Turns out that ring is $1,500, the creation of British jewelry designer Solange Azagury-Partridge (whose resume includes a three-year stint as creative director for Paris jeweler Boucheron).

And in a stroke of total brilliance, to celebrate the launch of their new Rouge in Love lipsticks, Lancome commissioned Ms. Azagury-Partridge to create rings matching three of the shades (Corail in Love, Rose Boudoir, and Midnight Rose). Genius!

They’re giving these rings away in an Instagram contest called Color In Your Life.

The basic idea: you take a photo that represents one of the lipsticks’ three moods: day, dusk, or night. Upload it to Instagram with the tag signifying its time of day (#inlovewithday, #inlovewithdusk, or #inlovewithnight). You must be following LancomeParis on Instagram in order to win.

The photos that get the most likes/comments will win. There will be one winner per mood, each week for three weeks.  (That’s nine winners total, three for each mood.) Click here to browse and vote for the photos that have been submitted so far.

Instagram is an iPhone-only application, so if you don’t have an iPhone, you are at a slight disadvantage. You can still enter by emailing a photo to colorinyourlife@support.lancome-usa.com. Use the subject line “Color In Your Life,” and (in the body of the email) include your full name, mailing address, date of birth, and one of the hashtags.

There is no limit to the number of photos you can enter (but you can’t submit the same photo over and over, and the photos can’t be illegal).

Only U.S. residents (ages 18 and up) are permitted to enter. The contest is open through March 30 (midnight, eastern time).

Good luck!

The packaging is really pretty (and not terribly heavy). My only complaint is that the labels on the bottom have only the number (no letter, no name). And I’m really bad with numbers.

The Rouge in Love formula is rose-scented, really lightweight, and surprisingly pigmented. They wear quite comfortably for several hours, and can stand up to coffee (and maybe a light breakfast). They do leave some pigment behind, so even after the lipstick is basically gone, people are still saying “pretty lipcolor.” (If you don’t like it, you can wipe it off with a napkin — it’s not a stain. The shades do get more pigmented as you progress from Matins to Boudoir to Night, and, as always, the brighter the lipcolor, the more color it leaves behind.)

128M Ever So Sweet is pinky coral with tiny, subtle gold sparkles. 322M Corail in Love is light, warm, springy pink. 106M Jolis Matins is a muted, slightly browned orange (persimmon). 217M  Delicate Lace is a greyed rose-mauve with a faint gold shimmer. 230M Rouge Rendez-vous is rose-pink. 275M Jolie Rosalie is a mauve-berry. 353M Roses in Love is a cool rose-pink with gold sparkles.

200B Lasting Kiss is a fairly opaque beige-pink nude. 307B Sweet Embrace is an opaque dusty bubblegum blue-pink. 146B Miss Coquelicot (ADORE the color, can’t pronounce the name) is a tropical-fruit coral. 340B Rose Boudoir is a hot, hibiscus bright pink. 156B Madame Tulip is a deeper orange-red with gold sparkles. 381B Violette Coquette is bright grape purple with a few purple sparkles (I’ve come to think of this color as “Afrobella purple”). 278B Divine Seduction is a warm red-brown. As if that quick red fox and the lazy brown dog had a baby.

170N Sequence of Love is a warm red. 181N Rouge Saint Honore is a cooler cherry red. 185N Rouge Valentine is a cool cherry pink-red. 292N Cocoa Couture is a chestnut, rum-raisin, red-chocolate brown. 287N Sultry Simplicity is a more sheer, less-red brown with a few gold sparkles. 391N Fiery Attitude is a magenta grape violet. 377N Midnight Rose is a saturated fuchsia pink.

The Rouge in Love lipsticks are $25 each, available everywhere.

Use code FSMAR to get free shipping at any price from NeimanMarcus.com. Spend $50 to get free shipping at Sephora.com.

Through March 21st, Lancome-USA.com is offering free shipping (plus deluxe samples of Creme Mousse Confort and Tonique Confort) on any purchase, no code required. Or, if you spend $45, use code LANMARCH to receive deluxe samples of Genifique Concentrate, Renergie Lift Volumetry SPF 15, Renergie Lift Volumetry Eye, and Hypnose Doll Lashes.

Nordstrom also offers free shipping at any price, and they are currently in gift in-store and online. Spend $39.50 on Lancome, you can choose one of two GWP options.

