A couple months ago I received a sample trio featuring Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres Glossy Stains [holy cowzers, long name!] in № 7, 9, and 11 as part of a GWP bundle. Today I was going through my stash and thought it would be a good idea to swatch them and maybe post a brief review.
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| Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres Glossy Stain (left to right) – № 7, 9, 11 |
YSL claims this “revolutionary new lip product combines the texture and shine of a gloss with the long wear of a stain”. In 2012, Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain received Allure magazine’s “Best of Beauty” award for “Best Lip Stain”.
These stains have a consistency of very thick lip gloss, which can be a bit hard to spread evenly using the default applicator, so I recommend scooping the product out with the wand and using a lip brush to spread. At first I didn’t see any gloss, but a few minutes after the pigment sank in, my lips looked very smooth and shiny. If like me you have lines on your lips, this particular formula makes them less visible, and I love that!
The product does have a fragrance, it’s that heavy rose scent typical for YSL makeup. It’s a bit too strong for me personally, because I kept noticing it for hours after the initial application, so other people must have smelled it too. The stain part is fantastic: it makes the color look bright and vivid for a long time, even after the buttery gloss is gone. If we count the stain effect, each of these three shades lasted over 7 hours on the lips!
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| Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres Glossy Stain (top to bottom) – № 7, 9, 11 |
No. 7 Corail Aquatique can be described as a shimmery peach with neutral undertones. It’s a very lovely shade that can easily be worn day to night and for any occasion.
No. 9 Rouge Laque is your classic warm red, it’s a very bright shade for those brave enough to rock it. I love the way it looks, and probably would even wear something like that for a special occasion.
No. 11 Rouge Gouache is the vampiest of the three, and is best described as deep cherry red with blue/pink. It’s the kind of color that makes your teeth look whiter. A nice perk!
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| On the lips Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres Glossy Stain (left to right) – № 7, 9, 11 |
Now about the negatives. I noticed on Sephora’s website it says this product doesn’t contain phthalates, but a quick look at the ingredient list reveals Polyethylene Terephthalate. It’s considered safe, and that’s what your water bottles are made of, but still I think it’s false advertising. Just sayin’!
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| On the lips Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres Glossy Stain – № 7 Corail Aquatique |
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| On the lips Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres Glossy Stain – № 9 Rouge Laque |
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| On the lips Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres Glossy Stain – № 11 Rouge Gouache |
THE VERDICT
I’m telling you, these GWPs are dangerous, you’re always at risk of falling in love with fancy new products 🙂 While my credit card is quietly weeping in the corner, I’m going to try and figure out which colors I want to pick up from the available selection, because I am now convinced I need to own at least one full-sized tube. Long story short, I’m very impressed with long-lasting formula that also masks my lip lines. I’m not a huge fan of the fragrance, but I’m willing to look past that, because Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain makes my lips look and feel amazing.
PRODUCT RATING
92%, A-
Formula 8/10 | Application 8/10 | Pigmentation 10/10 | Longevity 10/10 | Product 10/10
PRICE & AVAILABILITY
$32 USD for 0.2 oz. Available at Nordstrom, Sephora.
Ingredients:
Octyldodecanol, Aqua / Water, Trimethylsiloxyphenyl Dimethicone, Ethylcellulose, Sorbitan Stearate, Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sucrose Cocoate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Silica, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Calcium, Sodium Borosilicate, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Alumina, Benzyl Benzoate, Anise Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, Tin Oxide, Fragrance. May Contain: Ci 77891/ Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Ci 15850/ Red 7, Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499 / Iron Oxides, Ci 17200 / Red 33, Ci 15985 / Yellow 6, Caramel, Ci 42090/ Blue 1, Ci 19140/ Yellow 5, Ci 75470/ Carmine.
