win Twinkling Trendsetters (shown at bottom) with twinkling strawberry, twinkling melon-pink, twinkling fuschia, twinkling brick-red, and sheer raspberry. I will be wearing the "Dazzling Divas" shades shown in the middle row of the photo.

Three of us will be good to our lips, wearing glosses with Tarte's legendary skinvigorating ingredients. Jojoba seed oil will leave your lips soft, supple, and smooth. Mineral pigments are also soothing and softening. Tarte's t5 super fruit complex is a proprietary blend of the most active super-fruits, loaded with antioxidant-rich nutrients and vitamins that are known to deliver refining, anti-aging, and skin restorative benefits with each application.

How can you enter to win? Just leave a comment here once. If you have a preference for shades, please leave it in your comment. I can't guarantee you will receive your first choice if you win, but I love it when it works out that way. After you comment, feel free to e-mail bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com and identify your comment. You can never be too careful about sharing your e-mail address on a blog, so I would follow this second step if I were you (an alternative is to code your e-mail, e.g., myname at gmail dot com, in your comment).

You can "earn" a second entry by tweeting this contest. Just make sure to include "@BTiBeauty" (without the quotes) in your tweet. I will tweet the contest later today, and you can simply retweet it to earn that second entry.

The deadline for entries will be Saturday, September 25, at midnight. The next morning, I will use a random number generator (random.org) to select the winners. I will e-mail the winners at that time. The winners will have 48 hours to reply to my message and provide a shipping address. After 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected.

This contest is open to anyone anywhere. Here are the terms. I will carefully pack and ship the prizes (as I always do). I cannot insure them for overseas shipment - it's amazingly expensive to do so. If a box is lost or stolen in transit, I won't be able to replace it with for an overseas winner. We'll see how this works. My shipping issues have occurred when I've shipped overseas - the packages to the U.S. and Canada always arrive without incident. I'll do my best on this end; let's see if your mail services do right by you on the other end if we have an overseas winner.

Good Luck!

Chanel's Aqualumiere Sheer Lipsticks and Lip Glosses

How I love the Aqualumiere lip products! I latched onto the Sheer Colour Lipshines ($28.50) the minute they were introduced, and they remain in my makeup bag - and only fabulous things make it into a bag I'm willing to carry with me everywhere, adding to the weight of my purse! Characterized as sheer color with an ultra-creamy texture, these lip colors look good and feel good. They have no overt fragrance. I keep purchasing them and get terribly excited when new colors are introduced.

Because they are sheer, I can wear many of the colors, even those that look dark on color wheels. I really wish I could have one of each. Favorites? Waikiki, Antigua, Ipanema, Santa Barbara, and Ischia. You can see the many choices on the Chanel Web site.

Some of the colors are limited editions, so if you purchase one and love it, make sure to stock up before it disappears from shelves.

Chanel also offers Aqualumiere Gloss ($27) as well, introduced last year - more to love. The 12 colors available all add a sheer, high-shine wash of color. Candy Glow is one of my favorites.

Give these a try if you like sheer lip colors. They are available on the Chanel Web site and major department stores.

Photo courtesy of Chanel.

Too Faced Leopard Love Complexion Perfection Kit

Too Faced Leopard Love Complexion Perfection Kit ($30) is a new, limited-edition set available at Sephora. I was attracted by the adorable leopard print. I like it in clothing. Why not in makeup?

Bronze, blush, and brighten with this all-in-one complexion perfection collection containing three purrrfect shades to complement any pretty kitty's skin tone.

Charlie voted yes before I clicked to put it in my shopping cart. The set offers three very different shades. The new Peach Leopard imparts a soft and healthy natural peach glow. The new Candy Leopard is pink for a luminous, flush pop of color. The best-selling Pink Leopard contains golden bronze and gilded pinks to brighten any complexion. This palette provides a get-the-look face chart on the box, with easy-to-follow steps for creating a naturally glowing complexion. You can customize your bronze or blush by mixing shades to color and contour as the formula builds evenly for a flawless finish—from sheer to deep.

I applied multiple layers on my arm (with a sponge) to get this photo. The leopards are definitely sheer, which I consider a plus. Peach Leopard is at the top. You can see that it is not as shimmery as the other two shades. In the middle is the perfectly named Candy Leopard. My favorite shade, Pink Leopard, is shown at the bottom. Too Faced advertises the shades as mixable, and I agree. Want to add a little pink glow to the peach-bronze Peach Leopard. Top it with Candy Leopard. Like pinks? Mix Candy Leopard with Pink Leopard to make the shade your own. I love this palette!

The shades are shimmering, so apply them with a fluffy brush and lightly for a pretty glow. Or save them for your night on the town if you don't like any shine in your day look.

