Do you ever wake up some days and just think to yourself ‘today I am going to be extra af’? For me those days are when I want to use every product I own; take some care and attention to my makeup; instead of the usual morning makeup rush of just throwing some bits on my face in under 10 minutes. This is where the Yves Saint Laurent Couture Brow Wardrobe collection comes out to play; it’s a collection of 4 products designed to give your brows the ultimate boost.
There’s a varying amount of shades with each product, and as a brunette, with dark hair and pale(ish) skin, I opted for the 2nd darkest or darkest in each product, that way I knew I wouldn’t be getting the dreaded warm brown shades with a red undertone. The range is aimed at everyone, from a brow novice to a person who wants a precise brow; from people who might just want a quick fix, to those who are willing to spend a little time perfecting their brow look.
THE QUICK FIX Yves Saint Laurent Couture Brow Mascara
Every girl’s saviour when they’re running late or feeling a little lazy is a brow mascara. It’s the perfect way to give your brows some oomph with minimal effort and time taken. The Yves Saint Laurent Couture Brow in Brun Dore is the perfect cool-toned brow mascara for my colouring. The sleek mascara style bottle contains 7ml, which is more than double the amount of product of the Benefit Gimme Brow. And it is only £2.00 cheaper FYI, oh and the YSL one is so much better. I find the Benefit one goes a little clumpy after a few uses, but this formula has yet to change consistency at all.
It effortlessly upgrades my brows in a few strokes, adding in some much-needed hold, colour and volume. You can build up the product to give as much drama as you like. I tend to use more towards the end of my brows as that’s where the hairs are most unruly, plus I like to give a slight ombre look to the brow. The whole meaning of Couture is custom, after all. It lasts all through my working day and beyond too, so no touch-ups are required. It’s also lasted through this warmer weather we’ve had.
Yves Saint Laurent Couture Brow Palette
It’s been quite some time since I have used a brow powder so it was nice to be able to use this one and remember why they were my staple brow product a couple of years ago. The Yves Saint Laurent Couture Brow Palette is packaged beautifully, the 3 powders are housed in the iconic YSL gold packaging. Come with a mini pair of tweezers and a brow brush, so it’s great on the go compact. There are 2 shades available for the palette; medium-dark and light. Which seem to hit all brow bases in terms of colour as there’s various shades in the palettes. Medium Dark contains a dark ashy brown, a medium warm brown a dark dirty blonde shade so it’s great for creating the ombre look. Or just use the shade that matches you and the rest as eyeshadows – perfect transition shades. The palette works best for me by using the darkest shade all over my brows. But with a light hand for the front part, then using the middle shade (which is beautifully embossed with YSL) to highlight and add a tiny bit of warmth all over the brow. The lightest shade is too light for my brows. But I have taken to dusting this all over my lid and quickly blending the middle shade into my crease when I use the palette on my brows.
Yves Saint Laurent Couture Brow Pencil
My ultimate must-have from the collection is the humble brow pencil, or as YSL like to call it the Dessin Des Sourcils – see, fancy af right?! The pencil comes in 4 shades; Dark Brown, Glazed Brown, Ash & Ebony – I have the shade Dark Brown which looks a lot darker in this pic that it actually is. The shade I have is a perfect match for me, as it’s quite cool toned and dark, so my brows look natural and not out of place. Since having my brows microbladed and shaded pencils have become my daily go-to for an easy and quick way to add in some definition. The pencil is great for mimicking fine hairs when it’s newly sharpened and the point is very precise. The texture is fairly waxy yet soft, so there’s no dragging across the delicate skin of the brow area. I tend to use the freshly sharpened pencil to mimic hairs at the front of my brow, and then outline my brow and fill in once the pencil tip starts to blunt. After running the spoolie, which is attached, through my brows and popping on the YSL Brow Mascara I am good to go. I have been reaching for this every day and it’s firmly replaced the NEW CID pencil I was using, I just wish they would bring out an angled sister pencil to work alongside this one.
THE SUMMER SAVIOUR Yves Saint Laurent Couture Brow Marker
If you’re going away this summer then you need to pack the YSL Couture Brow Marker in your luggage. Don’t let the chunky felt style tip put you off, it’s not like a sharpie. Although I was scared to use it at first for this very reason. The angled tip is quite thin so you can get a precise line. Which is perfect for outlining the shape you want your brow. Then using short lines to fill the brow in mimicking hairs.
You can get a super defined or hella natural look depending on how you use it, how much pressure you use and the angle too. For the style of the brow, I like to use the angled thin edge to draw in a few hairs at the front with light pressure. Increase the pressure towards the middle of my brow and draw more hairs. Then use it more like a pen at the tail of my brow.
So, what makes it summer special? The reason you need this for the summer is it doesn’t budge, at all. If you’re your brows and can’t be without them then you’ll likely get the fear at the prospect of sitting around the pool or heading out for a day in the sun sans makeup. Because of its staying power, this would be great for those times, as you can spruce up your brows without the dread of them sweating or coming off in the pool. It stays so well that I have to use an oil cleanser to remove this, as just using a normal cleanser leaves a kind of stain behind, much like trying to remove a matte liquid lipstick without an oil cleanser.
Which would be your pick from the brow wardrobe? My faves are the pencil and mascara, I think it might be love.
