the beauty alchemist

Carolee earrings on Revenge / Emily Thorne

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:45:00 +0000

Do you love Revenge? The TV show that is . I am totally into it. This week's episode was amaze but next weeks is the one we've been waiting for since day 1.

Did you notice those great earrings Emily had on at dinner? I did , and thought they were really nice , so I was surprised when the info on them landed in my inbox the next day.

Turns out they are from Carolee and are the Carolee LUX Art Deco Linear Gypsy Earrings. Carolee is always a great choice when you want big but elegant bling in costume jewelry. And if they're good enough for a multi-millionairess like Emily.... I may not want Emily's life, but I'll take her earrings ( the dress was rather nice too).

Retail is $95.00 at Bloomingdales.com

MOR & Bloom.com's The Vow Valentine's Gift Set

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:28:00 +0000

It's been ages since I tried the MOR line, but I loved it way back. They have such elegant and pretty items and the scents are fabulous , and the soaps I recall were really good.

Now Bloom.com has teamed up with MOR for a Valentine’s Day special. It's a limited edition MOR gift set, created in a collaboration with Sony Pictures in celebration of the launch of their new movie The Vow.

The Vow LE Gift Set contains a Little Luxuries Hand Cream and Soapette in the brand’s beloved Lychee Flower, housed in a festive heart-shaped tin, and is exclusively available at www.Bloom.com and www.morcosmetics.com Retail is $ 17.00.

Bloom also has a Vow Facebook contest going. The details :

"Bloom.com is also pleased to announce the launch of a special Facebook sweepstakes from February 10^th – February 14^th. Bloom is giving away five “Exclusive Sweetheart Packages” that consist of an exclusive The Vow Limited Edition Gift Set, a $25 gift certificate to Fandango.com and a $20 credit to spend on products from over 150 brands on Bloom.com. Simply “Like” Bloom on Facebook to enter on their landing page. Five winners will be chosen at random and will be announced on February 14^th. "

MAC Tread Gently & Hush Hush Tendertones from Cook MAC

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:40:00 +0000

Tread Gently, Hush Hush

The new Tendertones are here at last. It was worth the wait. They are as delicious as always. These will be on counter The 9th and you may find them out now.

There are some tiny changes to the shades. Tread Gently is still described as lime green by MAC, which the original was ( but clear on lips) , the new one, or at least mine, is yellow. Hush Hush is sheer deep gold and both have more shimmer than before. A good bit but it doesn't look overdone on the lips at all.

Purring is more bright tangerine than before( but still very light on) and Hot n Saucy is the very same sheer red it was before . This one shows the most color on lips.

If you haven't tried these before, know that they are very moisturizing, taste awesome , sort of kiwi like, and have SPF 12. They are everyhting you could ever want in a balm except for that have to stick your finger in the pot thing.

$ 15.00

MAC Vera - Sunday Afternoon Pearlmatte Face Powder

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:09:00 +0000

Super pretty from MAC's Vera collection are the Pearlmatte powders. There are 2 shades and we've got Sunday Afternoon to look at. ( The other is Flower Fantasy).

Even though this looks like it could be be blush it is pretty sheer and light. For the very pale , it will work as a blush, otherwise it'll most likely be highlighter or for overall brightening. The deepest shade you see, sort of a pink plum , is dark when you touch it, but blended all together these come out a pearly pale pink.

MAC Vera hits counters Feb. 16th and is LE.

Sunday Afternoon -Clean bright pink/bright clean fuchsia/soft pale pink with white pearl

Flower Fantasy- Pale coral with slight gold pearl/slightly blue pale pink/soft pale salmon

$ 28.00

Maybelline Fashion Week Live Runway Shows

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:28:00 +0000

You can again this season watch some of the shows from fashion week right from home. Maybelline and Mercedes Benz Fashion Week have partnered on their YouTube Live from the Runway channel at www.youtube.com/liverunway. The full schedule is shown, from Feb. 9th - 15th.

