Review: YSL Glossy Stains

There's been quite a bit of a buzz about YSL's new formula of liquidlipstick-lipgloss-stain lip product. Even Lisa Eldridge is swooning.

Deservedly so.

YSL has produced one amazing formula. The Glossy Stain applies like a cross between a liquid lipstick and a gloss, with the shine and slight stickiness --it's not excessively sticky though!-- that can be found with a gloss as well as the opacity of a lipstick. And then, just as you thought it's run out of tricks in its bag, you eat and drink, and blot, only to realise the colour remains as a stain.

This makes it quite a versatile product. One layer, and you have something semi-sheer and delicate, add a second layer and it becomes opaque and strong. Or you can even blot most of the colour off, leaving a pretty and more muted stain behind.

The applicator is quite unusual in that it's bent. It applies quite well with the doe foot applicator but I'm a lip brush girl. I use a whole bunch of lip brushes every week and find it quite easy smearing product on my hand and applying from there on with a brush. However, I'd say to keep a wipe on hand, because once you're done applying -- even if it only took you two minutes -- your hand is going to be stained.

It's that powerful.

The one thing I don't like about the selection YSL has put out is... the colours. I find that there just isn't enough range for me, with too many colours leaning towards the strong dark side. I would really like to see more delicate colours that don't aren't too pale -- as the ones in this lineup tend to be for me.

Reviewed here is no. 5, a raspberry-like shade.

I'm not one for very dark colours but I love two layers of this followed by a shimmery gloss to tune it down somewhat. The colour on the left is one layer, which provides a lovely healthy rosiness to lips while the second is the amount of product you get with a hard swipe on the hand. I usually find it enough for two layers on my lips --it also shows you what colour you get with two or more layers.

I also purchased numbers 4 and 6 and will review those at some point. I'm currently tempted to get no. 3.

Check out Rae's very helpful swatches here and here.

You can find this at most counters at large department stores like Debenhams, John Lewis, Harrods, for £22.50 for 6ml.

Review: RMK Liquid Foundation

Last week, while waiting for my takeout from Atari-ya, I made a quick trip to Selfridges. There I had to wait while three men fussed around cologne, only to pick up the Giorgio Armani Master Corrector, which is quite marvellous. After that I popped by RMK to check out the new 15th Anniversary Collection and try out their foundation.

I've been trying to find a nice (cheaper) alternative to Suqqu's Frame Fix Liquid Foundation, which I really really like but is prohibitively priced (£65 for 20ml). So I was hoping the RMK might be a good alternative. It is more reasonably priced at £33.

I was matched to 103 and was told this colour would also work for the Cream Foundation. First, the packaging -- it comes in a bottle with words like 'open me' all over it. I find it a bit odd, but to each her or his own. Strangely enough, there is no pump. Personally, for something as liquid as this foundation, I'd prefer a pump. A pump is also significantly more hygienic. I think it can be a little difficult to control how much comes out.

The foundation itself is very watery. It has a light texture, which is nice and is very spreadable. I have normal/combination skin and this glided over dry patches pretty well. While the colour looked to be very brown on my hand, on my face it applied well, melding almost perfectly with my skin, without an overt yellowish tone -- which I got from the Dior Diorskin Nude.

It's supposed to be waterproof but I didn't test this bit out. I don't usually find myself encountering large amounts of water during the day, though hopefully this means it's somewhat sweat-proof?

The foundation dries quite well. It's neither completely matte nor is it very dewy. I think it'd make a good foundation for humid summer months. However, the one thing about this foundation is that it does transfer colour, which I don't like. Even an hour after application, a slight touch to my face leaves a brown residue on my fingers. If you don't want your foundation getting on your clothes while taking them off, I'd suggest a quick wipe off of the foundation. I don't find that this foundation slips around a lot, and the wear is certainly better on top of a primer.

Overall, I'd say this is a good foundation for the summer, if you don't mind the packaging and if you're not looking for something too dewy.

You can find this at BeautyBay and Selfridges. It's probably a good idea to try it out at Selfridges if you can. Also, there are stores like bobodave that sell samples just so you can try it out.