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Base Makeup

Foundation Testing with Clé de Peau Beauté, NARS and YSL

September 16, 2014

I’ve been testing out a few foundations over the past few months. I normally look for foundations with medium natural coverage (like Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet or Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation), but lately I’ve been reaching for ones with more coverage to cover imperfections and even out the skin. Four foundations I’ve been putting to the test include:
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Clé de Peau Beauté Cream and Silky Cream Foundations
I’ve heard so many good things about Clé de Peau Beauté foundations but have avoided them for years because I did not want to fall in love with a $100+ foundation. Several friends along with a couple bloggers I’ve met use foundations from the line and their skin always looks phenomenal. I decided to give both the Cream and Silky Cream versions a try. I was matched to O30 which is a neutral medium shade. Both are really good, but I have a slight preference for the Cream. For reference, Joey’space has a good comparison chart to show the difference. Both foundations have a medium cream texture that is very concentrated so you only need a little to cover the entire face. They are packaged in a convenient squeeze tube which is very easy to use. I like that there is no detectable fragrance once you apply it on the face.

The Clé de Peau Beauté Cream Foundation comes with a higher SPF of 29 and has a medium to full coverage for me. It has a semi-matte and velvety finish but looks very natural on the skin. I found it blends perfectly when used with a damp Beauty Blender sponge or Chanel Foundation Brush and both make the skin look flawless. It covers quite well without looking heavy or cakey. I prefer the Cream because it has a bit more yellow in it which matches my skin better and also has a more matte finish. Lasting power is very good for my normal skin, but with the hot humid weather we’ve been having in Southern California, I’ve found nothing really holds up the entire day without touch ups. This one does get a bit shiny on the nose area with the humid weather, but on the days I’ve tested it where it was cooler, I found it held up very well without any touch ups required. Beauty Professor has all the shades in the Cream formula swatched for reference.

The Silky Cream Foundation comes with SPF 23 and also has medium coverage but has a slightly dewy finish. This one is better suited for dry skin, but I’ve found it is still suitable for my normal skin. The finish is really lovely on this but it has a slight hint of pink in it but I still find it to be a decent match for my skin tone. The Clé de Peau Beauté rep who helped me at Neiman Marcus said most people prefer this formula because it looks more natural on the skin and those with normal to dry skin find it blends easier, but her personal preference was for the Cream. The coverage on this one is also phenomenal with a natural dewy look. It’s a bit too rich for my skin right now with the super warm weather but I suspect this will be really good for fall/winter. I could have skipped this one entirely since I prefer the Cream version.

Ingredients (Silky Cream on top, Cream at bottom):

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NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation

I’ve also been testing the NARS Radiant Cream Compact foundation. This one has been out for quite some time but I never tested it. A makeup artist applied this on me at a recent makeover event I attended. I told her I was looking for something with more coverage than the Tinted Moisturizer but not as heavy as their Sheer Glow Foundation. She suggested I use the Radiant Cream Compact and was matched to Punjab. I am typically not a fan of compact foundations because they are usually extremely heavy on my skin, but the NARS is surprisingly lightweight with a finish that has a natural glow. It’s not overly dewy and I don’t know that I would call it radiant, but it does have a soft luminous finish without looking shiny or greasy. I really like the way this applies with a damp Beauty Blender or fingers for smooth even coverage. The entire set is refillable and the mirrored compact with sponge is sold separately for $10. After testing this for almost a month now, I think I could have definitely skipped buying the compact. The sponge that comes with the foundation is a good one, but not the best for this cream foundation. I found it applied too much product and also found it to look a bit streaky. I loved how this covered smoothly and didn’t settle into fine lines or pores for me.

I’ve found lasting power to be quite good, but those with oily skin will probably need to touch up mid-day. It didn’t leave me an oil slick (like Armani Luminous Silk does) but it did look a bit too dewy by 1:30 pm in the afternoon after applying it in the morning. I really really love this one. For reference, Café Makeup has all the shades swatched.

