Yves Saint Laurent ROUGE PUR COUTURE Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain in 15 Rose Vinyl, 11 Rouge Gouache, and 20 Rouge Enamel

When I was in New York City for my birthday, I ran into a most amazing lip product while perusing the aisles of Sephora in Times Square.  YSL has just released a revolutionary new lip product.  The Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stains are liquid lip stains that go on like a liquid lipstick and leave a lovely glossy finish.  They are truly two-in-one products.  With one layer, they leave the stain.  With a second layer, the color is intensified and a gorgeous glossy finish is added.  These pack quite the punch, but not in a gaudy or unsophisticated way.  Just don't expect a light stain or sheer color.  The color is only sheerer when the gloss fades.

The applicator of this product is slightly unique.  At first glance, it reminded me of the applicator for the Lancome Color Fever glosses with the tear drop shape.  However, that is where the similarity ends.  Though the Glossy Stains have a tear shaped sponge, the tip is much sharper meaning much more precise application.  The sponge is rather flat and thin, allowing the perfect deposition of product onto your lips.  

Below are swatches of 15 Rose Vinyl, 11 Rouge Gouache, and 20 Rouge Enamel (a Sephora exclusive shade).  The swatch on the left is one swipe, and the swatch on the left is two swipes.  You can really see the gloss and sheen these give in the second picture below.

The texture of these Glossy Stains is just so lovely.  When I first pulled the applicator out of the tube, I was expecting something thick and goopy.  Was I so wrong.  The product is very lightweight on the lips and just glides right on.  As with the nature of lip stains, the product dries down rather quickly, so you will need to be a little quick with application.  With one layer on the lips, you hardly notice anything on your lips at all.  With a second layer, you feel a slight tackiness so you are aware the product is there, but the wear is still lightweight.  Unlike many lip stains, the Glossy Stains are not drying at all.  In fact, they are quite moisturizing.

#11 Rouge Gouache on the lips

First layer

Second layer

Full face

Stain left behind after wiping product off with a tissue

The lasting power of the Glossy Stains is phenomenal because of the stain they leave behind.  The darker colors will pull through meals.  Although, keep a mirror handy for reapplication anyway because the product tends to fade unevenly.  These are great for people like me who don't have time to reapply lip products throughout the day.  I can trust that this looks good even if I'm unable to touch up during the day, especially if there is minimal eating and drinking.  I also want to mention that the Glossy Stains have the usual YSL mango scent/flavor but it's not nearly as strong as it is in the lipsticks.  You can smell it on the applicator, and it's there when you apply but fades rather quickly.

 I highly, highly recommend the YSL Glossy Stains.  The color range is pretty extensive, so you will probably be able to find a color that suits you.  They are $32 and are available at Sephora stores, Sephora.com, and YSL counters everywhere.  I recently spotted them at Nordstrom, where I actually picked up one more.  I will feature that shade in a separate blog post.