Katch by Kathy Flesch 24k Gold Plated Heart Shaped Cuff Bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:37:00 +0000

I'm not normally a fan of heart shaped jewelry. It has to be something special, something unique to catch my eye if it's going to be a heart . This bold cuff bracelet by Katch by Kathy Flesch is just that. I love a bold cuff and it has a modern art feel to it .

Available now on endless.com for $ 220

Bond No. 9 New York Amber

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:14:00 +0000

I'm an amber lover in perfume. Not all ambers mind you, I've discovered over time, but the warmer, sweeter ones. Bond No 9 's new New York Amber falls into that category. It's rich but not too strong ,but it does pack a punch. Bond doesn't do weak thankfully. And it is sweet, but not candy sweet , but sweet in the sense that it's not dark and is lifted by the deep richness that you get with amber. There's plenty of the benzoin and myrrh notes in there. It's smoky but not in an overly incense way.

This pretty much screams fall and winter at you and is going to be one of the cozy scents that you love this time of year. Amber always works though, so come Spring it'll still be one to wear.

Note list includes : bergamot, saffron, nutmeg, white peppercorn, majestic rose, jasmine, osmanthus, oud, amber, sandalwood, musk, myrrh, benzoin tears.

New York Amber has a parfum concentration of 30% , far more than usual which brings a higher price tag- $ 260 for 50ml .

www.bondno9.com

Amore Ring by Lia Sophia

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:17:00 +0000

Not just for Valentines but certainly of the season is the cute Amore ring from Lia Sophia. Love the elegant signet style and this can easily be a gift to/from almost anyone, mom to daughter, sister to sister, etc.

$ 36 at www.liasophia.com

National Wear Red Day for Women's Heart Health & My Mom's Story

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:35:00 +0000

Feb. 3( today) is National Wear Red Day. It's a day when you can wear red to proclaim your support for Women's Heart Health and do your part with no donations or fundraising etc. needed.

I will be doing my part and can't tell you strongly enough how important paying attention to heart health is. You see last year The Mom had to have triple bypass surgery. She had NO symptoms and almost no risk factors. One look at her and you'd say the picture of health with her blonde hair, perfect makeup and always on the go attitude. She never smoked, her diet is ok, not great , not that bad. Up until 2 years ago her cholesterol was fine and then it was borderline. She never had high blood pressure. While she's not an exerciser, she rarely sits still. Whether it business things or doing laundry and fussing over other house stuff . During a one hour TV show she will get up at least once, usually more. She's never been even remotely a couch potato .

Luckily for us, our main doctor is a cardiologist. She's had EKGs every so often and kept up her blood work , but when she needed minor non invasive surgery he wouldn't clear her until she had a stress test. That showed abnormalities and so she had to have a catherization. They told here right off she had several blockages, one almost 90%. To say it blew our minds would be an understatement.

Her surgeon said without the surgery not that she might have a heart attack, but that she WOULD have one. Maybe in 2 months , maybe a year. Mom's darn tough so she was scared but didn't consider not doing it. She just waited until she was ready.

Thank God she did so well. She came home from the hospital in 3 days and we saw her gain energy each week. It's 9 months now and she's almost there. They say it takes a full year. She's done great and had a fast recovery which we are grateful for.

So for all of you, please if you are in the age range that needs checked ( and that begins in the 40s, as women are having heart attacks sometimes then sadly) get checked. Drag your mom , and grandmom to get checked. They don't call heart disease the silent killer for nothing. Too many doctors don't stress it enough with women but it's getting better. If your doctor won't make it a priority , then find another.

So wear red today and be mindful every day. And hug your mom.

If you want to find out more:
http://www.goredforwomen.org/

Go here for your free Red Dress pin
https://www.goredforwomen.org/Registration.aspx

Sponsor Macy's Twitter followers can also share the love by tweeting #heart@Macys from Feb. 1 through Feb. 14, and Macy's will donate $2 for each tweet, up to a maximum donation of $250,000 for both Facebook and Twitter participation. All donations benefit the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement.

