Fave 5 YSL products

One of my favourite premium brands is Yves Saint Laurent (YSL). I love it for its sense of style, elegance and effortlessness. Not only is it an iconic brands but YSL has also produced some of the most iconic products since they first started with perfumes in 1964 and then later on skin care and makeup. Just think of Paris EdT - the perfect rose scent, Youth Liberator Serum which is market leading with its technology and Touche Eclat - apparently one is sold every 10 secs worldwide. So today I thought I would show some of my favourite products from this fantastic brand.

The first product of this glamorous fave five is one I did a review of not that long ago - it's the Lacquer Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain (£23.50) the latest of YSLs best selling products. Since I have already done a detailed review of this product I'll keep it short and sweet. This is a wonderful and light, creamy hydrating glossy stain that feels very glamorous to wear. It has a wide heart shaped applicator that easily traces the lip contours and that gives excellent smooth coverage with a stunning high gloss finish. After initial application it'll settle on your lips like a stain and last flawlessly for a good few hrs. The shade in the photo is 12 Corail Fauve which is a soft but energetic warm rose pink coral and I've used it so many times since I first got it - after all there's nothing that will glam up any outfit as sporting a perfect glossy lip.

Next product has also been reviewed in a separate post, and it's the ultimate de luxe of foundations - Youth Liberator Serum Foundation (£37). This foundation is enhanced with the cell renewing Forever Youth Liberator Serum so it reduces skin aging and thinning at the same time as it give your skin a beautiful medium to full coverage. Everything about this foundation feels luxurious, starting with the lovely, heavy glass bottle, to the amazing skin correcting radiance and plumpness it adds to the skin and just like I've come to expect from YSL it sits perfectly on your skin all day without any transfer or smudging. I love makeup products that include high technology skin care and it doesn't get any better than this.

Now on to the Baby Doll Mascara (£24.50) which out of the YSL make up range, is probably THE must try item. As with all YSL products the gold packaging is stylish and sleek and every time I see it in my makeup bag the glitzyness of it always cheers me up. I don't often say this, but the formula has exactly the right consistency for me. Often mascaras are too liquid when you first get them and then they dry into something you work better with or it's too dry and it just gets worse, but the YSL was perfect already from the start. The brush is long and thin and has thick bristles on one side and thinner ones on the other which means that you can use one side to give volume to the lashes and then twist and use the finer bristles to easily coat every single lash, including the smaller ones. The bristles also separate the lashes and create a very defined and extended look with a natural softness.

It comes in four shades - Fetish Black, Wheedler Brown, Audacious Blue and Indiscreet Purple. Since they say that black can look harsh on blondes, I actually got the brown shade to see if would make any difference at all to my look compared to black mascaras. The Wheedler Brown is a very dark, matte brown and it does create a softer look, so I love to wear it when I go for a more natural and neutral eye look. Even though it isn't a water proof formula, the mascara lasts really well, both on the upper and lower lashes and I haven't noticed any smudging or fall out. I hadn't tried the Baby Doll mascara up until a few months ago, and this has quickly gone from a must try to a must have and I will definitely add black to the collection as well.

I make no secret of the fact that when it comes to premium brand nail polishes, YSL is one my absolute favourites and I'm frankly surprised that they are not mentioned more often by bloggers. The YSL Nail Polishes (£18) have so much going for them. Let's start with a great range of shades - admittedly you won't find powder blue or neon yellow in the range, but there are so many other brands that do those. What you can expect from YSL is about 20 different shades that are all sophisticated, stylish and timeless and the 3 that I'm showing are examples of just that; 38 Gris Underground is a paired down, cool, silky, modern camouflage gray, 18 Bleu Majorelle is a stunning and sun kissed blue that just oozes vitality and strength, and the last one 21 Taupe Retro is a classy warm brown with a very faint pink undertone, suitable for any occasion.

Another great quality is the amazing wide brush that will cover almost all of the nail in one clean sweep for a gorgeous streak free finish.The formula is slightly thicker than most but creates the most wonderful opaque brilliant high shine. And last but not least, YSL polishes will last about 5 days before they're chipped which to me is good wear - and about 5 days longer than some other premium brand polishes, and I can't recommend them enough.

If YSL is one of the most iconic brands in fashion and beauty, Opium has got to be one of the most iconic fragrances. It was first launched in 1977 and the marketing ads caused a lot of controversy with claims that it was glorifying drugs use, and the scent is one of the top 10 most popular perfumes of all times. The original Opium is a very heavy oriental and heady scent, typical of the 70s and I've always avoided it since it's far too imposing for me. However all that changed when I came across the new version that was launched in 2012 - Opium Vapeur de Parfum EdT Légère (£37 for 30 ml).

The scent comes in a beautiful bottle of peach colored frosted glass with a slightly retro feel and that also of course nods to the bottle of the original Opium. The newer release of Opium is a compelling blend of Oriental and Mediterranean scents - you'll find sweet fresh orange flowers and mandarin, sensual jasmine, and warm, spicy nutmeg and pink pepper. It's a contradictory scent that's glamorous, alluring and cooly crisp at the same time. This version of Opium smells nothing like the original and for me that's also why it works for me. I love the mix of light spice, subtle florals and citrus that make it a warm and mesmerising but zesty and intriguing scent that really stands out, and it's by far my fragrance of choice for this A/W season.

 

YSL as a brand perfectly captures simplicity, uniqueness and timlessness and there's nothing like a spritz of your favourite YSL scent or a slick of your favourite YSL lippy to add instant luxury to your day. Have you used any of these products or do you have another favourite?