Use code EYE to receive deluxe samples of:

• Absolue Premium ßx Absolute Replenishing Cream SPF 15
• Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector
• La Base Pro Perfecting Makeup Primer
• Hypnose Doll Lashes Mascara
• Color Design Eyeshadow Quad in Pink Pearls, It List, Zip Me Up, and Fashion Admirer
• Color Design Lipcolor in Fashion Icon
• Black cosmetics bag

Or use code CHEEK to receive deluxe samples of:

• Renergie Lift Volumetry Volumetric Lifting and Reshaping Cream for Normal to Combination Skin
• Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector
• Creme Douceur Cream-to-Oil Massage Cleanser
• Hypnose Doll Lashes Mascara
• Blush Subtil Shimmer Delicate Oil-Free Powder Blush in Mocha Havana
• Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover
• Green or black cosmetics bag

Happy shopping!

There were originally three nail polishes in this collection (including the mint green the model is wearing), but production issues resulted in the polishes being cancelled. My local counter put three other polishes in the display (rather than leaving gaps), but I didn’t swatch them since they’re not really part of the collection.

Spring offers two new Color Design Eyeshadow Quints ($49). Tendresse includes a pale, sheer, pistachio green; a mint-chip/Irish Springs green satin; a blue-green teal satin; a high-shimmer white; and a black with very fine, fairy-green sparkles.

Rose Romance features a shimmery pale white-pink; a low-shimmer peach sherbet; a satin candy rose-pink; a shimmery white-pink peony (slightly more pink than the first shade in this quint); and a shimmery satin dark red-purple-brown.

The collection also includes a limited edition embossed powder, La Roseraie ($42). I swatched the two shades individually with sponge-tipped eyeshadow applicators, then blended them with a triangle sponge (light swatch, then heavy). The flower is a warm, light pink; the “background” is a soft white. This product could be a subtle white-pink highlight, or a soft, sheer, light pink blush (depending on your skintone and how much of the “flower” you use).

There are also two Blush Subtil shades ($30), and “Subtil” is the operative word — these aren’t super loud. 361 Cosmopolitan Pink is a medium pink. 134 Tangerine Tint is a soft, pinked peach/tangerine (and I LOVE it. Of course).

There are three spring lipsticks, and the first is a bit of a mystery. It’s a French Touch Absolu, which means it comes in slightly posher, slightly more compact packaging. It’s also a bit more expensive ($35). The display unit, the Lancome website, and Lancome customer service refer to this shade as 316 Cotton Candy. But the packaging (both the tester and the actual product) say 316 Soft Marshmallow. Weird, but the two names refer to the same color. The lipstick is a warm, sheer, pastel pink (cotton-candy-ish, you might say).

The other two lipsticks are L’Absolu Nu (same formula, “regular” lipstick packaging, $29.50). Sweet Marmalade is a sheer peach-pink (#318 according to the display). Rose Candy is a sheer flamingo/strawberry candy pink (#314 according to the display).

There are three Color Fever Glosses ($26), which felt cushiony and not-at-all-sticky on my arm. 386 Green Petal is a very, very sheer mint green (clear, really) with a mint-scent and a medium number of green sparkles. 387 Tangerine Petal is a warm whitened-pink with pink and gold sparkles. 388 Rose Petal is a pale lilac pink with silver sparkles.

Finally, there are two Le Stylo Waterproof eyeliners ($25.50, mechanical). 600 Blanc is matte white; 502 Green Petal is a sheeny, springy, seafoam green.

You can pick up this collection anywhere, but if you’re planning to order from Lancome-USA.com, use code NEWYEARLAN to receive a four-piece gift with your $45 purchase. Valid through the end of the month.

S.O.S. Pink (cream) is a bright bubblegum pink creme. Confetti Pink (shimmer) is a more sheer, not-as-bright, blue-pink with pink and blue sparkles. Pink in the Limo (sheen) is a slightly shimmery, cool violet-rose. Rekindle (cream) is a bright warm strawberry pink (red-pink) cream. Tempt Me (shimmer) is sheer with gold sparkle. Pink to the Club (shimmer)  is sheer mauvey-browned pink with tons of gold sparkle. Intense Fuchsia (cream) is bright, cool, flamingo-, schiap-pink.

All seven shades are permanent additions to the line, and altogether I think they give pink-lovers a nice range of options.  What do you think? See any you love?

