YSL Beauté Blush Radiance for Fall Winter 2013

The YSL display for Fall Winter 2013 features two new Blush Radiance ($45) shades: #9, called a poppy coral, and #10, a pepper rose. I have press information that there's a third - a sweet sienna for darker complexions - but I have not seen it.

Oddly, YSL describes #9 as being for blondes and #10 as being for brunettes, with no mention of skin tone. This blonde loves #10. I tested #9 and liked it too, but I forced myself to select only one.

I have worn YSL's little quad blushes for decades. Over time, new colors have been created, and others re-promoted every few years. I wasn't sure when I saw the Fall Winter Display how these two had changed enough to be dubbed new. The sweet representative wasn't able to explain to me exactly what's new, although she mentioned reformulation. So I asked our regional rep, who provided me with information that shows the matte vs. shimmer shades (earlier incarnations were matte vs. satin) and focused on the new gold case, engraved like Pure Chromatics. There's also a relatively large travel brush that you can see in my photo below.

Promoted as a two-in-one product, Blush Radiance is a powder blush that combines two different finishes for "made to measure" makeup. If you wish to use only matte or only shimmer, though, You will find it difficult to select just that finish. The Blush Radiance compacts are relatively small, and I love big fluffy blush brushes. So, I always mix the finishes for a pretty, gleaming effect.

Adorn your cheeks with a sensual flush of color and light with this ultra-chic compact. The two powder textures, matte and shimmery, seamlessly blend to capture light and create a radiant veil of color on your cheeks. Incredibly versatile, this blush colors, contours, and highlights to create any effect, from natural to glamorous. The beautifully blendable formula contains self-adapting pigments that capture and transform light's intensity into a vibrant color source that complements any complexion. Remarkably silky texture blends beautifully for buildable, custom color.

I took swatch photos in full, mid-day sun. I swatched a heavy stripe with a sponge-tipped applicator at the top of my arm and then applied a lighter, more realistic swatch in a larger area below the stripe - hopefully to portray how the color would look when applied with a brush (although it's still applied a little too heavily). I mixed the matte and shimmer shades.

I think this dusky rose is gorgeous. When the shimmer and matte shades are mixed, a beautiful gleaming color results. This rose tamed for fall could become my go-to blush in September.

I'm thrilled with my new Blush Radiance. It's probably best that YSL hasn't made any bold moves away from its popular design of Blush Radiance. It has a history and legions of dedicated fans, myself included. I like new things as much as everyone else, but there are some staples of my makeup wardrobe for which continuity is comforting.

The collection has arrived at Neiman Marcus. I have not seen it available at other retailers, but I'm sure it will be available soon. I looked on the YSL Web site, but didn't find it.

Photos courtesy of YSL Beauté or by Best Things in  Beauty