Guerlain Pink Punk Rose Aux Joues Blush Duo

No one does face color quite like Guerlain. Fall 2012 brings a new range of blushes, Rose Aux Joues Blush Duo, in six color combinations. Each compact includes two shades. According to Guerlain-

"One vibrant shade adds a pop of color to the cheekbones while its smaller counterpart can be mixed or used for a striking contrast."

The two shades in Pink Punk, my choice from the collection, offer the most contrast among the six options. That wasn't really the reason I decided on this particular compact. It was more about the colors I knew I'll be most likely to use. To be honest, in the six or so weeks I've had Pink Punk I don't think I ever used the two shades together more than twice. I regard it more as two separate blushes: one is a vibrant pink to be used lightly to perk up the face; the small pan is a plummish suntan color, somewhere between Lancome's classic Aplum and Benefit Dallas, only with a finer texture and a very delicate barely-there glow.

I think I'd have preferred that the two pans were of an equal size. It might have something to do with liking the darker color more than the hot pink. Speaking of the plum shade, I wouldn't recommend using it to sculpt  and contour the face if you're in my range of green-olive undertones. Instead, I use it as a an extra color, like a light tan. The result is very pretty.

Guerlain Rose Aux Joues Blush Duo has beautiful semi-matte texture that melds with the skin and looks almost natural. The compact contains a not-too-horrible angled brush (goat hair, I think) that will work in a pinch, as long as you make sure to blend the color upwards and avoid the 1980s blush lines. The metallic compact is heavy and luxurious and has a velveteen pouch for protection.

Bottom Line: nice to have.

Guerlain Pink Punk Rose Aux Joues Blush Duo ($50) is available at the counters.