dark vampy lips day 5: YSL violet edition (#01)

It is the final day of my dark vampy lips series! I saved quite an intense shade for last: YSL Violet Edition (#01) Glossy Stain. This is not a shade for the fainthearted; it is deep, dark, and very eye catching.

Violet Edition comes in a luxurious gold and black packaging with a window teasing the color of the stain. The applicator is pointed which is something I appreciate as it makes applying the intense pigment more precisely. Before application, the product looks resolutely purple. I'm talking Barney purple. However, once applied to the lips and dried it changes into a darker violet, as you will see below.

WORN AS A STAIN

Surprisingly I enjoy the look of this as a stain. I say surprisingly because it looks like a bright fuchsia. Even though I enjoy how it looks, this particular color stains very unevenly. You can see that my bottom lip is much more saturated than my top lip. I have also noticed the stain makes my lips feel dry, but I have come to the conclusion that lip stains are inevitably drying and need to be paired with balm.

APPLIED WITH TWO COATS

The glossy stains are beautiful but I do think it depends on what shade you pick on the performance of the product. I have this shade as well as Rouge Laque (#09). Rouge Laque blows Violet Edition out of the park when it comes to application and finish. Violet Edition applies patchy even when two coats are used. I have heard this is remedied if you use a dark lip liner. I refuse to go out and buy another product with this to make it work so I just deal with it.

My method of application is applying a thin layer all over the lips, let it dry for a few minutes, and then add another coat on top. I let that dry and go back over the streaky parts to make it all mesh together. Annoying, but the color is so crazy awesome and the texture of these feel neat: squishy yet not sticky. If you are a die hard vampy lips lover, I think you would swoon over this.

SWATCHES
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Tom Ford Black Orchid, Revlon Wine Not, MAC Media, Revlon Plum, YSL Violet Edition

I like Violet Edition, but the nature of the intense color makes application streaky. It doesn't deter me from buying any other glossy stains though since I know they have the potential to be really something (Rouge Laque applies wonderfully).

Do you have any glossy stains? Is Violet Edition too intense of a color for you? I hope you enjoyed this series and were inspired to pull out your vampy shades for the fall season!