Yves Saint Laurent Spring 2013 Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Review, Photos & Swatches

The Yves Saint Laurent Arty Stone Collection for Spring 2013 includes four Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres ($32 USD / $34 CAD), two limited edition shades and two new shades to the permanent line. I have two of them to show you today (one permanent, one limited edition). 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).

Ever since I fell in love with the Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain formula last year (shade No.17 Encré Rose, to be exact), I’ve been wanting to try other colors. The permanent range, along with these new shades for Spring 2013, is quite large and varies from pale washes of color to bold, intense hues. These Spring 2013 launches are packaged in the same square tube with a gold YSL cap and a unique tapered doe-foot applicator.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stains

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stains in No.29 Rose Fourreau (left) & No.27 Pêche Cerra-Colla (right)

The two shades I have include No.29 Nose Fourreau (limited edition), a warm, mid-tone nude rose, as well as No.27 Pêche Cerra-Colla (now permanent), a pale peach. The formula is quite amazing, and very ‘customizable’ in terms of the look you want to achieve. The product is a very thin, fluid-y gel cream that applies to the lips very easy and quickly sinks in.  For just a sheer hint of stain, 1-2 layers is all that is needed. The more layers you apply, the thicker the product feels on the lips and the more shine it has, like a gloss (hence, ‘glossy stain’).  Even after the gloss wears off, the color lasts for hours and hours.

I find that the deeper, more bold shades (like No.29 Rose Fourreau) definitely have a longer wear time because the stain is more intense. The lighter shades (like No.26 Pêche Cerra-Colla) seem to fade much easier, and require several layers of product to begin with if you want to see any color at all. It’s quite fun to be able to create a variety of different looks and textures.  There was nothing like it on the market until the recent launch of the L’Oreal Colour Riche Caresse Shine Stain Lipcolors, which are essentially the exact same product from YSL’s budget sister brand.

While I don’t think Rose Fourreau is the shade for me, I’m still just as in love with the formula as ever. I’ve been wearing Pêche Cerra-Colla for a few days now, and I love the way it looks (it’s one of the lighter shades that actually shows up on my pigmented lips).  Some people have stated that their lips feel drier after the gloss wears off, which is true, however I don’t find it to be an ‘uncomfortable’ dry feeling, especially relative to every other lip stain I’ve tried.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stains

Swatches (L-R): No.29 Rose Fourreau & No.27 Pêche Cerra-Colla

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stains in No.29 Rose Fourreau

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stains in No.27 Pêche Cerra-Colla