Yves Saint Laurent Holiday 2013 Collection - Parisian Night

Christmas is now less than a month away and we have only a few more holiday makeup collections to look at.  I tend to finish up all of my holiday coverage about two weeks before the holiday itself, at this point most of my holiday shopping is done for myself and others and I am beginning to think ahead toward what types of trends we will begin to see in the spring season. 

Today and the next two days will be all holiday collections, I want to finish up all of my personal holiday beauty shopping within the next week and I want to finalize my Most Wanted List within the next few days.  At this point in the season, I will be doing all of my shopping online as I refuse to go near a mall after Thanksgiving unless I am forced to.  I am sure that I will be forced to a few more times but I will try to stay away as much as possible...

Today we are looking at the new YSL holiday collection, Parisian Night is another Paris-inspired collection for the holidays and I am as excited about this one as I was to read about the Guerlain color collection.  I have always loved Paris and I am dying to visit that city again, I have to live a bit through French beauty lines right now until I finish graduate school.  My last night of class before the Thanksgiving vacation is tonight and I am ready for a mental trip to Paris to relax before I get my load of homework to do over the short break.

YSL has chosen French model Lindsey Wixon as the new face of this collection and she fits the brand's vision for this glittering holiday season.  "Her eyes sparkle with a romantic glow, her complexion simmers with passionate pink. Her lips smile with the colour of a French kiss.", states the YSL website to describe the Parisian Nights collection.

YSL's Paris-inspired holiday collection!

Pure Chromatics Collector Palette Avenue Marceau - Create Eyes like a work of art with our Couture Palette. The intense color is long-wearing, crease-proof and available in 11 matte and satin shades. Our formula includes a high concentration of pearls and pigments and a network of transparent powders that result in a long-lasting complex for optimal hold. This smooth even blend finish is crease resistant for up to 12-hour hold. The result is pure, intense color in 11 stunning palettes.
- metallic pale pink/metallic warm gold/metallic champagne pink/metallic violet

Blush Collector Palette Rue de Babylone - The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion: the complexion is fresh and radiates from happiness.The true brilliance of these precious moments is captured in Blush Volupte Harmonies, as dangerous liaisons between pure color and light heart. All the magic is here: in the interplay of contrasts. Freed of opaque powders, color expresses itself without any constraint, while each brush stroke sculpts the feature in light.
- medium pink matte and pale blue pink shimmer

Vernis a Levres - Gloss? Stain? Lipstick? Stop compromising and have it all. PREMIERING Vernis a Levres Rebel Nudes. Revolutionary Nudes, our first Glossy Stain with reflective shine. Weightless feel. Long lasting color. 3D Luminosity. What's new? Vernis a Levres Rebel Nudes captures the revolutionary formala of Glossy Stain and combines with Euphotic Colored Light technology to allow light to pass through and give an all day luminous 3D effect.
- 104 Fuchsia Tomboy - bright magenta
- 109 Fuchsia Fugitive - muted rose pink
- 110 Reckless Pink - pale bubblegum pink

Rouge Volupte Shine - Introducing Rouge Volupté Shine.  Give in to the temptation of dazzling color. Succumb to a unique sensorial experience with extreme comfort and luminous shine.  Hyaluronic acid microspheres help seal in moisture for 8 hours of hydration. Anti-oxidants and emollients help condition and soften lips.
- 6 Pink in Devotion - bright blue pink
- 13 Pink in Paris - neutral pink
- 19 Fuchsia in Rage - deep violet

Rouge Pur Couture - Lipstick is the ultimate gesture of beauty. For YSL Beauty, this gesture began in 1978, with the birth of a defining era in lip color, championed by Yves Saint Laurent who wanted to dress women’s lips in couture colors. It was then that the ROUGE PUR COUTURE legacy began; a wardrobe of iconic lipsticks able to deliver the promise of pure color, draped elegantly onto the lips. The lipstick of heroines.
- 55 Luminous Red- creamy blue red
- 56 Luminous Vanilla - creamy warm orange
- 57 Luminous Pink - creamy medium rose
- 58 Luminous Mauve - creamy violet

La Laque Couture - A new generation nail lacquer that’s both elegant and practical is presented in a sleek elongated glass bottle imprinted with the timeless YSL logo. A pantheon of fashion-inspired shades, from subtle and natural to vibrant and dramatic provide a high-shine finish for an instant touch of glamour. Long wear formula with Chil Rose Oil strengthens, moisturizes and protects nails from chipping and cracking. Dries fast and applies evenly without streaking. La Laque Couture is equipped with a new custom-made brush that allows an easy and smooth application.
- 12 Rose Renaissance - bright magenta cream
- 14 Violine Surrealiste - bright violet cream
- 29 Dore Orfevre - shimmering metallic gold

I love this collection!  YSL is not a brand that I typically purchase most of my makeup items from but I love these products and shades and now I think that I need to try more color products from this company.  My favorite piece of the collection is the limited edition blush duo, this product contains two great pink shades and I must add this to my pink blush collection.  I can use either of these shades alones or mix them together to create a third shade, I need to order this product from Sephora and I will use it all throughout the year.

There are so many pretty lip shades in the Parisian Night collection, I haven't tried any of these lipsticks or glosses and I think they could become some of my new favorites.  I want all three pinks in the Vernis a Levres products, the deeper pinks I can wear in the winter months and then the pale shade will take me right into the spring and summer months.  I love two shades of the Rouge Volupte Shine, both of the pinks shades will be part of spring lip rotation.  The neutral pink hue will be able to be worn all year long and I would consider purchasing a back up if this shade is limited edition, I find it very hard to find the perfect neutral pink cream lipstick or gloss and I am always on the hunt for new shades.  The Rouge Pur Couture lipstick shades will round out my lipstick obsession with this collection, I love the red and rose shades and both of these will become new additions to my collection.  I always love a new red shade and the rose has the potential to be a cool weather neutral shade for me.  I have a nice amount of lip shades to investigate from this collection and I always need to grow my lipstick collection...

The last pieces that I want from the Parisian Night collection is all three of the three new nail polish shades.  I would wear these shades during the holidays but I also think they will look great as pedicures during the summer too. 

This collection from YSL is one of my top five of this season and I have a nice amount of shopping to do from it.  All of these pink hues will work now and then many of them will appear in my makeup looks as we head toward the spring and summer months.

photo courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent

YSL Fall 2013 Collection

Yesterday we looked at the small and slightly boring fall collection from Clinique, I can honestly say that the collection might be among the contenders for my least favorite collection of the fall season.  Considering that this is a line of makeup and skincare that I typically purchase a lot from, that is a sad fact.  Perhaps they will have a stronger holiday collection.

Today we are turning over to a beauty brand that can never be called boring or mundane. YSL creates beautiful collections almost every season and the hardest part of the products in this brand is relating the trends from the Parisian runway to most women's normal lives.  I don't own as much from this line as I would like it but every item from them that I have used has been of superior quality.  I have been told by several ladies that I need to brand out into the lipsticks from this company so those will probably be my next purchase from this company. 

The fall collection from YSL focuses on bright eye makeup paired with dramatic lip shades.  I can already see that I will have to pick pieces of this collection and then figure out how to best work them into makeup looks that I am more comfortable with.  I am already state that I would be more likely to go after the lip products from this collection as I cannot pull off bright green and blue eye makeup at the same time.  I can see how this look will rock the fashion industry but it will not rock the professional or academic worlds in which I spend most of my time these days...

The fall collection from YSL!

Pure Chromatics Wet and Dry Eye Shadow Palette - Through the magic of water and a revolutionary new process, Yves Saint Laurent pushes the limits of color with Pure Chromatics, a new generation of eyeshadows. Real makeup-artist magic is made easy with six emblematic harmonies that captivate the eyes. 
The power of water: Exclusively by Yves Saint Laurent, the new water-process technology is the latest discovery in color, allowing pigments to be more intense and metallic than ever before!
Use wet for a chromatic transformation. Expect the unexpected. Water does not dilute but enhances color pigments in Pure Chromatics. When used wet, the water rehydrates the eyeshadows and gives full intensity to their pigments. The effect is the satiny powder transforms into a luxurious cream while pearls shine with a metallic finish.
- Arty - bright blue/bright lime green/shimmering true silver/deep shimmering charcoal
- Classy - deep brown/medium shimmering bronze/pale tan/deep shimmering silver

Liquid Eyeliner - These artistic eyeliners with shimmering reflections have a firm yet flexible precision brush that draws a bold, even and long-lasting line.
- Baby Doll - deep warm gray

Volume Effect Faux Cils Shocking Mascara - Exaggerate your lashes with shocking volume from every angle! New and exclusive to Yves Saint Laurent, the amplified helix brush with a twisted cut provides instant volume on the lashes with effortless application. Shaped and styled for excess, the slim brush breaks the rules of volume, allowing for perfect control and precision, combined with a beautifully creamy formula to cover each lash evenly for a thick and lustrous fringe.
- No. 8 Bronze - deep bronze

Blush Radiance Matte and Satin Blush - Adorn your cheeks with a sensual flush of color and light with this ultrachic compact. The two powder textures, matte and satiny, seamlessly blend to capture light and create a radiant veil of color on your cheeks. Incredibly versatile, this blush colors, contours and highlights to create any effect, from natural to glamorous. The beautifully blendable formula contains self-adapting pigments that capture and transform light's intensity into a vibrant color source that complements any complexion. Remarkably silky texture blends beautifully for buildable, custom color.
- No. 9 - shades of light and medium pink coral
- No. 10 - shades of light and medium pink rose