You can purchase Leopard Love at Sephora.

Palette photo courtesy of Sephora

Great Stila Holiday Lip Glaze Deal

I continue to be amazed by the great deals to be found these days. Stila is offering eight Holiday Lip Glazes for $25! There are four new shades and four best sellers.



NEW
Plum Fairy - a sheer plum with pink pearl
Candy - sheer pink-coral with subtle rainbow shimmer
Marmalade - sheer peach with pink and white pearl
Pinkle Twinkle - sheer mid-tone pink with rainbow shimmer

BESTSELLERS
Kitten - nude pink champagne shimmer with golden pearl
Starfruit - neutral pink-coral with white pearl
Cranberry - sheer brick red
Blackberry - deep purple wine

How can they top that? If you use the code FALLBEAUTY, you will receive a free Smude Pot in Golden Noir too.

This will be my second Stila order in a week! Hurry on over to Stila's Web site if you are as excited about this offer as I am.

Photo courtesy of Stila.

YSL Beauté Rouge Volupté Shine Pure Color Lipstick SPF 15 for Spring 2013 - Part 1

I had been waiting for YSL Beauté's Rouge Volupté Shine ($34), so when the collection arrived at YSL's Web site, I ordered almost all of them. Yep, sounds crazy, but I knew I would love Rouge Volupté Shine, so I considered it my Christmas present to myself.

I'll admit to being a devoted Rouge Volupté fan. I wear YSL's gorgeous, hydrating, flattering lipsticks more often than any other line. The original Rouge Volupté, Perle, and Sheer Candy are all a mainstays in my bathroom and makeup bag. Now I can add Shine. YSL's Rouge Volupté lipsticks all look great and feel great. I recommend them to anyone who wants lipstick advice because there's a formula and look for every need. I'm thrilled to add the Shines to my "best of" lipstick list.

In this feature, I'll show you three of the new Rouge Volupté Shines. Kind of a teaser, I know, but I will have to write about Rouge Volupté Shine in multiple posts. I would overwhelm you with all of the shades in one endless feature. This is a lipstick to savor. Let's do a few at a time.

Introducing Rouge Volupté Shine. Give in to the temptation of dazzling color. Succumb to a unique sensorial experience with extreme comfort and luminous shine. Hyaluronic acid microspheres help seal in moisture for eight hours of hydration. Antioxidants and emollients help condition and soften lips.

That's it for the promotional text online. I'm sure YSL Beauté knows these sheer, shiny lipsticks will sell themselves. My photo above shows three shades that I pulled randomly out of the shipping box. The shade on the left is #06, Pink in Devotion; the shade in the middle is #08, Pink in Confidence; the shade at right is #09, Nude in Private. I have many of the darker shades and will show you a few of them in Part 2.

I took my swatch photos in full, morning sun. I applied all three shades directly from the tubes. I swatched top to bottom on my arm in the order shown directly above from left to right.

I see stunning, shiny, and sheer colors I will live in. The Shines have the familiar, comfortable, very light YSL fragrance I don't notice when I apply YSL's Rouge Voluptés. The taste/fragrance dissipates quickly.

Pink in Devotion, shown at the top of my arm, is a gorgeous rose. I think it's pure - not too cool, not too warm - a shade everyone will love. Pink in Confidence, shown in the middle is a warm pink, the kind of color I can swipe and go no matter what I'm wearing.

Nude in Private may be one of the prettiest nude shades in my lipstick wardrobe. It looks peach on my arm. On my lips, I can call it a peach-leaning nude. It's a fabulous shade - another one I think anyone can wear.

I'm excited about showing you the rest of the shades. Parts 2 and 3 will have to wait for another day. I'm hoping for sunshine. We were supposed to have a sunny day today, but the skies are now grey.

I understand that these amazingly gorgeous new lipsticks will not arrive at YSL counters until February, so if you want one or more, head over to YSL's Web site now.

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

Lancôme Le French Touche Absolu Nu from Rosaraie des Delices for Spring 2012

Lancôme has introduced a divine "bare lips sensation" lip balm/lip gloss hybrid with its Rosaraie des Delices for Spring 2012. Created by Aaron De May, Le French Touche Absolu Nu ($35) in Cotton Candy (#316) is a limited-edition shade. I can't figure out why it's limited. They could start a trend - perhaps a pricey one - but I'd be buying every new shade introduced.

The packaging, with its mint green diagonal stripes, was inspired by Lancôme's heritage lipsticks - fourth edition. This sheer pink shade was inspired by mouth-watering cotton candy, something I had to have as a child when we went to the amusement park in DC: Glen Echo, which closed long ago. Fortunately, we can still buy cotton candy at parks and fairs if we want an airy pink sugar treat.

