Lip Lust: YSL Glossy Stain in Fuchsia Dore

I finally got the chance to try some of the New YSL Glossy Stains this week and I thought I’d share my experience with you.

As a teenager, I was a die-hard YSL girl, with Touche Eclat, Effect Faux Cils and their lipsticks or glosses dominating my Christmas and Birthday lists every year.

Since I started blogging, I’ve discovered so many new, fantastic brands that YSL have taken a back seat in my makeup obsession. However these new Glossy Stains (or Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres Glossy Stains to use their full title!) may be about the change all that, as I can honestly say that these are some of the most unique and really rather unusual lip products on the market at the moment!

They are a super pigmented type of stain-gloss-lipstick hybrid and there is most definitely an art to applying them. If you’ve seen any patchy swatches online, this is most probably because they’ve slapped them on quickly and taken a photo.

The trick is to apply them in three stages (Some say two, but I find three is better). First apply a thin coat and buff it into your lips to stain them evenly. Then apply a second coat to build the colour (First Photo). Finally, I like to apply a third coat to get a super glossy, plumped finish (second photo)

As you can see, the pigmentation and finish of these is simply stunning, and they last a seriously long time. Like all YSL lip products, they are quite highly scented. Personally I love the scent but I know it won’t be to everyone’s taste. The shade shown here is No.14 Fuchsia Dore, a beautiful deep Fuchsia. 

Below is a picture after 4 hours of wear (and lunch!)

…and 6 hours of wear (and another cup of tea!)

As you can see, the stain is super strong and it fades really nicely throughout the day (On a side note, If you swatch these on your hand in a shop, you ain’t getting them off all day… be warned!)

Overall, I’m a huge fan of these. I did spot a rather strange thing though… Did anyone else notice that the colour looks a little different between the swatch, when freshly applied, and after 6 hours?

I was baffled by this and thought I might be going a little mad, until I came back to the swatch I’d done on a piece of paper half an  hour after I’d taken the photo.

It seems to have oxidised and the colour has changed from a bright fuchsia, to a more reddish hue, and finally a violet tone! Anyone else find this very odd? I know foundations are known for oxidising but I’ve never seen it like this with a lip colour!

Overall, I think this product is fantastic. It’s a unique formula, it gives great colour payoff and it stays for hours. Yes it’s pricey at £22.50 but so are all high end lip products. Out of all the others on the market, I’d say these are one of the few high end lip products that truly deserve the price tag.

The one criticism I do have is for the packaging. YSL packaging is normally some of the most beautiful, but personally I think having the black section makes it look a little less glam than their other products (hello, Rouge Volupte!)

What do you think? Has anyone else tried these, or will you be purchasing one? I’d really recommend taking a look at them next time you pass a counter. There are 20 shades to choose from so there’s bound to be a colour (or three!) to catch your eye. I’m really interested to see how the lighter shades perform.