YSL Ultramarine Long-Lasting Waterproof Eye Pencil

While I know photos, swatches and reviews of the new Yves Saint Laurent Metal Eyes palettes might be more popular, I really wanted to share this eye pencil first, because there's something interesting about them. If you're a fan of the limited edition Giorgio Armani gel eyeliner pencils and have already used the ones you got to a tiny stub (or you simply might have blinked and they got sold out right under your nose), these YSL liners might cheer you up a little.

I don't know if the formula of the YSL waterproof eyeliners is exactly the same as the Armani ones, but they're exceptionally similar (remember both cosmetics companies are part of L'Oreal)- the gel consistency that gives a liquid-like finish, the intensity, tenacity and ease of use. So far I only bought one YSL pencil, this one in Ultramarine (#3), so I can't do a side by side comparison of the black and other colors, but I suspect it'd be hard to tell them apart. Both Armani and Yves Saint Laurent are waterproof, last from early morning to night without budging and don't smudge.

You need to keep the pencil sharpened for precision (they come with a sharpener in the box, which is very very nice), because otherwise you'll find yourself with a wonky uneven line you cannot smudge. The color sets instantly and stays there, whether you use it on your lid or on your waterline. And have I mentioned yet they're waterproof?

I love the shade of #3 Ultramarine. It's dark enough to give all the definition one wants and yet not too harsh and has a nice brightening effect. I think dark navy blue and very dark green are my best bets for daytime eyeliner colors, not that it would stop me from getting the black and brown once there's nothing left of my poor Armani pencils.

Bottom Line: a must have (and a better deal than Armani).

YSL Long-Lasting Waterproof Eye Pencil ($25) is available from yslbeautyus.com and YSL counters.

All photos are mine.

Yves Saint Laurent L'Homme

There's a whole genre of modern men's "cologne" that completely baffles me. They usually come from major designer fashion labels and they all smell the same. They sell like hot cakes, you smell them n the well-scrubbed necks of young men in urban bars and lounges, as well as on suburban dads toting their offspring and the weekend groceries in and out their 4Runners. They all smell like an unidentifiable citrus, watery violet leaf and a very fake woody vanilla that is supposed to translate to "yummy" but never does. I doubt I could ever tell them apart in a lineup.

Yves Saint Laurent L'Homme is one of them. What I mostly get from it is an aquatic-ozonic opening and the artificial sweet violet leaf thing. It smells like a watered-down, faded by countless laundry cycles  perfume my father* might have worn at some point decades ago- a zombie, frankensteined version of Grey Flannel, Furyo and   Acqua di Gio, and that is as bad as it sounds.

The dry-down, once the ozonic notes go away is easier on my stomach. I understand why men who don't know any better and their partners who themselves tend to wear and buy whatever is marketed most heavily at the moment would buy this. After all, it's an Yves Saint Laurent, it smells familiar and the bottle is cool. I just wish they did know (and smell) better.

Dane of Pere de Pierre don't always agree about specific fragrances (though it often seems like we share the attitude). In the case of YSL L'Homme, we're fully on the same page. His review is here.

*My dad nowadays happily sprays himself with Uncle Serge's Gris Clair.

Yves Saint Laurent L'Homme ($43, 1.3oz) is available at Sephora and most department stores. I've had several samples lying around that came free from various stores.

2006 YSL L'Homme ads starring Olivier Martinez from couleurparfum.com

YSL Ombre Duolumieres 19 Oatmeal/Petroleum Blue Eye shadow Duo

A quick rummage through my eye shadow drawers revealed that No.19 Oatmeal/Petroleum Blue is not the first Yves Saint Lauren eye shadow duo I own from the Ombre Duolumieres line. No.1 (Heavenly Beige/Astral Brown) was released for Holiday 2009 (it's become a permanent item) and is a very elegant evening item with loads of gold shimmer. No. 19 Oatmeal/Petroleum Blue has a very different texture- an almost creamy powder, no shimmer, and is quite more versatile as far as I'm concerned.

I adore the texture of this YSL duo- it's the most luxurious matte you can find, very easy to blend and manipulate, stays on all day over a primer and doesn't show any signs of wear and chalkiness. The two colors in 19 Oatmeal/Petroleum Blue are very pigmented- even the neutral/cool beige shows beautifully. The blue is quite dark and rich, requires good brushes for detailed work and makes a great outer v/crease/liner color- and a superb option for a blue smoky look. I have many blue shades in my makeup wardrobe, but none that is even similar to Petroleum Blue- a matte navy with just a hint of teal/green. The closest one I have is NARS Rajasthan, but the texture is different (and it's more black-based).

I find this Yves Saint Laurent eye shadow duo to be a superior alternative to NARS Rajasthan. Don't get me wrong- I still like the NARS duo, but it's hardly a daytime product and the texture is not nearly as luxurious. Both do wonders to make brown eyes pop, though- this shade of blue is very flattering in all iterations. I wear the oatmeal color as an all-over wash or a base color, sometimes supplement with any of my favorite taupes for depth where needed, and add the blue as an accent or a liner- blending and smoking it out as needed.

Bottom Line: As pretty as it gets.

YSL Ombre Duolumieres ($41) can be found at Sephora and most decent department stores.

All photos are mine.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick No.20 Rouge Flamme

This is completely unrelated to that hideous Sephora /YSL newsletter from the other day. Yves Saint Laurent released a Sephora-exclusive shade of the wonderful Rouge Pur Couture lipstick formula- No. 20 Rouge Flamme. It's a red berry shade with just enough plum  in the base (easier to see in the swatch than in the tube) to make it easy to wear for me. It's a great winter color (who am I kidding? I'm going to wear it year-round) that's great for brightening up dreary days and freezing nights.

The formula and texture of Rouge Flamme are the same as the other Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks I own: long-lasting, comfortable to wear without drying and feature a beautiful satin finish. It's a bold and assertive color, but one that has a good chance to look flattering on many faces. Just make sure your skin is flawless (dark lipsticks are notorious for making blemishes stand out like Christmas lights), add a thin line of black or dark brown eyeliner and mascara and you're all set.

Bottom Line: sophisticated.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick in No.20 Rouge Flamme ($30) is a Sephora exclusive, available online and in store.

All photos are mine.

Truth In Advertisement, Sephora-Style

Maybe I've been spending too much time (again) watching my old Buffy DVDs, but the look this model is sporting says to me "scary", not "couture" or "luxury". The kit itself, a YSL Sephora exclusive, looks quite lovely and very wearable, but this evil zombie queen is not really selling it to me. What's even more ridiculous is that once you take a good look at the model and the holiday kit, you realize the model isn't even wearing any of what they're selling. What's the point, then?

Image from this morning Sephora's newsletter.

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.