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

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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

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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

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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

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