Laura Mercier Lip Shine from the Lingerie Collection for Spring 2012

Laura Mercier has a beautiful, warm Lingerie Collection for Spring 2012. Tempted by everything, but constrained by my wallet, I choose the new Tempting Coral Lip Shine ($22), a shade that you have to try to believe it's real.

Glance at Tempting Coral in the display, and you might have the same first reaction I did. I thought I saw "just another coral" - not the best shade for me. Once you open the top of the pot, you're likely to see a vibrant coral with gold flecks. If you're not a "coral person," you might close the pot without trying it. Don't make that mistake!

Look at this beauty in the pot in sunshine. I held it to face the sun directly so that I could show you the beautiful golden flecks. The Lip Shine is perfectly smooth on the lips (no gritty feel at all), so the glimmer is coming from the miracles of modern color technology.

Tempting Coral undergoes a miracle transformation on the lips. I can't explain it. It's rose - beautiful, shining, gleaming, lively rose with just a hint of coral and definitely gold in the shine. I know the color miracle isn't simply an anomaly with my skin or my lips because it did the same thing on my sales associate at Neiman Marcus.

Check out my swatch photos. I took them on a frigid cold day. Fortunately, we had sun, but it did little to warm up my body. Normally, after taking photos of a product, I'd go back inside to find the right tool to apply a swatch on my arm. Then I'd head back outside to take swatch photos. With the Tempting Coral Lip Shine, the right tool would have been a lip brush. I was so cold I couldn't imagine an extra trip. So I swatched using my finger to apply the Lip Shine to my arm. That works perfectly on my lips, but left a slightly ragged swatch for my photos as I tried to even out the top of the application.

Isn't the color gorgeous? I have to describe it as Tempting Rose, despite its coral name. I can't see the coral once the color leaves the pot. I'll be curious to know how it looks on you. Please let me know if you've tried it.

The swatch photo directly above captured the way the exquisite golden flecks sparkle on the lips. Lip Shine is said to "add a touch of polish to the lips with a lightweight, pearlescent gloss finish." Iridescent may be a better description than pearlescent, but I won't quarrel with perfection. Tempting Coral is drop-dead gorgeous. I am so glad I didn't miss it.

Just in case you haven't tried Laura Mercier's Lip Shines, they feel great on the lips. They are extremely hydrating, but feel almost weightless. They aren't at all sticky or gooey. Even though the ingredients list "flavor," they have no taste I can discern. All of their qualities make up for the pot style, which isn't my favorite. I'd rather have a tube and a wand, keeping my fingers clean.

You can purchase the Lingerie Collection at Neiman Marcus, where I did, or at other department store counters. I've seen it at Bloomingdale's (where an aggressive sales person drove me off) and Nordstrom (where I was allowed to shop in peace). It's also available at Laura Mercier's Web site, where you can see and shop the whole Lingerie Collection. It's a beautiful collection. I'd love to try the palette, but my bank account needs some time to recover from Christmas. I bought too many gifts - for myself.

Photos at top courtesy of Laura Mercier; other photos by Best Things in Beauty