Fresh Sugar Coral Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

Fresh Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 in Sugar Coral ($22.50) is the latest shade in a series of super-hits from Fresh. Currently exclusive to Sephora, the tropical Sugar Coral was described by Alina Roytberg, Fresh Co-Founder.

This was inspired by a trip to a remote island in the Bahamas: the fresh morning breeze, alfresco lunches of exotic fruit, and snorkeling with bright fish around the reddish-orange coral reef. Sun, sea, and the spirit of vacation: that's Sugar Coral.

Fresh's Tinted Lip Treatments moisturize, protect, and smooth the lips while adding a sheer tint of color. I've bought every shade ever introduced - some in multiples. I always have one within reach. No wonder they are so moisturizing. In-vivo testing has shown that Tinted Lip Treatment will keep your lips hydrated for up to six hours after application.

Treat your lips to a juicy coral color with this tint that provides sheer coverage or buildable color. Sugar, a natural humectant, ensures long-lasting moisture, while meadowfoam hydrates and the oil of black currant seeds conditions the lips. It is further enriched with antioxidant-rich vitamins to defend against wrinkle-causing free radicals and provides year-round protection from damaging UV rays. 

If you've used this tinted balm, you know how nice it is. Let's look at the color of Sugar Coral. Isn't it gorgeous? Not too orange, not too pink, Sugar Coral is the "shade of the moment," a sheer dark peach in a coral case. It's warm, sunny, and energizing.

You know that your finger pad is the best place to test lip products (and keep your lips germ-free)? It's closer in color to your lip color than your arm. While my finger may look very pale in the photo above, it is darker than my arm - trust me.

Isn't Sugar Coral luscious? I may live in it this summer, especially when I know I'll be outdoors. I love sheer colors that are good for me. Want one? You'll find it at Sephora, where there's an in-store V.I.B. preview event (with a 15% discount) today (featuring special goodies). The discount for V.I.B.s continues until April 6. Remember to look for Sugar Coral if you go.

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

Bliss Fabulips Lip Treatment Set

Now's the time - get your skin ready for winter, especially your lips! The new Bliss Fabulips set ($45), launched in August, is the perfect way to prepare for the first blast of cold, dry air.

Fabulips is the only "one-spa-shop" that cares for your lips to leave them full, healthy, and beautiful in four simple steps. Designed to recreate Bliss's popular and unique fabulips treatment in the spa, this pucker-perfecting kit is like a facial for your lips.

Here's the four-step regimen. First, lift impurities and lip color with the one-of-a-kind foaming lip cleanser. Remove everything on your lips, from lipstick to lunch, with the refreshing cleanser. Apply it, let is set for 20-30 seconds, and then rinse off everything that doesn't belong on natural lips. Then, retexturize. Polish lips and remove dead skin with the deliciously sweet, orange-flavored, gentle sugar lip scrub. Apply it in a circular motion and wipe off with a damp washcloth (or rinse off if you wish). It contains finely granulated sugar and almond and walnut shells to polish the skin on your lips (and remove scaly, dead skin cells).

Rejuvenate with the visibly volumizing instant, mint-flavored lip plumper to help your lips reach their fullest potential. Just click it to dispense the product and apply. A cork tree extract and peptide-packed complex delivers long-lasting lushness. Last, seal the deal with Bliss's luscious, moisturizing softening lip balm (which I'm wearing as I write - it does triple duty). It contains shea butter and jojoba and grapeseed oils to leave your lips feeling hydrated and healthy. The directions say to apply it as needed. For me, that means about every 30 minutes. I am, after all, a lip balm addict.

I received my set from Bliss for review. When it arrived, I was afraid to test it - or anything else. I had burned my lips with something, most likely chili peppers. I was a sad mess. My lips were hurt, blistered, and peeling. Once I recovered, I decided to save the Fabulips goodies for the advent of the cold weather season. I'm glad I did. Now I'm feeling quite pampered.