These shades are already available on Lancome-usa.com, and through July 21, you can choose four samples with a $35 purchase and code CYSJULY. Alternately, use code 3PCJULY for three deluxe samples or AJULY for four samples and free shipping over $45 (both good through the end of the month).

Bonus trivia: Why does “schiap” always connote the same bright, cool shade of pink? The answer is an Italian designer named Elsa Schiaparelli, rival to Coco Chanel. Click here to read her Wikipedia article and scratch the surface of her tremendous contributions to fashion as we know it.

Artliners are Lancome’s (“pen style”) liquid liners. They’re famous for their incredibly thin, precise, conical sponge tip — and as I learned from this swatching experiment, their staying power. The top screws on/off (which means you’re less likely to accidentally leave it improperly capped), and there’s a ball inside, so I guess you’re meant to shake before applying.

Artliners $29 each.

Beach Gem and Scorched are both limited edition for summer. Amber, Royale Blue, and Forest are new, and my sales associate says if they sell well, they’ll be made permanent.

Scorched is a reflective, very dark brown with gold sparkles. Noir is satin black. Smoke is satin blue-grey (a dark, industrial grey). Iceblack is neither ice nor black. It’s a metallic cool brown taupe (and the popular darling of the Artliner world). Brown is sheeny dark brown. Navy is reflective sapphire blue. Aubergine is sheeny dark blue-violet. Amber is metallic red bronze. Royale Blue is a rather thrilling metallic “Greek” blue. I watched a girl try this on and it was SO exotic summer fantasy. Forest is a metallic pine. Beach Gem is dazzling teal with teal sparkles. How mermaidy.

If you’re shopping on Lancome-usa.com, the site automatically puts Genifique Concentrate (0.25 oz.), High Resolution Refill 3X SPF 15 anti-wrinkle moisturizer (0.5 oz jar), and Bright Expert Dark Spot Corrector & Radiance Activator in your basket.

• Then with a $35 purchase and code MISSUMAYPTS, you’ll also get free shipping plus a mini Hypnose Drama mascara, Bifacil, and Sheer Amourose blush.
• Or with $45 purchase and code AMAY, the High Resolution Refill 3X turns into Absolue Premium BX Cream SPF 15, plus you get Hypnose Drama, Cils Booster, and free shipping.
• Or with $35 purchase and code MOTHER, the High Resolution Refill 3X turns into Absolue Premium BX Cream SPF 15 and you get a 2 oz. Creme Radiance creme-to-foam cleanser (but no free shipping).

I believe these codes expire at the end of May.

Most prominent are the Star Bronzers, which come in three “Natural Matte” shades (Lancome’s first ever matte bronzer! Particularly good for contouring) and three “Natural Glow” shades — all $35 each, all 14-hour-wear.

The Natural Matte shades are lighter, generally (these are actually pretty heavy swatches). Suntan and Sunkiss both seem very well suited to fair skintones. Sunkiss seems just a touch more pink; Suntan perhaps a bit more yellow.

The Natural Glow shades are more intense, and they have very small, very subtle sparkle (they photograph with more of a glow, don’t they?).

The collection repromotes Spring Fling Juicy Tube gloss, Corset Color Design Matte Lipstick (if you haven’t yet tried Lancome’s matte lipsticks, they are fantastic), powder brush, Tropiques Minérale self-contained bronzer brush, Eclat Miracle…

The new items of note are the limited edition Crayon Kohl Waterproof (non-mechanical pencils in Noir and Purple Quartz, not yet swatched), and two limited edition Color Design eyeshadow quints ($48 each).

Kissed by Gold features a yellow-beige satin, a bronze shimmer, a matte leather (yellow brown), a cinnamon pink shimmer, and a dark brown with sparkles.

Emerald Boudoir features a muted gold/brown shimmer, a jungle green with gold shimmer, a matte, cool, walnut brown, a peach pink with gold sparkles, and a lovely dark cool brown with a few tiny sparkles.

And just in case you missed these coupon codes for Lancome-usa.com… As you start shopping, the site automatically puts Genifique Concentrate (0.25 oz.), High Resolution Refill 3X SPF 15 anti-wrinkle moisturizer (0.5 oz jar), and Bright Expert Dark Spot Corrector & Radiance Activator in your basket.

