Saturday, April 30, 2011

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

15 comments:

Heather Elyse said...

ohh they look so pretty!!!

Charlestongirl said...

Ooohh, and they are, Lovely Miss M! Who would reach for plain ol' lip balm when she could reach for one of these? :)

Thanks!

Flyavsted said...

Looks like I need them all! Perfect for summer.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Flyavsted!

When I first saw the photo of Succulent Pomegranate, I figured it would be the only one I wouldn't necessarily buy. I am so glad to have it! All of them are gorgeous.

lovethescents said...

No 5 is calling to me...I had no idea these were already available, yay!

Eileen said...

Well, that settles that! Tonight it's dinner at the mall with a quick trip to Sephora for some Sheer Candy for dessert :-) Your great pictures really show off the delicacy and transparency of the colors and the different angles make them gleam as though you had a spotlight shining on them. Who could resist such beauties? Not I! I know I'm gushing, but it can't be helped. I'm a gloss/balm fanatic and, like you, I always have a few in my purse and like to swipe my lips with something different throughout the day. Before I retired, I used to have an assortment to rival a make-up counter in one of my desk drawers! LOL

I was heart sick when I first learned that YSL's Rouge Volupté Gloss would be discontinued, but It looks like we're getting something even better to replace it. Like the other ladies, I think I need the set!

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Eileen!

I knew you would LOVE them as much as I do. Let us know what shades you pick out. Gosh, I hope the Sephora stores have them. If you haven't left, you might want to call first.

You should see my desk drawer at work. The lip colors are starting to rival the paper clips and pens. :)

I feel a lot better about losing my gloss sticks, but I did get a few favorites while stock was available. I like it when friends warn me that a product I like is history.

Charlestongirl said...

Lovethescents,

I was not expecting them. I was positively gleeful when I saw them at Sephora online. My YSL rep friends at NM Tysons Galleria had shown me the training materials, and the header said "July."

MauiGirl said...

Gorgeous sheer colors! I think I'll need all of them!

Thanks for the post!

Charlestongirl said...

Hi MauiGirl!

You'll need to let us know if you purchased all of them. :)

Vanessa said...

I have been on a quest for ages to find a creamy sheer gloss in a nude or pinky nude shade, but have the problem that on my dark pink lips nothing looks as it does in the tube - or on the forearm. Is there a lip bleaching procedure? (only kidding!) The rest of my skin is a sort of sallow olive. Oh dear - I am not painting a very attractive picture of my pigmentation, am I?! : - )

How funny - the captcha is "preamp" and my partner is a musician...

MauiGirl said...

Of course! I couldn't resist!

Charlestongirl said...

Hey there, Vanessa, you would like Lush Coconut, I think. See if it's dark enough at a counter. If your lips have a lot of color, it may not be.

shoppingsmycardio said...

How helpful! I'm so glad you thought to show off how sheer these are...I'd been dying to see them on skin. Thanks so much :)

J. said...

I just ordered one of these, they look amazing. So I was very happy to read such a positive review about them too :)