The product: Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture SPF 15 in 01 Le Rouge
This Rouge Pur Couture–a miniature in the L’Oreal Luxe Loose Button Advent Calendar earlier this year–is my first YSL lipstick… but I have a feeling it won’t be my last. Fantastically “holiday,” Le Rouge is such a stellar shade for a really bold, attention-grabbing red, and the formula is absolutely divine.
The wear: With a physical SPF of 15, the Rouge Pur Couture formula wears smoothly and comfortably, even on my stubborn lips. I fidget constantly (rubbing my lips together, pursing them, etc.) but it does absolutely nothing to the gorgeously even, opaque colour distribution — even after some time, the colour doesn’t bleed, slide around, or settle into fine lines or dry flakes.
These lipsticks do have a very distinct fragrance, but honestly, it’s pretty alright. I tend to hate fragranced lip products, but the floral, ever-so-slightly-fruity scent is a far cry from the waxy, fig-based odours that saturate the lipstick market.
YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick swatches – 01 Le Rouge
The shade and finish: The Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks are described as having a luminous satin texture, which is a fairly apt description. The finish is just this side of matte, shimmer-free (at least in Le Rouge) and very plush without being glossy.
When worn sparingly, Le Rouge reads as a matte pink-red stain; again, with great colour distribution and wear. When worn full-on, though, the finish is more supple and moisturizing — think satin, not gloss. Le Rouge is very well-pigmented, with full colour in just one swipe, and a good red/blue balance.
Wearing Le Rouge
YSL describes the shade a “blood red,” but I like to think of it as an “optimistic red.” It’s definitely wearable on both warm and cool complexions, as well as olive colouring and against both fair and dark skintones.
Le Rouge does have a respectable bit of blue in it, but it has this great vividness that feels a little too strawberry to be a cool colour. It really does pull both ways depending on your colouring, so don’t shy away from it just because it wears well on a skintone other than yours!
(See it on Pink Sith, Tacky Blue Eyeshadow, and calivintage.)
The verdict?
At $32 USD/$38 CAD for a full-sized tube, the Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks are certainly a luxury — but such a worthwhile splurge. Le Rouge is a stunning rendition of the textbook “holiday” red, and for the gorgeous wear, I’m putting some serious thought into finding a more natural shade in the line.
Find it at Sephora & Nordstrom online. I know this one will be too attention-grabbing of a shade for most of you (I’m a little self-conscious of it right now, and I’m alone at my laptop!), but formula is honestly in my top five three for wearability and colour distribution. You need this!
Wearing YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick in 01 Le Rouge – tungesten lighting + flash.
The ingredients
Octyldodecanol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Stearyl/PPG-3 Myristyl Ether Dimer Dilinoleate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Polyethylene, Microcrystalline Wax, Polybutene, Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Candelilla Wax, Titanium Dioxide, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Fragrance, Caprylyl Glycol, Water, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Mannitol , Polyurethane-15, Acacia Senegal Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Rosemary Extract , Yeast Extract , Carrot Root Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Citric Acid.
[+/- May Contain: CI 77891 MICA CI 15850 CI 19140 CI 77491 CI 73360 ]
