Jul 18, 2012

YSL Vernis à Lèvres / Glossy Stain #1 Violet Edition.



the Yves Saint Laurent Vernis à Lèvres or better known as Glossy Stain in #1 Violet Edition (6ml/~30€) is my latest conquest of these. i've already shown you #8 Orange de Chine and #15 Rose Vinyl some time ago and still have a few on my "to-do"-list.
since early this year i wanted to sport a really really dark vampy lip, but never found the right tone or formula for me. so when YSL came out with their shiny lip stains, my hopes were up to find a suitably dark colour that would actually be effortless to wear due to its long-lasting quality.

the day i graduated from med school (June 5th ;D) i single-mindedly headed out to the counter to get my statement lip. it's really funny and childish now that i think back, but that day i felt like i would make my point and everybody shall see it from 1 mile afar hahaha. like chopping your hair off after a break-up - and, in some way, it felt to me like i would end a long relationship at that moment. and i felt free and mature and proud of myself and as a matter of fact brave enough to display a lip as dark as a black hole. but not black.


2 layers - remaining stain


i picked up #1 Violet Edition after a quick hand-swatch and carried it home with a big smug grin. i was dedicated to wear this colour out as soon as possible. well, many occasions later and it still hasn't seen the light of day or heard the beats of the night. and my smirk has quickly faded also.
it's a vibrant fuchsia pink stain with a dark aubergine purple gloss and that's the problem - it just doesn't work. as you can see from my lip swatches below, it appears very patchy and settles into my lip lines, making them look quite creepy.  even the stain left behind is uneven. i tried my best application-wise, tried to layer thinly and thick, tried exfoliating and hydrating, tried blotting and then applying, but nothing helped. still a patchy result. i refrain from using any base underneath as i believe a stain can only last its best when applied directly on bare skin.

to analyze the problem: 1. the stain is too light for a result this dark. 2. the gloss is dark, but too sheer. 3. the gloss isn't self-levelling and lets the lighter stain peek through unevenly. 4. the dark gloss settles in the lip lines. 5. the super reflective quality of the gloss makes the result seem even more patchy.

i do really love the intensity and the tone (it's darker than in the top pic & first comparison photo, those are overexposed), but i'm so irritated because of the overall result. looking at it from 1-2m away it seems fine, but if i look closer, i feel bothered.
i couldn't even test the staying power, but the stain is pretty strong.
i want to wear this colour so much, i think it would look phenomenal on fair skin. it would be such a great A/W shade as well.

but you tell me now: is it tolerable? what could i do to improve it?

i only held on to it since it has a meaning to me and i haven't given up yet. bummer! i didn't plan to be disappointed by any of the Glossy Stains!

oh yeah, don't forget to check Drivel about Frivol for her "perfect vamp". i slightly like the idea of vamp shade in classic lipstick, but i'm too clumsy to keep it neat for long and too lazy to reapply...








tihilw

girly - vampy









and lastly the obligatory Kristen Stewart face for a lip this dark.



74 comments:

  1. Die Farbe sieht wirklich richtig vampy aus und ist zu dem schwarzen Spitzenoberteil und deinen dunklen Haaren eine tolle Wahl!

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  2. Die Farbe ist ohne Frage einfach wunderschön und passt perfekt in dein Gesicht.
    Aber bei so kräftigen Farben muss die Textur schon mitmachen, sonst siehts wie gewollt und nicht gekonnt aus. Schade.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hach, ich lieb' die farbe auch so, aber die ungleichäßigkeiten verunsichern mich wirklich. :(

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  3. I don't own anything from YSL but that packaging is too pretty!

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    1. really? i actually dislike YSL packaging quite a lot so i only buy YSL products if it's something beyond amazing ;)

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    2. I don't like YSL's packaging, either! Even I know some of the products are good, I still can't Their packaging.... I heard they are going to change their name, but I don't know if they are gonna change the packaging or not.