Rouge Pur Couture Lip Color - Adorn your lips in Yves Saint Laurent. Introducing new Rouge Pur Couture, a new generation of emblematic colors - red, fuchsia and orange - in a collection of 18 vivacious lipsticks. This luminous satin texture is presented in a modern golden case, designed by Yves Saint Laurent Couture Creative Director Stefano Pilati, for the ultimate in luxury and style. Hydrospheres and natural extracts provide all-day comfort and hydration.
- No. 50 Rouge Neon - bright warm red cream
- No. 51 Corail Urbane - medium warm coral cream
- No. 53 Beige Promenade - medium cool nude cream
- No. 54 Prune Avenue - medium cool plum cream

Lip Liner Pencil - A richly textured lip pencil to outline, re-define and colour the lips. Does not smudge or feather, and makes lipstick last longer.
- No. 20 Mocha - medium tan
- No. 21 - deep spice

La Laque Couture Nail Lacquer - Yves Saint Laurent introduces the La Laque Couture collection. The vibrant assortment of ultra-shiny hues makes every woman feel couture to the fingertips.
- No. 38 Gris Underground - pale gray cream
- No. 39 Beige Gallery - pale neutral beige cream
- No. 40 Sepia 7e Art - deep sepia cream

This collection is quite a contrast to the Clinique collection that we looked at yesterday, it is much more artistic however it will be much harder to wear some of the shades in the collection.  I am not even going to try for the makeup look that the model for the collection is wearing, I would never be able to use the bright eye makeup palette however I would like to try the more neutral palette.  This would be a good staple for me along with the cool toned blush palette.

The Rouge Pur Couture Lip Color will be my first purchase from the collection, I think that I want to see these shades at Sephora first and then see what others are available in the product line.  No. 53 Beige Promenade will probably be the best shade for me from this group and I am hoping that there will be more shades that will work well for my skintone.  I am hoping to find more lipstick obsessions in this company's line up.  The last items that I really want from the collection are two of the nail lacquer shades, I love the gray and beige shades and they will become new neutrals in my polish collection.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

YSL Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils Shocking Mascara

I have just completed a good run with MAC's Opulash Mascara and I am now a convert to MAC mascaras.  Not that I really needed yet another mascara line to get hooked on but it is nice to know that I have found yet another type of product that I can count on from MAC and that I have another line of mascaras that I can rely on for great results.  I finished up my tube of Opulash about a week ago and I have turned to a line that has previously given my amazing results with mascara, YSL.  YSL only has one major mascara formulation, Faux Cils, but they have two variations of this formula and I am now using the most dramatic formula of the range.

I used the original Faux Cils mascara last summer for my French Theme Week and I loved the formula very much.  The original formula is one of the best selling and top rated volumizing mascara on the beauty product market and the formula lives up to the hype surrounding it.  It created thick, lush lashes with just one coat and then two coats would take it over the top for getting dressed up.  My only issue with the original formula was that it smeared all over my undereye area when I was removing it at night.  Overall, this is a great formula and issues with the removal didn't bother me very much.

I am now trying the Shocking version of the Faux Cils Mascara line, I received a tube of this product as a large Beauty Insider sample with one of my recent Sephora orders.  I love getting mascaras from these samples because there is enough product for a good month of use and then I can decide if I like it enough to repurchase it or if it is yet another formula that doesn't give me dramatic enough volume.  I really recommend keeping your eyes open for when mascara samples are offered, I will keep my order in my Shopping Cart sometimes until the Beauty Insider samples update with great makeup products...

"A mascara that exaggerates lashes with excess volume from every angle.  Exclusive to YSL, the amplified helix brush provides instant volume to the lashes. The slim brush design allows for perfect control and precision and the off-center twist enhances length and curl. The beautifully creamy formula with pro-vitamin B5 coats each lash evenly, creating a thick and lustrous fringe with a wet look."

This formula is available in the following shades...

- 01 Deep Black - dark inky true black
- 03 Black Bronze - medium warm black
- 04 Sea Black - medium black spiked with navy blue
- 05 Cherry Black - medium black spiked with plum
- 06 Jade Black - medium black spiked with deep green

I used one coat of this mascara to create naturally thick and beautiful lashes for daytime, like the original formula, one coat of this product is enough for the day.  Two coats will be perfect for getting dressed up and going out at night and this is the only time that I have ever needed multiple coats for
effect.  I have only ever had one issue with clumping and this may have been more due to the fact that I was rushing with my application and not due to the formula itself.  This formula wears all day long and stays put until I take it off at night, I have never once had a problem with flaking or smudging when using this formula and I doubt that I ever will.  I wore it out on a long walk the other night after work and even when I was sweating, this formula refused to budge.  The wear of this product is as good as the original and the formula is great.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this product removed somewhat easier than the original, this one still doesn't remove very well and I have noticed that there is still some product left on my lashes even when I use my favorite MAC eye makeup remover. 

So is this product any different from the original formula?  After several days of use, I can safely say that there is little to no difference between these two formulas.  Both formulas give great volume and will make lashes look false with the use of two coats, both give basically the exact same great results.  The formulas can be used interchangeably, if one is sold out then I could easily order another one and not feel disappointed.  To be very honest, there doesn't need to even be two formulas of this mascara since they give almost the exact same results.  I am as happy with this version of the formula as I was with the original and I would never hesitate to re-order these mascaras.

photo courtesy of Sephora

YSL Summer 2013 Collection - Saharienne Heat

We are heading toward the end of April and now I am only thinking about summer collections, I am done shopping for spring and now have turned my thoughts to self tanners and new tropical fragrances for the warm weather.  The spring weather has finally come and now I can really begin thinking about summer dresses and all the matching items that I will need in the hot weather.  In addition, the end of the semester is right around the corner and this is both scary and exciting to me.  I am in the middle of writing the biggest paper of my grad school career and I have so much more work to do but as soon as I wrap it up...summer is here!  The beauty industry is perfectly attuned to my state of mind and now the summer collections are coming out faster and faster.  Today we are going to look at the newest collection from YSL and see what else I will be adding to my summer shopping list.

This collection is available on the Nordstrom website and I am sure that pieces of it will be able to be found at Sephora in the next few weeks.  I have mostly used mascaras from this collection and another version of Faux Cils is on my radar right now and I am always on the look out for great new mascara formulas and this company has never disappointed me for creating huge, lush lashes.  I have to branch out into this line and see what else I fall in love with! 

The new collection is named Saharienne Heat and contains all kinds of bright hues and great bronzers.  It is inspired by the African desert, a place that I long to visit and go on safari to.  "Between sky and sand, a subtle mix of violet, coral and scintillating bronze glimmer in the twilight of the Saharan Desert. Dazzling sun rays fall upon the YSL woman like a golden caress across her tanned body."  This collection looks as though it will contain both face and body products and I could really broaden my beauty horizons with this collection!

Here is the newest summer collection from YSL!

Pure Chromatics Wet and Dry Eye Shadow Palette - Through the magic of water and a revolutionary new process, Yves Saint Laurent pushes the limits of color with Pure Chromatics, a new generation of eyeshadows. Real makeup-artist magic is made easy with six emblematic harmonies that captivate the eyes.  The power of water: Exclusively by Yves Saint Laurent, the new water-process technology is the latest discovery in color, allowing pigments to be more intense and metallic than ever before!  Use wet for a chromatic transformation. Expect the unexpected. Water does not dilute but enhances color pigments in Pure Chromatics. When used wet, the water rehydrates the eyeshadows and gives full intensity to their pigments. The effect is the satiny powder transforms into a luxurious cream while pearls shine with a metallic finish.
- No 13 - medium rose/light champagne pink/medium lilac/deep plum
- No 20 - medium coppery gold/pale champagne/light tan/deep warm charcoal

Dessin du Regard Waterproof Eye Pencil - The look of a liquid with the precision of a pencil. This exceptional long-lasting waterproof eye pencil will stay put on your lids for up to 16 hours!
- No 10 Violet Massa - deep violet purple

Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Lip Stain - A revolutionary new lip product that combines the texture and shine of a gloss with the long wear of a stain. Coat your lips with this lip color that offers a lightweight texture, which immediately melts onto lips. Glossy Stain delivers intense glossy color for an extremely long-lasting shine.
- 14 Fuchsia Dore - medium magenta cream
- 31 Corrail Alla Prima - medium warm coral cream

Terre Saharienne Bronzing Powder - Terre Saharienne bronzing powder provides an instant healthy glow thanks to the incorporation of the new Sun Radiance pigments. These special-effect pigments capture the light and diffuse a golden reflection in all directions. The complexion is smooth, leaving skin looking refreshed and rested.
- No 10 Terre Ambre - light to medium tan
- No 20 Terre Ocree - medium tan
- No 30 Halee - deep tan

La Laque Couture Nail Lacquer - Yves Saint Laurent introduces the La Laque Couture collection. The vibrant assortment of ultra-shiny hues makes every woman feel couture to the fingertips.
- 14 Violine Surrealistic - deep magenta cream
- 36 Vert d'Orient - deep jade green cream
- 37 Taupe Mauresque - deep taupe cream

This might be one of the first collection that I am more excited about the bronzers than I am the lip and nail products!  I love my MAC Bronzer from last summer but I like to have two shades/formulas because my self tan will change hues throughout the summer.  I have a lighter tan shade right now but I am considering the medium shade for when the tan really develops and this looks like one of the best formulas that I have seen so far, I hope that I can find the product at Sephora and try it out.

