YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick I wrote about yesterday was not the only thing I purchased from the line. To test the waters I also bought one of the newly released Blush Volupte Heart of Light blushes in Favorite 5 [different sources also list it as Shade 5, 05, Light 05, and 5]. One look at the shade selection made me realize that I want them all. No, seriously, every single color is super wearable and universally appealing: none of them are too light or too vampy, and all are different enough to suit all complexions and undertones.
YSL says that “the most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion: the complexion is fresh and radiates from happiness. The true brilliance of these precious moments is captured in Blush Volupte Harmonies, as dangerous liaisons between pure color and light heart. All the magic is here: in the interplay of contrasts. Freed of opaque powders, color expresses itself without any constraint, while each brush stroke sculpts the feature in light.”
I bought this blush at Sephora sight unseen right when it came out, since there were no reviews online yet. I knew that I could pretty much ignore the picture for shade reference, but seeing how I liked all of them, I figured that even if the color is off, I will probably still enjoy it, and that’s exactly what happened.
On Sephora.com Favorite [they call it Light 05] looks like a beautiful coral with salmon “heart”, but in reality it’s more of a cool satin watermelon pink with shimmery baby pink center. It looks nothing like the stock photo, I even thought they sent me the wrong shade by mistake, and had to double check on the back. The formula is very slightly on the powdery side; even the softest brush seems to kick up more product than you need. Silky-smooth texture of the blush blends really well without sharp edges, and allows for buildable intensity without the cakiness. It really gives my cheeks a natural-looking luminous flush without the glitter.
The pigmentation is light to medium, so it’s very hard to over-apply. If you like more intense-looking blushes, this one is probably not the best choice, but for everybody who likes natural look, Blush Volupte might become a gateway drug into the dangerous world of luxury beauty. I’ve had mine for several months and I use it almost daily, so the pan shows a visible dent now, that’s how much I love it.
The longevity is okay. This blush will definitely fade a bit if I plan to wear it from 6am and past midnight without touch-ups, but it will stay put from 9 to 5 just fine. By the way, these blushes smell like roses! That scent isn’t noticeable at all during the application or wear, but you’ll easily identify it if you smell the pan.
The packaging is not as weighty as it seems in the pictures – the gold part is plastic, but it’s good quality and doesn’t feel cheap. Each compact comes in a velvet pouch, and features a nice big mirror and a tiny brush. I used to always mock the companies that include these mini blushes and say that nobody uses them, but actually, a lot of people still do. My mom, for example, doesn’t own separate makeup brushes, and uses whatever comes in her compacts and kits; and I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who do the same.
Do you need this? If you like to wear a natural makeup look on most days, you should certainly check out Blush Volupte. The range of colors is fantastic, and all of them are universally flattering. I wouldn’t put it in the same category of must-haves as I did with YSL’s Rouge Volupte Shine lipsticks, but it’s a very good quality blush that feels nice and wears well; it will definitely become one of your most used makeup products.
PRODUCT RATING
86%, B
Formula 9/10 | Application 10/10 | Pigmentation 8/10 | Longevity 8/10 | Product 8/10
PRICE & AVAILABILITY
$47 USD for 0.31 oz. Available at YSL Beauty, Sephora, Bloomingdales.