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    3. yeah, they should change the packaging first and foremost! the logo is the lone good thing about it. a cult classic and harmonious in itself (wouldn't it be in a granny burgundy shade or in the worst case, on the half blue/half red ground). they wanna call themselves "Saint Laurent Paris" or so, don't they? maybe that only applies to the clothes/accessories but not to the cosmetics/perfumes?

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  4. It's A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.on you! Lovely, makes me want to buy it as soon as possible.

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    Replies
    1. wow, really? thanks! you should definitely apply it onto your lips before you decide to buy though, otherwise you might be disappointed in the end! i have some problems with the texture.

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  5. This is the colour I like the most myslef and, imo, the best colour ever! It looks stunning on you, I love the pictures!! The colour makes you vampy but classy and 'I love it' so much <3

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    1. thank you Claire!!! do you have problems with unevenness like me? or maybe i'm just over-reacting?

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    2. sadly, I do, lol. I use a thick layer of eye cream underneath, which makes the stain apply better and also, my lip-eye cream combo keep the product in place. I kinda 'have' to make this texture work for me: 3 layeres for full coverage, between each (thin layer) about 2 minutes drying time. I am not a huge fan of those stains but #1 is amazing!! I hope you can make it work for you because you rock this shade! <3

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    3. wow, that's a lot of effort you bring up to make it work! i'll try exactly like you, though! btw, what eye cream do you use?

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    4. yes it is but this colour is so pretty and worth it (I don't have 'that' much of a problem with the lighter colours though). I use my Bobbi Brown repair eye cream (which was a fail on my eyes), its thick consistency works great for my lips + stain. I also use either caudalie vinexpert (serum) or sisleya (cream) (which I use both on my eyes as well). I think the drying time is very important between those layers, because the consistency is so thin.

      I wish those stains were better, I always wanted some nice colours after I tried (and love) hourglass! I hope it will work dor you, because, as I said (lol) this colour looks amazing on you!

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    5. i really love hourglass, but i hesitated to buy their stains because of the weird applicator. do you have any problems with it?

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    6. it works really well actually. no problems and I like the applicator better than ellis faas for example. it's a shame they don't have more colours! they can be drying on 'dry' lips though, but it doesn't need as much attention as YSL #1 and it works perfectly with lipbalm underneath.

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    7. uh, that's mean. now i need it. you mean Scarlet, right? is it really dark? i'm on the black cherry lips - hunt now ;) and i see it's not too expensive... *rubshandstellingly*

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    8. tbh, I like all three colours ;) scarlet is not that dark, they can be applied very sheer, like a very soft stain (can be layered though), they all look kinda natural. Beaute also has some stains (harlot and fever are very pretty) for both, cheeks and lips ;)

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    9. hmm, i'd like it really dark now ;) will get Scarlet first! and Beauté also sounds good, i always wanted to test their stains but never came 'round to... will go and check some swatches later. thanks for your suggestions!

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  6. I know what you mean about it bothering you so close up but really from a normal distance it really does look phenomenal on you! I wonder if the stain would set through a light layer of lip liner applied all over the lips to help even it out. I think the minor amount of settling in the lip lines somehow works with this look though. Like it should be like that.
    Have you tried two very light layers waiting for it to set in between. I find that the best way to apply the glossy stains? I know you mentioned you played with layering but wasn't sure if you let it set in between?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i actually haven't tried the colour over a lip completely covered with lipliner yet. in fact i don't own any lipliner as dark. that's my next attempt, but i need to go on the hunt for a dark lipliner first!
      i always apply my Glossy Stains like you described. first a thin layer, let it set without pressing the lips together, then a second thin layer. it still went blotchy. also if the second layer is thicker or if i do a 3rd thin layer. and also if i don't let it set. always uneven. :(
      it surprises me that i get so much positive feedback, though, and gives me some confidence to accept the result as it is.
      thank you for your encouragement! ;)

      Delete
  7. This is absolutely beautiful on you from a 'normal' distance but the details would annoy me too.
    Have you tried (I suspect so, you are intelligent and thorough lady):
    Shaking this well before application?
    Applying VERY thin layers with a separate lip brush, letting each set without smooshing lips together in between coats?
    If not lipbalm, then maybe a tiny bit of eye cream patted into lips before applying this?
    Tweaking the shade of the stain with a lip pencil underneath?