The boxed set is actually a nice holiday gift, but I doubt you'll be able to part with it. It's a great value. Check it out and see what I mean. You can find it at the Bliss Web site.

If you want to watch a funny Bliss Bachelorette Parody, watch this YouTube video. I'm afraid I'm sharing it too late for the free offer, but if you think the Bachelorette is as dorky as I do, you're going to love it.

Photo courtesy of Bliss

Kate Somerville Quench & Correct Plumping Lip Gloss and Restorative Lip Treatment

Your lips should keep your age a secret (your hands too). Kate Somerville has given us a reason to smile! Quench & Correct Plumping Lip Gloss and Restorative Lip Treatment ($29) is a dual-ended dynamo that performs triple duty. It moisturizes, replenishes, and makes your lips shine.

One end, Correct Restorative Lip Treatment with Hydra8, reduces the appearance of lip lines and eliminates dryness. The other end, Quench Plumping Lip Gloss, helps restore moisture for an instantly plumped, youthful look that’s bound to keep you beaming.

The Correct Restorative Treatment offers the following ingredients and benefits.

• Dual peptides are designed to boost hydration and smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• A special, trademarked skin-conditioning agent, Hydra8, is formulated to bind moisture to the lips for up to eight hours.
• The treatment reduces the look of lines and cracks for a softer, smoother smile and a more comfortable feel.

Quench Plumping Lip Gloss adds a pretty, light pink shine along with beneficial ingredients.

• Naturally derived peptides help to increase lip volume, creating the perfect pout without any stinging or odd sensations.
• A moisture complex provides long-lasting hydration.
• The gloss creates a long-lasting shine and a rosy glow.

You can use this duo as often as you want throughout the day for lips that look and feel good. Staying within the lip lines, apply the Correct Restorative Lip Treatment directly to the lips and follow with the Quench Plumping Lip Gloss. I love it! I bought mine at Neiman Marcus as soon as it arrived (exactly what you'd expect from a gooey lip lover), and I'm impressed. The lip treatment adds instant moisture and comfort. The lip gloss is the icing on the cake.

Why is the treatment so enriching? It's packed with hydrating ingredients beyond those trendy ones listed above. This is quite a list: soybean oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, beeswax, macadamia seed oil, passion fruit seed oil, rice bran oil, açaí pulp oil, babassu seed oil, and manuka honey extract.

The treatment and lip gloss are flavored with a pleasant spearmint. I usually dislike flavors and fragrances in my lip products, but this one's familiar - and not at all obnoxious like some cheap lip products that are long on flavor and short on proven ingredients. I know it may not seem like a compliment, but I mean this in an extremely complimentary way. When I use the treatment before bed, I don't have to apply Vaseline to my lips to get the hydration I need. I love that!

I await more lip gloss shades. I think Kate's onto something!

I bought my Kate Somerville Quench & Correct Plumping Lip Gloss at Neiman Marcus. It should be available at all Kate Somerville counters now. You can also purchase it at Kate's Web site.

Photo courtesy of Kate Somerville

Tarte Lip Service Limited-Edition LipSurgence Collection Giveaway Contest

Congratulations to Rebby! She won this great set.

Brand new, Tarte's limited-edition five-piece LipSurgence collection pays tribute to some of the most iconic shades seen on Tinseltown's most adoring smiles. These bestselling lip treatments give the lips a natural, shimmering flush while softening and moisturizing them. Inside the sparkling silver gift box are two LipSurgence Natural Lip Tints (for a natural flush that will stay all day) and three LipSurgence Natural Lip Lusters (for a high dose of glossy color and shine). Like all Tarte LipSurgence lip tints, each emotive shade smoothly glides onto the lips for natural color that lasts all day and delivers a surge of moisture on a cellular level for a naturally plumped-up appearance. Natural peppermint adds a refreshing and short burst of flavor with each application.

