YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick No.14 Rouge Feu

As promised, here's another YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick. This one is No. 14, Rouge Feu, which is a little more red and dramatic than Rouge Saadi (#3). You can see Rouge Feu is warmer, though it definitely doesn't have an orange undertone and isn't even tomato red. Fire red? I guess so, but maybe not quite. It's a great color anyway, one of those almost-universal reds that would look good on a wide range of skin tones.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture is part of the new generation of super-lipsticks. All have a wonderful texture- gentle on the lips and often moisturizing while providing an excellent coverage and lasting power. Rouge  Pur Couture has a more limited range of colors compared Chanel Rouge Coco, but lovers of red, fuchsia or orange have a good chance of finding at least one shade to rock their world.

Bottom Line: an(other) instant classic.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick ($30) is available from most decent department stores.

All photos are mine.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick No.14 Rouge Feu

As promised, here's another YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick. This one is No. 14, Rouge Feu, which is a little more red and dramatic than Rouge Saadi (#3). You can see Rouge Feu is warmer, though it definitely doesn't have an orange undertone and isn't even tomato red. Fire red? I guess so, but maybe not quite. It's a great color anyway, one of those almost-universal reds that would look good on a wide range of skin tones.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture is part of the new generation of super-lipsticks. All have a wonderful texture- gentle on the lips and often moisturizing while providing an excellent coverage and lasting power. Rouge  Pur Couture has a more limited range of colors compared Chanel Rouge Coco, but lovers of red, fuchsia or orange have a good chance of finding at least one shade to rock their world.

Bottom Line: an(other) instant classic.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick ($30) is available from most decent department stores.

All photos are mine.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick No.14 Rouge Feu

As promised, here's another YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick. This one is No. 14, Rouge Feu, which is a little more red and dramatic than Rouge Saadi (#3). You can see Rouge Feu is warmer, though it definitely doesn't have an orange undertone and isn't even tomato red. Fire red? I guess so, but maybe not quite. It's a great color anyway, one of those almost-universal reds that would look good on a wide range of skin tones.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture is part of the new generation of super-lipsticks. All have a wonderful texture- gentle on the lips and often moisturizing while providing an excellent coverage and lasting power. Rouge  Pur Couture has a more limited range of colors compared Chanel Rouge Coco, but lovers of red, fuchsia or orange have a good chance of finding at least one shade to rock their world.

Bottom Line: an(other) instant classic.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick ($30) is available from most decent department stores.

All photos are mine.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick No.3 Rouge Saadi

Rouge Pur Couture is the newest addition to YSL's lipstick wardrobe and it might just be their best offering so far. This is a new formula that feels deceivingly light weight while giving full coverage (at least in the darker shades I tested), an almost glossy finish and is very comfortable to wear. Rouge Pur Couture glides on effortlessly (I'd still recommend using a brush for red and dark purple colors that demand perfection) and coats the lips beautifully without pooling in lines and scars. I wouldn't call this YSL lipstick creamy or very hydrating, but it definitely protects the lips and maintains their moisture level.

Many of the shades offered in the Rouge Pur Couture range are variations of red, allowing just about everyone to find a perfect red. Rouge Saadi (#3) was among my first choices. The swatches on the YSL website are misleading, so I'm glad I got to test all of them at Barneys in NYC (my favorite Yves Saint Laurent counter. The service is always excellent). Rouge Saadi is a soft warm red that does not lean towards orange. You can see it compared to Rouge Feu (#14, reviews and more photos coming in a separate post soon). It perks up my face and lends itself to elegant looks without being too dramatic. I love it with an almost nude eye makeup (neutral allover wash, thin black liner and a little mascara) and a soft neutral blush- it's a good everyday red for my coloring.

Bottom Line: A beginning of a beautiful friendship.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick ($30) is available from the company's website and many department stores. Sephora also carries the line, but though Rouge Saadi is not offered there.

All photos are mine.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick No.3 Rouge Saadi

Rouge Pur Couture is the newest addition to YSL's lipstick wardrobe and it might just be their best offering so far. This is a new formula that feels deceivingly light weight while giving full coverage (at least in the darker shades I tested), an almost glossy finish and is very comfortable to wear. Rouge Pur Couture glides on effortlessly (I'd still recommend using a brush for red and dark purple colors that demand perfection) and coats the lips beautifully without pooling in lines and scars. I wouldn't call this YSL lipstick creamy or very hydrating, but it definitely protects the lips and maintains their moisture level.