Versace Yellow Diamond

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:58:00 +0000

Versace's newest scent is Yellow Diamond. It's a sparkling scent that really does smell bright and sunny as yellow would imply. There's lots of citrus, especially lemon and hints of white florals . The drydown brings very light musks which don't overpower the citrus here, which to me , is great , along with a small woodsy feel that grounds the citrus.

It has a very summery vibe to it and while nice right now will be a great warm weather scent. I find it fresh, zesty and uplifting. it's light but still has sillage and lasts nicely.

Note list is : citron, bergamot, neroli, pear sorbet, orange blossom, freesia, mimosa, nymphea, ambery woods, palo santo wood and musk.

While supplies last "Like" the Yellow Diamond Facebook page and grab a free sample

$ 50 for 1 oz, $ 67 for 1.7 oz . Body Lotion is $ 42.00

Available at Macys, Bloomies, Dillards and Lord and Taylor.

Lancome La Roseraie Illuminating Powder Spring 2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The Spring makeup collections have been bringing us the pretty. It seems every one has many highlights. From Lancome it's La Roseraie Illuminating Powder.

Carved in the shape of the signature Lancome rose, this powder is really a blush. The rose is a pigmented medium pink shade . The lighter shade mixes in well or can be used as a highlighter on it's own. It's a shimmery pale seashell pink. Both go on lightly , no doll cheeks here.

This just says Spring all over it and feels like it belongs in the Easter basket. And I mean that in the best way. While not unlike some other products we've seen, it's so pretty and wearable and that makes it worth a look. The hardest part ? Messing up the powder in order to use it.

$ 42.00 at all Lancome counters.

Dove VisibleCare New Toning Creme Body Wash

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:32:00 +0000

One of my very favorite products is Dove's Visible Care Creme Body Wash. It was on my best of year list , the one that I never got posted. What makes it so special is that despite being a highly moisturizing body wash it's not thick or creamy. It's almost a mousse . So it feels great and rinses clean. ( You can read my original review here )

Now there is a great new addition to the 2 varieties already out, Toning. Toning is the first one to have Vitamin E and is meant to help skin's elasticity . It has a very light, barely there scent that's clean smelling. It's just right really and if you don't like highly fragranced washes, you've nothing to worry about here.

If you're interested ( and trust me you should be ) when I looked at the CVS circular I saw that this week ( thru Feb. 4th) they have this on sale for $ 2.49. It's just for the new Toning one and that's a fab deal. Regular retail is $ 6.69

John Frieda Full Repair Protecting Root Lift Foam

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:10:00 +0000

You may have heard me mention the mom a few times or more on here. I call her the hair guru. She's a tough critic of hair products and very little really works for her fine, thin, damaged hair. She needs thickening and damage repair and volumizing. A root lift or root boosting product has been part of her arsenal for years and up until now they've always been salon/high end.

She's tried many but only a few made the cut - Sebatian Volupte, Tigi Catwalk Her Highness Volume Root Boost, and Big Sexy Hair Root Pump.

Enter John Frieda Protecting Root Lift Foam from the Full Repair line . She hasn't had luck before with mass root lifters but after hearing how this was also great for damaged hair, I encouraged her to give it a try. She's been seriously impressed. And happy to have found a mass market alternative .

After using this along with the matching conditioner , she finds her hair soft but not limp and with good volume. This is important. I cannot tell you how important this is to her. Her one tip, the product looks like it will be a mousse but it comes out thinner , so be on the lookout for that.

Really, the whole line here is good and all the Full Repair products use Inca Inchi Oil, which is weightless and non greasy but also works to help re-build hair from heat damage, processing etc. Root Lift retails for approx. $ 6.49.

You can read more at : http://www.johnfrieda.com/en-US/fullrepair/Products.aspx

*press sample

PixiGlow TinkerBellCollection from Pixi

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:49:00 +0000

Get ready for some cuteness from Pixi , Target and Disney. Pixi's Petra Strand has teamed with The Walt Disney Co. and worked with Disney character artisit John Quinn to re-imagine Tinker Bell and give her a vintage inspired look. Called the PixiGlow collection , it will be online at Target January 29th and in stores in March .

