YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres in Encre Rose

This was an absolute blimin’ nightmare to review as no matter what I did, I couldn’t get the photos right.  However, I’ve battled on and now have a few images to work with, although they really don’t do this intriguing lipstick/lipgloss/lipstain justice!

This was the first hybrid lip product to enjoy success in the UK and having treated myself to the Encre Rose (17) shade yesterday, I can ‘kind of’ see why.  However, this particular shade is a bit of a nightmare to work with, especially if you have high pigment lips like me.

Applied thinly, this is a barely there stain but you can layer it up to create more of a glossy finish.  I absolutely love the stain finish, once I’ve actually managed to get the application technique working for me, which does take a bit of getting used to.

Above as a gloss and below as a stain.

The doe-foot applicator that appears to be a current popular choice for lip product applicators makes filling in lips a breeze.  The frustrating thing about this shade is that, even though it’s quite a pretty, vinyl pink, it’s very milky which means getting an even coverage is a bit of a nightmare, which you can no doubt see in my images.

1 coat.

I’ve found, the best way to apply it is to gradually layer it, allowing a few minutes between each layers, and try to do this a good 20 minutes before you’re leaving the house.  A lot of work for someone who enjoys a quick slip of lippy as I’m rushing out of the door, and I’m not 100% sure it’s worth it.  The formula itself strikes a balance between not being drying but also not moisturising particularly well either.

1 coat when it’s had a chance to settle in.

I do like this product, it lasts well (I can still feel it on my lips a couple of hours after application and the stain is still present for a good 4-5 hours) and the shade is right up my street, but I’m not confident that it’s something I’ll keep reaching for considering the work involved in getting the finish I want.  The key to getting this right is to allow time for the product to settle in and warm to the lips.

2 coats.

However, I do absolutely love the idea of it and think it’s one of those products that will inevitably work better with darker shades.  I probably will end up trying one of the red shades soon, so expect the review of that any day now.

2 coats when it’s had a chance to settle in.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres is priced at £22.50 and more information can be found here.