A few weeks ago, tubes of YSL’s Rouge Pur Couture No. 52, a coral-based pink, were harder to find than meaning in the How I Met Your Mother series finale. The specific shade was sold out worldwide, in duty-free shops and department stores from New York to Melbourne to Paris, due to its appearance on a Korean drama show called My Love From Another Star.
The show features an alien from another planet who falls in love with a famous actress, sort of like 3rd Rock From the Sun meets Notting Hill. The famous actress, played by real-life famous actress Jeon Ji-Hyun, has its viewers in a Sex and the City– and Gossip Girl–like beauty frenzy. Lipstick shades worn on the show, such as YSL’s No. 52, have been out of stock for months in Korea, with tubes going on eBay for up to $100 (normal retail price is $35). Elle Australia even reported that one shopper at the Melbourne airport tried to buy 52 tubes of the lipstick (and walked away with none). YSL public relations confirmed that the sellout is as a result of the show, with multiple costumers calling in to try and identify the color. Aliens, a new source of beauty: Just ask Pamela Anderson.