It's absolutely adorable especially the palette and nail polish . Tink has a modern yet Victorian look here that's more grown up and sweetly pretty.

The PixiGlow collection offers six color cosmetics, available exclusively at Target:

o Catching Shadows Crayon ($18.00) – a waterproof cream-to-powder eye crayon

o Fairy Dust ($14.00) – a glimmering loose dust that can be used on skin, eyes or even lips

o Fairy Face Palette ($34.00) – A “whole face in a case,” this universally flattering palette includes 5 eye shadows, 3 color blush palette, 5 lip creams and applicators

o Magic Tink Tint ($16.00) – a nourishing gel crayon that tints your lips, reacting to your lips’ pH level to deliver a perfectly personalized pink tint

o Straight On ‘til Morning Liner ($15.00) – an intense waterproof pencil liner in an enchanting deep green hue and pure peek-a-boo glitter

o Pink Nail Color ( $ 8.00) a bright pink nail lacquer with just a touch of shimmer.

Chanel Skyline Nail Polish from Bleu Illusion -Summer 2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:15:00 +0000

Get ready for the next LE Le Vernis/ Nail Polish from Chanel. Called Skyline , it debuted at the Haute Couture show this week and will hit stores in July.

Also new is Exclusive Creation Le Crayon Yeux Precision Eye Pencil in Bleu Aérien.

This new collection, sold only at limited outlets, is called Bleu Illusion.

Dolce and Gabbana Velvet Wood from the Velvet Collection

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:34:00 +0000

New from Dolce and Gabbana is the Velvet collection, a beautifully presented line of six new scents inspired by the " concept of traditional luxury".

So far I've had the chance to try Velvet Wood. Velvet Wood ( inspired by ebony wood) is composed of soft sexy woods, benzoin and a nice hint of leather. My nose detects some patchouli, but that's not technically listed.

It's not simply masculine but a man could definitely wear it and it has masculine touches. It's deep , has presence and is subty sexy scent and very of the season, the Valentines season, that is.

Despite the strong sounding notes, Velvet Wood wears rather softly. The sillage is medium and it's not an overly strong fragrance .

These come , naturally, in a beautiful satin lined velvet box. Quite the presentation.

The full scent list is :

-Sublime
-Love
-Desire
-Vetiver
-Wood
-Patchouli

Each is $ 195 for 1.6 oz at www.saks.com

Bath and Body Works Rio Rumberry

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Rio Rumberry is one of the new tropical scents Bath and Body Works rolled out after the holidays. It could called Yumberry.

It smells like a delicious tropical cocktail without the alcohol. Lots of coconut , papaya , berries and just a little floral . No musk thankfully( musk is not a fav here. )

It's a little Caribbean vacation in a botttle.

Available now across all BBW categories.

Milk and Honey "No More Muffin Top" Tights

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:04:00 +0000

It's most definitely tights season and there's loads to choose from. New are a patented line by the shoe designers of Milk and Honey , designed specifically to battle that not nice muffin top bulge that some tights or stockings can give you.

These have a very wide waistband as you can see in the picture. The wider band means more coverage than a thin strip. It pulls everything in neatly and is seamless.

Currently they come on black and are one size fits all. They have a nice heavy and smooth feel and are very opaque.

$ 14.00 at www.milkandhoneyshoes.com

New Maybelline and L'Oreal Speed Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:41:00 +0000

We'll call this the lightning round.

Both Maybelline and L'Oreal have released so many new products. I've separately reviewed several of them and I've got a couple more individuals possibly coming, but for the rest thought I'd do a quick round up to give you the scoop.

Maybelline Dream Nude Airfoam - The one miss out of all the new launches from them. They've got some good ones in there ( Color Tattoo eyeshadow, Dream Bouncy Blush) but this just didn't do it for me. It goes on more like a tinted moisturizer. Very barely there, after 3 layers I felt I had some coverage. If you like a very sheer look than you might like this. It goes on nicely, is light and the mousse foam is fun. Tip - it needs shaken very well before use and a lot comes out at one time.

