YSL Beauté Collection for Fall/Winter 2011 - Blush Radiance

The new Blush Radiance ($45) shades in Yves Saint Laurent's Jardin de Minuit (Midnight Garden) Collection offer a least one irresistible choice for every skin tone. I have always loved these "quad" blushes. I can't count the number of years I've been wearing them with lovely results. When I selected two from the six available Blush Radiance palettes, I was dismayed that I had to leave two others behind!

With just the right amount of color, the new Blush Radiance shades will blend perfectly to define and enhance your cheeks. I purchased #4 and #6. Here's the simplistic run-down on the shades.

• #1 - brown-toned nude, a perfect bronzer for fair skin
• #2 - pure peach without a hint of pink
• #3 - lavender pink (and very light)
• #4 - pure pink
• #5 - appears to be dark blue-toned red in the pan, applies sheerly
• #6 - rosy mauve-pink

Each Blush Radiance comes in a velvet pouch with a separate compartment for the accompanying brush. I won't use these little brushes at home, but I often throw one in my handbag for emergencies. For some reason, I can't bear to throw out those little pouches, even though I find them useless.

Here is #4 at left, pretty with shimmering and matte pinks that combine to add a subtly shimmering, light pink radiance to my cheeks. This light shade may disappear on darker skins. On my skin, it's gorgeous and natural.

I took all of my photos outdoors in full sun. You may see that #4 has more shimmer than #6 in the pan. I think it does on my cheeks too.

Blush Radiance #6 is shown at right. The rose-toned beauty is rose on my skin, with just a hint of mauve. It's a shade that will delight me any time of year. The sheer, rosy shade is perfect for perking up my face or anytime I need a color boost.

It was hard to get a swatch photo of #4. It's extremely sheer, so I applied it near my wrist with a sponge-tipped applicator, then applied it very heavily below with a dense blush brush.

Blush Radiance #4, along with #1 and #2 I think, was clearly designed to allow the sultry eye shadows in the fall collection to shine. These three blushes flatter without drawing attention to the cheeks.

You'll see in my swatch photo at right that #6 is much darker - still sheer, but a more intense shade. I applied it ridiculously heavily in the same way - with a sponge-tipped applicator at the top of my arm and a dense blush brush below, going over the brushed swatch many times to get true color for the photo. Applied normally to the cheeks, it's exquisite. I think #6 is going to work for many women.

I really wanted two more, but decided to think about "need" rather than want. I think #1 is a gorgeous as a bronzer/blush combination. The light brown tones looked great on my skin.

Blush Radiance #5 may rival Chanel's Rouge Blush from the Byzance Collection for Fall 2011. You can see Chanel's "red" swatched at The Non-Blonde. By varying the intensity of #5, which is shown in YSL's photo at the top of this feature, you can achieve a beautiful look. We played with it in the store (Neiman Marcus Mazza Gallerie) and found it much more wearable than it appears in the compact. It will definitely appeal to anyone with dark skin.

I wish YSL had not re-used numbers from prior Blush Variation shades. It gets so confusing for customers when similar products carry the same numbers. Blush Variation #4 is nothing like Blush Radiance #4. Small thing, perhaps, but I want to make sure you focus on the right product if you call your favorite department store.

I am absolutely smitten by the new YSL Blush Radiance shades. I am going off now to pout that I can't purchase the two I left behind.

Photo at top courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent Beauté; other photos by Best Things in Beauty