REVIEW: Sephora Collection Hot Hues Neon Lip Balm in "Crazy Coral"

before making my first online Sephora order recently (it's on its way to me!), i visited a Sephora store and a coral item in the sale section caught my eye.
i hadn't seen or heard of Sephora's Hot Hues line before. Hot Hues is a Spring 2012 collection including eyeshadows, eyeliners and lip balms. the words "Neon" along with "Coral" intrigued me and at $3, i could not resist the temptation.

the Sephora Hot Hues Neon Lip Balm in "Crazy Coral" (2.8 g) comes in a sleek round black tube with the letters "Sephora" around the bottom and a semi-transparent coral top. what's most interesting is the lip balm itself which is like jelly! it is orange but also transparent. and it smells very yummy. mine in particular smells like oranges. all in all, it sort of makes you want to eat it.

i find that when i apply one layer of "Crazy Coral", it looks sheer with a hint of coral.

artificial light; natural light

it would not be considered "neon" so i tried to build on the color. however, when i layer it a couple of times, it becomes pinkish red on my lips.

artificial light; natural light

although this is labelled as a lip balm, the effects that it should have (i.e. moisturizing) does not last long. i felt the need to reapply the product constantly. my lips were dry within half an hour.
there were a couple of other colors available (Paradisso Purple, Hot Pink, Funky Fuchsia). i was disappointed by the color on my lips since it did not live up to its name and it was not really hydrating. i wouldn't recommend this to people with pigmented lips or dry lips.

my quest for corals continue with my recent trip to London Drugs where i bought FOUR lip products. i am crossing my fingers one of them is my perfect coral shade...