Le French Touche Absolu Nu will enhance your natural lip tone in a veil of shiny, translucent color. The first ultra-caring lipstick with Lancôme's Pro-Xylane, it offers a new infinitely light texture, enriched with enhancing sheer pigments to reveal the radiance of beautifully replenished lips. Le French Touche Absolu Nu will adorn your lips with a delicate veil of color. It's right up my alley.

On my lips, it's pink - all pink - baby doll, cool pink. If it were a normal lipstick, I probably wouldn't like it. I'd say it's too light. The problem is that it feels so good, while providing a pop of pink color. Granted, that's not a problem, but it may be one reason you haven't read much "fuss" about it. Some may think it's too light for them. For fair-skinned gals? It's a perfect shot of pink for spring.

A few days ago, when it was frigid, I got arm swatch photos to show you. I willed my body to get rid of the goosebumps, as I ran outside in late-afternoon sun to snap photos. Clearly, my lips have more pigment than my inner arm does. I'll bet yours do too. That means that Le French Touche Absolu Nu will translate to its own shade on you. On me, it's a blue pink, with a color more like my second photo. I tried to get more oomph in the swatch photo above by finding a bright spot that didn't wash out the color.

If it weren't for the $35 price tag, I'd buy more of these. What I hope now is that Lancôme will see the light and make more shades available to us. Le French Touche Absolu Nu provides more color than the usual tinted balm, but much less than the usual lipstick. Additionally, Pro-Xylane restores moisture to the lips for up to eight hours, an extra-added benefit.

What do you think? I bought mine at Neiman Marcus. I've seen it at other Lancôme counters with the spring collection. It's also available at Lancôme's Web site, where there is a promotion. If you spend at least $75, you will receive a seven-piece gift. The totes are cute.

Photo at top courtesy of Lancôme; swatch photo by Best Things in Beauty

The Stila 2009 Holiday Gift Collection

Stila has assembled an irresistible collection of holiday gifts. You can see the collection at Stila or Sephora. Each item is specially priced, and those items available at Sephora come with a 20% discount during Friends & Family.

The limited-edition Gift of Appreciation ($38), shown here, is a makeup powerhouse. I particularly love the Rose Gold Illuminating Finishing Powder and the Eye Shadow Trio in Gold Glow - both included. Just click on the link to see all of the items included. Stila calls this gift a thank you for your love and loyalty.

The 24K Luxe Lip Gloss Collection ($30) is on my Christmas list. Doesn't some uninspired person always ask you what you want for Christmas? You just have to make a list! I think these lip glosses are gorgeous. They are the bomb, as my younger friends say!





Are you a Lip Glaze gal? Check out this set of eight minis for $25. It includes four new shades: Marmalade (sheer peach with pink and while pearl), Pinkle Twinkle (sheer pink with pink and multicolor sparkle), Plum Fairy (sheer plum with pink pearl), and Candy (sheer pink-coral with rainbow sparkle).

There's so much more to love. Just go to Stila or Sephora to see these incredible value sets. They are a Stila lover's delight.

Photos courtesy of Sephora and Stila

Rouge Bunny Rouge Sweet Excesses Glassy Gloss

I had been contemplating a long weekend with no makeup deliveries - agony for a makeup addict. No UPS, no FedEx, no Postal Service after Saturday (when they typically deliver nothing of importance - sometimes I think there's a strategy to convince us we don't need Saturday delivery). Then, I got lucky on Friday. My Zuneta box arrived filled with Rouge Bunny Rouge treasures. I've been doling them out to myself one at a time. I think I can stretch them though the weekend's makeup drought.

There are six shades available in Rouge Bunny Rouge Sweet Excesses Glassy Gloss ($34.12).

• Jungle Fudge
• Fleur Parfait
• Frappe Forever
• Sweet Souffle
• Trifle Rich
• Crisp Sorbet

While imagining the sweet treats after which they are named, I selected Crisp Sorbet (#055) and Fleur Parfait (#056). Those are two of the desserts I would have ordered in a restaurant. It was a tough selection process. Each of the shades looked delicious.

If you've been reading my odyssey through Rouge Bunny Rouge, you'll know there's a story to go with each item. With this story, there are fewer butterflies and bunnies. The Enchanted Garden must have a dessert bar!

This line of glosses is an exceptionally tempting interpretation of the ambrosial table of sweets in the Enchanted Garden. Naughty, but oh-so-nice!

Think of lusciously ripe fruit dipped in the shiniest of honeys. Your lips will be optically plumped to a mouth-watering fullness and a lavish dream-star shine. Irresistible. Like a scrumptious dessert that cheers you to the bones just by inhaling it, these glassy glosses radiate spicy sweetness and utter intoxicating decadence.