The three LipSurgence Natural Lip Lusters come in Dazzled (pearly coral pink luster), Flashy (bright iridescent fuchsia luster), and Glitzy (antique pink luster). The two LipSurgence Natural Lip Tints come in Perky (soft carnation pink tint) and Swank (light cherry tint). The colors are luscious in this set - one for every mood and outfit.

LipSurgence technology is said to naturally increase the lips' moisture content by 6000% on a cellular level after 28 days of continuous use. The ingredients include vitamin E to protects against free radical damage, peppermint oil to cool and soothe inflamed or irritated skin, and jojoba seed oil to leaves skin soft, supple, and smooth. I'm a huge Tarte fan. This set is receiving five-star ratings at Sephora, so I suspect others are too.

How can you enter to win this contest? All you really have to do is leave a comment on this feature. After you comment here, feel free to send me an e-mail at bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com and identify your comment. You can never be too careful about sharing an e-mail address you care about on a blog, so feel free to follow this step (an alternative is to code your e-mail, e.g., myname at gmail dot com, in your comment).

You can earn extra entries. Follow this blog (through an e-mail subscription or though one of the many Google readers - see sidebar at right) to earn a second entry. You don't have to follow to enter. I want everyone to have a chance, but I also want to reward my followers. I must be able to track this entry. One easy way is to follow by e-mail subscription or to ensure that Best Things in Beauty is on your blog list if you have a Google account.

You can earn a third entry by tweeting this contest. You must include "@BTiBeauty" (without the quotes) and the contest title in your tweet. I will tweet the contest this evening, and you can simply retweet it to earn that second entry. Only one tweet will be counted as an entry. I appreciate multiple tweets, but it's not necessary.

The deadline for entries will be Saturday, October 8, at midnight. The next day, I will use a random number generator (random.org) to select the winner. I will e-mail the winner on Sunday. The winner 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. Make sure to check your e-mail - and look in your spam folder - when the contest ends.

This contest is open to anyone anywhere. Here are the terms. I will carefully pack and ship the prize (as I always do). I cannot insure the prize for overseas shipment - it's amazingly expensive to do so because of the way I have to send insured mail. If it's lost or stolen in transit, I won't be able to replace it with another. I'll do my best on this end; let's see if your mail service does right by you on the other end if we have an overseas winner. Lately, my shipping luck has improved significantly.

Good luck!

Photo courtesy of Sephora

Fresh Sugar Passion Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

Fresh Sugar Passion Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 ($22.50) will look fabulous on all complexions, thanks to a well-balanced, warm-cool (neutral) pigment that compliments the natural shade of a woman's lip, no matter her skin tone. Sugar, a natural humectant, ensures long-lasting moisture, while hydrating meadowfoam and black currant seed oils condition the lips. The formula is also enriched with antioxidant-rich vitamins to defend against wrinkle-causing free radicals and provides year-round protection from damaging UV rays. This versatile treatment allows for buildable coverage to customize a sheer or rich hue and is the perfect partner to the best-selling clear Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15. The UVA and UVB protection is offered with avobenzone and octinoxate.

Red is the color of passion. No other lip color gives off such a powerful, feminine energy. Inspired by imagery from my favorite book growing up in the Ukraine, "Scarlet Sails" by Russian writer Alexander Grin, I pictured a silk scarlet fabric, light as a parachute, barely there but rich with color. - Alina Roytberg, Fresh Co-Founder

I'm sure you know that Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment comes in other shades - all of which I own and love. The most recent before Sugar Passion was Sugar Honey, a flattering nude. Sugar Plum and Sugar Rosé are both fabulous. I knew Sugar Passion was coming, and I ordered it the second I knew it was available at Sephora (thanks to Product Girl). It arrived, and I am thrilled.

All of Fresh's Tinted Lip Treatments give a natural, sheer tint to the lips. While I can't wear red lipstick unless it's super-sheer, I can wear Sugar Passion easily. I know I'll need to purchase another one because I like to keep these Fresh goodies at all my personal docking stations. There's a clear one next to me at my computer.

