YSL Friends & Family 2009 Event – Save 20%

So for the first time ever, YSL Beauty is hosting a friends & family event now through Deceber 20th, 2009. Save 20% off all orders plus get free shipping by using code: FF2009 at checkout! Be sure to visit YSL’s US Beauty Portal to get your shop on – I’m thinking now might be the time to order that Mascara Singulier I’ve been dying to get my hands on.

Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne Eau de Parfum Review

Morning everyone and happy Veteran’s Day! I’m hoping that most of you have the day off today and are at home enjoying a restful morning in bed – unfortunately I’m here at work as usual. So yesterday was my anniversary, hence the mini blogging hiatus, but I’m back today with a review of Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne Eau de Parfum which is my new fragrance love (and of course what I spritzed on my wrists last night before heading out to dinner).

Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne Eau de Parfum strikes that perfect balance of fruity and floral, blending notes of blackberry, cranberry, damask rose and sandalwood to create a playfully sexy scent.

The fruity tops notes comprised of cranberry and blackberry tend to dominate upon first spritz, but their tartness is quickly mellowed by the rose floral base. Post dry-down I lose a good bit of the fruitiness and am left with a fresh floral that keeps me sniffing at myself all day.

I actually happened to see the Parisienne commercial featuring Kate Moss being projected onto the side of the New York Public Library right by Bryant Park the other day which I thought was rather cool. The flickering black and white images and the chic ad were very evocative of the fragrance itself, which works wonderfully for both a woman my age (20’s) and a woman my mother’s age (50’s).

Nordstrom currently has this Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne Holiday Gift Set which I’m contemplating getting for myself as I’ve been enjoying this fragrance (and the lovely multi-faceted bottle) so much.

Other fragrances I love: Marc Jacobs Daisy, Burberry Summer, Antonia’s Flower Eau de Toilette, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom

This review contains a press sample sent to me by Total Beauty. I didn’t pay this much attention when it was released as I figured it would be heavily floral and therefore not really me (I love fruitier sweet fragrances) but turns out I was very wrong! My mother loves this too and keeps trying to steal it from me =P.

This post contains affiliates link. If you have any questions regarding the foregoing, please feel free to contact me at a.beautyful.sentiment@gmail.com.

ABS’ Five: YSL Exclusives From Saks

1) Yves Saint Laurent Skin Restoring Skincare Palette ($69): A skincare palette that combines two specialist formulae in one glamorous compact, to target skin affected by stress, pollution, climate changes and lack of sleep. This palette helps regain soothed, perfectly hydrated and smoothed skin. The upper compartment of the palette contains lip balm, while the lower contains facial cream. The compact is very reminiscent of my YSL Semi-Loose Powder which I actually still quite adore but if it’s just as bulky, I’m not too interested.

2) Yves Saint Laurent Instant Eye Wake-Up Patches ($52): Your must-have anti-fatigue beauty partner for fresh and radiant eyes. These ultra-fresh and transparent patches decongest, smooth and clarify the particularly delicate eye area. Fine lines appear smoother, skin around the eyes is left feeling moisturized and clarified and energized.

Lately my eyes have been in desperate need of some additional TLC ~ the insanely long hours that I’ve been working have been wreaking havoc on my complexion, and it’s definitely starting to show. These sound like they’d be a godsend!

3) Yves Saint Laurent Lip Re-Plumping Concentrate ($39): Smoothing concentrate visibly plumps lips and redefines the lip contour, to offer comfort, definition and radiance. Leaves lips looking well shaped, luscious and sensual, and feeling more supple and smoother. Fits perfectly into your handbag, to moisturize and beautify your lips at any time of the day.

Okay so that’s not five but I figured I go over so often that I’d stay under five for a change of pace! What do you think of these products?