Ingredients: Dimethicone, Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dipropylene Glycol,
Glycerin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Paraffin,
Nylon-12, Peg-400, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Cera Microcristallina
(Microcrystalline Wax), Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Sodium Hyaluronate,
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Aluminum Hydroxide,
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysilicone-2, Distearyldimonium
Chloride, Ceramide 3, Palmitic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Tin Oxide,
Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Maris
Aqua (Sea Water), Spilanthes Acmella (Spilanthes Acmella Flower
Extract), Ethylhexylglycerin, Barium Sulfate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Algae
(Algae Extract), Alumina, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Benzyl
Alcohol, [+/- (May Contain): Mica, Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77491
(Iron Oxides), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides)].

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YSL Fusion Ink Foundation

The last foundation I’ve tested that I wanted to share is the YSL Fusion Ink Foundation. There has been a lot of hype and excitement over this new release from YSL. I bought this at Nordstrom and my experience was slightly frustrating since the rep didn’t know how to properly match me (she wanted to give me ones with pink tones) so I ended up matching myself to B40 which turned out to be a really good match. I really wanted to love this but it did not work for my skin.

Reports and reviews have been mixed on this. Some adore it while others do not. I tested this on several occasions and fell head over heels in love with the color, texture and blendability. What I did not like was the thin runny liquid texture which made it drip all over the place when moving the tip from the bottle to the back of my hand, face or sponge. Even though it had a thin texture, I loved the way it covered my skin. It looked velvety with flawless coverage and lasted all day even in hot humid weather. The Fusion Ink foundation blended quite well and I found it easy to layer for more coverage while still looking natural like skin, but just slightly matte.
After a few weeks of testing I found it did not work well with my sensitive skin. When I applied it, the foundation stung my skin upon first application but the stinging sensation went away after it was blended. Even though it seemed to last well all day, by the time I took it off in the evening, I found my face covered with red spots and bumps. I tried this on six different occasions just to make sure it wasn’t anything else that caused the reaction. Each time I had the same redness by the end of the day. It also clogged pores and caused breakouts in my chin area which took a couple weeks to clear up. Your mileage may vary on this one. If you can get a sample to try first, I recommend it.

Ingregients: Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Isododecane, Alcohol Denat, Vinyl
Dimenthicone/Methicone, Silsequioxane, Crosspolymer, Phenyl,
Trimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Synthetic
Fluorphlogopite, Water, Propylene Carbonate, Disodium Stearoyl
Glutamate, Silica Silyate, Fragrance, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil,
Aluminum Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol. 

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Swatches comparisons to a few others that I’ve had in rotation:

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Overall thoughts:

I’m still a huge fan of Chanel foundations as my go-to for the best color match and formula options for my skin tone and skin type. I give the NARS Radiant Cream Compact foundation and Clé de Peau Beauté Cream Foundation a huge thumbs up. I was particularly impressed with the lightweight feel of the NARS and also really pleased with the natural dewy coverage it provided. It gives the face a natural but slightly glowy look while evening out the skin. The color Punjab is a perfect match for me.

The Clé de Peau Beauté Cream Foundation is really the best foundation I have ever tried. I really wish it wasn’t so expensive but the coverage, look and feel is truly phenomenal and there is nothing that comes close from my testing experience. I have a lot of foundation loves, but this one beats them all.

I do like the look and feel of the Clé de Peau Beauté Silky Cream but it is better suited for normal-dry skin and cooler weather. I could have skipped the Silky Cream and gone just with the Cream formula but I really didn’t know what to expect before I tested them extensively. Given the high price of the Clé de Peau foundation, I do think it’s a try before you buy kind of thing. The shade selection is on the lighter end so if you’re medium to dark you might have a hard time finding a match in the cream formulas.