All of these candy drops of color are heaped with exotic ingredients, and some abound with minute pearlized particles to sparkle your lips with glittering bejeweled effects. People will gaze at you with shiny-eyed infatuation, longing that you will possibly get ... a ... little ... bit ... closer.

Ultra-glossy finish with a soothing and protective blend of paper birch extract and woodland figwort speaks of the wild freshness, naturally. Antioxidant and anti-aging, our formula also contains cotton tree fruit extract to hydrate and revitalize.

What unusual ingredients! The boxes, as all Rouge Bunny Rouge boxes, are delightful. I hate to recycle them! So far, I've kept each, but know that at some point they will have to go. The glosses? Here was my first view taken through a camera's lens. I immediately saw that the two shades had a different look in the tube. I quickly learned that they did on my lips too.

Crisp Sorbet is described as a cushiony soft sheer coconut ice pink, with coral and gold opalescence. Fleur Parfait is described as a cushiony soft semi-opaque mauve pink with subtle silver highlights. That offers my clue for selecting my next shade. It will be "sheer." I prefer that look in this gloss.

My swatch photo was taken in full sun. Even with the sun's reflection, I think you will be able to detect the difference in formula. Crisp Sorbet sparkles with a sheer wash of fireworks. Fleur Parfait offers more color and a less flamboyant shine. Both colors are delicious, as their titles suggested.

The sheer Crisp Sorbet has an overall effect of peach, with a ripe fruity flavor that is fleeting. Fleur Parfait is light on my lips. I might not have selected it in person, but it's a delightful blue-pink gloss that will be fabulous over the brown-toned lipsticks I adore. The shades have some substance on my lips, meaning they last beyond the first hour of wear.

I am batting 100% with my Rouge Bunny Rouge orders. I have a few more treasures from this shipment. As I experience them over the next few days, I'll share them.

You can purchase Rouge Bunny Rouge at Zuneta, a fabulous online boutique for beauty addicts.

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

YSL Beauté Voile de Blush for the Spring 2012 Candy Face Collection

There are three shades of YSL Beauté's Voile de Blush ($30) in the Candy Face Collection for Spring 2012. Voile de Blush is billed as a water-based gel blush by YSL. It provides a very sheer wash of color to subtly tint your cheeks. The ultra-light and refreshing texture allows an easy and flawless application to the cheeks for a radiant glow. You can't go wrong because it's sheer. YSL says its application results in a glowing, natural look, perfect for springtime. Now that I've tried it, I agree!

When a friend first saw these three new blushes, she said, "You don't want them; they have no color." Indeed, if you quickly swatch them on your arm and blend them thoroughly into the skin, they leave very little color behind. However, when I realized that they are actually tinted highlighters, not blushes, I started to feel an attraction. Testing the shades in the store myself, on my arm and then face, I saw the subtle radiant color. I had to have one.

My choice was Pink Veil (#3), shown above. I also tried Coral Veil (#2) in the store. If I had had the money, I would have purchased both. I decided to be conservative and start with the pink shade that my YSL friend and I thought looked best on me. I tried both without foundation on my skin. Pink Veil enlivened my skin. Coral Veil made me look warmer, even with a hint of a real tan. If you have a dark complexion, there's also a shade called Carmine Veil that adds more color and should appeal to you.

YSL suggests you apply Voile de Blush using your fingertips, building the product on the cheeks for a subtle pop of color, blending up and outward toward the hairline. Gently tap the product into the skin for flawless blending. Remember, if you rub it in completely, it might disappear. I think it's best to apply it with a foundation or cream shadow brush if you don't want to lose the color. A Kabuki brush would work nicely too.

I took a few swatch photos to show you Voile de Blush in Pink Veil. Isn't it a gorgeous color? At the top of my arm, I squeezed a little bit of the product out of the tube, and I didn't blend it at all. Below that swatch, I blended the color lightly with my finger. Look at its color and radiance in the sun! I love it.

I ran around in my garden (it was cold!), trying to get different exposures (arm vs. sun) to get a true representation of the color. All of these photos give you a slightly different "take" on Pink Veil. I hope you can see that the pink has a touch of warmth, and it's flattering on my skin. Its highlighting appeal is apparent. It glows without glitter.

Not to quarrel with the experts, but if I had been in charge of naming this lovely product, I might have called it something slightly different. The word "veil" works, but the word "blush" will lead some women to expect more color (like my friend). If it had been named to indicate that the subtle shades provide a colorful highlighting effect, it might entice more women to give it a try. I'm glad I did. Have you had a chance to give it a whirl?

I purchased mine at Nordstrom. The spring collection is available at YSL Beauté's Web site and at YSL counters. There is currently complimentary shipping with any order at YSL's Web site.

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