Writing about the Yves Saint Laurent Beauté Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip Stain is, for me, like writing a casual little speech to deliver at a wedding: "It would be my pleasure! I'll have a million things to say about you from our decades of friendship! It'll be the most glowing oration anyone's ever heard!" But that quickly turns into, "How in the world can I condense all the things I appreciate about you, everything we've been through, into one easily digestible, touching-yet-lighthearted moment?"
Anxieties aside, I'll start with this: I was introduced to the YSL Beauté Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip Stain last winter. The square, frosted-glass-and-gold tube drew me in, and the flexible, angled doe-foot wand hooked me at first swipe. Its slanted tip maneuvered perfectly along my Cupid's bow, and the straight edges made the outline of my bottom lip look crisp, without my having to try that hard.
Then there is the liquid lip formula itself: It's somehow — I mean, mind-blowingly — as pigmented as it is thin, so you can actually see your lips' texture when you're wearing it. After I apply, my lips still look like lips, not a plastic or rubber facsimile, like they tend to when I wear other liquid lip formulas. This liquid lip also feels moisturizing on, but not oily or balmy.
The Tatouage Couture stain lasts through encounters with straws (paper or metal, of course) and cups with no problem, but I always reapply after meals. Because it's so thin and bright, my lips look almost luminous in photos (this is especially the case with shade 01 Rouge Tatouage, the cool red I keep at work, at home, and in my purse). This is notable because it doesn't have a bit of shimmer or shine to it — it's just solid, juicy color. Speaking of color, this stain comes in 29 shades — 22 matte and 7 metallic — with a range that includes the most demure roses and mauves, the loudest corals and reds, and the moodiest plums and burgundies.
In short, it's become one of my most trusted beauty products. We've gone on dates together, to housewarming parties, taken a camera roll's worth of selfies, traveled to Cannes. Tatouage Couture, here's to you, and here's to your 2018 Best of Beauty Award for best liquid lipstick, and most importantly, here's to another year of shared (and really great-looking) experiences.
