Tuesday, January 17, 2012

YSL Beauté Voile de Blush for the Spring 2012 Candy Face Collection

There are three shades of YSL Beauté's Voile de Blush ($30) in the Candy Face Collection for Spring 2012. Voile de Blush is billed as a water-based gel blush by YSL. It provides a very sheer wash of color to subtly tint your cheeks. The ultra-light and refreshing texture allows an easy and flawless application to the cheeks for a radiant glow. You can't go wrong because it's sheer. YSL says its application results in a glowing, natural look, perfect for springtime. Now that I've tried it, I agree!

When a friend first saw these three new blushes, she said, "You don't want them; they have no color." Indeed, if you quickly swatch them on your arm and blend them thoroughly into the skin, they leave very little color behind. However, when I realized that they are actually tinted highlighters, not blushes, I started to feel an attraction. Testing the shades in the store myself, on my arm and then face, I saw the subtle radiant color. I had to have one.

My choice was Pink Veil (#3), shown above. I also tried Coral Veil (#2) in the store. If I had had the money, I would have purchased both. I decided to be conservative and start with the pink shade that my YSL friend and I thought looked best on me. I tried both without foundation on my skin. Pink Veil enlivened my skin. Coral Veil made me look warmer, even with a hint of a real tan. If you have a dark complexion, there's also a shade called Carmine Veil that adds more color and should appeal to you.

YSL suggests you apply Voile de Blush using your fingertips, building the product on the cheeks for a subtle pop of color, blending up and outward toward the hairline. Gently tap the product into the skin for flawless blending. Remember, if you rub it in completely, it might disappear. I think it's best to apply it with a foundation or cream shadow brush if you don't want to lose the color. A Kabuki brush would work nicely too.

I took a few swatch photos to show you Voile de Blush in Pink Veil. Isn't it a gorgeous color? At the top of my arm, I squeezed a little bit of the product out of the tube, and I didn't blend it at all. Below that swatch, I blended the color lightly with my finger. Look at its color and radiance in the sun! I love it.

I ran around in my garden (it was cold!), trying to get different exposures (arm vs. sun) to get a true representation of the color. All of these photos give you a slightly different "take" on Pink Veil. I hope you can see that the pink has a touch of warmth, and it's flattering on my skin. Its highlighting appeal is apparent. It glows without glitter.

Not to quarrel with the experts, but if I had been in charge of naming this lovely product, I might have called it something slightly different. The word "veil" works, but the word "blush" will lead some women to expect more color (like my friend). If it had been named to indicate that the subtle shades provide a colorful highlighting effect, it might entice more women to give it a try. I'm glad I did. Have you had a chance to give it a whirl?

I purchased mine at Nordstrom. The spring collection is available at YSL Beauté's Web site and at YSL counters. There is currently complimentary shipping with any order at YSL's Web site.

Photo at top courtesy of YSL Beauté; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

13 comments:

nikki said...

sorry, I removed my original post. Wanted to edit.


ahhhhhh, now I want this!!!!! How did I not notice it yesterday at the counter? I was distracted by the polish and lippies. Are these limited edition?

Charlestongirl said...

That's a good question, Nikki. I don't know, but I can find out when the counter opens.

Nina said...

Charleston Girl - do you know anything about the YSL stain/glosses that are available in Europe? Will they be coming here?

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Nina,

I have the press info. I'll try to put it up for you today. We are getting them next month, but you can already order them at Sephora. Four are on the way to me. :)

Eileen said...

This has absolutely nothing to do with YSL, but I want everyone to know that you were one of Neiman's chosen few to be part of the Beauty Blogger Favorites on their annual beauty awards voting feature. Congratulations, Charlestongirl! It was such a joy and pleasure to see you featured in my NM e-mail this morning :-)

I hope that everyone will click on the Beauty Blogger Favorites feature and vote for something so that we show the retail businesses that reputable bloggers are heard and respected throughout the beauty community.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Eileen, and thank you! Not long after I started surfing the Web this morning, I got a congrats tweet from another blogger. I didn't even know the feature had gone live!

It was really nice to be invited by NM to participate in the awards this year. I feel very privileged. There are so many great bloggers they could have selected. It's an honor!

I've heard about those e-mails. Oddly, I didn't get one. The Sephora gremlin must have spread. :)

Charlestongirl said...

Nikki,

Yes, they are limited editions. Everything for spring, except the two glosses, is limited. :)

Charlestongirl said...

One more thing! One of my local YSL reps warns that because of the sheerness of these blushes, you might want to try before you buy if you have dark skin. We both love the gentle glow they provide.

nikki said...

thanks for the info! Limited edition means I have to hurry up and buy! Spring is turning into an expensive season for me. I want everything from every line....well almost!

Renata said...

This is so beautiful! I was considering By Terry liquid blush for this effect, it's called Rose de Rose, if I remember correctly.
Do you know if they are similar? Looks like the YSL is similar to By Terry, but without the shimmer?
Anyway, YSL looks great!
Thank you

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Renata,

I featured the By Terry product here: http://bestthingsinbeauty.blogspot.com/2011/11/by-terry-rose-de-rose-sheer-liquid.html.

By Terry's Liquid Blush has much more pigmentation than the YSL Voile de Blush. I don't think they are comparable. This lovely YSL gel would have been better termed a tinted illuminator.

Renata said...

Yes, I found your review!

Thank you for the comparison. Now I have a hard decision to make. :D

Makeup Mistress said...

I am so in-lust with these blushes...just can't decide which one I want first...I'm thinking the Carmine might be me... will go to my nearest YSL counter soon!