I've attached a few swatch photos for you to see the actual shade, which is more rose than red on my arm. Of course, add the color of your lips, and the shade will be darker.

My photos were taken on a tropical morning, with the sun disappearing frequently behind the hurricane-driven clouds that will get denser as the day progresses. We are expecting thunderstorms as Irene moves toward the East Coast. That gave me multiple light intensities for photographing the swatches - all in a five-minute period.

The swatch at the top was taken with a Japanese maple backdrop with a bright overcast. The swatch at right was taken in front of a cleome when the sun was shining fairly brightly.

I think the color is gorgeous. What do you think? Will you be shopping for Sugar Passion? It's available now at Sephora, where I purchased my first one, and should arrive at your Neiman Marcus counter soon.

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

Dior Rouge Sérum from the Blue Tie Collection for Fall 2011

Steady my heart, Dior introduced new Rouge Sérum Luminous Color Lip Treatment ($34) shades in a new formula with the Blue Tie Collection for fall. Filled with even more active skin-care ingredients than the parent Sérum de Rouge lip color, Rouge Sérum features an amazingly creamy texture to moisturize, smooth, and pamper your lips day in and day out. Enriched with mango butter and other natural extracts, this nourishing treatment is said to boost your lips' microcirculation and collagen levels and enhance their appearance with gorgeous, luminous color. That color is sheer - my favorite lip color look!

The new shades are shown beautifully at MakeUp4All.

• Carmine Crystal
• Coral Crystal
• Passionate Pink Crystal
• Primrose Crystal
• Sweet Pink Crystal
• Tea Rose Crystal

What's a gal to do when faced with a display filled with gorgeous shades? Select two to start! I came home with #675 Passionate Pink Crystal and #645 Sweet Pink Crystal. I could easily have bought four more.

My new shades are shown in the tubes at right. Passionate Pink Crystal is shown at the top and Sweet Pink Crystal below in my photo. Both colors look a little warmer in my photo than they appear to my eye. Naturally, I took many swatch photos and selected the one that most accurately portrayed the shades on my skin.

My photo was taken in morning sunlight. Passionate Pink Crystal is on the left, and Sweet Pink Crystal is on the right. Hopefully, you can see that they are very different pink shades - both sheer, gleaming, and luscious. Passionate Pink Crystal appears red-pink in the tube, but applies as a stunning pure pink. Sweet Pink Crystal is warmer - more rose and with just a hint of brown. I'll be living in both shades.

For the original Sérum de Rouge forumula, Dior said that after one month of daily use, Sérum de Rouge increased the hydration of our lips by 40%, added 24% more smoothness, and helped regain curves and firmness. I wasn't sure about those statistics; they were nice, but not important to me. I simply loved the colors, look, and feel! Now, the new, improved Rouge Sérum formula has captured my heart. This week, I'm going over to Neiman Marcus, where I bought the first two, and I'm going to try to resist buying more...for now.

If you love lighter-than-air, luscious lip colors, check out the Dior Blue Tie Collection Fall 2011 display at your local department store. These new lip color-treatment hybrids are my favorite part of the collection.

Photos courtesy of Neiman Marcus and by Best Things in Beauty

Supergoop SPF 30 AçaìFusion Lip Balm

With all due respect to the company Supergoop!, the name of their fabulous product line is misleading. There's nothing goopy about Supergoop!

Supergoop! SPF 30 AçaìFusion Lip Balm ($8.50) is an ever-so-slightly tinted lip conditioner that hydrates and protects the lips from UV rays. This three-in-one balm adds a very sheer, almost invisible pink tint while moisturizing and protecting the lips. Shea butter provides long-lasting hydration, while powerful antioxidant ingredients, including the fruit of the açaì palm, help to repair oxidation damage. Multiple sunscreen ingredients protect the lips from sunburn and photo-aging.

