YSL Kiss & Blush Lips & Cheeks - #5 Rouge Effrontée and #7 Corail Affranchi

Is there any makeup-loving woman out there that doesn't appreciate the idea of a dual-use lip and cheek product? I think for most of us, the experience doesn't always live up to the claims. What feels lovely on the lips tends to slide off the face, and what sets to a beautiful, seamless stain on the cheek has us reaching for lip balm every 17 minutes.

Kudos to YSL for creating a product that strikes the perfect balance between the two, with their Baby Doll Kiss & Blush Lips & Cheeks.

Promotional background photo courtesy of YSL/L'Oréal

Packaged in a bottle that doesn't quite convey either blush or lipstick, it looks almost like some bizarrely elegant offspring of a swanky nail polish bottle, the Clarins Instant Light Liquid Blush, and YSL's own Glossy Stain packaging. It's cool and feminine and vanity-table appropriate.

I like it.

I like what's in it even more.

Left to right: YSL Kiss & Blush Lips & Cheeks #7 Corail Affranchi and #5 Rouge Effrontée

Left to right: YSL Kiss & Blush Lips & Cheeks #7 Corail Affranchi and #5 Rouge Effrontée

The applicator is a slightly chubbier, more oval version of the Glossy Stain one, albeit with a perforation in the middle for catching and holding a bead of product. This helps in picking up the amount required when withdrawing it from the bottle. (One downside I foresee with the packaging is getting the last bits out.)

The shades featured here are #5 Rouge Effrontée, a candied, pink-toned red that applies lighter and softer than it appears in the bottle, and #7 Corail Affranchi, which is a muted apricot that plays almost like a nude with my particular colouring. I thought it would be too orange-toned for me, but it actually looked amazingly natural. 

Left to right: YSL Kiss & Blush Lips & Cheeks #5 Rouge Effrontée and #7 Corail Affranchi

The texture of the Kiss & Blush is unusual. If the Benefit Tints could be whipped up, this is sort of the result you'd expect - liquid yet mousse-y, dense but instantly spreadable.

As a blush, it has a lovely translucency that looks soft and sheer on the skin. My preferred method for applying cream or liquid blushes is with a duo-fibre brush, and with this formulation, the result is especially natural. Very much the kind of water-colour flush you see in paintings of frolicking milkmaids. The finish is a soft matte, meaning no shimmer, but very gently light enhancing. (If you're curious, I dab the brush directly over the applicator to pick up the product needed.)

This can be built up as well, but I would recommend some care at first, as it does dry fairly quickly. That would be the main drawback to this formulation - if you don't work quickly or carefully, you can wind up with some splotchy-looking cheeks.

(You can also apply and blend out with your fingers, as you prefer.)

Left to right: YSL Kiss & Blush Lips & Cheeks #5 Rouge Effrontée and #7 Corail Affranchi

It applies to the lips in much the same manner as a liquid lipstick, but with a smoother feel. It "pushes" across the lips easily, with none of the goopy drag of a lipgloss. It can be dabbed on lightly with a finger for a minimal stain, but applied straight it has medium to full opacity.

The "soft matte" finish here is especially cool. It initially looks more satin, and then matte as it dries - yet this is one of the plushest matte you're likely to find. If a matte finish could be pillowy, that's what it would be. My lips actually looked fuller and plumper, almost more hydrated. (A note here that the formula is not actually hydrating, just the look it creates.) It's sort of in between sitting on top of the lips and absorbing, and I suspect there's some silicone in there creating that feeling. Whether you like the sensation or not is a matter of preference, but I believe that's what gives it that cushy finish.

The formula stands up for a solid work day on the cheeks, and for several hours (though not a meal) on the lips. It has a faintly floral, sweet scent, which is less strong than the Glossy Stain fragrance.

YSL Kiss & Blush Lips & Cheeks #7 Corail Affranchi

YSL Kiss & Blush Lips & Cheeks #5 Rouge Effrontée

Availability - YSL counters at select Hudson's Bay and Holt Renfrew stores, as well as certain Murale and Sephora locations. Price is 40$ USD and 45$ CAD for 10 ml/0.33 oz. (For comparison, the Glossy Stains are 38$ CAD for 6 ml/0.2 oz.)

Have you tried this new-fangled formula yet? Are you a fan of the duo-function, or are you sticking to separates?

Personally, I have to say that while I really enjoy using this product as a blush, I am especially a fan of how it functions as a lipstick.

(Items were provided by the brand/PR. All opinions are my own, this post is not sponsored or compensated.)