Ivory, Nude

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Higligher/ Concealer - A nice entry in the concealer category at the mass level. Many brands have these, more high end than low end. This comes in several shades, and runs very, very light so pick your shade accordingly. The Ivory was ghost white on me. Nude was much better . There is also Radiant, which is for many skintones and is more of a peach tone. These have no shimmer and work nicely under eyes and around nose etc.

L'Oreal Visible Lift Serum Absolute Powder - Rest of name is Advanced Age Reversing Powder. This powder has good coverage and can be worn on it's own as well as over makeup. It's not matte but is a flat finish, no shimmer, no brightening and is a medium finish. It does a nice job of polishing your look and making things more flawless. Even though it has good for skin ingredients like Vitamins C & E , aloe and copper, this is not in any way a creamy powder. As for me, I like powder, so I like this. It's going to be personal preference on this one. (Available in 4 shades)

Bronzed Taupe, Amber Rush

L'Oreal 24 HR Infallible Eye Shadow - LOVE these. They promise long wear and they deliver. They may not last the 24 hrs of the name , but no surprise there. That they do last almost the day on me is pretty fab and unusual. All but 2 shades are pearl. They pack a lot of shimmer, blend beautifully and look great on my eyes. Favorite shades are Amber Rush and Bronzed Taupe.

Beige For Good, Keep Me Coral, Timeless Crimson

Maybelline Super Stay 14 Hr Lipstick- Maybelline has done longer wear while making it less dry than most that we've seen. It's more satin than matte and feels pretty good on the lips. I can't help myself, I want to use balm over it, but you don't have to . They wear nicely but not 14 hrs. But hey, I didn't expect that. The pigments in these are deep. The lightest nude shade I can wear easily, the others have to blended or used with a gloss or balm. For those with darker skin or who want a bolder lip, these would be great.

Maybelline Master Shape by EyeStudio Brow Pencil -It's not easy to find light enough brow pencils anywhere and even harder at the mass level. When you're a blonde ( as The Mom is) or a redhead like me few ever seem light enough. We've had luck with Bobbi Brown and Lancome ones but now we have these new ones from Maybelline that are really nice. The Blonde shade actually is perfect for redheads as well. There is an Auburn shade and that almost works for me but is still a bit too deep. If you are red and have deep brows though, then it should be good. The shade selection also includes soft brown and deep brown.

Lancome & Saks Sophie Theallet GWP

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:45:00 +0000

It's GWP time at Saks and Lancome. These are always fun aren't they? If you are needing( wanting) to buy something, why not grab it when you can get an extra bonus. I know I have a LOT of those free makeup bags stashed away from all the times I've done this.

Lancome has teamed up with CFDA award-winning designer Sophie Theallet for an exclusive GWP at Saks Fifth Avenue.

It's filled with Lancome favorites (Visionnaire LR 2412 Advanced Skin Corrector, Bi-Facil, La Base Pro and Hypnôse Doll Lashes Mascara) , you can select your moisturizer (Absolue Premium BX or Absolue Precious Cells) as well as lip color (L’Absolu Rouge in Viole De Rose or Fleur De Lis) and and 4 pan eyecolor.

This GWP is exclusive to Saks through Jan. 28th and the bag is free with a $ 65.00 purchase. ( The new Spring collection is out , and I hope to have some previews soon).

There is also a promo to win a getaway to NYC at all Saks Lancome counters which includes airfare, ground transportation and hotel for two, a personal consultation/fitting with Sophie Theallet at her NY studio, a complimentary Sophie Theallet dress (up to a $1,200 value), a $1,000 gift certificate to Saks Fifth Avenue, beauty consultation with a Lancôme expert and dinner for two at an exclusive NYC celebrity hotspot (no purchase necessary to enter).

MAC Tendertones from Shop MAC, Cook MAC

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:59:00 +0000

We finally have the images and colors for the Tendertones that are launching with the Shop MAC, Cook MAC collection on Feb. 9.

You may ( or may not) remember that these have SPF 15, go on slightly glossy, have good moisure and sheer tints. Really they are all kinds of fabulous.