My next favorites are part of the color products.  I think that the Pure Chromatics Eye Shadow Palette in No 13 would be the product that I want the most.  I have been looking for lilac and purple eye shadow shades all spring and this palette contains four shades that I love and would use in all different shade combinations.  This might be the last purple shadow purchase that I will have to make this season!  I do like the neutral palette also but I pretty much own all of these shades already and I don't really need to purchase this palette even though I know that I would get a good amount of use from it.  I am not really interested in any of the lip stain shades and I will skip over both of them.  Lastly, I love the two jewel tones in the new polish shades, I want both of them and I want to try this new formula out the next time that I go to Sephora.

I really like this collection and this is a contender for one of my favorites of the season and I am really excited to pick several pieces of it up!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

YSL Spring 2013 Collection

We have been looking heavy at skin and haircare products that past few days and now I want to get back to color collections for spring!  I haven't bought anything yet for spring, I am still checking out some of the new collections and beginning to get some ideas together as to what I already own and then what I want to buy for the season.  I already know that new lisptick shades are going to be topping my shopping list and I am still frustrated that Candy Yum Yum is out of stock on the MAC website, I have a few items that I would like to order but I am trying to wait until this shade comes back in.  I am simply so excited for some new pink lip looks for this spring and summer.

To distract me from stalking the MAC website, I have decided to check out what is on the Nordstrom site and if I can find Candy Yum Yum on here.  That lipstick is not available at the moment on this website either so I just need to distrct myself and look to see what other brands have released their spring of 2013 color collections.  One of the first ones that caught my eye is the newest collection from YSL, the model is wearing a beautiful magenta lip and this looks like a shade that I would really like to add to my collection.  Distraction achieved!

The Nordstrom website provides the following description of the overall collection, "nspired by the beauty of nature and vibrant color, movement and energy of semi-precious minerals, Yves Saint Laurent's spring look captures the harmony of gemstones, attracting and diffusing light to achieve a signature YSL radiance."  I see lots of pinks and purples in this collection so this looks like I could find a lot of great shades for this season!

The YSL spring 2013 collection!

Pure Chromatics Wet and Dry Eye Shadow Palette - Through the magic of water and a revolutionary new process, Yves Saint Laurent pushes the limits of color with Pure Chromatics, a new generation of eyeshadows. Real makeup-artist magic is made easy with six emblematic harmonies that captivate the eyes.  The power of water: Exclusively by Yves Saint Laurent, the new water-process technology is the latest discovery in color, allowing pigments to be more intense and metallic than ever before!  Use wet for a chromatic transformation. Expect the unexpected. Water does not dilute but enhances color pigments in Pure Chromatics. When used wet, the water rehydrates the eyeshadows and gives full intensity to their pigments. The effect is the satiny powder transforms into a luxurious cream while pearls shine with a metallic finish.
- No.5 - bright pink shimmer/pale pink shimmer/charcoal shimmer/medium black shimmer
- No. 19 - medium rose gold shimmer/champagne shimmer/cool bronze shimmer/medium brown
shimmer

Creme de Blush - Unique cream-to-powder blush offers a luminous, radiant and healthy look. The remarkably soft formulation feels like silk upon application, ensuring a seamless result. And because the non-waxy texture will not break through makeup, it is an excellent touchup tool for use throughout the day.
- No. 9 - true petal pink cream

Rouge Volupte Sheer Candy Glossy Lip Balm - Glossy balm. Crystal color. Lips are adorned with a sheer veil of brilliant color. Boosted with fruit extract rich in vitamins and antioxidants, lips become deliciously sensual. The ultra-light texture leaves lips feeling soft and hydrated for up to 8 hours and is ideal for year-round use: the juicy, sheer color is perfect for summer while the soothing, moisturizing texture feels sublime.
- 12 Framboise Craquante - sheer bright pink cream
- 13 Moka Griotte - sheer deep brown cream

Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain - A revolutionary new lip product that combines the texture and shine of a gloss with the long wear of a stain. Coat your lips with this lip color that offers a lightweight texture, which immediately melts onto lips. Glossy Stain delivers intense glossy color for an extremely long-lasting shine.
- 27 Peche Cerra-Cola - medium warm peach cream
- 28 Grenat Acrylique - medium brick red cream
- 29 Rose Fourreau - medium cool rose cream
- 30 Mauve Fusain - deep cool mauve cream

La Laque Couture Nail Lacquer - Yves Saint Laurent introduces the La Laque Couture collection. The vibrant assortment of ultra-shiny hues makes every woman feel couture to the fingertips.
- 35 Bronze Pyrite - medium cool olive green shimmer with bronze cast

I think that my favorite item is the new shade of the Creme de Blush, No. 9 has my name written all over it.  I love cream blushes and this bright petal pink will be a great shade for me whether my skin is pale or after using self tanner, think item has the potential to be one of my new favorite blushes.  I want to see if this is one of the products that is carried at the counters in Sephora, even if it isn't I will most likely be ordering this one pretty soon.  My second favorite piece is the eye shadow palette that the model is wearing, No. 5 contains some great cool pale hues that will shine against my blue eyes. 

The last item that I am realy excited for from this new collection will end up on my list of lipsticks to buy.  The Rouge Volupte in the bright pink shade is really pretty, it is sheer enough to wear now in the winter months and then all through the spring and summer.  This is a really great collection for me and I can't wait to do some shopping from it!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

YSL Fall 2012 Collection - Contemporary Amazon

In addition to working on my fall makeup look, I have been deciding what new clothing and shoes I will be needing to buy over the next few weeks in order to fully round my wardrobe out.  I always want to buy more elegant, tailored clothing in the fall and winter and this year will be no exception.  I have been haunting the Limited's website and checking out all the pencil skirts that have been coming in over the past week or two and am using this look to start my fall shopping.  Naturally as I go after a more sophisticated fall look, I tend to match my makeup style to this more elegant clothing look.  Red lips are one of my favorite looks all year long but every fall I get excited to purchase more shades of lipstick and wear this look more often than I do in the summer.  The picture that I am seeing when I look up the YSL Fall collection will fit right in with the look that I am already craving for fall.
The new collection from YSL is called Contemporary Amazon and it celebrates the sophisticated career women from Paris and all over the world.  The look that is worn by the model for this collection might be one of the best that I have seen all season and I really want to buy all the products and shades to pull it off.  This combination of smoky eyes and red lips might be slightly harder to pull off than my normal look but I want to try it out with shades that I already own and see how well it works in my real life.  This look will not always be appropriate for day and I know that I will need to change it a bit in order to make it work in a professional environment (outside of the Parisian fashion world). 
This collection is up online on the Nordstrom website and this company provides a full collection description and product information.  "She moves through Paris as she would an urban jungle, exuding a tailored take on the basics.  A matte yet luminous complexion, smoky gold eyes, red lips, and garnet lacquers for daring sophistication."  I see that this collection includes the Faux Cils Mascara, a favorite of mine ever since I covered it for this past French Week.

Here is the fall collection from YSL!

Contemporary Amazon Pure Chromatics Eye Shadow - Through the magic of water and a revolutionary new process, Yves Saint Laurent pushes the limits of color with Pure Chromatics, a new generation of eye shadows.  Real makeup artist magic is made easy with six emblematic harmonies that captivate the eyes.  The power of water: Exclusively by Yves Saint Laurent, the new water-process technology is the latest discovery in color, allowing pigments to be more intense and dramatic than every before!  Use wet for a chromatic transformation.  Expect the unexpected.  Water does not dilute but enhances color pigments in Pure Chromatics.  When used wet, the water activates the pigments and gives full intensity to their color.
- No 10 - deep cool bronze shimmer/bright silver shimmer/medium dirty gold shimmer/deep charcoal black shimmer
- No 11 - deep charcoal matte/medium tan matte/deep navy matte/deep brown matte

Contemporary Amazon Volume Effect Faux Cils Mascara - Luxurious mascara for a false lash effect now available in a new limited edition shade, No 19 Graphite Green.  The award-winning, volumizing mascara achieves a dramatic result in a single stroke.  The secret is in the  triple-film complex.  A coating film for intensity, a conditioning film with Pro Vitamin B5 and aloe vera for curves and a fixing film with vinyl polymer for long-lasting effectiveness.  The brush applicator combines nylon fibers of varying diameters for volume enhancement, as never before seen.
- No 19 Graphite Green - deep forest cream

Dare To Glow Illuminator - A silky complexion illuminator, between a highlighter and enhancer, Dare To Glow is essential for women seeking that gorgeous glow.  The melting, ultra-fresh gel texture leaves skin soft and comfortable.  Enriched with optical mother-of-pearl particles, Dare To Glow forms an impalpable veil for natural-looking shimmer on the skin.
- 1 Tempting Gold - pale gold highlighter