The YSL Fusion Ink unfortunately was a complete fail for me. I don’t know if I’m going to return it or not, I bought mine at Nordstrom and the associate assured me I could return it without any issues if it didn’t work, but I still hate returning things. The coverage, color match, overall look and lasting power were all so good, but the formula didn’t work well with my skin type (which is super sensitive) and caused red bumps to surface everywhere.

Have you tested any of these? What were your thoughts? If you haven’t, what are your favorite foundations in rotation right now?

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Monthly Beauty Favorites

August 31, 2014

I discovered quite a few new favorites in August it was difficult to narrow down my list to under 20 items. My Sony NEX-6L/B
just broke right after photographed my monthly favorites along with some new items from Tom Ford Fall and Edward Bess. It will take 2-3 weeks for me to get it back after it goes to the repair center. As a blogger and photographer, I really should have more than one camera for times just like this. I called up my brother to ask for a camera recommendation. I wanted something that was super easy to use, easy to hold, affordable and compact. He said hands down buy something from the Canon G Series – after doing a few hours of research and watching several videos, I ordered a Canon PowerShot G16 as my second camera. I took my first photos with it for the Tom Ford Black Cherry post and am so impressed with the image quality and functions. Many of you have asked me for more info on my cameras, as soon as the Sony gets back from repair, I’ll do a post on both to compare. If you have any camera favorites I’d love to hear what you love. I hope to upgrade to an SLR by the end of the year.

Onto my favorites for the month of August:

  1. Truffle Privacy Clutch in Blush has become a favorite for a classic, sleek and compact clutch. It’s super sturdy and extremely well made. Use code LABORDAY for free US shipping through Monday. (Review and more photos here.)
  2. Clare Vivier Wallet Clutch is another new favorite, it’s the compact version (measures 8″ x 5″) of their regular Flat Clutch (measures 11.5″ x 7″) making it perfect as a change purse that will also hold a lipstick, business cards, and keys. 
  3. West Elm Acrylic Trays are a new discovery for me. I’ve been a huge fan of their Lacquer Trays (we have them all over the house). I’m thrilled West Elm made one that is high quality at an affordable price. Huge thumbs up (they come in the square and rectangle options).
  4. YSL Volupté Sheer Candy has been a go-to this summer, I almost always have one in my bag or purse with me. (Review on new shades here.)
  5. Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black is a favorite darker scent. It will be perfect as we transition to fall and suitable to wear through winter. (Full review here.)
  6. YSL Gris Deco has been the most commented-on polish I’ve worn all month. It was amazing how many people asked me “what nail polish are you wearing?” It has this unique mix of blue in it to make you wonder if it’s blue, grey or white. I love it for a super polished look that’s not too pale. (Swatches and review here.)
  7. Diptyque Figuier is one of my favorite Diptyque scents. I never tire of it no matter what the season is. I’m particularly fond of it in fall/winter. It’s a warming soothing scent that completely lifts one’s mood. It’s super relaxing and lush. (Cleaning and recycle tutorial here, find the 411 on size options here.)
  8. Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quad in Nude Dip sold out online within a few hours, I still haven’t seen it pop up on Nordstrom or Bloomingdales yet, there is a possibility some other retailers might re-stock. You will have to do a bit of calling around to locate one but it’s definitely worth the extra effort. I’d recommend calling Neiman Marcus Fashion Island or Beverly Hills to see if they have any left. (Review soon.)
  9. Guerlain Cils D’Enfer Waterproof Mascara is something I’ve been obsessed with for a few months now. I discovered this one thanks to The RaeViewer’s channel (if she loves it, I usually end up loving it too). It really stays put, doesn’t smudge, has a deep lush black finish and doesn’t make the lashes look crunchy. (My review here.)
  10. Garance Doré x Rifle Paper is one of the cutest collections I’ve seen for stationary. I love the chic designs, they have cards that are really fun. They make great gifts, I know my friends have loved the notepads and birthday cards. 
  11. L’Occitane Hand Cream Pouch has been selling out very quickly (it’s a steal!), I managed to buy three sets when they restocked a couple weeks ago, it looks like it just sold out again, but I recommend you keep checking, I expect they will restock again.
  12. Clé de Peau Beauté Almond Concealer is an exact match for me. I’m thrilled they expanded their color options. I hope they do the same for foundations as well, I just tested a couple and fell head over heels with two of the formulas (my wallet is crying now). (Swatches here.)
  13. Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow has been a staple duo this month. The line will launch in a few days in the US. (I’m so excited!) I am still photographing the two sets I ordered from the UK. Reviews will be posted as soon as possible.
  14. Edward Bess Illuminating Eyeshadow Base is one of my holy grail eye bases. (My thoughts here and here.)
  15. Kat Von D Ink Liner has seriously made my life easier when it comes to liquid liner. (Review here.) You can’t beat the ease of use, color, pigment, and quality at an affordable price.
  16. NARS Audacious Lipstick in Raquel is my new favorite nude pink. It’s literally everything I have ever wanted for that perfect nude pink lip color. I can’t always pull off nudes on the lips because they often look so pale. This one is absolutely perfect. It’s a good nude pink that doesn’t wash out the complexion. (Swatches here.)

