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