Review & Swatches: YSL Rouge Pur in Pink Grenadine

My precious... who could resist the siren call of a new Yves Saint Laurent lipstick? Certainly not me.

While December and January have been all about dark fuschias, cool reds and pinks here at Rocaille Writes, I've been slowly making the transition into warmer colors, and YSL Rouge Pur/ Pure Lipstick in Pink Grenadine (no. 152) has been one of my favorites of late. Originally part of their 2009 End of Year collection, I've recently managed to snag it at a great price in the Apothica.com clearance section; just the name itself was enough for me to put it in my shopping cart.

I have to admit that esthetically, I'm a big fan of the packaging and much prefer it to the raved-about Rouge Volupté; this geometrical golden tube reminds of the Art Deco era. Practically, it's not the best however - it just shows every fingerprint and is rather bulky, but well... I'm willing to look over those minor considerations.

In terms of formula, Rouge Purs are supposed to be 'the perfect alliance between color and care'; they are full-coverage lipsticks with nourishing ingredients such as Vitamin A&E and Carrot Root extract and a satin finish. I'd say the formula is nothing to write home about - the color stays vibrant but the satin finish fades to a more matte texture as it wears, and it's neither drying nor moisturizing. It is also perfumed with a fruity-floral fragrance that is quite strong in the tube but not on the lips.

To be honest, I've actually expected Pink Grenadine to be... well, much more pink. In reality, it's more of a vibrant watermelon coral that pulls somewhat orange on me, but remains flattering, which is no easy feat for such a warm color against my cool complexion!

As always, the top swatch is the lipstick worked into the lip as a stain, and bottom is a full opaque application.


I'm slightly worried that while first, Pink Grenadine is definitely not my last venture into the world of YSL lip products; have you seen the newly-released Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stains? They're gorgeous and I'm itching to get my hands on one... Have you tried YSL lip products? Which one should I swatch on my next trip to the counter?