24 posts tagged "YSL Beaute"
A Moment Of Magical Minimalism
With nail trends erring on the side of nominal after a Spring show circuit that made nude varnishes the polish protocol of the season, we’re trying to adopt a less-is-more mentality with our manicures. There are certain things that we’ll never part with, of course, namely classic shades of cherry red and deep shades of aubergine and bordeaux. But there are simpler ways to add a touch of excitement to tips without going overboard, and YSL just came out with a great one. As part of its Northern Lights holiday collection, the brand’s creative director of makeup, Lloyd Simmonds, has created a brand-new bottle of La Laque Couture. No. 33 Première Neige is actually a clear topcoat, rather than a pure pigment polish, that is flecked with micronized violet, midnight blue, and emerald shimmer in homage to the lunar highlights of the Aurora Borealis. It can be applied over any base—even shades of nude, if you’d like. We’ve become accustomed to wearing it on a clean nail, though, so that what appears as an unlacquered finger gives off a fleeting flash of sparkle when caught in a moment of reflection. It’s minimalism, at its most magical.
$25, available October 2012 at www.yslbeautyus.com.
The Blue Review
Colored mascara entertained a brief moment in the fashion limelight three years ago when it turned up on the Spring 2010 DKNY runway. Maybelline global makeup artist Charlotte Willer painted lashes a bright teal, and a slew of different strokable hues showed up at the retail level a few months later. Now, seasonal shades of deep greens and rich aubergines from brands like Givenchy and Estée Lauder have become somewhat par for the course. Mark our words, though: Colored mascara is about to be bigger than ever thanks to the royal blue gel Pat McGrath showcased at Stella McCartney’s Fall show. We’ve never actually entertained slicking our lashes with anything except glossy black or brown pigment until McCartney’s show in March, but we’re now on the hunt for the perfect blue mascara—which YSL has conveniently just released. Its new Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils Waterproof in #4 Majorelle Blue is a bold, medium blue, rather than a dark navy, so it actually shows up when you brush it on. As we learned in Paris, it’s best to start with a base of black and then build with the blue so the colored pigment has something to grab on to. And since this particular colored pigment is waterproof, it doesn’t smudge during the day—or night, which is when we plan on breaking it out. Get into it.
La Collection Lives!
In addition to building one of the most successful fashion houses in the business, Yves Saint Laurent left a pretty lasting fragrance legacy. Opium, his original spicy oriental that changed the perfume game in 1977, frequently appears on “most iconic” flacon lists, while newer launches from the brand, like 2009′s Kate Moss-fronted Parisienne, continue to earn scores of fans worldwide. But between the two scents lies a number of well-loved and unfortunately long-forgotten eaux that are now getting a new lease on life. YSL has just launched La Collection in the States, a lineup of eight classic, discontinued scents—four men’s, four women’s—that have been resurrected with new packaging and some prime counter space. For the girls, there’s 1964′s Y, a bergamot and iris eau; Yvress, 1993′s sparkling fruity floral with hints of nectarine and violet blossom; Nu, 2001′s orchid and incense standout; and In Love Again, 1998′s unique blend of blackcurrant, Muscat grape, rose, and peony. For the boys, there’s Jazz, 1988′s geranium and cypress-heavy masculine floral; M7, the patchouli-rich, woody scent that was one of the world’s first oud absolues when it launched in 2002; Rive Gauche Pour Homme, 2003′s sensual Gaiac wood and fresh lavender essence; and 1971′s Pour Homme, the lemon, mint, and oakmoss-kissed aromatic chypre that we happen to have on right now (some men’s fragrances are worn just as well on women). The whole lineup has been put into cubist packages, the women’s offerings in nude, matte-lacquered bottles and the men’s in a black matte finish, which makes them that much more collectible.
$105 each, available March 2012 exclusively at Yves Saint Laurent boutiques and online at www.yslbeautyus.com.
