Homemade is definitely better - you will never buy storebought again. I first made them about a year ago, and have made 6 or so batches since then - vanilla (basic recipe), peppermint, cinnamon and irish cream flavored. They are fairly easy and inexpensive to make, if a little time consuming and just slightly messy - but the mess and the wait is worth it.

I can remember that when Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991 that the ash from the eruption combined with the smog layer in Los Angeles to produce lovely magenta sunsets for a couple weeks. Typical LA sunsets are orangish or reddish.