Ideal for all skin types, particularly sensitive skin (and lips) like mine - even babies - this product meets the strong European Union recommendations for broad-spectrum UV protection. With the belief that UV protection is the critical first step in any daily skin-care regimen, Supergoop! is serious about its commitment to formulate products without parabens, petrochemicals, fragrances, and phthalates, providing consumers with an environmentally and body-friendly choice for everyday sun protection.

As someone who is totally addicted to lip balm, I try nearly every new lip balm that comes along. I dubbed this one a keeper two days after I first used it. I love Supergoop!'s lightweight, creamy feel, and it lasts longer than it takes to listen to my voice mail and return a call. That's a definite plus with a creamy, non-sticky balm. The color is basically nonexistent on my lips, but I don't use it for color. The price is right, so next time you are browsing Sephora, take a look!

There is a nice SPF 30+ Weekend Away Essentials Set, a $58 value for $39.50. The limited edition is available online only. The kit is a nice introduction to Supergoop's sun-care product line and includes a lip balm.

Supergoop! products are available at Sephora and Amazon. If you can get past the name, you might enjoy them [wink].

Photos courtesy of Sephora

Aquaphor Lip Repair Giveaway Contest

Congratulations to our winners: MamaVal and Benita!

Toss the gloss with Aquaphor! Summer's fab look for lips is clear, soft, and natural when you're going casual. Why not use one of my favorite products?

A year-round lip essential, Aquaphor Lip Repair seals in moisture and relieves dryness - all with a single swipe. It's a lip balm addict's dream. Made to add just a hint of glossy shine, Aquaphor Lip Repair will leave your lips soft and smooth year-round.

I love Aquaphor. I have tubes at my desk at work, at my desk at home, and at my bedside. I use it everywhere, but most often on my lips. It's great, though, for dry, cracked skin, cuts that hurt, burns, etc. I made sure to take one with me when I went in the hospital for my knee surgery.

Aquaphor is offering two Best Things in Beauty readers in the United States an opportunity to win a free Lip Repair. All you have to do is leave a comment here telling us if you've ever used Aquaphor before! If you did, what did you think? This is like Allure's "Free Stuff," but your chances of winning will be much better.

After you comment, feel free to send me an e-mail at bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com and identify your comment. You can never be too careful about sharing an e-mail address you care about on a blog, so feel free to follow this step (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. You can earn a third entry by following the blog - either here or on Twitter (any entrant who is already a follower will automatically earn the follower point, but you can save me time by telling me you're a follower in your comment). I can't track followers through a third-party service, so you need to be on Google's list for me to verify the entry.

The deadline for entries will be Saturday, June 11, 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. Make sure to check your e-mail - and look in your spam folder after the contest ends.

Aquaphor will send the prizes to the two winners. Good luck!

Photo courtesy of Aquaphor

Fresh Sugar Plum Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

As promised, here's a look at Fresh Sugar Plum Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 ($22.50). I have been circling this at Sephora for many weeks, perhaps months. I finally ordered it, and I'm glad I did. Since it's a component of this week's giveaway contest, I wanted to show you how nice it is.

Sugar Lip Treatment moisturizes, repairs, and protects the lips. It's available in the original clear shade, as well as Sugar Rose and Sugar Plum. I'm a Clinique Black Honey fan, one reason I wanted to try Sugar Plum. I love the shade.

Fresh Sugar Plum Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 offers sheer coverage or lightly buildable color. You can see on my photo below that even a heavy application yields a transparent tint. It's formulated with sugar, a natural humectant that prevents moisture loss, and a superior blend of nourishing oils and protective waxes to soften and smooth dry lips. Antioxidant-rich vitamins also work to defend against wrinkle-causing free radicals. It provides essential year-round protection from damaging UV rays with its SPF 15.

The good news, since it's a lip treatment, is that it doesn't have any parabens, sulfates, phthalates, GMOs, or triclosan. It does have a long list of active ingredients to pamper your lips.

