Fabulous Finds – YSL Beauty Edition

YSL Beauty Y Deodorant Stick for Men – $24 USD

In terms of notoriety, Yves Saint Laurent is one of the key luxury brands with a logo as fashionable and recognizable as the classic double C’s. (Yes Chanel is my benchmark for all other luxury brands). When it comes to online access, Yves Saint Laurent has two distinct websites – YSL and YSL Beauty. The makeup and skincare part of the portfolio is segregated both online and in terms of marketing approach. From the color scheme, approach to discounts, website layout, collection categorization and prices, the two are essentially two different companies. Run by two different teams. Driving towards two different goals. And in my opinion, towards two completely different target demographics.

YSL Beauty comes off as open to the mass, but in way that almost scream desperate. First off – no free shipping and no complimentary samples without a minimum spend requirement. To get free shipping or a free gift, I had to spend at least $75 USD. If I spent at least $100 USD, I’d get 2 free gifts and receive free shipping. But is it really free if I had to pay for it? And not only did I have to pay $7 USD for shipping, I even had to pay for the YSL black and gold gift box! That was $5 USD spent #DoItForTheGram.

There are multiple tiers of members and associated benefits with membership. Which they seem to push a little too hard. That being said, to keep myself from temptation of those tiers, I ordered a product from the men’s section for my hubby! (He has been getting jealous of all my Fabulous Finds). I ordered him the Y Deodorant Stick for Men as well as the Men’s Fragrance Samples Kit for $10 USD. The Y Deodorant Stick felt sturdy and expensive with a transparent material that gets rolled onto the body. The smell was a cross between fresh laundry and leather. Overall 6 out of 10 – wouldn’t buy again, but a fun splurge that works and smells great. The Fragrance Samples kit was essentially a black men’s toiletry bag with 4 little sample bottles of the key men’s fragrances. While I wasn’t impressed in the fact that I had to pay for samples, my husband loved experiencing all the choices.

“While I wasn’t impressed in the fact that I had to pay for samples, my husband loved experiencing all the choices”.

@itsalissa___

Website Overview

First off Yves Saint Laurent has separated their beauty line to a completely different website – YSLBeauty. Personally, I understand where they are coming from to allow for a similar user experience as their competitors because their main Yves Saint Laurent website can be a little tricky to maneuver. And when you are only looking for a red lipstick, there is only so much patience a customer can have. They did stay true to a single color scheme – red and black. One item of the website I didn’t like is the “auto-replenish” option. Which gives customers a discount for opting in. I understand the idea of low touch, but personally this seems like a trick. Like they are hoping I will forget and let the replenishment cycle keep going. Customers do get to choose what the replenishment cycle looks like – ranging from every 2 months to 6 months.