All seem to be re-promotes, but that's fine since they were so nice to begin with. Hot n Saucy is the one to grab if you want the most pigment . It leaves a sheer cherry kiss on the lips.

Hush, Hush- Sheer gold with yellow gold pearl
Purring- Sheer tangerine with pearl
Hot ‘n’ Saucy- Soft cherry red
Tread Gently- Soft lime green with yellow pearl

L'Oreal EverCreme Collection- Shampoo/Conditioner

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:09:00 +0000

Winter seems to be drying my hair . I'm not used to that, it gets dry occasionally but not very often. It's longer now and colder out so there is a difference. I have a lot of great shampoos and conditioners handy but not too many with deep moisture. More like average moisture , which had been fine.

Noting my drier hair , when the chance came to try L'Oreal's new EverCreme collection, I took it. I had used the original EverPure when it first came out and wasn't that impressed .
New EverCreme on the other hand has me very impressed. It worked really well. My hair was soft, conditioned , even the ends, and still had body . It looked much better. No flyaways etc.

EverCreme is sulfate free and also wax free. Like all sulfate free lines it lathers but only a little. Hair gets cleaned but not stripped .

I am using the Nourishing shampoo , conditioner and leave in spray. I love a good leave in but am fussy about them. EverCreme didn't weight hair down or make it over moisturized but left it well conditioned and looking healthy. My hair despite being drier than normal tends towards oily and the wrong leave in products will make it greasy fast.

Key ingredients of the line are Camelia oil, Apricot Oil and Grapeseed oil.

There are 7 products in all in the EverCreme line including a "First to Mass Market" Cleansing Conditioner. There are 2 shampoo/conditoner combos- Nourishing and Intense Nourishing, the leave in spray and a masque.

Chloe L'Eau de Chloe Perfume- Coming Soon

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Set to release in February is L'Eau de Chloe , an addtion to the Chloe line of fragrances. This one is said to be a chypre rose which would be awesome it it really was that. We have to wait to see, but here's hoping.

Notes include : include distilled rosewater, citrus and patchouli.

MAC Subtle Breeze Blush from Naturally

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:57:00 +0000

One of the new Mineralize blushes out with Naturally from MAC is Subtle Breeze. MAC calls it a Blue Pink and that's about right. It's medium pink and goes on with good pigment and has little to no shimmer. It's not super bright but packs color and can be built up. I'm not a big pink person but I did find this a bit dull for my taste overall in blush. But I am a shimmer girl and I am also not a fan of the Mineralize blush formula. Just personal taste. They never seem to work well on me but I usually love the colors.

Subtle Breeze is LE.

L'Oreal Color Riche Balm

noreply@blogger.com (The Beauty Alchemist) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:36:00 +0000

Plush Plum, Caring Coral

These have been well reviewed by many of my friends , now I'm finally getting to them. We all know I LOVE tinted balms and I've been thrilled that every brand seems to be coming out with them this season. Well, the new L'Oreal Color Riche ones are not proving to be the exception. I am loving them as well.

They mainly go on very sheer with just a hint of tint. The one deeper shade I have- Plush Plum leaves more tint than the lighter ones , so if you want more pigment go for the darker ones. Plush Plum leaves just enough of a tint that it looks great on it's own but also layers well with my rather large collection of plum lippies.

Caring Coral is a sheer peach that warms up the lips just a little. It's very pretty and good for a barely there look or layering. This one especially will be fab for summer. It can go to the pool or beach with it's SPF and look just enough.

I think these have really good moisture. I can wear one on it's own and head out into the cold and it's fine for hours. Which brings us to another good thing about the Color Riche Balms - they seem to last long for a balm. No, they are not long wear but the Plush Plum, by virtue of it's deeper color I guess, stayed put for a couple hours. That's quite good for a tinted balm.

Ingredients include shea butter, argan oil, rose canina oil and vitamin E. They have SPF 15 , have little scent ( L'Oreal says there is a vanilla scent, I get just a hint of that ) and come in 8 shades.

Have you tried these yet? My local Target was cleaned out of them this week so they seem to be popular and I can see why.