Rouge Pur Couture - The Mats Lipstick - Heroic, forbidden, passionate, seductive, scandalous.  Iconic couture colors project theatrical panache in a matte, stretch-leather-like finish that rocks.  The texture espouses and adjusts to the lips, leaving them supple, smooth, and radiant.  Formulated with advanced technology, Rouge Pur Couture The Mats ensures a matte, sensually sleek finish and color fieldity for a full six hours.
- 201 Orange Imagine - deep warm orange matte cream
- 203 Rouge Rock - medium blue red matte cream
- 206 Grenat Satisfaction - deep tan matte cream

Contemporary Amazon La Laque Couture Nail Lacquer - Indulge the impulse to color your nails.  Flaunt color with pride.  La Laque Couture is composed of a kaleidoscope of iconic shades, inspired by YSL creations and artistic legacies.  Now available in two limited edition shades: No 31 Khaky Arty and No 32 Rouge Expressioniste to complement the Contemporary Amazon look.
- No 31 Khaky Arty - medium neutral khaki cream
- No 32 Rouge Expressioniste - deep blue red cream

I am most excited about the eye shadow palette and the reds for the lips and nails in this collection.  I don't really need to add any more red lipsticks to my collection however I can never resist a new blue red shade.  I have not tried this lipstick formula before so I don't really know very much about how much I would like this ptroduct but I am willing to bet that I will love it if I purchase it.  I like the red nail polish but I think that I can safely skip over it, this shade is not that unique and I know that I could find the exact same shade from China Glaze or OPI.  This shade isn't unique enough for me to chase down or to order.  The eye shadow palette in No 10 is worth me chasing around, the shades are lovely and I am very excited to try them both wet and dry.  I do own almost every single shade in that palette already however I would use them a lot and I don't own any shadows in this formula yet.

If I could only buy one piece from this collection, I would have to choose the eye shadow palette.  The lipstick shade is very nice but I have several shades from MAC that are very similar already.  I love the mascara formula but I would never use the green shade so I will rebuy this product in the deep black shade that I already love.  This collection is nice but I'm not really in love with it and the eye shadow palette is the only product that I must own

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

French Week 2012 Day 2 - YSL Faux Cils Mascara

Yesterday we looked at how well French women wear an effortless red lip and today we are looking at one of the best mascaras on the market today.  When French women aren't wearing their red lip for day, they often turn up the smolder factor with a great smoky eye and lashes that look as though they could be fake.  Fake eye lashes are more prevelent in the United States than in many other countries so the women in those countries often turn to a top quality mascara that can mimic the effects of the fake lashes.  With much less effort...  I can't ever see Bridget Bardot waking up in the morning with her perfectly smudged black eye makeup and a fake eye lash falling off...

YSL has been one of the top French beauty companies and was originally created over 30 years ago to celebrate the unique beauty of every woman that wears it.  I found the background on the creation of the beauty line on the Sephora website. 

"In 1978, Yves Saint Laurent launched a woman's makeup line.  Quite simply, his goal was to create a 'face' for the woman he dressed.  Just for her, he created a luxurious universe of colors and textures with makeup designed to look like accessories or genuine pieces of designer jewelry.  Today, YSL's celebrated makeup line contains treasures of innovation, textures that delight and perfect, along with an exquisite wardrobe of shades to match the richness of YSL's chosen materials of the season.  For Yves Saint Laurent, the beauty of each woman is unique, and her makeup reveals her personal style.  It adorns the face with a tailor-made radiance that lets beautiful confidence shine through.  Yves Saint Laurent Beaute is an interpretation of a woman, without stereotype: free, daring, always seductive, elegant, sensual, and contemporary."

One of the iconic pieces of the makeup line is the Faux Cils Mascara, one of the best selling mascaras.  This product is the gold standard for mascara and is very appropriate that it contained in a golden tube.  "For a false lash effect with buildable volume, discover the beauty of glamourous lashes with our bestselling Luxurious mascara.  The secret of this mascara?  A brush that has been specially designed to amplify the performance of the formula.  Your eyes look intense and glamourous.  With even one sweep of the wand and its unique formula, this mascara adds intense volume and definition to the appearance of lashes.  Available in a wardrobe of couture colours", states the YSL website.
I bought this mascara in the 9 Noir Radical shade, the deepest, most intense black shade.  This mascara is also available in a more basic black, a purple hue, and a burgundy.  I bought the deepest of the black shades because I haven't been as happy as I could be with the past few mascaras that I have used, mostly for the lack of drama that the formulas have been providing me.  This shade is often sold out my Sephora so I was happy to see that it was back in stock, I have been waiting to buy this product until this shade was available since I want only the most dramatic effects from this formula.
This product builds more volume in one coat then most mascaras build in two of three coats.  One coat is enough for daytime, nighttime drama can push me to put a second coat of this formula on.  One coat provides high volume effects and really thickened my lashes.  I love that my lashes are super-thick with the use of this product but they still remain defined and the formula doesn't clump.  One coat is enough for daytime and two coats creates the perfect nighttime intensity.

My only issue with this mascara is the removal of it.  Eye makeup remover was able to remove about half of the mascara with the first application and I have to use the cotton ball soaked in the product at least twice to get the majority of it off.  Even though it took longer to clean off than many other formulas, I still emerged from the shower with black stremaing down my cheeks, I got more of the product off my face with regular face wash however there was still some product directly under my eyes.  This mascara is a pain to get off since it gets everywhere when I try to remove it.  This is a small price to pay since I finally have found a mascara that gives me the volume and drama that I have been craving for the past few months.

To sum it all up, I simply feel elegant and French applying the mascara from the gold tube and it is an added bonus that the formula is exactly what I have been looking for!

photo courtesy of Sephora

YSL Summer 2012 Collection

June has just begun and we are almost through the summer color collections, it's hard to believe that the fall collections will be coming out within a month or two.  I am pretty much finished up with my summer makeup shopping, I might add a few more products to it if I really like some of the things that I am seeing in these last few summer collections but I might pick up a few products that I really love from these last few collections.  I still haven't looked at the Dior collection and that brand almost always creates at least one big lemming for me.  Today we are looking at the summer collection from YSL, a collection that appears to be very heavy on the eye makeup.  I always check out products from this company but don't own as many of them as I would like to.

I found this collection on the Nordstrom website, YSL has revamped their beauty website and it is now harder than ever to find anything on there and to figure out what a new collection is versus what the new product launch of the season is.  "This summer, be more iridescent than ever.  The shades of summer are inspired by dunes, sunlight, caramel, and golden tones for a fierce and seductive attitude that only ice water could refresh.  Ready to dive into summer?"  I am always looking for new gold and bronze hues for my eyes and this collection might yield my first major purchase from this company!

Here is the collection...

Pure Chromatics Wet and Dry Eye Shadow Palette - Through the magic of water and a revoluntionary new process, Yves Saint Laurent pushes the limits of color with Pure Chromatics, a new generation of eye shadows.  Real makeup artist magic is made easy with six emblematic harmonies that captivate the eyes.  The power of water: Exclusively by Yves Saint Laurent, the new water-process technology is the latest discovery in color, allowing pigments to be more intense and metallic than ever before!  Use wet for chromatic transformation.  Expect the unexpected.  Water does not dilute but enhances color pigments in Pure Chromatics.  When used wet, the water rehydrates the eye shadows and gives full intensity to their pigments.  The effect is the satiny powder transforms into a luxurious cream while pearls shine with a metallic finish.
- No 9 Stone - deep brown/medium pink champagne/medium bronze/deep charcoal

Terre Saharienne - Poudre de Soliel Bronzing Powder SPF 12 - A bronzing powder that provides an instant healthy glow, thanks to the incorporation of Sun Radiance pigments.  The special-effect pigments capture the light and diffuse a golden reflection in all directions.  The complexion is left looking smooth, golden, and radiant.
- 01 Sunkissed Touch - four hues of bronzes
- 02 Healthy Glow - pale peach/medium peach/bronze/pale pink

Golden Gloss - Adorn your lips in a smile of shimmering gold with Golden Gloss.  The gloss forms a mirror effect on the lips which sparkles with mother-of-pearl.  A complex of nourishing oils (nigelle and cameline oils) protects the lips while providing total comfort.
- 52 Golden Pebble - deep bronze shimmer

Dessin du Regard - Waterproof Eye Pencil - The look of a liquid with the precision of a pencil.  This exceptional long-lasting waterproof eye pencil will stay put on your lids for up to 16 hours!
- 09 Azure Blue - bright navy blue

Volume Effect Faux Cils - Waterproof Mascara - Faux Cils creates a dramatic, volumizing false lash effect and is now available in a waterproof formula.  The unique brush is designed to work specifically with the new formula to maximize lash volume for 24-hour hold.
- 04 Majorelle Blue - bright navy blue

I would have been tempted by the bronzer had I checked out this collection earlier in the season, however I am no longer really in the market for a new bronzer anymore so I will skip over this product this time around.  I am most tempted by the Pure Chromatics eye quad, these shades will work well with a tan in the summer months but I will use them all the way into fall.  If I pick up anything from this collection, it will be the eye shadow quad.  I would like to try the Faux Cils mascara formula, I have heard all types of raves about it however I would not buy it in the bright blue shade that is featured with this collection. 