• Sugar, a natural humectant, to prevents moisture loss and revitalize and smooth the lips
• A superior blend of nourishing oils, including jojoba seed oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, blackcurrant seed oil, sunflower seed oil, meadowfoam seed oil, apricot kernel oil, and passion flower seed oil, to deeply moisturize and nourish dry areas and help plump and cushion the lips
  
• Beeswax, known for its anti-inflammatory properties to soften the skin and seal in moisture
• Vitamins A, C, and E to protect, smooth, soften, and provide protection from free radicals
• Natural waxes to help lock in moisture and soothe and protect the lips

The color is a brown-toned plum. Here it is on my arm. I took this photo after about eight passes of application. With a rosy lip color underneath, the treatment will show more color, but I consider it a tinted balm. To me, that's a good thing! I can apply it without a mirror for mistake-proof moisture and some color to perk up my look.

You can purchase Sugar Plum Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 at Sephora and Beauty.com - or you can enter the Fresh Sugar Plum Let it Glow Giveaway Contest and hope random.org selects your number!

Top photo courtesy of Sephora

Lisa Hoffman Lip Moisturizer

Have I told you lately how much I love Lisa Hoffman's beauty products? Over the last week, I have "rediscovered" Lisa Hoffman Lip Moisturizer ($34.50). I say "rediscovered" because I was testing other lip products and had set it aside for a few months. It's back, and I'm back. I own no other lip moisturizer that gives me moist lips for hours. Even some of my favorites only give me an hour before I'm craving moist lips again.

For the serious lip treatment addict, as well as those who haven't reached that stage, Lisa Hoffman's Lip Moisturizer does it all. The tiniest amount, dispensed from a pump, offers maximum and long-lasting hydration. This extremely emollient treatment contains vitamins A, C, and E, olive, avocado, and sweet almond oil to make your lips feel fabulous - irresistibly soft and smooth.

Why does it work so well? Some high-tech ingredients may be the secret to its effectiveness. Here's the rest of the story.

Pamitoyl oligopeptide is a special lip peptide, just for the lips! It's a messenger peptide that restores collagen and enhances lip volume. "Hello, lips, shape up!"

Hydromide blend, a blend of soybean extract and Ceramide-2, enhances lipid barrier repair and maintains smoothness and suppleness to the delicate skin of the lips.

Sunflower seed oil, a nice natural ingredient, helps to strengthen the epidermal barrier, which gives relief to dry, chapped lips. Your lips might not look dry or chapped (no flakes, please), but if you crave moisture, they probably need some help.

You might say, "How could she be so dry when it's over 100 degrees and humid out?" Air conditioning is very drying, and I've stayed close to mine over the last few days. I'm dry winter and summer, so my tendency toward dryness is only exacerbated by indoor air systems. Then, there is the exposure to the sun and heat. I can't stay glued to the AC vent! Even in hot weather, life management has to be accomplished. Today, it was a trip to the dry cleaner, bank, and drugstore.

You may think that $34.50 is a lot of money to spend on a lip treatment. Be assured, it takes only the tiniest dab of Lisa's Lip Moisturizer to spread a nice coating on your lips and make them happy. I've had mine for a long time, and it's still pumping what I call gooey gold! It's not tacky, and it's not a cat fur magnet. It just feels fabulous.

You can purchase Lisa Hoffman Lip Moisturizer at Lisa's Web site, SkinStore, DermStore - at b~glowing too. Watch for special offers (SkinStore just had a 20% store-wide discount), and you can get the best for less! One other thing you must know: Lisa Hoffman offers a 50% discount to all military and military families to be able to purchase any of her products at her Web site. Just go there and click on the Support Our Troops link near the bottom of the page. How incredibly generous!

Photo courtesy of Lisa Hoffman Beauty

Avon Smooth Minerals Lip Tint

I've been on an Avon binge, and I'm loving every minute of it! A brand I had long overlooked - except for my must-have-at-all-times Skin So Soft Bug Guard - has come back into my life. I'm having fun too.

