YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain - Swatches and Review

Being prone to dry lips, I prefer my lip products to be of the hydrating variety but I love intense colours as well. So when YSL released their hybrid technology Glossy Stains last year – it just met all my lip needs.

This new generation of hybrid lipstick/gloss/stain technology with amazing wear just captivated me. I know there are countless reviews of the products already out in the web, but I’ll just add in my two cents today and explain why I love them so much!

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain is marketed as:
"a technological breakthrough, a must-have with an exceptional hold. Fresh and light, the texture does not run, streak or fade. Lips show off a new kind of shine, they are infused with show off a new kind of shine, they are infused with colour. The pleasure is reinforced by an extraordinary feeling of comfort."

Glossy Stain is packaged in a bold black plastic rectangular tube with a clear window on the panel to indicate the shade of the product with a gold applicator lid on top and a red embossed YSL logo.Overall, it feels weighty, practical, sturdy and looks classy – all things you would expect from a high end product and from YSL albeit not as luxurious as their other lip product packaging (hello Rouge Volupte Shine!).

The applicator itself has a tapered flatten tear-drop shaped sponge tip, which works very well for depositing the product on lips brushing out to cover and blend, and when turned on the side, the brush does a great job of defining the edges of the lip.

The formula is the stand-out factor of the product. It has a faint and pleasant rose/floral scent when applied to lip, feels initially watery with a bit of slip, giving it that smooth and moisturising feeling without any sticky or tackiness. Texture wise, it feels feather-light on lips . I actually feel like I’ve applied a conditioning lip balm rather than a siren screaming lip colour. It doesn’t give a glassy gloss finish but the mid-shine finish and really adds moisture to any dry lips.

Glossy Stains also delivers the most amazing shot of colour, gliding easily on application to provides sheer (one coat) to complete coverage on my medium pigmented lips, something I rarely see with gloss products and would only get with lip stains and lipsticks.

Not only is the initial colour intense, the staying power is amazing. Once applied on lips, this stuff lasts through all day of normal wear, even with eating and drinking without much fading at all (which easily equates to 4-6 hrs if I had to give a number). Seriously, the gloss factor may wear off but the colour survives through the whole lunch or dinner course. Of course, it isn’t as intense as first application, but it’s still respectably presentable as a lip stain and sometimes I don’t try to re-apply the colour, preferring to slick on a tinted lip balm to get a lighter shade of wear after.

Ever since my first YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain last year, I've been hooked. I started my collection  with the siren red shade #9 and have slowly been working my way through the brighter colours in the collection. Today I have 4 shades to swatch for you.

#9 Rouge Lacque is a true siren red with a cool undertone. It instantly glams and brightens up the face with its richness and intensity. Probably not for the faint hearted but definitely a starring shade for an evening out.

#12 Corail Fauve is a coral shade with a pink undertone in one coat and becomes more a coral red shade with 2 coats.

#14 Fuchsia Dore is a deep fushia with micro gold shimmer. On my lips, its looks a deep mauve shade and intensifies over time to be cool berry mauve that I adore for evenings.

#25 Fucshia Neo-Classic on my lips, it looks a rich fushia pink with warm berry base on my lips. Is is probably my favourite of the shades as it complements warm skin tones very well.

For my daily wear, I prep my lips with a lip balm (currently using Kiehl’s Lip Balm SPF 15), then lightly pencil in a nude lip pencil shade (to boost lasting power and act as a primer) before applying the Glossy Stain.

To me, these Glossy Stains are what technology can do to beauty products, bringing together all the best qualities of products in one. I can’t bang on enough of them and they are and will continue to be a staple in my makeup rotation. Although pricey, they are definitely worth their it and I’ve yet to find a good enough dupe, even in the L’Oreal Shine Caresse which I blog about here.

RRP A$50 at YSL counters in department stores or online here. I purchased mine online at Harrods (shade #25) and from duty free stores (with prices ranging from €27.50 to approx HK$240).