    I have to say, this was my first and is still my favourite Glossy Stain, so I'd love for you to love it too!

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    Replies
    1. thank you Kate!
      not only did i shake that thing, i also stirred it. and also applied in every thick/thin/let-it-set/don't-let-it-set/smooshing/not-smooshing-combination i can think of, but i never used a separate lip brush as i always liked this applicator (also tried to dab on with the fingers, though). will also try your recommendation with the eyecream as i only let lip balm sink into my lips before. and will go and get a really dark lip pencil to have an accurate base colour (as i didn't own a liner this dark yet).
      i will make it work! Tchakka!

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  8. Super schöne Bilder, du siehst so hübsch aus! ♥
    Ich mag die Vernis à Lèvres total gerne. Diese Nuance wäre mir für mich persönlich allerdings zu dunkel, dir steht sie ganz ausgezeichnet. :)

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    Replies
    1. Vielen Dank, Constanze! Vielleicht kommst du ja auch noch auf den Geschmack ;) welche Farben sind deine Lieblinge?

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  9. i have no 17, a bright blue pink and I understand your frustrations. especially with a lighter colour, if you touch your lips together while they are drying it can create patchiness. the colour is also a little uneven on me but from a normal viewing difference I think it looks fine.

    I do love it though for a vinyl look without the gloopiness of gloss!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes, i can imagine that there will be a similar problem with the very light shades of the line, especially if one has pigmented lips. that's why i always avoided #18&#19.
      i never press my lips together while letting these set, so i'm even more frustrated that it still gets blotchy :(
      otherwise, i also love the non-sticky formula that still provides lots of colour and shine.

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  10. Replies
    1. *o* (what a cute little thing! i'll blatantly snatch it from you now ;P )
      so much unexpected positive feedback! thanks!!

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  11. Die Farbe ist echt cool. Auf einem Foto wirkt es allerdings rötlicher als auf den letzten beiden.

    Ich suche schon die ganze Zeit einen Lippenstift, der ungefähr in die Richtung geht...
    Sollte allerdings nicht zu sehr in Richtung Schwarz gehen.

    Kannst du da zufällig noch weitere empfehlen?

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    Replies
    1. Dankeschön Kalianha! ich habe bereits im posting darauf hingewiesen, dass sowohl das erste foto als auch das vergleichsfoto mit den dunklen lippen überbelichtet ist und die farbe deswegen heller erscheint als sie es in echt ist. die letzten 3 bilder sowie die lip-swatches sind dagegen sehr farbgetreu. auch ich taste mich an diesen farbbereich erst langsam heran, dies ist meine dunkelste lippenfarbe bisher. daher kann ich keine großen erfahrungswerte vorweisen und dir was vorschlagen. selbst schaue ich gerne bei Guerlain, aber zum testen habe ich auch zuerst in der drogerie gesucht. hierzu kommt noch ein Maybelline-posting. wenn du diese 2-phasen-dinger magst, kann ich auch Manhattan empfehlen. oder halt als ganz normalen lippenstift mal bei Catrice schauen, ich habe selber nur ein paar ältere aus der zeit vor der großen sortimentsumstellung.

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    2. Danke für die schnelle Rückmeldung. :)

      Muss zugeben, hab den Artikel nur fix überflogen. ;)

      Also, wenn der so wäre, wie auf dem ersten Bild...wäre es für mich ein Träumchen gewesen.

      Aber vielleicht sehe ich ja in Zukunft noch ein paar Variationen, die in diese Richtung gehen bei dir, so lange werde ich mich wohl auch noch umschauen müssen.

