YSL Baby Doll Kiss & Blush lips & cheeks soft matte colour #5 Rouge Effrontee review and swatches

 As far as my make-up is concerned I like to make conscious choices. I take samples, compare shades in stores and read lots of reviews, but some products receive an equal proportion of bloggers' love and hate, which leaves me quite confused. And this is exactly the case with YSL Baby Doll Kiss&Blush Lips & Cheeks Soft Matte Colour.

When I bought this little beauty in shade #5 Rouge Effrontee I really didn't know what to expect apart from the fact that this was supposed to be used on lips and cheeks. Lack of expectations made it possible to enjoy the product and enjoy its benefits and avoid disappointment. 

First things first. What you notice immediately upon unpacking the product is the gorgeous nail-polish style glass bottle with a long gold handle. The teardrop applicator has a small cushion in the centre which is a kind of gimmick as I don't really see what it's supposed to do, but it looks nice. The applicator distributes the product well on the lips, while on the cheeks you need to need to stipple a couple of drops or draw a line and then blend.

Now on to the product itself. Shade #5 is a raspberry red with some warm undertones that made it look almost coral in the shop. Very pretty and equally wearable on lips and cheeks. The formula is like nothing I've used before. It seems closer to silicony primers than to glosses or other lip products. 

ON MY CHEEKS:

I tried various ways of applying the product and the best one by far is applying some product onto the back of my hand and then picking up some product with any make-up sponge (I use a cheap drugstore no-name wedge) and dabbing it onto my cheeks. When applied with a brush it left bald patches on my cheeks, which is generally my issue with cream products. Stippling the product onto my cheeks with a sponge allows even application, building up colour and seamless blending. This product performs well both under and over face powder (I wouldn't have tried it if it hadn't been for the lovely assistant at Sephora, who convinced me to do so). Many reviewers said that you had to work quick and do one cheek at a time, but I personally didn't notice any staining nor superquick setting time that would make the application process particularly challenging or troublesome. 

I really love what this looks like on my cheeks. It's very natural, it literally melts into my skin, giving me this lovely fresh flush. 

ON MY LIPS:

The colour is opaque and buildable for more intensity. The finish is not typically matte at first. It looks velvet matte and feels like a silicone primer, but as time goes by the colour definitely turns more dry matte. The product feels very comfortable on the lips. It's neither sticky nor gloopy like most glosses are nor as drying as matte lip products.

This is neither a lip stain nor a prolonged wear lipstick. It lasts on my lips for a couple of hours, then starts to fade very evenly. It doesn't survive a meal, transfers onto mugs, but that's fine with me, I didn't expect it do do anything else. 

straight after the application

I must say that I'm positively surprised with the product. It's probably the most successful combination of non-oily cream cheek product and comfortable, powdery matte lip colour on the market. I'm definitely getting at least one more of these in the near future.

about 2 hours and a coffee later

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.