Glossed And Found

Lip Gloss in undependable. Sure it’s all fun and pretty and and sparkly at first. “Let’s go out and have fun!” Lip Gloss says. “You look GREAT!” Then you're one drink in, and Lip Gloss is nowhere to be found, leaving your lips stark naked and alone in public.

Of course, if you make it a priority to keep up with Lip Gloss, you’ll be okay. But go too long without giving Lip Gloss your attention, and it will totally bail on you. Lip Gloss is the high maintenance frenemy of the lip color world.

I don’t have time for Lip Gloss’s shenanigans. I’m really more of a lipstick girl. When I wear Lip Gloss, it’s usually on top of lipstick or lip stain. It’s fine in a group, I just don’t want to be alone with it.

I’ve tried Long Wearing, Lip Gloss’s slightly more trustworthy cousin, the two-step product that promises it won’t leave you. It doesn't, but by the end of the night it can't hang, and you end up with lips that are simultaneously flaky and glossy. It’s not a good look.

Still, there is something about Lip Gloss. It makes your lips look full and shiny. Nothing adds dimension like Lip Gloss. And the colors are always so tempting. "Come on!" Lip Gloss beckons. "It's going to be awesome, I promise."

But Lip Gloss lies.

I was thrilled when I heard about Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain.YSL somehow combined the best things about lip stain and lip gloss, and I think lipstick too. It’s fabulous.

I haven’t been this excited about a product in awhile. I mean, yes, the packaging on the Sephora Pantone lipstick really got me, but this glossy stain is sooo great. It’s like nothing I’ve ever tried before.

Like a traditional gloss, it goes on with a wand, but it doesn’t feel like a gloss. It’s not sticky or goopy or thick; it’s lightweight. The texture is pretty thin, not thin enough to be runny, but almost. When it’s on your lips, it feels silky. If your hair blew into your face, you might catch a few strands on your lips, but not like you would with lip gloss. That stuff is like flypaper.

All the colors are gorgeous, and the only thing that kept me from buying several was the $32 price tag. I decided on #20, Rouge Enamel, which is a red with almost imperceptible shimmer. (More dimension!)

The staying power is fantastic. You won’t leave big red kisses on anyone, (unless you’re doing some serious kissing, in which case, who cares?) or mark up your wineglass. Over time, the gloss does fade, but the color is still left behind, as well as a decent amount of moisture. The next thing to go is the moisture, but then you STILL have the color! I’m sure the darker shades last longer than the lighter ones, but I’ve found I don’t have to reapply at all. Toward the end of the night, if my lips start to feel a little dry, I can just swipe on a lightly tinted lip balm and I’m fine. I’ve actually had to remove the stain at the end of the night.

At this point, I don't even see a reason to buy another  Lip Gloss ever. YSL wins. But Lip Gloss is a sneaky bitch, so you never know.