What have been your favorites this past month?
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On My Radar / New In Beauty

August 27, 2014

Happy mid-week lovelies! A few items that popped on my beauty radar this week. Fall collections look incredibly beautiful and there are a number of new foundation formulas on the market that sound promising.

  1. Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt has arrived for fall and it sounds amazing! This will come in a Candle, Body Cream,  are the the 1 oz and 3.5 oz Cologne Spray, I can’t wait to check it out this week
  2. Christian Louboutin will launch 30 new shades of nail polish at the end of the month, I have my eye on The Nudes Nail Colors (available for pre-order at Nordstrom)
  3. Clé de Peau Beauté Radiant Fluid Foundation has been on my radar for a while now, I received a sample packet (but in the wrong shade), it felt really nice on the skin, if you’ve tried it please let me know what you thought, I have friends that keep telling me it really is the best, but I can’t bring myself to splurge just quite yet
  4. Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Foundation is another new formula on the market, I tested a couple samples I received at the store, it did feel amazingly smooth, evened out the skin and covered imperfections while looking natural, I had a hard time deciding on a shade
  5. YSL Fusion Ink Foundation is yet another new one, I’ve heard nothing but great things about this, it’s on my list to try out
  6. Giorgio Armani Fall has arrived, the Palette Yeux Organica Palette looks absolutely amazing, it’s on hold for me at my local Neiman Marcus counter and I hope to pick it up in the next few days
  7. Jin Soon Choi collaborated with designer Tess Giberson to create five new nail colors, I ordered two and will share them soon, the five shades are Heirloom, Farrago, Mélange, Pistache and Nocturne, available now at Nordstrom and Space NK
  8. Tom Ford Fall has started to trickle in stores and has been selling out at lightening speeds. Today, some items have popped up online at Neiman Marcus including the Contouring Cheek Duos in Stroked and Softcore, Black Cherry Nail Lacquer, and Lip Colors in Negligee and Twist of Fate.
I have the Tom Ford and a couple JINsoon polishes to review soon. I ordered the Tom Ford Fall Collection from Saks NY after calling around several stores to find they had sold out and had wait lists going. Many have been asking me to rush the review and post it stat. I took about 1/2 of the pictures to review and my camera broke (heartbreak!!) before I could do swatches, it will take 3 weeks to get repaired so I purchased another camera which is on its way. I have some other items photographed and ready to publish in the mean time. I appreciate your patience. If you’re thinking about the Tom Ford, I suggest you act fast. I’ve been testing it and the eye quad and cheek duos are a must if you don’t want to wait for online items to show up, call your closest Tom Ford Counter or Boutique to place an order.