New In The Mascara World: YSL Mascara Singulier & Estee Lauder Ultimate Red Turbolash

Yves Saint Laurent ‘Mascara Singulier’ Exaggerated Lift Mascara ($30)

A daring new interpretation of beautiful eyes. Glamorous volume, bold length, voluptuous curl and dramatic styling: Mascara Singulier dares to do everything. A unique innovation by Yves Saint Laurent, the mascara brush combines the technology of a traditional brush with the structure of a molded brush, to increase the performance of the formula: Structured in an elliptic way, the multidimensional bristles ensure haute-couture precision and dress the lashes evenly from root to tip. By coating the root of the lashes with mascara like a stroke of eyeliner, the brush creates a unique and intense new type of separation. Volumizing micro-spheres thicken the lashes, with provitamin B5 to protect, nourish and reinforce the lashes’ structure. Like hair extensions, nylon micro-fibers extend the lashes. A high-performance curling wax helps style the lashes for an ideal curve.

At first glance the applicator for YSL’s Mascara Singulier reminded me quite a bit of the oblique brush on Dior’s Diorshow Iconic Mascara, but having compared the photos side by side I’ve come to the conclusion that they’re actually quite different. I do feel like I’ve seen the exact same applicator on another mascara recently though – thoughts anyone?

Regardless, you all know I’m a sucker for YSL mascaras – Everlong and Faux Cils, while not perfect, are pretty amazing in their own rights! This is definitely on my “to try” list and I’m hoping to review it for you at some point.

Estée Lauder ‘Ultimate Red – Turbolash’ All Effects Motion Mascara™ ($32)

Turn it on. The brush does it all. For a limited time, Estée Lauder’s revolutionary, worldwide-first auto-powered mascara comes with sparkling Gold Effects. Goes on over your favorite black mascara for lashes that shimmer dramatically with flecks of gold.

When I spotted this on Nordstrom’s site my first thought was “Ewwww red mascara?!” so I was glad to see that this mascara is actually gold, not red. Now my second thought was – why do I need a vibrating gold mascara? And in reality I don’t, but this packaging is pretty darn festive and I don’t actually own a gold mascara…but I really shouldn’t get this for $32.

Spotted any new mascaras on the horizon as of late? Share!

Introducing YSL Gloss Volupte Sheer Sensual Gloss Stick SPF 9

Yves Saint Laurent GLOSS VOLUPTÉ Sheer Sensual Gloss Stick SPF 9 ($30)
Introducing YSL’s first gloss stick, combining the femininity and sensuality of a lipstick with the comfort and shine of a gloss. Colorshine complex and Candellila resin result in a transparent, non sticky shine. Thanks to fluid silicones and melting microcrystalline waxes, Gloss Volupté leaves your lips feeling sensual, silky and full of comfort. Pomegranate extract and a delicate Mango fragrance provide a delicious touch of freshness. Available in 4 transparent, mouth-watering shades.

I was all exicted when I stumbled across YSL’s new addition to the Volupte family, the Gloss Volupte. If you do a quick search of the blog you’ll see that I absolutely adore the Rouge Volupte formula – it’s creamy, highly pigmented, and really like no other lipstick currently on the market. I was expecting more of the same from the Gloss Voluptes, and Iced Lychee looked to be especially promising; from the swatch I was thinking it would be a milky creamy pale pink with a high shine finish. But after having seen some swatches of these I’m a little disappointed. I’ll still be checking these out in person but it looks like it’s not going to be the love at first sight I was expecting.

Some Purple Fun to Lift Me Out of the Doldrums

I know this isn’t the most work-appropriate EOTD I’ve done, but I’ve been feeling really blah these past few days. You know how it is – it’s a certain time of the month, people are being extra aggravating, nothing seems to be going right. I figured some semi-bright (this is the brightest look I figured I could get away with) eye makeup would perk me up and I think it’s already starting to work!

EYES:

• I was feeling uninspired this morning so originally planned to just wear my YSL Water Resistant Eyeshadow in Amethyst Grey (for the millionth time – see my review HERE) on its own. Good thing since it makes an amazing base! I used my finger to apply this all over my eyelids.

• I shook some Pure Luxe shadow in Amethyst onto the sample jar lid, swirled my Sephora smudger brush around in it to pick up the color, tapped off the excess and applied it to the inner half of my eye.
• Repeated the process with Pure Luxe shadow in Dusk and applied to the outer half of my eye.

Amethyst is in the top row, second from the left. Dusk is the right-most swatch in the top row.