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

YSL Spring 2012 Collection

Warm weather is now officially here and spring is in full swing.  The collections are beginning to wind down and the beauty industry is already looking toward the summer collections and trends.  I have less than the five collections left to look at and I think that I will be down with the spring product by the beginning of April and begin moving onto the summer collections.  The look on the YSL model is one of my favorites for the spring, the brightly colored eye look.  This company's eye shadows are among the best in the industry so I very happy to see that they jumped on the bandwagon with this trend and are giving us some great choices to create this look.  With some of these dramatic eye shadow shades, I have been dying to try matching my colored eye makeup look with my pastel nails, I will be trying it out for going out first since this one will be way too much for the office.  I have been more into color this year than any other year before!

This collection offers two brightly colored eye shadow palettes so we have tons of bright eye makeup choices from this collection.  That fact really gets me excited since I now have a rainbow of hues to choose from this collection.

The newest collection from YSL...

Rock Candy 4-Color Eye Shadow Palette - For the first time, a spring look inspired by Lloyd Simmons, YSL's International Makeup Artist.  This limited edition eye shadow palette draws inspiration from a sweet treat and features four shades each with a different finish: matte, shimmery, satiny, and velvety for a fresh spring look.  Apply the darkest shades close to the upper lash line to intensify the eye.  Place the light shades on the eyelid.  Add a final touch of radiance by highlighting the browbone or the inner corner of the eye with the lightest reflective shades.
- pale pink/deep navy blue/bright magenta/medium lilac
Ombres 5 Lumieres Palette - A versatile palette of shadows in four captivating colors and finishes, ranging from shimmer to sheen and metallic to matte - and one coordinating highlighter. All shades harmoniously blend to create any look you desire - soft and subtle or dazzling and dramatic; your options are endless.  The silky, longwear formula is infused with an optical smoothing effect that reveals breathtakingly radiant color that look luminous in any lighting.
- No 13 - bright aqua/pale pink/pale mint/bright gold/medium blue purple

Voile de Blush Gel Blush - Voile de Blush is a water-based gel blush.  It provides a sheer wash of color to subtly tint your cheeks.  The ultra-light and refreshing texture allows an easy and flawless application to the cheeks for a radiant glow.  The result: a lowing, natural look, perfect for springtime.
- No 1 - bright red
- No 2 - medium peach coral
- No 3 - medium rose

Rouge Volupte Pearl Lipstick - This creamy and nourishing lipstick is enveloped in a luxurious gold case with the elegant YSL logo.  Lips instantly feel soft and supple, drenched in sophisticated color with a satiny-pearl finish.  The secret - an exclusive blend of nourishing and soothing ingredients combined with pearls to caress lips in a sensual shine for irresistible lips.  Long lasting and highly comforing formula, leave lips looking smoother, fuller, and more radiant.
- No 113 - deep wine pearl
- No 114 - bright pink pearl
- No 115 - neutral medium beige pearl
- No 116 - pale blue pink pearl

Manicure Couture Duo - Discover the new limited edition Manicure Couture Duo duos in candy colored hues created to perfectly complement the new Spring Look collection.  In two mouth watering color combinations: Bubble Gum Pink and Tangerine Orange, Mint Green and Chocolately Brown.
- No 7 - Bubble Gum Pink and Tangerine Orange
- No 8 - Mint Green and Chocolately Brown

The collections from this company have been getting better and better every single year!  This used to be one of the collections that I never really cared about and never bought any items from but I see so many products that I must have from this new series of products.  I want to start with both of the new eye makeup palettes with the Ombres 5 Lumieres Palette being my favorite of the two new products.  I am very interested in the new Gel Blush formula, I want to try the rose shade of this product.  Neither of the other shades will really work for me but I am hoping that the formula would work well for me since I ahve heard very good comments on gel blush formulas.  Last but not least, I must try the new lipstick formula in both of the pink hues that it is offered in.

I like both of the new polish duos but I can't really see that I will buy either of them.  The shades aren't unique enough for me to warrant purchasing them, I could buy any of these shades from China Glaze or OPI and I would have a much better shade selection from which to try.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

YSL Holiday 2011 Collection

The YSL collection for this holiday is all about smoky eyes and red lips, this makeup collection is very dramatic and is very appropriate for all the holiday parties that will be occuring this season.  I love both red lipstick shades and smoky eyes and therefore I am really excited for this collection and I am really looking forward to some great new red lip shades.  I have been buying red lip shades almost solely from MAC and Lipstick Queen so I am really looking forward to trying a new one from YSL (I haven't used any lipsticks from this collection yet).  I don't know if I will replicate the whole look on the model, doing both the smoky eyes and the red lipstick at once but I would be willing to try each look individually.
Here is the holiday collection from YSL...

Palette Terriblement Noir Eye Shadow Palette - Yves Saint Laurent revolutionized women's fashion in 1966 when he created "Le Smoking", the tuxedo suit for women.  Taking inspiration from the iconic design, this limited edition eye palette uses one of the most emblematic symbols, the satin cumberbund while playing with the most sophisticated of black and white.  Each shade expressed a different texture, representing the beautiful fabrics used by Yves Saint Laurent Couture House; Shiny Silk, Matte Velvet, Sparkling Moire, Glittering Lame, and Creamy Satin.  Dress yourself in the textures of Yves Saint Laurent and create the most sophisticated couture smoky eye.

Manucure Couture - An elegant new Manucure Couture is inspired by the "Le Smoking" tuxedo jacket.  Two deep black shades, one matte and one shiny for a sophisticated tone-on-tone manicure.  Accessorize your nails with a couture look for the season: velvet and satin never looked so gorgeous together.

Rouge Pur Couture - A new generation lipstick inspired by Monsieur Saint Laurent's iconic color palette - red, fuchsia, and orange - in a collection of captivating couture shades that offer each complexion a customized look.  Enveloped in a luxurious gold case designed by Creative Director Stefano Pilati, Rouge Pur Couture speaks elegance.  Lips are saturated with intense, stay-true color, thanks to the Coloreveal Technology while natural extracts provide comforting moisture that lasts all day.  Provides medium to full coverage with a radiant, satin finish.  SPF 15.
- 38 Rose Aphrodite - light blue pink cream
- 40 Rouge Eros - medium berry red cream

Golden Gloss - Worth its weight in gold, this gorgeous gloss dresses lips in a sophisticated, high-shine shimmer that's truly precious.  Sparkling 24 carat gold flecks (0.2%) create a mirror-like effect for guarenteed glamour, while a complex of nourishing oils protect and hydrate for optimal comfort.  Scented with a subtle hint of mango that's utterly irresistible.
- 46 White Gold Quartz - warm white shimmer
- 47 White Gold Topaz - medium grape purple shimmer
- 48 White Gold Amethyst - deep black plum shimmer
Ombres Duolumieres - As homage to the spirit of Monsieur Saint Laurent, these vivacious, couture-inspired color pairs combine beautifully to dress eyes in a seamlessly sophisticated look that's luminous and lasting.  The light shade may be worn alone, or as a base to extend the wear of the accompanying deep-toned shadow, while the dark shade creates depth, contour, and intensity.  The silky, long-wear formula is infused with an optical smoothing effect that reveals breathtakingly radiant color that won't fade.
- 41 Silver Moire/Black Flannel - shimmering pale silver/black with shimmering silver flecks

The eye shadow palette that was inspired by "Le Smoking" is one of the best that I have seen all season, if not all year.  I love this palette and can't even begin to list all of the looks that I could create with it for going out at night.  That is my first choice from this collection, there is no point in getting the eye shadow duo since both shades in it are taken care of in the full palette.  I can safely pass over all three of the lip gloss shades, I'm not that into any of them but I do like both of the lipstick shades.  The pale pink that is included with this collection looks very close to the original Viva Glam Gaga, making it worthy of being checked out very soon.

This collection is right up there in my five favorite of the season...

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

YSL Fall 2011 Collection

This whole fall season, we have been seeing makeup collections that contain the product to create strong eyes and little to no lip products.  The fall collection from YSL is both the same as these and a bit different, it focuses on a strong eye makeup look but also a strong lip look at the same time.  all in all, this look on the model is more than I could ever pull off at once but I would love to try and take the eye and lip looks and try them separately.  I started out this season really liking strong eye makeup looks but the past few weeks, I have been craving new lip products and especially new shades of red lipstick.  Let's see what this collection falls for me and if I prefer the eye makeup or lip products from it...

"Inspired by YSL runways, the Fall 2011 palette features the colors of a midnight garden: sophisticated shades of purples and greens: sophisticated shades of purples and greens...these fantastical, rich colors create a seducing and intense new look for the season."  This collection reminds me so mauch of the one that we looked at from Too Faced right in the beginning of the fall collections, both of them were inspired by gardens and both contain a palette full of jewel-toned eye makeup shades.  Too Faced's seems a bit more wearable than the look that is shown on this model but I think that the YSL makeup will be a higher quality and contain a more rich pigmentation.

Here is the YSL version of a midnight garden eye makeup palette...