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    3. gar kein problem ;) ja, also ich bin mir sicher dass es hier noch weiterhin über solch intensive farben zu lesen geben wird. ich hab feuer gefangen! :)

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  12. I do see the unevenness up close when I look for it, but I think it looks just fine from a normal distance - even the up close pictures aren't bad. When I first saw the pictures, I thought this post was going to be a rave review for the gorgeousness - I was surprised to read that it's not working for you!

    I might buy this, actually - I love it so much on you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. haha, i post about something that i'm not satisfied with and few readers are actually tempted to buy it XD

      gives me some confidence though that it doesn't look as bad as i personally thought!
      thanks!!!

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  13. Die Farbe ist wirklich schön. Perhaps all it needs is some getting used to.

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    Replies
    1. thanks, Marox! i get quite the same feeling since most of you seem to like it! maybe i really only need to get accustomed with this "look". i'll do a posting about another dark lip soon and let you decide, ok?

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  14. Ich bin absolut kein Fan der Produkte, die sind grausig, aber die Farbe ist ja 'n Knaller und sieht soooo gut an dir aus.

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    Replies
    1. Danke, Anna! welche farben hast du denn probiert? mir geht es nämlich ganz gegensätzlich zu dir: ansonsten liebe ich die dinger und bin zum ersten mal enttäuscht! man sollte sich wirklich eher an die mittel-dunklen töne halten, die hellen scheinen nämlich auch ein flop zu sein.

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  15. Lol at the last sentence, you do remind of her with your expression in the last picture.

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    1. lol, i really hated that pic at first but the more i looked at it, the more interesting it seemed. quite moody. and then it reminded me of this grumpy young lady and got a funny touch ;) eventually it even made it into the final post, as you can see!

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  16. the plum lips are super elegant and sexy.
    u look like a movie star!

    Say meow to me on:
    Miss Kwong: From Catwalk to Classroom

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oh wow, thank you! and meow! look who follows your blog ;)

      Delete
  17. I love the lip color. Perfect. I have to go get it. Congratulations on your graduation.
    What foundation are you wearing? It looks great too. On another note, what do you think of Lancome teint Miracle liquid foundation in comparison to Chanel Teint Innocence Fluid Foundation(i know its discontinued), but which one do you prefer.
    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you! wow, you're the 4th who wants to get this lip colour even though i wrote that i'm not actually satisfied with it ;) but now i'm almost ok with the result thanks to you all!
      and then thank you for your congratulations.
      as for foundations: in the pictures i wear the Le Métier de Beauté Classic Flawless Finish Foundation, my newest favourite. i'll report about it very soon!
      except for the penultimate picture, there i was wearing the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation, another one that i still need to review.

      i also have reviewed both the Lancome Teint Miracle and Chanel Teint Innocence foundations, you can find the articles in my "Foundations"-overview post. but to compare, i prefer the Lancome one. its finish is absolutely even and flawless. both are equally dewy, though (Chanel has a gold pearl shimmer in it, Lancome a silver pearl).

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  18. Hmm, I get what you mean with the patchiness, but it's not very noticeable on the pictures. I actually really like it, it's really vampy for sure and the stain is so pretty too!

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    Replies
    1. haha, everybody is encouraging me - thank you! i will try to see it from a more relaxed perspective ;)

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  19. I see what you mean, but you could always claim it's intentional? :D

    Have you tried applying it, then blotting it off with paper and applying a normal gloss on top?

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    Replies
    1. ;) that's a nice idea! i haven't tried it as stain only with another gloss on top. i find the colour of the stain too light and i opt for a darker colour, but don't have another lipgloss that is as dark yet. that's a really good suggestion, though!

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  20. I very seriously thought at first glance that that first picture was the advert for the glossy stain. I actually think it looks rather lovely on you! I love the lacy top you paired with it! You're just beautiful :)

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  21. first of all, your last "kristen stewart face" picture made me LOL! you nailed down her expressionless face.

    second, you look absolutely gorgeous wearing that shade! some lip products are bothersome up close but just looking at the pictures, wow... beautiful :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes, i don't do horse-manning or planking or bat-manning, i'll just kristen-stewarting ;P

      and thanks for your cheering words! i'm definitely feeling more comfortable with this Glossy Stain shade now that everybody is encouraging me!

