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