What’s on your beauty radar this week?
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New Shades of YSL Volupté Sheer Candy | 14 Belle Cannelle, 15 Rose Candy, 16 Cherise Désir, 17 Fraise Ganache

August 22, 2014

There are four new shades of YSL Volupté Sheer Candy in 14 Belle Cannelle, 15 Rose Candy, 16 Cherise Désir, 17 Fraise Ganache ($34 each, currently exclusive to Sephora). The YSL Volupté Sheer Candy formula is a sheer glossy tinted lip balm. I feel those who have tried these either really love them or hate them. I was thoroughly unimpressed when I first one I tried these several years ago. I gave them a second try last year early in 2013 and my opinion had changed completely. Funny how personal taste on beauty and style can change. Although the YSL Volupté Sheer Candy lip balms are indeed very sheer, they feel phenomenal on the lips and help transform texture with a super lush hydrating feel. These are heavily scented with something I feel is a mango and grapefruit blend, but to me it’s not artificially sweet. I love these for a swipe and go kind of lip product that doesn’t require a mirror and that will always look natural. Some of the colors are more visible on my lips than others, but all are still pretty sheer. If you want more color and pigment, I’d recommend you opt for the YSL Volupté Shines (reviews and swatches on my picks here).

The four new shades appear to be exclusive to Sephora. All look a lot lighter and brighter in real life compared to online square swatches. The actual lip balm tubes don’t have names on them, just the numbers.

  • #14 is warmer brownish nude
  • #15 is medium hot sheer pink
  • #16 is a brighter fuchsia pink that is still very soft 
  • #17 is a soft mauve with subtle shimmer particles

If you’ve tried the Volupté Sheer Candies, you know swatches are difficult to photograph because of the sheer glossy finish. These are colors that show up better on the lips. I’ve swatched them below with a lip brush to pick up more color. I recommend you also check out swatches on Best Things in Beauty – her swatches show what the color will look like straight from the tube.

Here are close ups and lip swatches of each shade. As usual with lip swatches, no added liner or base unless specified. On the lips I applied the colors straight from the tube, swiping back and forth around 2 to 3 times each lip:

A few comparisons, same set but with two views, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Fetiche, YSL Rouge Volupte Shine #7, 8 and 9:

I’m really happy with the four new shades. They are sheer but have such a lovely natural tint to them. They smooth and hydrate the lips and are really luscious. You can find them now in stores and online at Sephora.

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7 Shades of Grey Nail Lacquer

August 21, 2014
I’m in that in between mood of summer and fall for beauty. I’m loving the vibrant bright colors for summer but also craving colors that are either more subdued or darker for fall. Right now I have an obsession for grey nail polishes. Here are seven shades of grey, some newer and some older colors that I’ve been loving.
All swatched side by side along with Chanel Eastern Light which is a pure white for a baseline reference on color:

Each color close up and swatched on the nails. JINsoon Kookie White is a super pale white grey with cool tones. It’s almost a pure white but the hint of grey prevents it from looking too harsh. I love the clean contrast it has with the skin. It applies very smoothly with two coats on the nails as long as you have a good base coat underneath. (Roundup of all my nail essentials and favorites here.) It’s fully opaque with two coats, but as with most white colors, you need to take extra care to apply precisely around the edges and near the cuticles.

YSL La Lacque Couture in Gris Deco #23 has been on my wish list for ages ever since YSL revamped their nail polishes. It’s a gorgeous pale grey with blue tones and has a slight hint of pearl mixed throughout. On the fingers depending on the light sometimes it looks more blue, other times more white or grey. It’s truly beautiful and clean looking. The pearl gives it a bit of dimension. This one was a bit sheer so I prefer it with three coats.

Sephora’s Formula X is another favorite of mine (more thoughts on Formula X here). The Sephora team sent the Formula X in Extraordinary for review and it surprised me. It looks so basic and plain in the bottle but it applies very smoothly with full coverage. I like that it’s a pale grey but has color in it so it doesn’t look white on the nails. I like the blue tones in it which brightens the color. I love beige-greys but sometimes they can make the skin look sallow or dirty. 

