NARS

NARS launched their Hot Escape Collection for summer and it’s a beautiful one! I’ve been testing everything over the past month and finally have a review of some of the pieces.

Hot Escape Cheek Palettes

I think the Hot Escape Cheek Palettes ($49 each) are a huge hit this year. It’s always a toss up whether I’ll end up liking all the shades in a palette but this year NARS created all winners. I love that they have different intensities and variations for different skin tones.

The textures in this year’s palettes are UNREAL. They are ultra smooth, very easy to blend, beautifully pigmented and have really pretty combinations. I think the formula is one of the best ones I’ve tried from NARS in a long time and one of the best on the market right now. Whatever formula they used in these palettes is what I want in all future NARS cheek products.

Hot Escape Cheek Palette I is the lightest option with pink tones. There is a blush repeat but it’s a good one! Shades include Thrill (light matte pink), Bad Behaviour (shimmery soft pink), Ophelia (the prettiest champagne) and Laguna 01 (a true neutral brown bronze).

above Hot Escape Cheek Palette I + Afterglow Lip Oil in High Life

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Hot Escape Cheek Palette II is a medium option. Shades include Dominant (hot pink matte), Topless (shimmery peach with gold), Electra (shimmery yellow gold highlight), and Laguna 03 (medium tan matte brown).

above Hot Escape Cheek Palette II + Afterglow Lip Oil in Orgasm

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Hot Escape Cheek Palette III is the deepest one that is a little too dark for me right now but with a light hand or blending (or a summer tan) I think I can make it work. I applied it with a light hand in this makeup look here. Colors include Obsession (matte coral blush), Night Swim (shimmery deep coral pink), Skinny Dip (warm gold highlight) and Laguna 06 (dark matte bronze).

above Hot Escape Cheek Palette III + Afterglow Lip Oil in Laguna

Swatches of all three palettes below:

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Total Seduction Eyeshadow Stick

The shades of the Total Seduction Cream Eyeshadow Stick ($32 each) this season are so beautiful. I think they apply beautifully to the lids and I really love the tones. Once they are applied they do not budge so blend quickly once you put these on the lids. Ablaze is a beautiful champagne sparkle, Hustle is the prettiest copper gold shimmer and Sparked is a warm auburn shimmer.

As beautiful as they are I think they are very similar to shades from Laura Mercier or Bobbi Brown so I don’t think they are must-haves. I am thrilled that they decided to keep the Laguna Eyeshadow Quad (reviewed and swatched here) which is one of the best neutrals I’ve tried. It looks like it’s now permanent. I think it’s a must-have.

Hot Escape Afterglow Lip Oil

Last a quick look at the Hot Escape Afterglow Lip Oils ($28 each). These are very thin in texture but smooth without any sticky feel. They are also very sheer for a barely there look. Formula wise I give them a 10/10 rating. I would have definitely loved to see more pigment as the colors are really pretty but are so sheer they barely show up on the lips. Laguna has the best pigment while the others are almost transparent.

• High Life is a sheer pink
• Orgasm is a shimmery pink gold
• Laguna is a shimmery bronze
• Wonderous is a sheer purple berry

They do layer beautifully over a liner or lipstick! And I know a lot of you want just a subtle hint of color for spring or summer vacations. I love the High Life Lip Oil layered on top of the Hermes Shine Lipstick in Rose Himalaya (also in action here).

I do think for a more pigmented lip oil option the Hermes Hermesistible Lip Oils are the best even though they are incredibly expensive. Formula and colors reviewed here and they’re all summer perfection.

Overall lots to love. The Cheek Palettes are the stand outs to me. I love that they have everything you need for a complete cheek look and I like using the bronzer and highlighter shades on the eyes too.

You can find the collection out now. Available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Bloomingdale’s and NARS Cosmetics along with all other NARS retailers.

Hot Escape Palette III, Lip Oil in Orgasm and Laguna and the Total Seduction Eyeshadows gifted. All others purchased by me.

NARS launched their Sweet Sensations Collection for spring with new shade extensions in their Afterglow Collection lineup. They have a new Afterglow Irresistible Eyeshadow Palette ($60), six new Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipsticks ($32 each), and three new shades of Afterglow Liquid Blush ($32). I have swatches of the entire collection. Everything has launched at Nordstrom, NARS, Ulta Beauty and Sephora.