You know by now that I buy a lot of pricey beauty products. They are often the standard against which I judge less expensive brands. Avon is holding its own quite nicely. In some cases, it has outperformed one of the most expensive makeup brands I own. You'll have to read my recent Avon reviews to find that brand.

Avon sends me a tempting catalog with each order. In the last one, I saw the Smooth Minerals Lip Tint ($6). There is a special - buy one, get a second for $1.99 - so I couldn't limit myself to just one. Besides that, I'm a lip gloss/balm/conditioner junkie, so Avon's description, plus the ingredient list on their Web site, had me.

The smoothest, softest kiss of color. Sheer hint of color with moisturizing vitamin E, castor seed oil, lanolin, olive oil, and cocoa and shea butters for the smoothest, softest lips ever.

There are six colors available. I now own four! Here they are, photographed in sun, all flattering to the lips. From left to right: Smooth Raisin, Smooth Berry, Smooth Pink, and Smooth Nude.

Each provides a nice, sheer, and shiny tint; feels great on my lips - so moisturizing; and has no flavor (despite the peppermint oil in the ingredient list). I like the fact that there's enough pigment in them to distinguish them from clear lip conditioner. My favorite shades are the two darkest ones, Smooth Raisin and Smooth Berry because they leave a clearly detectable tint.

There's one "at the ready" on my desk at work at all times now - with distinguished company. These compare very favorably to the new beauty blogger favorite, NARS Pure Sheer SPF Lip Tint. The NARS tint is $25; Avon's is $6 (less during special if you purchase two). NARS has the sun protection factor; Avon has a little more pigment.

Next up, I'm ready to try Avon's skin care. There's a new product, Anew Clinical Luminosity Pro ($54), a brightening serum, that I am about to test for a few weeks. I used it last night for the first time.

How's this for enticing? Avon's first topical serum with a skin brightener that provides an at-home option to a dermatologist's laser! Instantly makes your skin look brighter and more even toned. Eighty percent of women saw the look of dark spots dramatically diminish, and over time, 100% of women showed more illuminated skin with a visible reduction in fine wrinkles. I'm there! Can't wait to use it long enough to tell you more! Who wouldn't love to have brighter skin?

For a look at the Smooth Minerals Lip Tints or some of the other Avon products I've tried lately , head over to Avon's Web site. While you are there, you can find your local Avon representative to get free shipping every day! Or you can sign up for Avon's e-mails to get free shipping and discount offers that arrive often enough to keep me ordering.

Photo at top courtesy of Avon

NARS Pure Sheer SPF Lip Tint

NARS Pure Sheer SPF Lip Treatment ($25) nourishes and hydrates the lips with a sheer, slightly noticeable tint. The new lip treatment comes in six shades.

I love the convenient "slim-stick" which allows for easy direct application from the tube. The ingredients include "good stuff," including wild mango butter, which has moisturizing benefits to leave your lips soft and supple; and vitamin E, polar berries, and acai oil, hydrating antioxidants.

When I first saw these little beauties in the store, I couldn't decide on a shade. They are extremely sheer, leaving just a hint of a tint. So I went for one of the shades with the right coloring for my skin tone and the most pigment: Angélique, described as a barely there strawberry. I love it! It feels good, looks good, and lasts for an hour or two. While its benefits may last longer, I re-apply to get the pretty tint back.

While you may think of these as expensive tinted lip balms, I think if you try one you'll agree that they are a lot classier than most. NARS suggest you can wear these under your regular lipstick or lip stain. I like them just the way they are! If you are searching for a pigmented lip color, though, these are not your destination. If you want more color, a slim line applicator, and SPF protection, try Bobbi Brown's Treatment Lip Shine SPF 15.

Most of the NARS shades offer barely there color. Bianca is clear/white.

The other four colors are:

• Aurore, a seashell pink tint;
• Greta, mauve tint;
• Paloma, cantaloupe tint; and
• Laura, pastel pink tint.

