In my previous review of YSL Quads, I mentioned I’m willing to pay full price for these if they’re going to be color stories I love, though I always recommend trying to get a deal if possible. For this holiday order, I paid full price, but the brand offered a gift with purchase option where customers could choose one of twelve different bags/pouches, choose one of two travel size fragrances, and the mini shower gel came with it. I also had the option to choose two out of six samples, which comes with every order directly from YSL’s website. I only like their Black Opium line, so I gave the larger freebies to my husband.

At the time I started writing the first draft of this review, one month after the initial launch, the official website was the only place that sold the palette in Germany. I was not patient enough to wait for a potential monetary deal and the 10% off welcome discount code did not apply to new items.

YSL Couture Mini Clutch in 024 Golden Lace

I think these colors are gorgeous! They aren’t unique, as I’m sure I could find dupes in my collection (perhaps from Natasha Denona’s Gold or Bronze palettes). The shades are extremely close to YSL’s own Over Doré quad.
Fedaro_Beauty on Instagram has fantastic comparisons between both palettes. She was kind enough to allow me to share her example photos here, but her post has additional photos, including eye looks and the lipstick for those interested in seeing more.

To see her YouTube short of these two items in high quality video format, click HERE.
I recommend subscribing to the Fedaro Beauty YouTube channel as well as following on Instagram. She has very insightful and in-depth reviews that have helped me be a better informed consumer and make smarter purchasing decisions. It was actually due to reviews from Fedaro Beauty that I realized Over Doré’s darkest shade didn’t look like it would be deep enough for my liking, and why I skipped buying that quad. Now, I am especially happy that I decided not to buy it because Golden Lace is slightly better suited for my preferences, making it the better purchase for me.

With Golden Lace, the darkest color adds depth, but I have to build it up so much that I sometimes get it higher above my crease than I want, and using a smaller brush takes too much time. One of the biggest selling points for me is that I can create pretty looks very quickly with YSL quads because they are so easy to blend. Building up Shade 4 and not having a lighter shade to help blend out the edges is only a problem for review purposes. In everyday life, I just use a lighter matte from the other quads or use this shade in the crease and deepen the outer corner with the black color from Over Noir. It’s not so bad dipping into other quads if it only takes half the usual blending time as eyeshadows from other brands would require.

Above is a demonstration of a more dramatic look built up to the max. The shimmers were applied damp to intensify the shine. Below is an example of a toned down look with shimmers applied by finger and a dry brush. I also blended out the edge with Shade 2 from Over Brun.

I don’t notice any quality differences between this limited edition palette and the permanent line, which is a relief since many brands unfortunately use cheaper formulations for their holiday launches. I get no creasing or fading issues. There isn’t much fallout, particularly if I apply them wet. I’ve tested the quad on three different primers/bases and had no performance problems. The eyeshadows blend well, though I did mention needing to build up the darkest shade a lot and having to wet the shimmers to get the level of opacity and depth I want for my skin tone. This is unlikely to be a problem for those with lighter skin.

Although the colors in Golden Lace don’t scream holidays to me, the packaging and beautiful winter flower imprint on the shades fulfill that vibe. I’m quite happy to have purchased this! I have to add that Over Brun is still my favorite of the bunch!

One other thing to add is that I was curious to see if Shade 3 could be used as a highlighter. In the swatches, it blends in so well with my skin tone. I can confirm that the color makes for a great highlighter and although the shimmer particles are a bit more apparent than what I usually go for, I’d feel comfortable enough to wear it for festive occasions. There are actual highlighters I’ve removed from my collection for being way more sparkly than this eyeshadow looks on my cheeks. I don’t think anyone would be able to tell, just by looking at me, that it was an eyeshadow I was using and not a traditional highlighter. I was inspired to use Shade 3 from Over Brun as well and that works too, although Over Brun’s shadow is a little more reflective.

YSL Loveshine Lipstick Collector in Shade 209 Pink Desire

The swatch for this is further above in the eyeshadow section. In that picture, the magenta or pinky-purple sparkles are easier to see than I was able to capture in lip swatches. This version of Pink Desire is too vibrant for my taste and not the best suited for my warm undertone, but it’s such a fun color that I would just use it on particular occasions.

I’ve tried pairing it with a lip liner and it while it helps a little, I don’t see a significant difference. It’s still bold. As for the Loveshine formula, which is a first for me as I only had YSL Volupté lippies prior to this, I do like it. It feels comfortable and moisturizing on the lips, gives good color payoff, and has a yummy fruity-candy scent. I have not gone an entire day wearing this shade though. I apologize, but I can’t do a full day wear test with this one. I don’t have the confidence to rock it in normal everyday situations where everyone is able to see me.
I ordered another Loveshine from the permanent range and intend to give that a proper test before updating this post 3-4 weeks from now.*

*NOVEMBER 7th 2024 UPDATE: As promised, I just want to update about the fact that this particular formula of Loveshine with shimmer differs from the feel of the other Loveshine High-Shine Caring Lipsticks. This one was balmier, but the normal range is more emollient. It feels moisturizing and nice, but by the end of the day, I still suffer a bit of dryness. I will be releasing a dedicated YSL lippie post in the future, so I will go more in-depth there. In summation though, “I have such picky lips that if I wanted to use it as a caring lip treatment type of product, this wouldn’t be worth the price (unlike on other people with less lip sensitivities who would have zero issues with this). However, as a makeup product and just wanting to have something comfortable enough to wear in a pretty color and with packaging that feels luxurious and indulgent, this succeeds in that.”

Below are more photos with the eyeshadow quad used on my eyes and Pink Desire on my lips (the photo with liner is on the right). Even after taking these pictures, I removed the lipstick and put a different shade on instead to finish out the rest of my day. This color isn’t for me, but I’ve seen it look beautiful on other people. There are two additional lip colors available in the limited edition tubes, but I believe they might be too light for my taste.

That’s everything I have to share! Thank you for reading and I hope this has been helpful!

-Lili ❤