YSL Rouge Sur Mesure A $299 Gimmick In My Opinion
YSL Beauty Rouge Sur Mesure is a new custom lipstick shade device that allows you to mix different shades. The Bluetooth-enabled device contains three different lipstick color pods in a velvet cream matte finish that can be mixed and match to create a unique shade of lipstick. Each lipstick pod slips into the unique and when activated the color flows from the pods into the top portion of the Rouge Sur Mesure device. The top portion of the unit is a compact of sorts and can be removed and stashed away in your makeup bag for touch ups.
This is a fun, fun idea because I think we’ve longed for the days that we had some sort of awesome technology to create different shades of lipstick for us but you aren’t going to be Cher in Clueless with this thing (remember her cool computer that put together outfits for her and spit them out of her closet) nor Leeloo from the Fifth Element that had that brilliant device that instantly applied eyeshadow flawlessly on her eyes!
I call gimmick. Sorry YSL.
Here’s the thing!
YSL Rouge Sur Mesure technology sounds interesting because basically the app has a shade wheel that uses a shade match technology so you can basically re-create a shade from a photo or even create a shade to compliment an outfit thanks to the system’s smart algorithm. Take a pic of your outfit and the app will shade match your lipstick to your outfit. Cool idea but three shades seems very limited. Keep in mind they say the shade will “complement” the photo you upload to the app. The pod selections that I know of are red, nude, orange, and fuchsia and each contains three pods for $100 I believe. Ok, so say I choose the nude pod and took a photo of a purple lipstick how would three nude shades make a purple lipstick? See my point? This unit is $299 but very limited on color options from what I’ve been reading….! Why pay $299 for this plus an extra $100 for pods when you can just shuffle through your own stash of lipsticks and mix the color you want. Plus how many shades can you actually mix when you only have three that you’re doing the mixing with?
Remember how Make Up For Ever used to have that huge lipstick palette (they probably still do) with a variety of different colors including blue that allowed you to mix and match shades. That’s a way more custom way of doing things. Three shades feels very limited.
The worst part? The machine can automatically detect when a cartridge is running low and ask if you want to re-order it but you have to order the same exact pod that was included with the original trio. You can’t mix and match shades from other pod sets. So, say you have the nude set in your unit now and suddenly you run low on one of those nudes and decide you wanted to add a shade from the red pod shade. No, can do! The unit will reject it and it won’t mix colors. You’re forced to use the same exact pod selection as you originally had or completely swap our the set for a new pod set which will set you back $100.
I think probably the worst part of all this though is the fact the unit doesn’t actually “mix” anything. It merely spurts out three shades that you have to mix together to create the custom shade. I mean, for $300 I want this to mix the shades for me, apply it to my lips for me, and tell me I’m beautiful.
On the upside, YSL Beauty gains loyalty points here because after spending $299 you’ll likely be signed into a contract with them for life. You aren’t going want to buy other lipsticks when you just purchased something that set you back $300 and you’ll find yourself sticking with YSL Lipstick because you’ll feel guilty if you aren’t using such an expensive piece of equipment.
What would really be cool is if you can buy the unit and deviate from YSL for pods. Wouldn’t it be cool if it was universal? But the unit from YSL but have pods available from other brands like Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Guerlain….or even drugstore brands like Maybelline. YSL would likely never do that because in buying this unit it forces you into a contract with them where you need to buy pods from them to refill it therefore YSL has a customer for life.
I think the technology is interesting here but it’s just poorly implemented. This isn’t a wave of the future device that some of us may want. The shade range for mixing is too limited, the fact the machine doesn’t do any mixing itself, and the you’re really limited in the shades you can purchase make it an expensive paperweight.
What do you think of the YSL Rouge Sur Mesure?
Brilliant?
Gimmick?
Do share!
YSL Rouge Sur Mesure is now available in beta testing at yslbeautyus.com! Sign up now and you’ll get two pods of your choice and the unit ships in the Spring.