Kung Hei Fat Choy everyone! How’s your Astrology this year? ๐ Mine? It’s forecasted that there will be more lipstick hoarding this year, LOL. Speaking of lipsticks, here goes another Yves Saint Laurent lip product to love, the YSL Rouge Pure Couture The Slim Matte Lipstick ($39). When I first saw this product both online and in-store, I was like “Nooooo, please stay away from me, in heaven’s name….” Haha! Oh well, fast forward, a couple of weeks later, I’ve been fangirling this lipstick a lot and I think, this should definitely be included in the list of lipsticks that sparked joy for me this Winter (see the list HERE).ย
You guys know that I’m a big fan of YSL lipsticks and I review them a lot here in the blog,ย Whenever I see a new YSL lipstick, I get weak in the knees, LOL. They’re pretty much my Achilles heel, and with the new Slim Matte, I feel like I found another matte lipstick to obsess about. Lord help my soul… ๐
The new YSL The Slim Matte lipstick as the name says is a slim square/diamond-shaped lipstick with a true-matte texture. It is extremely pigmented on the lips with just one swipe and it has a nice soft cushiony feel. It pretty much feels like nothing on the lips, totally weightless and super comfortable. I never noticed my lips feeling dry whenever I wear it. I find that the color stays on my lips for almost the whole day and it still remains on my lips after eating and drinking. I only noticed a very minimal to almost zero transfer and this lipstick doesn’t bleed or feather. I find the slim design to be really easy to toss inside one of my mini bags and it looks luxe, minimalist, and sleek. However, that same design may be tricky to apply on the lips at first because of its many angles, but once you get the hang of it (tip: use one of the angles to line your lips) then you’d find that this lipstick does and has it all.
I love all the shades available in this lipstick, but I decided on a few nudes since they’re super saturated. I think I spotted a nice wine-red color (my fave) but I skipped on that one because I have too many of those shades already. I did see a lot of bold colors in the lineup, like deep reds, saturated plums and different variations of pinks and corals.
17 Nude Antonym – nude rose mauve, my most favorite among the three. Will be wearing this a lot from now on. I think it’s a perfect universal nude for everybody.
The YSL Slim Matte Lipstick still has the same mango-ish scent/flavor that you’d come to know with most YSL lip products. When comparing it to some other similar matte lipsticks that have been released recently, two products came to mind. One is the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme Lipstick (reviewed HERE) and the other one is the Rouge d’Armani Matte Lipstick (swatched HERE). The Chanel Velvet Extreme feels a bit drier than the YSL Slim Matte, while the Rouge d’Armani Matte may be just a tad drier as well since the YSL Slim Matte has a bit more cushion it, but it’s almost hard to tell the difference between the two. I feel like they’re so neck and neck with each other, although the YSL Slim Matte (I think) has better color range in the lineup since you’ll find more wearable nudes and reds, but the Rouge d’Armani Matte is only limited to 102 Androgino as its universally flattering nude shade, and some of its shades look totally different when applied on the lips, read the review HERE.
Now, you’re probably wondering, how is this lipstick different at least formula-wise with the original YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats Lipstick? (reviewed HERE). The YSL “The Mats” have a bit of shine to it compared to this YSL The Slim lipstick which is totally just plain matte.
Overall, I find this lipstick to be one of the best matte lipsticks I’ve ever tried. It’s right on point with its wear time, it looks beautiful, luxurious, easy to store/carry, and the shades are absolutely beautiful.
Hello You! It’s been a while since you guys took a peek at what’s inside my purse. Lately, I’ve been obsessing about this Saint Laurent (YSL) Monogram Quilted Leather Wallet on a Chain Bag in Black (1.1 lbs: $1,650). Without any intention, and for some reason, I realized that YSL is becoming my favorite bag brand and I am slowly morphing into a YSL girl. Last time I checked, I seem to own more Saint Laurent bags than any other brands out there. I guess I just really love their versatile and edgy style.
Since the YSL Wallet on Chain is my bag of choice this Winter, let’s take a look at the things I stuffed inside it and how this bag had held up so far for me. Take note that I’ve had this bag for barely a year but I’ve been using this a lot on a daily basis at most.
Size
Since this bag is more of a wallet as opposed to a real purse that can hold a considerable amount of stuff, expect to see this bag to be pretty small, or you could say that this is more like a large wallet with a nice luxurious chain strap. The shoulder drop of this bag is about 19 inches and the height is around 6 inches with a length of 9 inches. So this looks more like an envelope wallet purse with an expandable width of about 1 inch to a few inches more. I wouldn’t stuff this bag with a lot of things or else its look could get deformed.
Style
The style of this bag is very versatile. It’s perfect for just about any activity or occasion, and it just elevates any wardrobe. Depending on its color, like my black one here in this review, this bag can carry you from a daytime gathering to a nice and formal glam evening. The chain strap is on the heavy side so it helps to make the bag more stable on your shoulder, and if it’s in gold-tone like mine, then it makes the bag look even more elegant and dramatic. Further, this bag is easy to use with its snap button closure.
