YSL Spring Look 2011 Rouge Volupté

This spring is the season for pink! Forget what you read about orange. The beauty companies were thinking pink. YSL's Spring Look for 2011 puts pink front and center with four new Rouge Volupté Lipsticks ($34).

Rouge Volupté, an award-winning lipstick, is wrapped in a romantic, elegant gold case that exudes luxury. Each signature shade saturates lips with captivating, intensely pigmented color that imparts a glossy shine. The long-lasting, comforting formula is highlighted with a unique "Color-shine Complex" that leaves lips visibly smoother, plumper, and more radiant. The light, silky texture smoothes on a veil of satiny color that’s altogether alluring. The companion mirror on top of the case ensures easy application any time, and with the SPF 15, you can wear it knowing your lips are protected.

I prefer the newer formula, Rouge Volupté Perle, introduced last fall. There's something about the finish I like on myself. That doesn't mean I don't like Rouge Volupté! I purchased two of the four shades featured for spring. The four shades are #7 Lingerie Pink (very light), #8 Fetish Pink, #19 Frivolous Pink, and #29 Opera Rose. My selections were #19 Frivolous Pink and #29 Opera Rose (see the update below). I shopped (again!) with assistance from my favorite sales associate at Neiman Marcus at Tysons Galleria. She helped me with my choices.

These lipsticks are bright, and the color is saturated. They are much more pigmented than the lipsticks I prefer. However, every time I wear a bright pink lipstick, I get lots of compliments. I think brights "pick up" my pale face, so I plan to try to wear them more often, particularly now, when I look a little weary.

You can see in my swatch photo (taken indoors) that #19 Frivolous Pink at the top is a true baby pink. It definitely belongs in the blue-pink family. #29 Opera Rose is well-named. It's a pure rose pink, and I think it's stunning - the winner of the four, in my opinion. These are bold lipsticks to my eye. They don't whisper "Spring is coming." They shout it from the rooftops!

You can find the YSL Spring Collection at the YSL Beauté Web site and in department stores now. I will be featuring other pieces from the collection in the coming days. I have saved my favorite for tomorrow.

Just an FYI...you will find a 5 Colour Harmony for Eyes in Indian Pink on the display. It's very pretty. It is a re-release, not new as the YSL Web site claims.

Update 1/23 at 9:00 pm: Looks like these two lipsticks are re-releases too (one of my pet peeves, when cosmetics companies list colors as new when they aren't). See the comments. Opera Rose was launched a year ago, while Frivolous Pink came out in 2009.

Photo at top courtesy of YSL Beauté