I, personally love a great nude lipstick. Just like finding the perfect red, finding the perfect nude is not easy. It all comes down to undertone. YSL #10: Beige Tribute, is one of those nudes I had my eye on for the longest time, Thanks to Instagram’s resident beauty badass Samantha Ravndahl (@ssssamanthaa). But, no matter how many times I tried it on at Sephora, I just couldn’t bring myself to shell out the nearly 40 dollars for a lipstick, so I found a dupe. L’Oréal Jennifer’s Nude. Even though I have been happy with my L’Oréal shade, I still couldn’t get my mind off YSL #10. Is it really a dupe? So, (FOR SCIENCE, I SWEAR), I went ahead and shilled out the 40 dollars. Let us compare.
Packaging
I actually don’t think this is a fair competition. For one, for $40 dollars I’d better feel like a damn princess when I pull this lipstick out. I don’t mind the matte Nars-esque packaging of L the L’Oréal shade, but while the metallic gold YSL tube collects fingerprints, the L’Oréal collects finger prints AND all sorts of purse dwelling filth. The lid is not as secure as the YSL lipstick, which fuels all my purse incident nightmares. Finally, YSL just feels nicer in your hand.
Formula
L’Oréal has a creamy formula that applies smoothly and a sheer coverage. YSL has a silky formula and a more opaque, more matte (but not fully) finish. L’Oréal has it’s signature old lady scent, and so does YSL, however, YSL is more floral and less musky than L’Oreal. Of the scent and formula, I prefer YSL in both. L’Oreal just feels like a lipstick, where YSL just feels lovely on the lips.
Color
Top; L’Oréal Jennifer’s Nude. Bottom; YSL #10 Beige Tribute
So, when I swatched these on my hand and asked my resident color expert (boyfriend), I was told that the colors are about a 85-90% match. L’Oréal is more sheer, and orange toned, whereas YSL is more opaque and has a blue undertone. YSL looks darker in the swatch (both in the photo and in person) but lighter on the lips, as you can see below.
YSL on the left, L’Oréal on the right
I am of the opinion, since the L’Oréal shade is so sheer, the undertone is of little consequence. If you used foundation or concealer on your lips before applying the L’oreal shade, it would be very hard to distinguish the difference between these two lipsticks. Apart from the way it feels on the lips, and the scent, I would say it’s a pretty damn close dupe.
What dupe test would you like to see next? Let us know in the comments!
wow! great post…actually L’oreal one looks better on you, but I do love YSL because I feel so special when I see that beautiful golden packaging. *.* Did you know that L’oreal ownes YSL? So, guess that’s why they’re so similar.