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  22. The color really is stunning on you!

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  23. wow! die Farbe steht dir zu gut! grandios
    liebe grüße

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    Replies
    1. ^^ Danke Karo, ich sollte mich dann wohl öfter an solche farben herantrauen!

      Delete
  24. LOL kristen stewart pose. well its a shame the formula doesnt work. i seriously love this shade. i wish the stain were darker to match the gloss. i dont do lip products or fun colors but if i do it will only be a dark vampy shade like this. if you would have said the formula was perfect and that the stain matched better i would have snapped this up. ill stick with dior's black tie plum gloss, i plan to get it when it gets to fall weather :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. that's exactly my thought! if the stain was a bit darker, it would be less obvious that the gloss is uneven -.- i also tried to buy a darker stain to put it on as dark base first, but in the drugstore i was unable to find a stain as dark as i want it to be and i'm not willing commit to a luxury brand stain just for this purpose :I
      but you know what? all the positive comments here made me sway a bit and boosted my confidence to just wear it as it is.
      so i'll still recommend you to go and try it on :)
      i'll go and check your dior plum gloss now ;)

      Delete
  25. oh my god what are you talking about, it looks awesome on you!! actully, maybe it's just because you're not used to anything that glossy. but that just gives it some attitude. really stunning! i must look into this. i hope it's no limited edition...

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    Replies
    1. thanks so much for your cheering words, Lenita! you and all the other readers gave me so much confidence to accept this colour, i'm super surprised that i seemed to be the only one whom it bothered ;) will wear it proudly now ;)

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  26. Hi!
    Die Farbe steht Dir ausgezeichnet.
    Ich verstehe, was Du mit "patchy" meinst. Doch ich finde, dass das Gloss dadurch irgendwie modern und interesant aussieht. Eben nicht wie ein normaler Lippenstift oder Gloss flächig aufgemalt. In der "Markoaufnahme", in der man sich dann im seinem Vergrößerungsspiegel betrachtet vielleicht nicht perfekt, aber normal betrachtet bekommt der Gloss eine richtig tolle Dimension.
    Auf jeden Fall vor die Haustüre führen, bekommst dann bestimmt genauso viele Komplimente wie hier ;)!

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    Replies
    1. Hallo Lene,
      vielen Dank für's Mutmachen! Nachdem ich hier so viele liebe Kommentare erhalten habe, fühl' ich mich echt ermuntert, die Farbe so zu tragen wie sie ist und mich nicht mehr durch das, wenn auch ungleichmäßige, Finish stören zu lassen ;) Und so wie du es sagst bin ich tatsächlich auf den Geschmack gekommen, es genauso zu tragen, gerade weil es nicht so flächig ist wie die "anderen"!

      Delete
  27. Beautiful! This shade looks great on you and pairs well with your black lace top :)

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  28. This darker shade suits you excellent, you look really radiant!:)
    p.s. Pretty blog, it's my first time here...
    Happy Sunday!
    xoxo
    Jelena

    ReplyDelete
  29. WOW! That looks fantastic on you! I think I need to add that to my list of the next glossy stain to get. I have #13 and LOVE the wear but that's a hot pink/fuchsia color. This would look amazing in the fall.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Maria! I was just drooling over your duty-free purchases yesterday ;) #13 is certainly an "out-there" lip colour!

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  30. I agree with all the other posters, this really does look phenomenal on you! I've been indecisive about getting this shade but your pictures have won me over! The stain left behind looks really pretty too! Do you find this product drying? If you are looking for a lip liner to use underneath it, may I suggest Mac Burgundy? It isn't drying at all and I always use it with Mac Dark Side to help give a more precise shape or even by itself for a matte vampy look :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you so much!
      i don't find these Glossy Stains drying at all, the gloss becomes a bit balmy as it dries down.
      and thank you for the lipliner recommendation! i'll surely swatch it the next time i come across a mac-counter.

      Delete

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