Functionality
This bag is really light and pretty much easy to carry. The chain is on the heavy side which rolls around a lot and tends to have a life of its own (lol) but it makes the bag feel really well-made. I like the height of the shoulder drop of this bag which is not too long and not too short for my petite frame (5’3) and I could wear this as a shoulder bag or as a crossbody. Inside, this wallet on chain purse can fit twenty card slots and has one coin pocket with a zipper closure in the middle. I haven’t really placed any coins in the coin pocket so far, but I do place my very important cards, bills, and any documents in it that I wanted to be secured. When it comes to the card slots, I do think that this Saint Laurent Wallet on Chain bag is the perfect purse for storing just about any cards you may have, but you might be wondering why I’m still carrying a separate card case like the Gucci and the YSL one below? That’s because from time to time I may have to carry a large bag or a tote for some work-related activities and I need to easily transfer my personal belongings from one bag to another, also I’ve been traveling a lot recently and I didn’t carry this YSL bag with me. On top of that, card cases are much faster for me to use and grab instead of diving my fingers inside this purse that has a dark lining and tight slots, which require some breaking in period. Eventually, I would have to stuff all my cards into this wallet purse and then I might be able to add more stuff later on, like a small eyeshadow compact plus some other flat-shaped objects.
What Can Fit Inside?
For now, here’s a bunch of stuff I managed to fit inside this wallet in chain purse.
Benefit Cosmetics “Laughter is the Best Cosmetic” Small Flip Mirror – got this for free from my Sephora Rewards Points. I wanted a flat mirror to store inside this YSL wallet purse, so this Benefit small flip mirror fits the bill and it looks really cute.
L’occitane Mini Hand Cream (1 oz: $12) – this is a tiny classic L’occitane Shea Butter hand cream that can fit inside this bag. Love this cream for this winter since my hand gets dry easily. I wish I could fit my Chanel La Creme Main hand cream in this bag (reviewed HERE), but this classic staple from L’occitane is a good alternative.
Beter Pocket Comb ($3.57) – got this in Spain years ago when I realized I forgot my 16-year old comb (yeah that ancient, lol) which was given to me by my best friend in High School. So I went into panic mode and walked to the nearest convenience store in Passeig de Gracia where I found this really flat and handy Beter comb. I’m not a fan of its narrow-spaced bristles as I prefer a wide-toothed one, but this comb is cheap, fits anywhere, great for teasing, perfect for keeping my side-part style, and it’s good enough to make me look human, LOL.
iPhone X – yes this bag can also fit an iPhone, even the larger ones, but definitely not an iPad or an iPad Mini. As you can see, I’m listening to Troye Sivan while taking photos for this review.
Other Things In My Bag
I’ve got a few weird stuff that is honestly inside my bag. Number one, a Bravo Gift Card given to me by one of my good friends because I love to eat at Bravo, LOL. Two, I also have a pink Parker pen – my pen of choice (brand and color). I always keep a pen inside my bag just in case I need to write something or if someone wants to borrow a pen (girl scout). I also love to collect Parker pens because they write so well, so I make sure that I always have a Parker pen in each of my bags. The last thing in my bag are these two fortunes from the last fortune cookies I ate, LOL. Yeah, I’m the type that reads every fortune after eating any fortune cookie, and I tend to keep some of them just for the fun part. So, if my fortune tells me right, I really need to find out who this acquaintance is. Hmmm…
Durability
Since I got the bag, I’ve been using it a lot almost non-stop. I haven’t really seen or noticed any scratches, not even at the edges. I have placed this bag anywhere and everywhere and it still looks good as new. However, it hasn’t been a year since I owned it, so I’ll take note of its wear and tear after a couple of years. But so far, I am impressed with this bag and its overall quality, and I think it really helps that it’s made of embossed grain leather.
Drawback
One thing’s for sure, you can’t stuff a lot of things inside this bag. This is really pretty much a straight-up wallet on chain type of bag where you can indeed store a ton of cards in it and a few necessities, but that’s about it. All your other important stuff has to be inside your pocket or in another larger bag. This is more of a made-for-quick/casual-gathering type of bag or for a formal evening bag. Can’t put my groceries in here, LOL.
Verdict
Why I love it? Even though this bag doesn’t hold much, not even my necessities like my house and car keys which I now put in my pocket, but this bag has taught me to carry only the very important stuff, just the things that I really need and this has made my life a bit easier and simpler.ย Since this bag is lightweight and can be worn crossbody or as a shoulder bag, this is so much easier to carry than my other bags and they keep my hands free.
Do you also own this bag? What do you like most about it? Are you a fan of YSL bags?
Happy Almost Weekend Everybody. My love for Chanel lipsticks goes on because you can never have too much Chanel makeup (lol). This time, let’s talk about another one of their latest Fall releases, the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme ($37). If you’re familiar with the Rouge Allure Velvet lipsticks, which is Chanel’s line of luminous matte lip color, well, this newest Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme truly takes the extreme form of that.
This lipstick has the same shape and form of the Rouge Allure Velvet, including its click-release type of casing, but it sports a sleek matte black appearance. The formula is definitely way more mattifying than the Rouge Allure Velvet and it has a slight powdery feel due to its Rice powder ingredient. That powdery texture kinda reminds me a bit of the other Chanel lip product released this Fall, the Chanel Rouge Allure Liquid Powder (reviewed HERE). At first swipe, this Velvet Extreme feels a bit drying but it does glide easily on the lips. I thought this lipstick would dry my lips after a few hours of wear, but I was surprised to see that this actually didn’t. It does kinda emphasize the lips’ fine lines, but not so much so since it melts and sets on the lips once it gets in contact with normal body warmth and temperature. I actually like the way it looks on my lips.
Lasting power is impressive. The Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet already stays on my lips for hours and hours without reapplication, but this particular Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme stays on even longer. The colors from this newest Chanel lipstick line are just beautiful, even though there aren’t many, yet you could still definitely find a few shades for each season. I do believe that this lipstick is definitely meant for Fall and Winter. The pigment is just intense while being matte, and its antioxidant formulation is meant to withstand the outside elements. Now, that’s my kind of lip color!
