YSL Shocking Mascara & Cream Eyeliner

Over the past few weeks I've been trying out a couple of YSL products; Shocking mascara* and a cream liner. Despite being a huge fan of other YSL products, I'd never tried any eye make up from the brand. 

The mascara is something that's been on my wish list for a long time so I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to use it. At £23 it's one of the most expensive mascaras I've tried. The price tag is definitely reflected in the luxurious, heavy golden packaging. The product itself is very heavily scented, so much so that I can smell it throughout the day when I'm wearing the mascara. I have quite sensitive eyes so the scent concerned me at first but after using it I suffered no adverse effects. Shocking is marketed as a volumising mascara which gives lashes a 'false lash effect'. If you're like me and normally apply a couple of coats of mascara there's no need to with Shocking because one coat gives a crazy amount of volume. I found that when I added a second coat my lashes started to clump together and look a little spidery; probably because the formula is quite wet. Despite the fact this mascara leaves a lot of product on the lashes I didn't experience a lot of smudging which is unusual for me. 

The brush is on the larger side but it's not as difficult to use as something like Dior's Diorshow or BeneFit's Bad Gal. It is a traditional brush with bristles and its strange shape supposedly helps distribute the product more effectively. I did find it a tiny bit cumbersome to use the first couple of times, though. If you're a fan of voluminous lashes and don't want to spend a long time applying several coats of mascara, Shocking is definitely worth a look. 

The Cream Liner* comes in a dinky glass jar with a golden lid. It's priced at £22.00 and I have the shade 01 Pure Black. I've been comparing this with my long-standing favourite black gel liner from Bobbi Brown and I have to say, I like them both equally. The YSL black is slightly less intense but texture-wise it's creamier and I find that makes it easier to apply. I've tried the cream liner on my waterline and it holds up well; I get around four hours of wear before it starts to fade. On my upper lashline I find it wears well too. I get a tiny bit of transfer or smudging but I think that has more to do with my watery eyes than the product itself. I don't have anything negative to say about this liner; it does exactly what it claims to. Admittedly there are probably cheaper alternatives on the market but I don't think £22 is too unreasonable given that only a very small amount is needed for each application. The cream liner shade range looks really nice and I've got my eye on a few more of these!

The mascara and cream liner can be purchased from Harrods online or in store and from other stockists.

Have you tried either of these products? What did you think of them?

Stace xx

*PR Samples