Many of the shades offered in the Rouge Pur Couture range are variations of red, allowing just about everyone to find a perfect red. Rouge Saadi (#3) was among my first choices. The swatches on the YSL website are misleading, so I'm glad I got to test all of them at Barneys in NYC (my favorite Yves Saint Laurent counter. The service is always excellent). Rouge Saadi is a soft warm red that does not lean towards orange. You can see it compared to Rouge Feu (#14, reviews and more photos coming in a separate post soon). It perks up my face and lends itself to elegant looks without being too dramatic. I love it with an almost nude eye makeup (neutral allover wash, thin black liner and a little mascara) and a soft neutral blush- it's a good everyday red for my coloring.

Bottom Line: A beginning of a beautiful friendship.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick ($30) is available from the company's website and many department stores. Sephora also carries the line, but though Rouge Saadi is not offered there.

All photos are mine.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick No.3 Rouge Saadi

Rouge Pur Couture is the newest addition to YSL's lipstick wardrobe and it might just be their best offering so far. This is a new formula that feels deceivingly light weight while giving full coverage (at least in the darker shades I tested), an almost glossy finish and is very comfortable to wear. Rouge Pur Couture glides on effortlessly (I'd still recommend using a brush for red and dark purple colors that demand perfection) and coats the lips beautifully without pooling in lines and scars. I wouldn't call this YSL lipstick creamy or very hydrating, but it definitely protects the lips and maintains their moisture level.

Many of the shades offered in the Rouge Pur Couture range are variations of red, allowing just about everyone to find a perfect red. Rouge Saadi (#3) was among my first choices. The swatches on the YSL website are misleading, so I'm glad I got to test all of them at Barneys in NYC (my favorite Yves Saint Laurent counter. The service is always excellent). Rouge Saadi is a soft warm red that does not lean towards orange. You can see it compared to Rouge Feu (#14, reviews and more photos coming in a separate post soon). It perks up my face and lends itself to elegant looks without being too dramatic. I love it with an almost nude eye makeup (neutral allover wash, thin black liner and a little mascara) and a soft neutral blush- it's a good everyday red for my coloring.

Bottom Line: A beginning of a beautiful friendship.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick ($30) is available from the company's website and many department stores. Sephora also carries the line, but though Rouge Saadi is not offered there.

All photos are mine.

YSL Blue Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils

This will be the last blue mascara review for a while. I tested and loved quite a few- blue mascaras have definitely come a long way since the 80s and its pretty easy to find a good one. The general rule is that brands that make a good mascara are more likely to offer something nice in blue.

I loved the black YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils from first testing. It's a great volumizer and holds a curl beautifully. It comes in several shades and Number 3, Extreme Blue is one of the options (there's also a blackened navy which I haven't tried. Yet). Obviously, on very dark lashes the color is not that bold, but it stands out a little more than the Buxom blue mascara that looks similar on the wand. This is probably due the thicker YSL formula that gives lashes a heavier coat. Still, it's very wearable and not loud at all- the blue just brightens things up a notch and looks pretty against beige and champagne eye shadows.

Volume Effet Faux Cils is quite resilient and stays on nicely, though I had one smudging occurrence (in three months of testing) after touching my eyes on a super humid and rainy day. From what I understand, the Volume Effet Faux Cils performs better when it has something unto which it can hold. It might not be the one if your lashes are very sparse, but for me it's an ideal product because it boosts the appearance while the blue shade is keeping things from looking too harsh or dramatic.

YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils mascara ($30) is available from select department stores, Sephora and the company's website.

All photos are mine.

YSL Blue Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils

This will be the last blue mascara review for a while. I tested and loved quite a few- blue mascaras have definitely come a long way since the 80s and its pretty easy to find a good one. The general rule is that brands that make a good mascara are more likely to offer something nice in blue.

I loved the black YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils from first testing. It's a great volumizer and holds a curl beautifully. It comes in several shades and Number 3, Extreme Blue is one of the options (there's also a blackened navy which I haven't tried. Yet). Obviously, on very dark lashes the color is not that bold, but it stands out a little more than the Buxom blue mascara that looks similar on the wand. This is probably due the thicker YSL formula that gives lashes a heavier coat. Still, it's very wearable and not loud at all- the blue just brightens things up a notch and looks pretty against beige and champagne eye shadows.

Volume Effet Faux Cils is quite resilient and stays on nicely, though I had one smudging occurrence (in three months of testing) after touching my eyes on a super humid and rainy day. From what I understand, the Volume Effet Faux Cils performs better when it has something unto which it can hold. It might not be the one if your lashes are very sparse, but for me it's an ideal product because it boosts the appearance while the blue shade is keeping things from looking too harsh or dramatic.

YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils mascara ($30) is available from select department stores, Sephora and the company's website.

All photos are mine.