• Then with a $35 purchase and code MISSUMAYPTS, you’ll also get free shipping plus a mini Hypnose Drama mascara, Bifacil, and Sheer Amourose blush.
• Or with $45 purchase and code AMAY, the High Resolution Refill 3X turns into Absolue Premium BX Cream SPF 15, plus you get Hypnose Drama, Cils Booster, and free shipping.
• Or with $35 purchase and code MOTHER, the High Resolution Refill 3X turns into Absolue Premium BX Cream SPF 15 and you get a 2 oz. Creme Radiance creme-to-foam cleanser (but no free shipping).

I believe these codes expire at the end of May.

First up: the two Color Design eyeshadow quads (each $42). Molten Shore features a ballet pink satin, a cerulean shimmer (blue with a slight gold reflect), lilac with gold sparkles, and an absolutely amazing dark, dark cool brown with gold sparkles.

Heat Wave is the warm quad, featuring a pale lion gold shimmer, a peach satin, a copper-gold shimmer, and a warm brown with tiny gold and pink sparkles (the fourth shade here is not quite as pigmented and smooth and incredible as the fourth shade in Molten Shore).

There are two limited edition summer Artliners (liquid liner with an incredibly thin, precise conical foam tip). Beach Gem is… wow. It’s teal green with teal sparkles, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Less flashy but equally gorgeous is Scorched, a very dark coffee-bean brown with gold sparkles. I think it takes on a greenish/olive tone when it’s next to Beach Gem. Artliners are $29 each.

The collection also repromotes Le Stylo Waterproof mechanical eyeliners. They’re $25.50 each.

Leave it to Lancome to give a product an excessively long and complicated name. The limited edition patterned powder blush is a Desert Rose Subtle Shimmering Blush. The shade name is Island Horizon, and it’s a mauvey pink with a few sparkles.

There are three Color Design lipsticks ($22). Femme Fire is a mauvey rose. Hot Nights is a red pink. Coral Goddess (permanent) is a sheer warm pink with gold sparkles. There are also three Color Fever Glosses ($26). Paradise Peach is warm, light, (peached) pink. Hibis-kiss is my favorite, a sheer strawberry with silver sparkles. Heatstroke (permanent) is frosty shimmery purple rose-quartz.

Finally, look at that nail polish!  DANG!  Happiness in a bottle!  Sarong is a hot red pink with pink, violet, and gold sparkles. I think it could be a one-coater. Yum. (It’s $19.)

Not swatched but still part of the collection: Hypnose Drama Waterproof mascara ($25) and Aroma Blue Revitalizing Body Treatment Fragrance. “Ginger and peony,” Lancome says. I haven’t seen this yet, but I’d like to sniff.

I also found a bunch of coupon codes for Lancome-usa.com. As you start shopping, the site automatically puts Genifique Concentrate (0.25 oz.), High Resolution Refill 3X SPF 15 anti-wrinkle moisturizer (0.5 oz jar), and Bright Expert Dark Spot Corrector & Radiance Activator in your basket.

• Then with a $35 purchase and code MISSUMAYPTS, you’ll also get free shipping plus a mini Hypnose Drama mascara, Bifacil, and Sheer Amourose blush.
• Or with $45 purchase and code AMAY, the High Resolution Refill 3X turns into Absolue Premium BX Cream SPF 15, plus you get Hypnose Drama, Cils Booster, and free shipping.
• Or with $35 purchase and code MOTHER, the High Resolution Refill 3X turns into Absolue Premium BX Cream SPF 15 and you get a 2 oz. Creme Radiance creme-to-foam cleanser (but no free shipping).

I believe these codes expire at the end of May.

Though we were given the same basic set of guidelines, we each worked independently, so I’m amused to see how different the videos are (they’re being released, one per day). Here’s mine (guess which palette I picked):

You already know neutral shadows are my favorite, and taupe is everywhere (rocks, weathered wood fences, architectural metal). I had a great time roaming around Dallas discovering non-makeup examples of the colors in this palette. (Purple is not taupe, but it is complimentary.)

The Color Design palettes (including Taupe Craze) are $48, available at Lancome-usa.com and everywhere Lancome is sold.

Here are the other videos (I’ll continue to update these as they go live):
What I Wore: Pink Envy

M.I.S.S.: Jade Fever

College Fashion: Mauve Cherie

Style Observer: Bronze Amour

Nitrolicious: Midnight Rush

Dramatis Personae: Sienna Sultry

The Jet Set Girls: Sienna Sultry

Beauty Sweet Spot: Amethyst Glam

My It Things: Midnight Rush

Afrobella: Teal Fury

Pretty Shiny Sparkly: Pink Envy

Fashion Pulse Daily: Mauve Cherie

Chic Galleria: Coral Crush

Think Through Fashion: Bronze Amour


Lancome provided the palette I used, and I was compensated for making this video.

