Yves Saint Laurent Spring 2013 Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Review, Photos & Swatches

The Yves Saint Laurent Arty Stone Collection for Spring 2013 includes one Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils ($30 USD / $36 CAD) in a deep, blackened green shade. The entire collection is a palette of jewel-toned crystalline colors and will be available this month at Yves Saint Laurent counters (but a few of the items are already available online here).

This mascara in shade No.21 Green Emerald is entering the permanent YSL color line-up. It has the exact same gold packaging and brush as the original Faux Cils formula, however the mascara has a slight green tint to it. When I mean slight, I mean you-don’t-even-know-it’s-there slight.

Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils in No.21 Green Emerald

Note the size & packaging

I’m all for colored mascaras… in fact, I think they can be quite fun, playful and really add an extra dimension to your look. When I heard that YSL was going to be launching an emerald green mascara (which is the Pantone 2013 Color of the Year, by the way), I was totally excited! Emerald green mascara with my hazel eyes? I thought it would be fantastic.

The truth is… I adore the Faux Cils mascara formula… it’s volumizing, defining, lengthening and leaves my lashes looking soft and fluttery- not clumpy and spider-like. I would categorize the formula as one of my top 5 favorite mascaras… but as for this color? I’d say pass on it and just head straight to the blackest of the black formula you can.

The green tint to this mascara is so slight, I could barely even see it when swatched thick on my arm- so of course it was non-existant on my lashes. Even in sunlight or flash photography, it didn’t look green… it just looked like it wasn’t black. And the best thing to make your lashes pop? Jet black mascara. The only time the green was slightly visible was in the macro shot of the wand. So- I’m not putting down the formula, I just think the green shade isn’t worth the investment. Go for black and you’ll be totally happy with it!

Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils in No.21 Green Emerald Wand

Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils in No.21 Green Emerald, Swatched

Wearing the Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils in No.21 Green Emerald