Blush Radiance - Dress cheeks in a sensual flush of color with this ultra-chic compact that seamlessly blends matte and iridescent textures to create a shimmery, lit-from-within look.  Incredibly versatile, this blush colors, contours, and highlights to create any effect - from natural to glamourous.  The beautifully blendable formula contains self-adapting pigments that capture and transform light's intensity into a vibrant color source that complements any complexion.  Remarkably silky texture blends beautifully for buildable, custom color.
- No 3 - cool light pink and lilac

Rouge Volupte Perle - The ultimate accessory, this creamy and nourishing lipstick is enveloped in a luxurious gold case with the timeless YSL logo that speaks elegance.  Lips instantly feel soft and supple and are drenched in gorgeous color with a satiny-pearl finish.  The secret - a perfect blend of nourishing and soothing ingredients and versatile pearls (transparent crystal pearls and colored pearls) that caress lips with a sensual yet sophisticated shine that's utterly irresistable.  Long-lasting and highly comforting formula, leaves lips looking smoother, fuller, and more radiant.  SPF 15.
- 107 Impetuous Beige - medium warm/neutral beige
- 108 Celestial Mauve - light shimmering lilac
- 109 Brazen Plum - deep warm red plum
- 110 Incandescent Orange - bright warm orange coral
- 111 Mysterious Red - medium warm red
- 112 Spellbinding Violet - dark cool blue plum

Ombres 5 Lumieres - A versatile palette of monochrome shadows in four captivating colors and finishes ranging from shimmer to sheen and metallic to matte - and one coordinating highlighter.  All shades harmoniusly blend to create any look you desire - soft and subtle or dazzling and dramatic: your options are endless.  The silky, long-wear formula is infused with an optical smoothing effect that reveals breathtakingly radiant color that looks luminous in any lighting.
- 11 Midnight Garden - deep charcoal/deep plum/medium lavender/medium true purple/ice blue highlighter

Volume Effect Faux Cils - This award-winning, volumizing mascara achieves a dramatic result in a single stroke.  The secret?  The triple-film complex.  A coating film for intensity, a conditioning film with pro-vitamin B and aloe vera for curves and a fixing film with vinyl polymer for long-lasting effectiveness.  The brush applicator combines nylon fibers of varying diameters for volume enhancement, as never before.
- 20 Midnight Blue - deep dark navy blue

La Laque - A new generation nail lacquer that's both elegant and practical is presented in a sleek elongated glass bottle imprinted with the timeless YSL logo.  A pantheon of fashion-inspired shades, from subtle and natural to vibrant and dramatic provide a high-shine finish for an instant touch of glamour.  Long wear formula with Verbena and Rose Oil strengthens, moisturizes, and protects nails from chipping and cracking.  Dries fast and applies evenly without streaking.
- 43 - deep aqua with subtle silver shimmer
- 44 - bright navy blue with subtle silver shimmer

Ombre Solo - Certain to be a YSL classic, this silky-soft powder sweeps on vibrant, rich color that stays true from day to night.  The radiance enhancing formula highlights eyes in every shade, which blend beautifully together, so any look is easy to achieve.  Presented in an elegant gold compact with two applicators - a foam tip for blending and a brush for precision - ensure effortless color control.
- 18 Deep Night Purple - dark cool plum
- 19 Velvet Green - deep forest green

I find the YSL version of this look to be much more upscale than the Too Faced version of the look.  I love the eye shadow palette in this collection and prefer it over the Too Faced version, I want to try this palette out in a deep purple smoky eye.  However, I will not be wearing as the model is,  with the Ombre Solo in 19 Velvet Green over it.  The combination of all the shades is too much for me and I also won't be pairing it with a dramatic lip look.  that being said, I can skip both of the Ombre Solo shades since I would purchase the palette instead.  The Blush Radiance shade that is included in this collection is lovely and will be great when my skintone returns back to its normal pale shade in a week or two.  The Mysterious Red shade of the lipstick also has my name written all over, I feel like I have found more great red lipstick shades in the past three weeks than I found the whole season and I am so happy that I finally have some choices in this area.  Lastly, I love both of the nail polish shades and want to add both to my collection.

This is another collection that is in my top five for best collections of the fall, a rank that YSL typically does not achieve for me.  The eye shadow palette is simply fanstastic, as is the red lipstick shades and both of the nail polishes.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

French Week 2011 Day 7 - YSL Paris

It is now the last day of our French Week for this year, hopefully you have found a new reason or two to love the French beauty industry.  Personally, the biggest eye opener that I had this year was the information about Guerlain's history in the beauty industry, I always knew that the company created wonderful products but I had no idea that they were pioneers of the lipstick and bronzer industry at the same time.  For the last day of the theme week, we are going to end it on a very high note.  YSL's iconic scent Paris embodies both the spirit of the city and the image that the brand has built up for themselves over the years. 

Yves Saint Laurent became Christian Dior's assistant in the late 1950s and the influence of Mr. Dior can often be seen in the clothing and beauty lines coming from this brand.  Within four year, Laurent took the Dior empire over and became the head designer for the next few years.  In the year 1961, Laurent moved on from the House of Dior and started his own fashion house.  He then quickly emerged as one fo the top designers in the France and within years, gained that same status all over the world.  In the springtime, little rose gardens pop up all over the city.  The streets and gardens take on a lovely smell of roses and the color pink becomes a dominant shade throughout the city.  And since I love both Paris and roses...  I am seeing a trip in my very near future...

This fragrance is getting harder and harder to find even though it is considered to be an iconic fragrance.  It wasn't on the Sephora website or at Macy*s so I had to turn to the YSL website itself to find the needed information.  "Romantic, ultra-feminine, exquisitely refined, the scent of a rose in full bloom: YSL Paris, the perfume Yves Saint Laurent designed to give to the world the glamour and allure of the city he loved above all.  A rose opening at dawn to reveal its secrets...the first notes flower in solitude, then are joined by hints of violet with hints of bergamot.  The middle breathes with light powdery accents of may rose and iris.  Completing the rose accord: the awakening of sandalwood, vetiver, and vanilla.  In a tempered glass flacon."

This fragrance is one the top rated ones in "Perfumes.  The Guide" from Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez, a book that is quickly becoming my personal guide to choosing fragrance and learning about all the notes that are involved in making them. 

"Fragrance, along with fashion and music, reached an unprecedented level of bombast in the eighties: the shoulder pads were wide, the hair was big, the music was mindless, and the perfume was far, far too strong - which was why everyone in the nineties took to wearing CK one and L'Eau D'Issey, as sort of an olfactory fast to atone for years of overdoing it.  To this day many people believe they hate perfume because they only remember the Poisons, the Opiums, the Giorgios, and Paris, the zenith (or nadir, depending on how you look at it) of the perfumer's rose.  The word on this fragrance is that it is rose composed of ionones, those wonderful materials that smell fruity, powdery, and woody all at once.  Spray Paris on paper and it exhales an intense, rich, wine-like breath.  It comes off as more of a vast bouquet than a soliflore, and reminds me of those bridal bunches some florists construct by reassembling the petals of a dozen blooms around a single center, creating a Frankenstein rose the size of a cabbage.  An hour in, you have room to breathe at last, and find, in the cloud of sweet and woody notes, long streaming sections running through it like alternating pink and green silk ribbons: a tender, powdery mimosa and a piercing fruit green.  The great Sophia Grojsman (Yvresse, Tresor, Eternity, Calyx) put this one together, and it marks the absolute end of the particular road, the point beyond which it is not possible to make a louder, bigger, more complicated rose.  From here on, it is only possible to innovate by taking away, not adding.  A brilliant, beautiful monstar.  I sprayed it on thoughtlessly the first time that I saw it in a department store and knew I had made a social misstep when I saw people cringing away from me in the street and on the company elevator.  Buy it, but put in on at your own peril."

I love strong florals and this seems to be the strongest floral that is on the beauty market.  The description from the "Perfumes" book might be off-putting to some but it just draws me in.  It reminds me what some people in the United States think of the French citizens though I do not agree (as a generalization).  This fragrance is strong and reminds me of being surrounded by roses just as I would be in the streets of Paris.  This fragrance is an icon of the French ladies and provides the type of sophistication that I aim for when selecting a nighttime fragrance to use in the fall and winter.

So this is the end of our French Week for this year and I must say that this one has been my favorite so far!  I have learned so much about the history of the French beauty industry and my skin has never looked better after working with all the Caudalie body products.  I have found two new fragrances that I can look forward to buying this fall and hopefully will continue to refine my personal style in order to become more French...

photo courtesy of YSL

YSL Summer 2011 Collection

Since I need even more reasons to obsess over this summer...  YSL everything!  This collection is more about color than about bronzers and the like, which is a refreshing change from most summer collections.  There are days that I feel like I have a nice tan but I have no color on my eyes or lips.  I am great with the self-tanners but I don't always accent that shade with the right pigments.  I love my fake tan but I can tend to let to rule my summer look and not summery makeup shades.  But if I was in France, I would barely have a tan in Paris and would need to travel to Provence in summer.  So I guess that I need pigments to create my summer look...

The model for this collection is unexpectedly paled-skinned and the collection is for Parissian women.  Would I have no desire for a tan if I lived in Paris?  I have no idea but I would be willing to move to Paris and find out.  YSL describes this collection as, "The must-have colors of Summer 2011 embody the unexpected intensity of a summer in Paris, a time when anything is possible."  Guess that I need to go to Paris to understand pales and pigments in the summer...

Here is the newest from Paris and YSL...

