Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne, Swatches, Review & FOTD

I am back from holiday and happy to tell that it was a great one. It started somehow awkward when I noticed that I left my iPad on the front pocket of my suitcase. I have to tell you, make sure you check out everything before you hand in your luggage because it is not possible to get it back! Anyway, I was lucky that it survived. Venice is a beautiful city, where I have visited 12 years ago when I was a poor student. Needless to say this time it was much more fun.

I have many stories to tell but today I would like to introduce you to one of the 11 permanent eye shadow palettes (8 of them are swatched here) released by YSL, #07 in Parisienne. This one was my first pick since it has my two favorite shades, taupe & plum, and all in all it is more cool toned, which I also prefer.

Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne

I have already raved about how much I like the modern design of these while I reviewed YSL Bleus Lumiere for Summer 2014 and Fetiche Palette for Fall 2014. In other words new YSL Palettes pose so well! I can't help myself but take tens of photos, left, right, top, left again until my memory card is full :-}

Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne

Here is a close look at Parisienne. YSL defines top left shade as base shade and top right shade as the highlight. Central shades in each palette are the darkest and they are supposed to be used as definition or liner. Bottom shades are denoted as "color" and are designed to make the palettes more versatile by mixing or replacing with the other shades.

Close-up: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne

Note on textures: All of the eye shadows are silky and smooth to touch, they blend effortlessly.

Here is the description of each shade:

Top left (base): Mid-toned neutral taupe with rosy undertones and satin finish. I believe this shade warms up the palette a little and should work on cooler as well as warmer complexions.

Top right (highlight): Light cool off-white with frosty finish. I like using it on the inner corner of the lids blending it towards the half way to open up the eyes.

Central: Deep to mid-toned brownish plum with satin to shimmery finish. Although I like the quality of this shade, I wished it would be a little darker and less shimmery, but maybe that is just me.

Bottom right: Light cool pink with satin to shimmery finish. If you want to cool down the neutral taupe (top right) this is the one you should mix with it.

Bottom left: Mid-toned old rose/taupe with satin finish. This is a lovely shade to use as a base and create different looks.

Swatch: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne

Before I talk about how I feel about it after wearing it several times before and during my holidays, here is few looks, one with a nude lip and other with a stronger lip. For both of them I applied taupe all over the lid, deepened the crease and defined the outer corner with the central shade. I also used the highlighter shade for inner corner. 

I paired this palette with Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Mushroom, which is a soft neutral taupe and doesn't go too strong with the rest of the make-up. I really love Mushroom also on the lower water line (which I am wearing below).

In-action: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne

For the rest of the look, on the lips I am wearing YSL Rebel Nudes #107 which I am obsessed with. I am not sure about the blush since I somehow haven't noted it down but I am guessing it is Sunset Beach (reviewed here).

FOTD with Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne

Here is another look with a bit more bronzer (and probably indirect afternoon sun), this time with nude lipstick as I have worn it yesterday. To get that definition on the crease, I needed to blend and add about 10-15 minutes. I used Suqqu Brush M for this (reviews of Suqqu brushes coming up soon).

FOTD with Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne

FOTD with Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne

Now my thoughts... The textures are soft and silky and the eye shadows blend effortlessly, still I am not head over heels with this palette, despite its color selection matching my personal preferences. Here is why:

• The darker shade is a bit too light for my taste. It is good for someone who just starts make-up because it is hard to overdo but if you know what you are doing and you like dramatic looks, you might be disappointed.

• I like the darker shades to be a little more matte again for the drama purposes (matte doesn't reflect light and therefore gives the appearance of a deeper socket). Also a matte shade with a little drier consistency would double as a liner but this one is too soft and shimmery.

• The palette is consist of very similar shades and textures so overall I don't find it to be very versatile. It would be great to have a gold or a silver thrown in, or a more brownish (maybe matte) shade to get different resulting looks.

• Have I told that they blend effortlessly? It would be a good thing if the shades would be more distinguishable but since these are so close, once applied on the lids, they all blend into each other to look like as if you are wearing a single or a duo. It might be desirable for some, but not that much for me.

Final thoughts: YSL's Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne is a great palette for beginners or those who like softer eye looks. If you are more of a drama queen (like me) you may want to invest in another edgier palette. I will also review almost all the other palettes from the range, so stay tuned if you can't make up your mind just yet.

Have you checked out the new YSL Couture Palette 5 Couleurs Palettes yet? Which one caught your eye?