2 days ago
I Tried $435 of YSL Beauty Products & Here's What's Worth Buying
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When you think of YSL Beauty, a few things come to mind. For me, I think of Touche Éclat concealer and Dua Lipa. For others, you may simply know the three iconic initials as an iconic French fashion house. All of these things are true, but during a recent trip with the brand to Marrakech (a home and huge source of inspiration to the brand's founder, Algerian-born Yves Saint Laurent), I discovered that there was so much to YSL that meets the eye. And not to mention, some seriously excellent products to boot.
Over four days, I got the chance to visit Morocco's Ourika Gardens, where YSL Beauty grows botanical ingredients for its suite of makeup, skincare products, and fragrances. (I'll never forget hand-picking jasmine flowers that would end up in bottles of Libre perfume.) It's as good a crash course as I could've dreamed of, and along the way, I tested out hundreds of dollars' worth of product to determine which are the most exciting, covetable ones to try this year.
YSL Loveshine Plumping Lip Oil Gloss, $40
In a crowded landscape of lip gloss-treatment hybrids, YSL's Loveshine is a standout. The shades are curated and truly unique — my two favorites are California Sunshine, a shimmery cinnamon, and Thunder Stealer, a sparkly frosted lavender that feels like it's from the future. In addition to a kiss of color, the formula has ginger and pepper oils to boost circulation and naturally plump lips.
Make Me Blush 24H Buildable Powder Blush, $45
These adorable powder blushes remind me of French macarons — colorful, cute, and utterly irresistible. Available in both matte and satin finishes, these silky powder blushes are intensely pigmented and have pretty impressive staying power. (They held up all day, even on the hottest days walking around Marrakech.) My favorites of the bunch are Peachy Nude and Berry Bang, but to be honest, there's not a blah shade in the bunch.
YSL Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick, $42
Lip gloss in a stick? Genius, if you ask me. It's easier to apply without a mirror, less prone to getting everywhere, and when the packaging is this good, what's not to love? I love to wear this with a lip pencil for an easy, effortless lip combo. You can also wear it alone for a barely-there hint of hydrating color.
Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara, $33
I'm pretty picky with my mascara. I like my lashes to look effortlessly fluttery and defined, even when I do a more bold, voluminous lash look. I'm wearing YSL's Lash Clash mascara here, and as you can see, it's all about flirty, look-at-me lashes without any heaviness or clumps. YSL's Global Makeup Artist Sam Visser gave me a life-changing tip for applying lots of mascara: Wipe off any excess from the wand before applying it to your lashes, which gives you more control over building up coats as needed.
Couture Mini Clutch Eyeshadow Palette, $68
These compact eyeshadow quads are high fashion, but for your eyes. There are two new palettes to look forward to this year, Captivating Dunes and Sunrise Safari, and the former has become my current obsession. It's the perfect mix of earthy, cool-toned neutrals that are super elevated. I like to apply a wash of champagne shimmer all over my lid, and then define the crease with the medium taupe. For date night, I turn it into a smoky eye with the dark chocolate matte along the upper and lower lash lines. The powders are silky and soft to wear — never chalky — and are actually infused with fig cactus oil from the Ourika Gardens that I toured.
Candy Glow Tinted Butter Balm, $42
Yes, it's a lip balm — but a really, really nice one. Like, the nicest I own. I love the shade 8B (a warm rose) to prep my lips while I do the rest of my makeup. It's silky and hydrating, but not too heavy. I will be honest, the tint on this is quite sheer; but that isn't a dealbreaker for me since I'm not a huge lipstick person anyway. The packaging is also stunning, and looks like something Marie Antoinette would've kept in her vanity.
Libre Eau De Parfum, $140
I'm not normally a floral perfume girlie but Libre's gorgeous mix of orange blossom, jasmine, lavender, and musk is like a warm, sensual embrace in olfactive form. According to perfumers Anne Flipo and Carlos Benaim, Libre was born from the idea of starting with a fougère — a traditionally masculine structure within fragrance — and adding feminine, floral notes for a juxtaposition. The result? A sexy, complex floral scent that evokes both strength and sensuality. We filled our own bottles in the gardens, and I love how the refills include two bottles' (aka 100mL) worth of juice for $135. (A 50mL bottle retails for $140.)
Hyper Luminize Powder Highlighter, $55
I'm not a huge fan of highlighter, since I already have very oily skin that usually gleams a bit too much on its own. (I also lived through the unicorn strobing trend of the mid-2010s and had years of highlighter fatigue!) But trust YSL Beauty to snap me out of my funk with this finely milled powder highlighter. It's shockingly subtle, which is why it's so good: I added a dusting along high points of the face (and even as eyeshadow!) for a bit of eye-catching brightness, as if I turned up my phone's exposure levels. Hypnotic Honey is the prettiest golden-hour shade that doesn't look too pigmented — just an expensive, gilded glow.