As Good As Gloss
Since bold lipsticks had a resurgence a few seasons ago, nearly every shade and finish has come back into vogue. Velvety matte reds, glitter-flecked pinks, and dark bordeaux sheers are a dime a dozen these days. But the kind of truly glossy, almost plasticine opaque bullets that would make a Robert Palmer girl proud still somehow manage to elude product developers. Tom Ford’s Private Blend Scarlet Rouge almost pulls it off, although to get the shock value of the pure crimson’s initial shine factor, you have to keep reapplying. The challenge with high-gloss formulas is that if they stay on, they are sticky and highly mobile, which means contact with anything—food, drinks, cheeks, turtlenecks—means instant smudging. In other words, they work great in photographs, less so on your face. But YSL is hoping to change all that. The French brand has just debuted its Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres. “It’s called Vernis because it’s like a nail polish for your lips,” YSL creative director of makeup Lloyd Simmonds said of the product’s almost lacquerlike effect at a recent demonstration of its reflective staying power. Available in 20 shades, the glossy stain benefits from the beauty industry’s very first implementation of ethylcellulose, a safe, sealantlike polymer that is used by the agriculture sector to give certain foods an appetizing shine. Devoid of sparkles, the resulting colors are extraordinarily glistening and glide on courtesy of a unique applicator with a wide and flat brush that has a pointed tip for precision. One coat imparts a long-lasting wash of pigment, while three coats gives you a cover shoot-caliber pout that is not coming off—and we mean that literally. An oil-based makeup remover and a good amount of elbow grease is the only way to smudge this color.
Beauty Throwdown: Battle, Highlighting Pen
When YSL enlisted makeup artist-turned-beauty entrepreneur Terry de Gunzburg (the Terry behind the By Terry product range) to create its Touche Eclat nearly 20 years ago, it was an instant hit. One part concealer and one part highlighter, the gold-encased pen inevitably ends up on anyone who is anyone’s makeup must-haves list for the way it manages to blur dark circles with light-reflecting pigments that leave behind a universally flattering sheen. Nearly two decades on, and Touche Eclat remains the top-selling item for the luxury line and has spawned more than its fair share of imitators. Some have come close, but none of them have been able to truly grasp the power of the original pen. That hasn’t stopped more and more brands from trying, though. The latest contender to offer up its own take on the cult favorite is Maybelline New York, which has just launched its Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer. And so, without further ado, we give you our latest product face-off.
The Original: First, let’s talk applicator. YSL’s is a substantial, gilded tube with a bottom click mechanism that emits a surprisingly satisfying sound every time it dispenses a bit of product. As far as the brush tip is concerned, the fibers used are gentle against the skin, even in those super-sensitive eye contours where we tend to pile on this silky-smooth highlighter, which never cakes or smudges. And with seven shades to choose from, every skin tone can get in on the action.
The Newcomer: Maybelline’s wand is significantly lighter-weight, making it very easy to wield. Rather than a click pen mechanism, this one works by twisting, which is slightly less satisfying, but just as effective. With equally soft, gentle fibers and a shade range of six neutral tones, the Dream Lumi Touch stacks up to Touche Eclat so far. But it’s with the formula that the real difference lies. Maybelline’s brightener/concealer hybrid, while smooth and readily absorbed into the skin, doesn’t have the same easy glide and silken formula of YSL’s, which means it’s not as efficiently manipulated after being dispensed. Also, while it functions beautifully as a concealer—it camouflaged some very stubborn raccoon eyes still left over from overzealous weekend revelry—the instant illuminating quality of its predecessor just isn’t there.
The Bottom Line: We have to commend any beauty brand for trying to reimagine an item that is such a beauty classic. And while Maybelline certainly manages to offer up an impressive contender, it just doesn’t match up to the radiant-infusing perfection that is the original YSL version. Perfection that, in our humble opinion, is worth every last one of the $40 it commands. But should you be in the market for a damn fine concealer, we encourage you to opt for the Dream Lumi; it is $8 very well-spent.