La Laque - A new generation nail lacquer that's both elegant and pratical is presented in a sleek elongated glass bottle imprinted with the timeless YSL logo.  A pantheon of fashion-inspired shades, from subtle and natural to vibrant and dramatic provide a high-shine finish for an instant touch of glamour.  Long wear formula with Verbena and Rose Oil strengthens, moisturizes and protects nails from chipping and cracking.  Dries fast and applies evenly without streaking.
- 31 Turquoise Blue - bright aqua blue
- 32 Electic Yellow - bright yellow shimmer

Pure Chromatics - Through the magic of water and a revolutionary new process, Yves Saint Laurent pushes the limits of color with Pure Chromatics, a new generation of eye shadows.  Real makeup artist mgic is made easy with six emblematic harmonies that captivate the eyes.  The power of water.  Exclusively by YSL, the new water-process technology is the latest discovery in color, allowing pigments to be more intense and metallic than ever before!  Use wet for a chromatic transformation.  Expect the unexpected.  Water does not dilute but enhances color pigments in Pure Chromatics.  When used wet, the color rehydrates the eye shadows and gives full intensity to their pigments.  The effect is the satiny powder transforms into a luxurious cream while pearls shine with a metallic finish.
- No 19 - pale lavender/white shimmer/pale cool gray/charcoal shimmer
- No 20 - beige shimmer/white shimmer/pale gold shimmer/charcoal shimmer

Ombres Duolumieres - As homage to the spirit of Monsieur Saint Laurent, these vivacious, couture-inspired color pairs combine beautifully to dress eyes in a seamlessly sophisticated look that's luminous and lasting.  The light shade may be worn alone , or as a base to extend the wear of the accompanying deep-toned shadow, while the dark shade creates depth, contour, and intensity.  The silky, long-wear formula is infused with an optical smoothing effect that reveals breathtakingly radiant that won't fade. 
- 35 Soft Brown Duo - beige shimmer/soft medium brown
- 37 Electric Yellow - Royal Blue - bright green yellow/pure cerulean blue

Creme de Blush - Unique cream to powder blush offers a luminous, radiant, and healthy look.  The remarkably soft formulation feels like silk upon application, ensuring a seamless result.  And because the non-waxy texture will not break through makeup, it is an excellent touch-up tool for use throughout the day.  Suggested application: Using fingertips, gently apply to the apples of the cheeks, blending up and outward toward the hairline.  Gently tap into the skin for flawless blending.
- 4 Bright Coral - bright orange coral

Rouge Pur Couture - A new generation lipstick inspired by Monsieur Saint Laurent's iconic color palette - red, fuchsia, and orange - in a collection of captivating couture shades that offer each complexion a customized look.  Enveloped in a luxurious gold case designed by Creative Director Stefano Pilati, Rouge Pur Couture speaks elegance.  Lips are saturated with intense, stay-true color, thanks to the Coloreveal Technology while natural extracts provide comforting moisture that lasts all day.  Provides medium to full coverage with a radiant, satin finish.  SPF 15.
- 23 Pink Coral - warm peachy pink
- 24 Luminous Fresh Pink Peach - warm light peachy pink
- 26 Luminous Soft Pink Mauve - medium mauve
- 27 Soft Fuchsia - bright pink purple
- 28 Luminous Pink Plum - deep cool plum

This is just not my style, the eye shade on the model is just awful and I could never pull this one off.  There are shades that I like in each of the products, but they aren't really the ones that are featured with this collection.  I guess that I have to say that I like the Pure Chromatics eye palettes the most, especially the No 2 shade (with the golds).  The turquoise blue nail polish I really do love and I am glad that this shade is becoming a trend for this summer.  The only other items that I like are the 23 Pink Coral and 26 Luminous Soft Pink Mauve in the Rouge Pur lipstick formulation.  So I guess that this summer look isn't really what I am going toward this time around but not every collection will be a winner...

photo courtesy of YSL

YSL Spring 2011 Collection

This is the last of my spring collection coverage, I can't believe that spring is over already and that summer is quickly coming upon us. This has been one of my favorite springs in the past few years and I think that I could call this one of my favorite seasons overall. I loved all the purples and designer collaborations that came out over the season and I had very few misses this season. YSL is my last collection this time around and still remains a collection that I admire every time that I see it at Sephora but just haven't purchased much of anything from it. I blame my MAC obsession for never trying this brand out...

 The YSL website states the following about their newest look for spring, "The Spring Collection is illuminated with sheer modern colors and pink hues against bright and saturated blue and indigos." The pinks I can do in this collection but I don't know how well the blue and indigo shades will be working for me. The model in this promotional picture is very pale skined so I bet that I will find some items for myself this time around.

The collection...

Creme de Blush - Unique cream to powder blush offers a luminous, radiant, and healthy look. The remarkably soft formulation feels like silk upon application, ensuring a seamless result. And because the non-waxy texture will not break through makeup, it is an excellent touch-up tool for use throughout the day. Suggested application: Using finertips, gently apply to the apples of the cheeks, blending up and outward toward the hairline. Gently tap into the skin for flawless blending.
- 2 Powdery Rose - medium cool rose
- 3 Silky Praline - pale peach
- 5 Fuschia Temptation - bright magenta pink
- 6 Rouge Passion - true red

Ombre Solo Smoothing Effect Eye Shadow - Certain to be a YSL classic, this silky-soft powder sweeps on vibrant, rich color that stays true from day to night. The radiance enhancing formula highlights eyes in every shade, which blend beautifully together, so any look is easy to achieve. Presented in an elegant gold compact with two applicators - a foam tip for blending and a brush for precision - ensure effortless color comfort.
- 15 Gold Leaf - bright shimmery gold
- 16 Topaz Blue - bright blue

Ombres 5 Lumieres 5 Color Harmony for Eyes - A versatile palette of monochrome shadows in four captivating colors and finishes, ranging from shimmer to sheen and metallic to matte - and one coordinating highlighter. All shades harmoniously blend to create any look you desire - soft and subtle or dazzling and dramatic; your options are endless. The silky long-wear formula with an optical smoothing effect that reveals breathtakingly radiant color that looks luminous in any lighting.
- 2 Indian Pink - medium cool purple/gold rose/pale white shimmer/pale pink shimmer/deep plum

Rouge Volupte Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick SPF 15 - An object of desire, this award-winning lipstick is wrapped in a romantic, elegant gold case that exudes luxury. Each signature shade saturates lips in captivating color that's intensely pigmented, and imparts an incredible glossy shine. The long-lasting, comforting formula is highlighted with a unique Color-Shine Complex that leaves lips visibly smoother, plumper, and more radiant. Light, silky texture smoothes on a veil of satiny, sensual color that's altogether alluring. Companion mirror on top of case ensures easy application any time. SPF 15.
- 7 Lingerie Pink - pale cool rose
- 8 Fetish Pink - cool rose
- 19 Frivolous Pink - deep magneta
- 29 Opera Rose - deep pink red

Golden Gloss Shimmering Lip Gloss - Worth its weight in gold, this gorgeous gloss dresses lips in a sophisticated, high-shine shimmer that's truely precious. Sparkling 24 carat gold flecks (0.2%) create a mirror-like effect for guaranteed shimmer, while a complex of nourishing oils protect and hydrate for optimal comfort. Scented with a subtle hint of mango that's utterly irresistable.
- 40 Gold Impertinence - gold flecked magenta
- 41 Golden Isolence - gold flecked fuchsia
- 42 Golden Obsession - gold flecked medium pink
- 43 Golden Irreverence - gold flecked warm pink

Easy Liner for Eyes Automatic Eye Liner - Create dramatic eyes with ease with this foolproof liquid liner that's ultra-glamorous and exceptionally chic. Its perfection is in the precision of the calligraphy brush and its controlled, continous flow that deposits just the right amount of color at each application. Whether it's fine definition or a bold cat-eye look, this versatile pen promises gorgeous color and long-lasting wear all day and night.
- 1 Easy Black - black
- 2 Easy Brown - medium brown
- 3 Easy Blue - navy blue

Mascara Singulier - This mascara dares to do it all! Not only does it create glamorous volume, bold length, and voluptuous curl, but it saturates the root of the lashes like a stroke of liquid liner, creating an intense tupe of separation. The unique brush innovation combines the technology of a traditional brush with the structure of a moulded brush to further push the performance of the formula. The result: exaggerated lashes with "haute couture" precision.
 - 6 Deep Plum - deep dark plum

I love this collection, this is great way to end all of my spring 2011 coverage. My favorite piece in this collection is the eye shadow palette, as I have stated already, the eye shadow palettes overall this spring have been fantastic and I can add this one to this list. I love the pinks and purples, this palette is right on trend and will be perfect for my skintone. I also love the solo eye shadow in the new golden shades, I can live without the blue one.

This has also been a great spring for cream blushes and pink lip shades, this collection provides me even more to love in both of these categories. I love both the Powdery Rose and the Fuschia Temptation shades in this product. Pink cream blushes have been a favorite of mine for ages and I can't wait to add these to my collection. From the lipstick, I want Lingerie Pink and Fetish Pink. I haven't tried the Golden Lip Gloss yet so I have to fully try it out to see how the gold works with my skintone. I want to try the Golden Obsession shade for the daytime and the Golden Impertinence for the evening.