If you really love Lancome and you want to show it, you can follow them on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

L’Absolu Nu is the sheer, glossy counterpart to Lancome’s fuller coverage L’Absolu Rouge lipstick. Both formulas contain Pro-Xylane, the hydrating ingredient found in Lancome’s Absolue skincare line. Both lipsticks also have a rose scent.

L’Absolu Nu lipsticks are $29 each, with a magnetic-close case. The numbering of shades is extremely systematic (though you can decide whether you agree with Lancome’s assessment). Shades in the 100s are reds and corals; shades in the 200s are browns and neutrals; shades in the 300s are pinks and berries. Even numbers denote a warm shade; odd numbers mean cool.

112 Coral Sand is a warm, natural pink. 124 Buff Silk is a peachier warm pink. 148 Coral Ribbon is sheer red-coral; it looks orangey compared to Red Chiffon. 161 Red Chiffon is sheer strawberry red. It is cooler than Coral Ribbon, but not so cool that I wouldn’t want to wear it. 179 Rose Accent is sheer berry-plum.

209 Beige Tulle milky pale pink. 214 Cream Lace is warm pink with shimmer (to me it feels more “pink” than 112 Coral Sand). 242 Beige Silk is muted, mauvey brown pink. 254 Sienna Lace is red-brown. 277 Sheer Mousse is muted mauve-plum with shimmer (by comparison, 179 Rose Accent is a much brighter violet). 284 Satin Toffee is purple chocolate.

311 Pale Petal is cool pink (or blue-pink). 318 Pink Moire is warm sheer pink. Compared to Pink Moire, 112 Coral Sand and 124 Buff Silk look beigey. Pink Moire and 214 Cream Lace do swatch similarly, but I think Pink Moire is a brighter, clearer pink. Cream Lace is just slightly deeper, maybe ever so slightly mauvier, for a more “natural” look (also Cream Lace has shimmer).

346 Rose Veil is a medium rose-pink. 375 Blushed Rose is berry-rose with shimmer. 386 Evening Lace is warm rose.

I haven’t yet tried an Absolu Nu on my lips, though diligence insists that I write a post soon enunciating the differences between Rouge Coco Shine, Addict, Absolu Nu, and Rouge Automatique.

Have you tried them? Care to weigh in?

Each palette is $48.

100 Taupe Craze features a matte ballerina white-pink, a shimmery iced African violet, a matte purply-brown, a frosty bright white-violet (more white and more blue than the second shade), and a matte mole grey-brown.

101 Bronze Amour includes a shimmery peach, a frosty copper, a low(er)-shimmer bronze, a shimmery sheer yellow gold, and a warm, very dark brown shimmer with sparkles.

200 Coral Crush includes a softly shimmery, light, warm, carnation pink, a softly shimmery pink coral, a satin dark-chocolate brown, a shimmery purple-pink-beige, and a very dark (almost black) brown with sparkles.

201 Pink Envy features a satin purple-pink with gold sparkles, a reflective, sheeny, satin medium pink, a shimmery charcoal, a frosty, semi-sheer white, and a blue-purple shimmer with tiny pink and blue sparkles.

202 Sienna Sultry includes a matte dusty pink, a satin bubblegum pink, a satin (ashy) wood brown, a frosty ginger (or pumpkin?), and a very, very dark brown with sparkles.

300 Amethyst Glam contains a shimmery pale purple, an electric violet with blue sparkles, a sheerish blue-purple with very fine golden sparkles, a pale lilac with silver sparkles, and a vivid blue-purple with blue sparkles.

301 Mauve Cherie offers a shimmery pink-champagne beige, a satin violet, a matte dusty purple, a shimmery purple-sand, and a satin black.

400 Teal Fury includes a shimmery white-pink/purple, a shimmery lagoon aqua, a matte dusty sky blue, a shimmery turquoise, and a nautical matte dark greened-blue.

401 Midnight Rush contains a satin white, a shimmery denim blue, a sheer blue-grey, a sparkly, shimmery blue-grey-silver, and a matte black.

500 Jade Fever features a shimmery golden sand, a yellow-green shimmer, a deeper foresty green shimmer, a semi-sheer golden oyster-white, and a deep, very blackened, forest green shimmer with sparkles.