• And then blended away!
• I topped the whole look off with two coats of Urban Decay’s Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara which I’ll hopefully be reviewing for you soon.

LIPS:

• For a hassle-free long-lasting look I slicked on some Revlon ColorStay Soft & Smooth Lipcolor in Pink Indulgence.

I’ve been in a bit of a gray rut lately so it was nice to break away from that and to get some color back into my looks. The YSL Water Resistant Eyeshadow in Amethyst Grey really made an amazing base, and if you own this I highly suggest trying it out as a primer. The smokiness of it really brings out the vibrancy of whatever shadows you layer on top, and I definitely noticed that Pure Luxe Amethyst looked prettier than ever over this.

And for those of you interested in the Revlon lipstick (I’ll be reviewing it soon) it’s currently available at Walgreens for 40% off, bringing it to $4 and change = dirt cheap! It’s a really nice light pink that’s super long wearing without being drying for the lips — I’m really loving it!

Yves Saint Laurent Water-Resistant Eyeshadow in Shade 2 Amethyst Grey Review & Swatches

Yves Saint Laurent Water-Resistant Eyeshadow/Fard Lumiere Aquaresistant ($28.50)
Yves Saint Laurent FARD LUMIÈRE AQUARÉSISTANT Water-Resistant Eye Shadow dresses the eyelids with long-lasting, luminous, and water-resistant color. The aqueous-gel texture feels fresh upon application and dries down to a shimmering veil of color that can be layered for a look that’s as intense as you desire. The air-tight pot keeps the formula moist so that every application looks fresh and luminous.

Not to be gross, but I quite easily have the oiliest eyelids known to man. I’m talking oiliness that eats through any and all shadows, primers, liners, mascaras, and anything else you could think of to apply to the eye area. So when it’s comes to claims of budge-proof, smudge-proof eye products I’m always simultaneously intrigued and skeptical.

I’ve been testing out YSL’s Water-Resistant Eyeshadow in Shade #2 Amethyst Grey during the hot, humid, and overall stinky weather we’ve been having as of late. Read on to find out how it holds up!

Photo with no flash. See the photo below to get a pretty good idea of what Amethyst Grey looks like in person.

The Packaging: I must say that I love the sleek square packaging YSL’s got going on here. The screw top makes for an air-tight seal, ensuring that the product within doesn’t end up all dry and desiccated, and the lucite-like bottom gives the product a refreshing, cooling look to it which goes along with the whole theme of a light, fresh-feeling shadow that meant to hold up to splashing in the water. The brush that comes with this shadow stinks though, which was expected.

Close-up of Amethyst Grey in the pot.

The Color: Based upon Sephora’s swatch I was expecting a light lavendery amthyst hue with just a hint of underlying gray to it, and so was really disappointed upon opening up my pot to see this quivering blob of dark taupey gray matter looking back at me. But once I got past my initial chagrin, I succumbed to the prettiness that is Amethyst Grey. The shade is comprised of a light to medium grey with flashes of lilac that really makes for a beautiful, soft daytime smoky look, and the color really is buildable from just the sheerest wash of gray to a more pigmented lavender/grey with much more depth to it. Amethyst Grey has some soft shimmer and sheen to it and makes for an entirely appropriate work look.

Swatch of Amethyst Grey – it’s tough to capture on camera because of the sheen.

The Formula: YSL’s Fard Lumiere Aquaresistants are rather pricey at $30+ after tax, but the formula is spot on and really lives up to its name. Once dry this water-resistant formula truly resists all any smearing, smudging, creasing, and other unpleasantness all day and night without the aid of any base or primer.

The texture of Fard Lumiere is akin to a light whipped eyeshadow, albeit a bit more liquidy that I’d expected, and it applies easily and blends well using a smudge brush (or pretty much any dense brush you have lying around). I checked my eyelids periodically throughout the day and there wasn’t a crease to be seen for the 15 hours that I wore this — pretty remarkable I’d say!