Burberry Storm Grey is another dove grey with blue tones. The brush is on the thick side which made it a bit difficult for me to get a clean application. It’s not impossible though. The formula is smooth, rich and opaque – it just takes a bit more time to apply. The color has the perfect blend of blue and grey mixed together. On the nails it’s a non-shimmer.

Dior Gel Shine Nail Lacquer in Junon is a powder blue color with a hint of grey. On me it leans more blue but I still see hints of grey tones in it. The Dior Gel Shine Formula is amazing. It has a lush cushy look with a high shine. Lasting power is really good and these are super easy to apply flawlessly. It’s shown below with two coats. 

Dior Metal Montaigne is also in the Gel Shine formula. It’s a metallic gunmetal color. Being a metallic color you can see brush strokes when applied but it’s on the subtle side. It also applies very smoothly. I like that it’s a darker color that isn’t too dark.

Last but not least, I’ve featured Chanel Frenzy again. Many think of this as a classic grey color. On me it pulls more beige as it’s a warmer-toned grey color. It has a sheer jelly finish so I need three coats for this one. It’s an understated classic neutral.

If I had to pick one favorite, it would be impossible. Each grey has different nuances in the undertone that make them all very unique. I am quite smitten with the pale opaque grey nail lacquers at the moment although I also love a good dove grey color. Do you like grey nail polish? What are your favorite greys for nails?

Sephora and JINsoon provided polishes for review consideration. All others purchased by me. For more information, refer to my Disclosures.

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Sneak Peek, Reviews Soon: NARS, Clé de Peau Beauté, Elizabeth and James, One Truffle, YSL, Chanel and more …

August 12, 2014

A quick sneak peek at reviews to be posted soon, some things I’ve been testing now for a couple weeks, others I’m working my way through swatches as fast as I can:

Stay tuned!
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YSL Gloss Volupté | Rose Satine 102, Rose Jersey 202 and Corail Gandoura 203

August 1, 2014

YSL Gloss Voluptés ($32 each for 0.20 fl oz/6 ml) were released earlier at the beginning of the year. These are sheer lip glosses that have a super lush feel. The colors range from creams to shimmers. I played with them at Sephora on numerous occasions (hand swatching) and spent quite a bit of time deciding which ones to purchase. I picked out three shades:
  • Rose Satine 102 is a shimmery coral rose, the shimmer is ultra fine
  • Rose Jersey 202 is a pretty baby pink rose and has a smooth shimmer
  • Corail Gandoura 203 is a soft coral that’s super sheer, it has a glow finish with a subtle sheen

Clare Vivier Clutch, Gorjana Mila Cuff c/o, Gucci Sunglasses (old, similar here)
The YSL Gloss Voluptés come with a unique lip-shaped applicator which I find actually works for application and makes them fun to apply on the lips. These also come with the signature YSL lip scent, a soft candy and grapefruit/mango scent. The ones I picked are on the sheer side. They give a hint of color and for me, I like them best layered over a pencil or lipstick. A close up of the tubes show the lovely shimmery glow each color has.

Below, view of the brush tips (Chanel Secret on the nails)

Swatches:

Due to the sheerness you can probably get a very similar effect with MAC Lustreglasses or Chanel Glossimers. The YSL Gloss Volupté formula feels more hydrating on my lips with a more cushiony feel. I did not have time to pull anything from MAC or Chanel to compare, but I do have some from Fresh and Marc Jacobs Beauty. Below:

Fresh Sugar Shine Rosé (reviewed here)
Marc Jacobs Overprotected and Heart Shaped (swatches here)

After testing these for almost over a month I can say thumbs up. For me they are more of a layering gloss or for super low-key days when I want just a hint of color. I have pigmented lips so these might be more pigmented on you than they are on me. I’m in love with the formula which I think has a super luxurious feel on the lips.

I bought mine at Sephora, but these are available at all YSL counters and retailers.
Have you tried the YSL Gloss Volupte? What are your favorite shades? Any other colors you think I should check out?

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