Spring is over so now onto summer and the search for good bronzers and tanners...

photo courtesy of YSL

YSL Fall 2010 Collection

Last month when reading Vogue, I fell madly in love with a pair of pants from YSL. However, until I graduate from my masters' program and get an executive job, those pants will remain a picture in Vogue. Since I am already lusting after pieces of YSL this fall, I am going to try and forgot about those pants by looking at their newest beauty collection. "This season the YSL woman takes to the stage. She is excessive, flamboyant, passionate. She experiments with color to reinvent herself. Her life is a theatre. She plays with textures and shades: satin skin, velvet lips, eyes shimmer in metallic hues. There are no rules. She is after all, the YSL Woman".

Here is the new collection...

Peche N. 1 L'Eclat Collector Palette - YSL's new limited edition Palette for Complexion is inspired by YSL fashion. This season's star is embellished with a detail of passementerie engraved on the emblematic YSL compact in contrasting matte and shiny gold. This powder in interlacing barely-there shades will give you sinful radiance. Both a blush and a powder, this palette instantly highlights all skin tones. Mix both shades with a brush and apply all over the face for a sheer, even finish.

Touche Eclat Radiant Touche - Light, luminosity, radiance. The award winning, must-have, take anywhere instant highlighter that banishes shadows, erases signs of fatigue, and leaves your skin looking radiant. Touche Eclat is 8 hours of sleep in pen - the one item no woman can be without. Touche Eclat is ideal at any time of the day over bare skin, under or over foundation, creme, or powder. Use this best-selling pen-brush around the eye area, the hollow of the chin, the contour of the lips, and the sides of the nose. Just slip it into your bag to ensure a brillant glow, anytime, anywhere. Suitable for all skin types. Four shades are available to match all skintones.

Ombres Duolumieres Eye Shadow Duo - A reflection of the Yves Saint Laurent's spirit, the colours are both luminous and radiant. The duos play with contrasts that work together to dress the eyelids with vibrant hues and beautify the eyes with ultimate elegance. The extremely soft powder glides evenly and unwinds like the finest ribbon onto the skin. Thanks to an optical smoothing effect, each shade fully expresses its intensity and radiance.

- Purple Amethyst/Tawny Brown - lavender/tawny

Rouge Volupte Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick SPF 15 - An object of every woman's desires, Rouge Volupte's luxurious and lush outer packaging reveals a creamy lipstick that leaves your lips nourished, feeling smooth and soft, and looking glossy and irresistable. Presented in a romantic and elegant metallic case, with a mirror on top for quick and easy application throughout the day, and an intricate carving of the Yves Saint Laurent logo.

- #101 Beige Caress - neutral beige

- #102 Coral Sun - medium warm coral

- #103 Sparkling Pink - cool blue pink

- #104 Stellar Pink - medium neutral pink

- #105 Insolent Beige - deep warm beige

- #106 Mesmerizing Purple - deep purple

Mascara Singulier Exaggerated Lashes Dramatic Styling - A daring new interpretation of beautiful eyes. Glamorous volume, bold length, volutptuous curl and dramatic styling: MASCARA SINGULIER dares to do everything. A unique innovation by Yves Saint Laurent, the mascara brush combines the technology of a traditional brush with the structure of a moulded brush, to increase the performance of the formula: structured in an elliptic way, the multi-dimensional bristles ensure "Haute Couture" precision and dress the lashes evenly from root to tip. By coating the root of the lashes with mascara like a stroke of eye liner, the brush creates a unique and intense type of separation. Volumizing micro-spheres thicken the lashes, with Pro-vitamin B5 to protect, nourish, and reinforce of the lashes' structure. Like hair extensions, nylon micro-fibres extend the lashes. A high performance "curling wax" helps style the lashes for an ideal curve.

- #5 Deep Indigo - navy

Ombre Solo Smoothing Effect Eye Shadow - This Fall YSL introduces two new shades of Ombre Solo. Easy to apply with a silky soft and rich texture, the colour remains vibrant and pure for hours. Blending is effortless; colour and intensity are easy to adjust to your desired concentration. Set in a luxurious gold compact, this eye shadow allows for easy application with both a sponge tip and brush applicator. A soft and long-lasting eye colour for a truely professional result.

- #13 Aquamarine - pale blue

- #14 Satin Silver - pale white

Blush Variation - Blush Variation combines both matte and iridescent textures that blend together to enliven the cheekbones with a veil of colour. The exclusive formula, containing self-adapting pigments, catches all the intensity of light and transforms it into a vibrant source of colour.

- #19 Venetian Rose - shades of roses and bronzes

Golden Gloss Shimmering Lip Gloss - Dress your lips in a veil of shimmering gold with Golden Gloss. The gloss forms a mirror-effect on the lips which sparkles with mother-of-pearl. A complex of nourishing oils (Nigelle and Cameline oils protects the lips while providing total comfort.

- #30 Golden Satin - golden pink

- #31 Golden Toffee - neutral golden beige

Limited Edition Manucure Couture Colour Nail Polish Duo - For this season only, Yves Saint Laurent dresses nails in Couture colors with its new interpretation of the classic French Manicure. These "twin sets" leave nails with an ultra-satin finish for an irresistably chic color statement.

- #3 Belle de Nuit - deep plum and shimmering gold

- #4 Y-Cone - pale pink and white

I'm not really feeling this collection, I am doubting that many of the shades in it will work for me. I really only like the Blush Variation and the Belle de Nuit nail polish duo. I would love if the Golden Glosses would work for my skintone since they are so beautiful int he package but I am doubting that I will have much luck with them. Back to lusting after the pants instead of the makeup...

photo courtesy of YSL

YSL Summer 2010 Collection

This is my last summer collection of the year. I have been seeing bits and pieces of this collection throughout the season in magazines and it has been featured pretty prominently in Allure. The latest from YSL is a collection of bronzers and bright shades for lips and nails. Neither of these are among my favorite of products so I don't see this collection working out well for me but if you have a warmer skin tone, I could see if being a fantastic collection for you.

YSL describes the collection as "Free and passionate, the Yves Saint Laurent woman plunges into a new adventure of sun, sensual, and exotic. She opens her safari jacket over her tanned skin like an invitation to travel. Born of the elements, her essential and solar beauty is a force of nature".

Let's finish off the summer collections now...

Terre Saharienne Bronzing Powder - This bronzing powder provides an instant healthy glow thanks to the incorporation of the new "Sun Radiance" pigments. These special effect pigments capture the light and diffuse a golden reflection in all directions. The complexion is smooth, leaving skin looking refreshed and rested.

- #1 Sand - for pale complexions

- #2 Copper Sand - for medium complexions

- #3 Golden Sand - for deeper complexions

Touche Eclat Radiant Touch - Light, luminosity, radiance. The award winning, must-have, take anywhere instant highlighter that banishes shadows, erases signs of fatigue and leaves your skin looking radiant. Touche Eclat is eight hours of sleep in a pen - the one item no woman can be without. Touche Eclat is ideal at any time of the day over bare skin, under or over foundation, creme, or powder. Use this best-selling pen-brush around the eye area, the hollow of the chin, the contour of the lips, and the sides of the nose. Just slip it in your bag to ensure a brillant glow, anytime, anywhere. Suitable for all skin types.

- 1 Luminous Radiance - for pale skin

- 2 Luminous Ivory - for light skin

- 3 Light Peach - for medium skin

- 4 Luminous Toffee - for deep skin

Fard Lumiere Aquaresistant Water Resistant Cream Eye Shadow - New Fard Lumiere Aquaresistant Water Resistant Cream Eye Shadow is a cream eye shadow in an infinitely lightweight texture, providing a deligthful feeling of freshness when applied. The eyelids are dressed with a long-lasting, luminous, and waterproof veil of color.

- #5 Golden Sands - pale gold

- #19 Riviera Blue - ocean blue

Mascara Aquaresistant Waterproof Mascara - Essential for the summer, this waterproof mascara coats, lengthens, and thickens the lashes while protecting them from the drying effects of salt, chlorine, and sun.

- #7 Blue Lagoon - bright blue

Gloss Pur Pure Lip Gloss - Pure colour and high shine. YSL's newest lip gloss is everything you need to achieve an ultra-sophisticated every-day look. Based on YSL's top selling lip gloss, Golden Gloss, Gloss Pur delivers a sparkle-free beautiful and glossy sheen to the lips. With a fresh mango scent and six must-have shades, you'll want them all.

- #7 Pure Sorbet - pale pink

- #8 Pure Watermelon - bright coral

- #9 Pure Hibiscus - bright fushcia

- #10 Pure Redcurrant - sheer red

La Laque Nail Lacquer - A nail lacquer that is both elegant and practical in its elongated glass bottle. Available in an incredible palette of shades, from the most natural to the brightest, it guarentees reinforced hold, wonderful shine, fast-drying, and protected nails.

- #42 Ultra Violet - bright purple

- # #142 Ultra Orange - bright orange

Mehhh... Not my favotie collection of the season. As I thought earlier, this is not a collection for me even though I like many of the shades on someone else. For myself, I only want four items. The item that I want the most is the Golden Sands shade of the eye shadow. I also really like the Ultra Violet nail polish and the lip glosses in both the Pure Sorbet and Pure Redcurrant shades.

Time to begin looking forward to fall...

photo courtesy of YSL