Duped!: YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain vs L'Oreal Paris Shine Caresse

(L-R) YSL Corail Fauve #12, L'Oreal Bella #604, L'Oreal Lolita #606, YSL Rose Vinyl #15 

This is a bit of an exciting one for me anyway. Because, not only is this a definite dupe, I'd argue it's a BETTER version of its more expensive counterpart.

I'm going to make this as detailed a review as possible so hang on to your hats!

Glossy Stain

Both these glosses have the same unique, almost magical tendencies. They go on like glosses, set to an even, silicone-like layer that continues looking glossy but is waterproof and just about kiss proof and just a little bit sticky. When they wear off they leave a pretty stain behind. Some days I even deliberately blot off the gloss and just slick lip balm over the stain. Both seem to last equally long, I usually only have to touch up after lunch. I also love that they can be used over balm, which makes them so much more comfortable!



Texture differences
This is why I prefer L'Oreal to YSL. When I first bought YSL I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. But one thing stopped me from reaching for it daily - it was just so much work to apply! The YSL formula is very thick and very pigmented. I found that applying with the provided wand was uneven and too bright and thick. To get the look I wanted, I had to dot it on, and then use a lip brush to quickly smooth it out before it set. I also found that Corail Fauve, which is completely shimmer free was much thinner and easier to work with than Rose Vinyl which has shimmer and is almost clumpy in its formula.

L'Oreal's glosses however are sheerer and thinner. I can slick it on straight from the tube and they're perfect. Love them!

Scent
Both have sweet fruity-floral scents with YSL much stronger. I've read reviews comparing YSL's berry-rose scent resembles their fragrance, Parisienne while L'Oreal's is faint (good) but remarkably like cough syrup (not so good). Both fragrances fade fast though so don't let it trouble you too much.

Shades (gloss)

(L-R) YSL Corail Fauve #12, L'Oreal Bella #604, L'Oreal Lolita #606, YSL Rose Vinyl #15

Of the four shades I have, L'Oreal's Bella is an almost dead-on dupe for YSL's Corail Fauve. Bella is a shade more peachy, a bit less red and deep and sheerer but on my lips you really can't tell the difference - especially as I like to sheer our Corail Fauve so that it looks brighter and less dark on my lips.

Lolita and Rose Vinyl look close in the tube BUT are completely different swatched. Lolita greatly resembles Revlon's Just Bitten Balm Stain in Honey and, in some ways, is a more nude version of Bella. It's a very lovely MLBB colour that'll be a great everyday office-friendly go-to shade. 

Rose Vinyl looks very cool at first but it warms up to a more berry pink that's quite lovely. Strangely from playing around with swatches in store, L'Oreal's Milady #603, which looks like a pale lavender (!!) in the tube may be the closest dupe as, after it's applied, it warms up and deepens into a berry shade. If you love Rose Vinyl but hate the clumpy formula, Milady is definitely worth looking at. 

As stains

As above

This is where things get really complicated. Just as Revlon's Balm Stains get darker with time, so do these Glossy Stains. Here Corail stays nicely coral while Bella takes on a redder hue (again on lips though not much difference). Lolita looks more nude and Honey-like than ever and Rose Vinyl turns into a pretty pink berry. As you use them throughout the day they will build up giving you quite an intense lip at the end of the day if you don't rub them off with a tissue before reapplying.

Warning about L'Oreal's Shade Names

This is REALLY annoying but L'Oreal has issued six different shades for Asia that appear to be nothing like the shades issued in Europe. The shade numbers are all different and from swatches I've seen there may be a few replicas but I can't say for sure. 

Also very very annoying, some shades have the same name but are totally different colours. Milady, for example, in Asia is a pale lavender that turns into a sweet berry while in Europe it's a dark vampy plum. Eve in Europe is more like Lolita, a pale nudish pink, but here in Asia, Eve is a bright bright fuchsia. 

In a nutshell, be really careful when going by shade names. 

YSL, bless them, have kept their names consistant worldwide. L'Oreal is as ever, maddeningly inconsistent! I really wish they wouldn't do this to us. 

Price and Conclusion

YSL's glossy stains retail here for HKD250 and L'Oreal's for HKD99. No question about it, L'Oreal wins hands down. While YSL's shade range is huge and impressive (vs just 6 shades from L'Oreal) it's so costly that few are likely to enjoy it! 

If L'Oreal continues bringing in more shades I will likely keep repurchasing. Fingers crossed.