You can purchase the Lip Tints at NARS, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Beauty.com, or wherever you find a NARS counter.

Photo courtesy of NARS

Lisa Hoffman Lip Moisturizer Giveaway Contest

This is the perfect time of year to give away a lip moisturizer! You may have read Kari's glowing reviews of Lisa Hoffman's products at Fabulous Over Forty (find a recent review at this link) or other beauty blogs. Now, you have a chance to try one of Lisa's products.

The Lisa Hoffman Spa Facial Lip Moisturizer ($24.95) is an intensive lip moisturizer - perfect for any time of year, but a necessity now that the weather is dry and cold.

Spa Facial Lip Moisturizer supplies smoothing moisture to the lips using nourishing botanicals and vitamins. Olive oil, avocado oil, and sweet almond oil supply and lock in moisture while vitamins A, C, and E - antioxidants - condition the lips and protect them from free radical damage. Spa Facial Lip Moisturizer is perfect for applying before lip color to prolong your lip color's life and prevent the drying that often occurs when using lipstick, particularly some of the long-lasting ones. You can even use it between your lips and nose for a little extra protection.

Just in case you don't know about Lisa Hoffman, she launched her skin care line in 2007 and was named Newcomer of the Year by Women's Wear Daily that year. Her products won Allure Best of Beauty Awards in 2008 and 2009. She is married to Dustin Hoffman and has six children.

To enter the giveaway contest, e-mail bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com and put Lisa Hoffman in the subject line. I will use random.org, my go-to random number generator, to select a winner. The contest deadline will be Friday, December 18 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time. I will open up this contest to everyone - no matter where you live. My holiday gift to one of you!

I'll be posting this contest on Free!Grechen, a site you should check out for all kinds of fantastic giveaways.

Good Luck!

Photo courtesy of DermStore.com, one place where you can purchase Lisa Hoffman products

John Masters Organic Lip Calm

Can you adore multiple lip balms? My answer is an emphatic yes! Last week, when I was ordering my John Masters Organic Hair Care products from Beautorium.com - naturally using our BTIB 15% discount - I saw Lip Calm ($6). Any lip balm addict would try one, right?

This little balm, currently parked next to my bed, is delightful. Its long ingredient list is chock-a-block with botanical ingredients. Reading down the list, from most to least concentrated, the ingredients include olive oil, castor bean oil, sunflower oil, beeswax, carnuba wax, jojoba oil, shea butter, calendula extract, wheatgerm oil, flax seed oil, borage oil, kukui nut oil, rosehip oil, vitamin E...and much more. How cool is that?

The texture is much softer than ChapStick - Lip Calm glides on - and it stay around for awhile to keep your lips soft, hydrated, and feeling good. I love it!

You can purchase Lip Calm from Beautorium.com. On my next order, I'm buying one for every balm port - my office, purse, bathroom, bedside, and car. A lip balm addict has to have it nearby at all times!

Photo courtesy of Beautorium

Jo Malone Vitamin E Lip Conditioner

One of my tried and true daily products, Jo Malone Vitamin E Lip Conditioner with SPF 15, is a must-have. For me, that means must have in the bathroom, bedroom, purse, office, and car!

I have been using this lip conditioner for years, and I buy five at a time, usually from the Jo Malone Web site. It has a luxurious light texture and virtually no scent. It leaves my parched lips happy and begging for more. Yes, I believe one can become a lip balm addict, as one of my male psychology professors noted almost 40 years ago! I now wonder if the power of suggestion was at fault for my addiction.

Anyhow, with Vitamin E and sun protection, this lip conditioner does it all. A bit pricey at $20, but each tube lasts for a long time.

Through July 12, if you order from the Jo Malone Web site and enter JMCOLOGNES at checkout, you will receive a free deluxe sample of Jo's heavenly Orange Blossom Cologne, complimentary shipping, and two additional samples of your choice. I highly recommend it.


Photo courtesy of Jo Malone.