YSL Rouge Pur Couture #52 Rosy Coral

If you happen to be a fan of Korean dramas and an makeup aficionado, chances are that you've been on the hunt for YSL Rouge Pur Couture #52 Rosy Coral, one of several lipsticks sported by the lead actress in the K-drama du jour, My Love From Another Star. As cheesy as the title is, the plot is even more bizarre, centering around an alien who has been living on Earth for the past 400 years. I haven't watched any K-dramas for years but thanks to the always inspiring Drivel About Frivol, who usually sparks a thousand lemmings with every post, I got to know about Rosy Coral. Apparently it's sold out in most countries, with 1000 units flying off the shelves in Singapore within a week. Elle Australia has a brief article on the craze.

Rouge Pur Couture retails for US$35 in USA, £25 in the UK, €30.90 in France, S$45 in Singapore, versus CHF49 (about S$70) in Switzerland. Yes, the mark-up in Switzerland for luxury beauty brands is heartbreakingly painful, but the shops here do run attractive promotions from time to time. For example, Marionnaud which carries By Terry, Chanel and YSL etc is having a 3 for 2 promotion on all makeup items, something you would see only in drugstores like Boots and Superdrug in the UK.

On a lark, I stopped by Manor's YSL counter to see if they had this elusive Rosy Coral. I guess Geneva must be an oasis from K-drama makeup hunters as they had a few pieces of it. It swatched very prettily and looked perfect for spring.

After all the hype, I found the texture of Rouge Pur Couture disappointing as it was on the dry side and emphasised any flakiness on my lips. It lacked the slick creaminess of Japanese lipstick formulas like Esprique Mellow Forming Rouge. Nevertheless, Rosy Coral is indeed a gorgeous complexion brightening shade. It almost borders on neon but without being as retina-searing as MAC Candy YumYum. If layered on too thickly, it can look a tad artificial so I recommend applying it with a lip brush for a more sheer and precise effect. After about two to three hours of wear, it feels quite dry on the lips so I usually layer a balm or gloss over it.

For this look, I used Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow EX17 Hatsushimo from the Fall 2013 collection and Frame Fix Liquid Foundation N 101. The Suqqu foundation used to be tricky to blend due to its pigmented nature but since I started using Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisturiser, which drenches my skin into a dewy finish, I've had much more success with it.



Lancome Rouge In Love 340B in Rose Boudoir is the closest dupe for Rosy Coral that I could find in my stash. Chantecaille Hydra Chic in Persimmon is more orange-toned while Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate 06 is more reddish fuchsia. Clarins Gloss Prodige 05 Grenadine is a close coral gloss equivalent with shimmer.

More reviews and swatches of Rosy Coral can be found on Sephia, Silverkis, Female Daily and Mackarrie.