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.

YSL Vernis à Lèvres/Glossy Stain #8 Orange de Chine.

today i want to show the other colour of Yves Saint Laurent's Vernis à Lèvres that i bought: #8 Orange de Chine. i have just talked about the Glossy Stains in general a few days before, please read my previous post for detailed information (here). in short, they are lip glosses with intense pigmentation plus a lip staining effect - and phenomenal staying power.
they contain 6ml and retail for about 30€.

the packaging is nice and functional, the applicator very precise and easy to use.  

Orange de Chine is a very bright, intense orange with a coral tinge. it contains a subtle pink and pale gold shimmer which isn't really visible once applied.
swatched, both the gloss and the stain it leaves behind are quite orange, but on my lips its red tinge is more intense making it more wearable than i thought it would be. it's a very true vermillion when layered.
i imagined it to be more pantone-tangerine-tango-ish - i'm glad it isn't. i feel like everything is in this colour at the moment. it's like a BB-cream-hype. *rant modus off*
if i only dab it onto the lips sheerly with my fingers, Orange de Chine creates a soft peachy/coral stain which is easier to sport in daytime.
when i was doing a hardcore-staying-power-test it lasted 9 hours + (!) on me, without any touch-ups. of course it wasn't as bright as when i just applied it, but my lips were still a bit shiny and had remarkable colour although i followed my regular eating/drinking habits. normally i would wear the lip colour for about 6 hours before i reapply to refresh its impact and keep a neat look.
i really love my bright lip colours to stay on so fool-proof, these are an immense step up from the thicker, creamier long wearing lip colours from before (i mean these) and i much prefer them. i think the YSL Vernis à Lèvres are my favourite lip products of this year. even though i don't wear super bright lips so often - these work so amazingly well that i am really stunned.

one swipe of product with the built-in applicator - stain effect left behind when the gloss is swiped off

just so you know - Blogger seems to wash out the colours after i uploaded the photos, in real they are even a bit brighter than that!

i shot the lip swatches both on my super old compact camera and my not too old DSLR, the colouring seems a lot warmer in the compact cam but i still want to show you both versions - you decide.

1. bare lips

compact cam
 

DSLR

2. very thin first layer dabbed on with the fingers for a light stain effect

  compact cam
 

DSLR

3. second layer for full impact colour

4. 4 hours later

5. 7 hours after application

DSLR - with flash

i fixed the foundation around my lips but not the colour itself.

tihilw

bare lips - as a soft stain

full application - after 4 hours

YSL Vernis à Lèvres/Glossy Stain #15 Rose Vinyl.

when i saw the promotional pictures and rumours about this new product for the first time, i wasn't convinced at all but rather quite sure that i would pass on these. i'm not a huge fan of Yves Saint Laurent make up, and i have to admit it's mostly because of their tacky golden packaging. furthermore i'm not really a lip-product- or even a bright-lips-gal.
but when i started to obsess about plain lip stains about a month back (am so glad that i didn't throw out few of my older ones!), i totally jumped onto the Glossy-Stain-bandwagon.
these lipglosses come in a selection of 18 (+2 exclusive) mostly bright and juicy colours, they are a highly pigmented lipgloss and lipstain in one with a watery stain base that provides a longwearing colour on your lips even when the also quite longlasting gloss is faded.
the packaging is a short gloss tube (reminds of the Chanel Rouge Allure Lacques) with a - still a bit tacky - gold top and black tube with a see-through-window. the big applicator is really nice and allows an even and very precise application. the product contains 6ml and retails at about 30€.

thanks to the amazing swatches and reviews at KarlaSugar, Drivel About Frivol and The RaeViewer i could quickly decide for 5 or 6 shades i need in my life, of which i only acquired 2 until today.
this time i'll show you shade #15 Rose Vinyl, a bright summery pink with tiny shimmer that pulls almost fuchsia on me if i build up the colour.
i am truly impressed with these, they don't feel too sticky and heavy on the lips, can be applied as a light stain or built up to a super high impact lip colour with a moist, but not too glossy shine and they wear a super long time and even survive heavy meals.
when the gloss part is worn off after about 4 hours, i'm left with an even pink stain on my lips and get at least a few hours more wear with this. in fact there were even times when i had this product on for more than 8-9 hours, several meals included, without any touch ups. this is how i like to wear a bright lip - without having to worry about smudging and fading etc.
of course the colour is not as bright as before, but you're not left with your pale nude lips.
i don't know how to describe it properly, but the stain that these leave on the lips is not a normal watery stain but it's a bit creamier and so it still protects my lips and keep them hydrated - i never experienced any chapping with them.
all in all i think YSL has launched quite an amazing product with the Vernis à Lèvres / Glossy Stains, i was never a fan of any of their lip products (*cough* Rouge Voluptes *cough*), but i am LOVING these.