I took a photo of my eye with only the YSL shadow in Amethyst Grey on so you can get an idea of what this looks like on the eye, although as I mentioned it’s very hard to capture and not nearly as nice on film as it is in person:

And while I liked the look I felt that it was lacking a little extra oomph so I topped it with my Jill Stuart Jelly Eye Color in Moon Shadow (review HERE) which is essentially a much lighter, much much sparklier version of Amethyst Grey for some added fun:

The Conclusion: While YSL’s Water-Resistant Eyeshadow wasn’t 100% what I was expecting it to be, I’m really loving the formula and the ease of use. Most morning I just don’t have time to apply an eyelid primer and then eyeshadow, nor do I have the energy to be checking on my eye makeup throughout the day to ensure that it isn’t creasing, so YSL’s new waterproof release kills to birds with one stone. While the shade range is disappointingly limited (four in all), I highly recommend these if you’re looking for some long-lasting color this summer!

Some ‘Haute’ New Products for Spring 2009

Dior ‘Haute Couture’ Palette ($80)

The inspiration: Dior’s luminous spring fine leather accessories. Now, beautifully reinterpreted into a luxurious travel case filled with the ultimate diva essentials for lips, face, cheeks and eyes: a multitone sun powder for allover glowing, a sculpting Golden Touch eye and cheek highlighter, a juicy coral-melon tinted gloss and two brush applicators. Zip it up and get ready to glow.

Dior Addict ‘Lip Glow’ Color Reviver Balm ($28)

Nobody will ever kiss quite like you with Dior’s sensationally sheer lip balm that responds to the color chemistry of your own lips to create a shade uniquely yours. Smooth it on to moisturize, add sun protection and enhance your own natural lip color instead of hiding it. A summer Dior sensation.

I don’t think I can live without this!

Dior ‘Diorshow Iconic Extreme’ Waterproof Mascara ($27)

Dior’s classic, lash-curling black Diorshow Iconic Extreme Mascara is now waterproof! Even more long-wearing. Even more smudge-proof. Even more irresistible. Plunge in. Play all day. Beat the humidity. Get swept away with new Iconic Extreme Waterproof Mascara.

Yay this is finally available in waterproof! Check out my mascara series to see my thoughts on this one!

Yves Saint Laurent ‘Trésor d’Afrique’ Collector Lip Color Palette ($62)

Inspired by the warmth and exoticism of African shores, this summer’s must-have lip palette is filled with five pearlized shades to give your lips a luminous shine. Palette contains three lipstick shades (pearly pink, shiny orange and fuchsia) and two lip gloss shades (pearly plum and light shimmery pink).

Yves Saint Laurent ‘Trésor d’Afrique’ Collector Eye Palette ($62)

Inspired by the warmth and exoticism of African shores, this summer’s must-have eye palette is filled with pearlized shades to give you a luminous look. Palette contains five shades: beige, turquoise, plum, navy blue and toffee.

Bobbi Brown Sheer Color Cheek Tint ($22)

Bobbi’s new Sheer Color Cheek Tint gives cheeks natural-looking color. The translucent, lightweight formula glides on and blends evenly into skin. Packaged in a swivel-up stick for convenient and easy application.

Bobbi Brown ‘Sheer Color’ Gloss ($20)

Bobbi’s newest gloss formula is super-sheer and super-wearable. The see-through finish makes it easy for any woman to wear the season’s punchy shades.

YSL Perfect Touch Radiant Brush Foundation Review & Swatches

Yves Saint Laurent Perfect Touch Radiant Brush Foundation ($55)

YSL’s Perfect Touch Radiant Brush Foundation was one of those products that came pretty close to being that perfect foundation for me, but of course inevitably ended up falling short. Not that I’m complaining because I’ve since moved on to Kanebo Sensai’s Fluid Finish Foundation which is pretty much HG material for me.

The Packaging: I was initially drawn to YSL’s Perfect Touch because of the (at-the-time) unique packaging with the built in brush–which I later realized I couldn’t stand. It made for a somewhat streaky finish, was rather unsanitary and seemed to waste a lot of product. But that problem was easily remedied–I just plucked it right off–see the photo below to see how to remove the brush head.

