Chanel Joues Contraste Fleur de Lotus Blush - Nordstrom Exclusive

I wasn't prepared to fall in love. Turns out my new love was sudden and dramatic when Chanel's Fleur de Lotus Joues Contraste Blush ($43) arrived from Nordstrom.  Another Asia exclusive made its way to the United States, thanks to Nordstrom. I had seen photos of Fleur de Lotus, and it looked nice, but nothing, especially its official portrait above, prepared me for the love.

A vibrant new shade of the classic Chanel blush enhances the cheekbones with joyful color. The unique formula offers buildable coverage, from natural to dramatic, for a flattering, youthful glow.

That's one of the most subdued marketing blurbs I've seen in a long time. Someone should have been shouting "yabadabadoo"! Here's what I mean.

In real life, the blush appears more pink and less coral. On my skin, it's a warm pink that's about as perfect as it gets.

Here are two swatch photos, both taken in full, late-afternoon sun. I applied the swatch at the top of my arm pretty heavily with a sponge-tipped applicator, then I used a dense blush brush to apply a second swatch, not quite as heavily, below. Not only is this blush gorgeous on my arm, it's gorgeous on my face.

I'm gushing. I'll be wearing Fleur de Lotus every day until the euphoria wears off. Think I should purchase a back-up while it's still available?

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