i am quite irritated why i haven't seen much coverage for these in the german blogosphere while they are so popular with my anglophone blogging friends and actually are fabulous!
is there some boycot i didn't get?

edit: forgot to say something about the scent of these. like any other creamy YSL product, this is also heavily scented which could bother many. it's a creamy fresh scent that is quite artificial and lingers around quite a long time after application. at first, it really distracted me since the smell was so strong, but to me it's not an uncomfortable scent and so i got used to it fairly quickly. i do believe that lip products and make up in general shouldn't be so heavily scented, it distracts from natural smells, it can cause headaches, it irritates your skin and your mucous membranes and doesn't add anything beneficial.

here the swatches and over-the-day-pics:

one swipe of product with the built-in applicator - stain effect left behind when the gloss is swiped off

FYI Blogger seems to "un-brighten" the pictures after i uploaded them, in real they are a bit brighter than that!

i made the lip swatches both on my super old compact camera and my not too old DSLR, the colouring seems a lot warmer in the compact cam but i still want to show you both versions - you decide.

1. bare lips

2. DSLR: very thin first layer dabbed on with the fingers for a light stain effect

3. compact cam: second layer for full impact colour

DSLR: second layer

4. compact cam: after about 4 hours and a really unhealthy, fatty meal ;P

the same with DSLR

tihilw

                                  1.                                  &                                   2.

                                  3.                                  &                                 4.

Yves Saint Laurent Crème de Blush #2 Powdery Rose

this is the Yves Saint Laurent Crème de Blush in #2 Powdery Rose. it was released with the spring look, i think (with 4 other shades).
i've been wanting to try one of these for some weeks now, but hesitated because i'm not really a cream blush fan with my oily skin. at this time douglas.de has a very nice GWP, so i was convinced ;)
the cream blush contains 5.5g and costs 36.95€.

*use the code 293DEDM to get 5€ off
*mobil548 for a rollerball perfume of Hilfiger Woman (7ml)
*HRM456 for a miniature Helena Rubinstein lipstick and a deluxe sample bottle of their biphase eye  make up remover (50ml)
*with every YSL order, you get a little cosmetic bag including a miniature bottle of Parisienne EdP (7.5ml) and a sample size Parisienne perfumed body lotion (50ml).

again, i don't like YSL's package design. very tacky plastic gold, very old-school emblem design (colourwise only - the placement of the characters is a classic). but this one is more okay, the solid acrylic jar takes away a bit of it's tackiness. the screw top closes tight, inside is a little colour matching pot which holds the cream.
i find the pot opening too small to fit a brush in it. it's ok to use it with your fingers, but even with my MAC 188-substitute by Sigma i can't get the whole brush surface into the cream. since i don't really like to use my fingers, i have to figure out another brush to use since it gets messy when i dip into the blush surface a second time with the brush that is too big but still has some product on it. although i like to use the small duo fibre brushes best for cream/liquid blush application.

the cream is of a warm strawberry pink colour without visible shimmer, it is medium soft and melts on your touch. it feels creamy, but silicony dry when blended out. it's not greasy like MAC's old Blushcremes, not as soft as the Maybelline Dream Touch Blushes but softer than Bobbi Brown Pot Rouges or NARS Cream Blushes. it has the same fresh and sweet watermelon scent like the YSL foundations.
it applies quite pigmented, but still has some sheerness to it. it blends out very easily and evenly, both with fingers and with a brush. blended out, it looses the creamy sheen and becomes a satin matte stain-like finish.
it interferes with your foundation, but doesn't make it look blotchy. i think people with problematic skin in the cheek area, like dark break out or acne scars should avoid cream blushes, because they will lessen the coverage of your foundation/concealer/camouflage there.
it gives me a natural light pink flush with an authentic skin texture. it lasts very well on my oily skin thanks to its stain-like  quality. it also hasn't irritate my skin, the few times i used it.
i haven't tried it on my lips yet, i also don't know if it's lip-save. it would make a lovely colour, though.
would i recommend it generally? yes, if you're a fan of cream blushes and want to toss out 30€+ for it. these have a lovely texture and good staying power.

YSL Crème de Blush #2 Powdery Rose in late sun: swatched heavily & blended out

this is how it looks applied:

particularly for this shade, i have a cheaper alternative for you: Top Shop Cream Blush in Flush is only a tad bit brighter, drier (silicony dry) and holds up a bit less - but only costs 6£.

Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink - YSL #2 - TopShop Flush - Essence Flowerkissed (Blossoms etc...-collection)

Max Factor Creamy Blush in Soft Pink - YSL #2 - TopShop Flush - Essence Flowerkissed