The Formula: So at first I really loved the formula. It left my skin feeling nicely hydrated, evened out all my imperfections, didn’t turn my t-zone into an oil-slick midday and had a gorgeous scent to it. Unfortunately I realized that the shade #5 Peach really just wasn’t working for me, yet all the various SA’s I visited with insisted that this was my color, and none of the others seemed to work that well for me either. #5 just had waaaay too much yellow to it, plus around midday my face would turn this strange, I’ve-used-too-much-self-tanner burnt-orangey shade that wasn’t too pretty. And I know other people have had issues with this oxidizing on them as well.

Blob of YSL Perfect Touch in #5 Peach

Blending

All Blended

The Verdict: I wouldn’t repurchase because (1) I’ve discovered the Kanebo which is not only fabulous, but cheaper than the YSL, and (2) I’m not too crazy about foundations that change colors on my skin after a few hours. Which is a shame because freshly applied, this foundation looks rather beautiful on.

Mascara Series Part 18: Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils Review & Photos

Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils/Luxurious Mascara for a False Lash Effect ($27.50)

Remember my “Which Eye?” post from late December? Well apparently I didn’t since I totally forgot to review this mascara for you! I never did reveal which mascaras I was wearing that day, so here it is at last. On my left eye I’m wearing YSL’s Faux Cils, and on my right I’m wearing YSL’s Everlong. Wondering how the two compare? Read on to find out!

The Claim: Yves Saint Laurent’s Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Luxurious Mascara achieves an intense, dramatic lash look in a single stroke, for lashes that stop traffic with the blink of an eye. Its secret is the Triple-Film Complex: a film-coating for intensity, a conditioning film for curve, and a fixing film for long-lasting effectiveness.

The Brush: Faux Cils’ brush applicator combines nylon fibers of varying diameters which are meant to provide luxurious volume enhancement. While there’s onthing particularly wrong with the applicator, I didn’t find myself swooning over it the way I do over YSL’s Everlong. It doesn’t give me the lift, separation, and incredible definition that Everlong’s nubby little bristles give me, though it definitely wins in the volumizing department.

The Formula: If you’re looking for some pretty dramatic length and volume, Faux Cils may just be the mascara for you. YSL’s best-selling mascara gave me some pretty voluptuous volume, but it comes at a price! Unlike my beloved Everlong which never, ever, ever clumps (not even after the tenth coat), Faux Cils begins to clump after the third coat or so. I do love the blackness of the formula though, and of course the great volume and length that I can get with this. It doesn’t hold a curl, at least for me, but very few mascaras do for Asian lashes. As for flaking and smudging, I experienced none–a defnite improvement over the Everlong formula which smudges after an hour or so no matter what I do.

The Verdict: I’d been wanting to try YSL’s Faux Cils for years, and so of course I’d hyped it up quite a bit in my head, which is why I may have been a little let down by how “really good” it was. I was expecting a fantastic, amazing, blow-my-mind with its fabulosity mascara, especially for $27.50, and while Faux Cils delivers on its promises of great lasting power and a dramatic effect, I’m just not wowed. It feels a little heavy, a little clumpy, and looks a little messy, so all in all I probably won’t be repurchasing.

RATING: 3.75/5

Related Posts:
Read Parts 1-17 of the Mascara Series here! I’ve also added a “Mascara Series” tab up top so you have easy access to it at all times!

• Part 17: Maybelline Lash Stiletto Review
• Part 16: Maybelline Colossal Review
• Part 15: Hourglass Superficial Lash Review
• Part 14: Bourjois Liner Effect Review
• Part 13: L’oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Review
• Part 12: Kiss Me Heroine Make Volume & Curl Review
• Part 11: Max Factor Lash Perfection Review
• Part 10: Lancome Oscillation Mascara Review
• Part 9: Max Factor Volume Couture Mascara Review
• Part 8: Diorshow Iconic Mascara Review
• Part 7: Exceptionnel de Chanel Review
• Part 6: Givenchy Phenomen’Eyes Review
• Part 5: Shiseido Mascara Base Review
• Part 4: Chanel Inimitable Review
• Part 3: Diorshow Review
• Part 2: Yves Saint Laurent Everlong Review
• Part 1: Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Review
• And see my cursory review of Guerlain’s Le 2 de Guerlain Holiday Mascara here.