Afterglow Irresistible Eyeshadow Palette

The Afterglow Irresistible Eyeshadow Palette has 12 shades with a rosy theme. It has a good mix of mattes, soft shimmers and sparkles. Texture and pigment of shades is consistently good among all shades. Mattes are soft, easy to blend, smooth. Shimmers have a subtle sheen. Sparkles are really finely milled glitter toppers with a pretty finish that isn’t too sparkly or chunky.

The color theme has a similar vibe to many previous palettes so I don’t know that I’d call it a must-have based on the colors, but it performs well. It pulls very warm – there are a lot of rose or brown tones.

Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipsticks

The standouts in the collection are the Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipsticks. I love this formula for the pigment, texture and feel. I already own most of the shades from the initial launch (review + swatches here) and still use them on a regular basis. The new spring shades are STUNNING! I think they have the perfect pop of color and are wearable even for neutral lip lovers. I am all about a natural lip, but I’m loving the tones of these spring shades. Three of the shades are similar in the brownish/reddish family but have differences in the undertone.

• Voyeur is a peachy brown
• High Gear is a coral red brown
• Aragon is a brown red chestnut
• Wild Ride is burgundy red with slight berry tones
• No Inhibitions is a beautiful bright raspberry pink
• All In is a pretty berry plum

Lip Swatches in action on Instagram Reels. Lip + Cheek combos below, also wearing:

• Foundation NARS Light Reflecting Foundation Sahel + Vanuatu mixed
• Powder Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting Powder Shade 3
• Eyeshadow NARS Afterglow Irresistible Eyeshadow Palette
• Mascara Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara
• Brows Kosas Brow Pop Nano in Medium Brown
• Sweatshirt AG Jeans Nova Crew
• Nail Color Chanel Le Vernis Skieuse

Voyeur Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick + Orgasm Rush Liquid Blush

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High Gear Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick + Orgasm Rush Liquid Blush

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Aragon Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick + Aragon Afterglow Liquid Blush

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Wild Ride Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick + Aragon Afterglow Liquid Blush

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No Inhibitions Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick + Secret Lover Afterglow Liquid Blush

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All In Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick + Secret Lover Afterglow Liquid Blush

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Afterglow Liquid Blush

There are three new shades of Afterglow Liquid Blush. The formula is a lightweight almost gel-like liquid. These blend out to a sheer medium finish. The deeper shades like the new spring colors have more color payoff than the lighter colors but blend out to a more natural finish. (Swatches of other shades here.)

Aragon is a chestnut brown, Orgasm Rush is a brown with a subtle gold shimmer, Secret Lover is a watermelon pink. I love the pink one, I think it’s the perfect shade for spring.

Lasting power is very good, once they set they stay put and look fresh for hours without sliding off the face. I really like these for a liquid blush, but in general powder blush is still my formula of choice for cheek makeup.

That wraps up the NARS Spring Collection review. Have you checked out anything yet? What did you think?

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Available at Nordstrom, NARS, Ulta Beauty and Sephora.

NARS spring collection provided for review.

I have a roundup of some new things I’ve been testing from NARS. It seems as though brands are doing more mini launches versus seasonal looks/collections and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I love the smaller edited launches but kinda miss having a more cohesive look for each season.

I have some of the new Afterglow Sensual Shine Hydrating Lipsticks, Laguna Collection and Afterglow Liquid Blushes reviewed today.

NARS Laguna Eyeshadow Quads

NARS launched a mini Laguna Collection with extended shades of their Laguna Bronzer in a talc-free formula and new eyeshadow quads. I picked up the two Eyeshadow Quad Palettes ($49 each) and think those are both worth checking out. It’s rare that I find new eyeshadow palettes where I truly love ALL the shades or that are unique enough to really like.

Laguna Eyeshadow Quad has the perfect mix of neutral tan bronzy tones. This quad has the colors I think of when I think of a good summer eye. It has a sparkling white champagne, a tan shimmer, soft warm tan matte and a soft deeper bronze. If you don’t wear a lot of eye makeup or want something super easy to apply for a soft polished look, GET THIS ONE. It’s neutral and slightly warm on my arm but on my eyes and skin tone it pulls more neutral.

Laguna Sunset has all sparkly shades I think are just beautiful. I was a little worried it would be too metallic or have tons of fall out. It pulls warm but it’s really very wearable and does look like a beautiful summer sunset. On my eyes there is minimal fallout with application but the shadows stick well to the eye lids.

Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick

The Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipsticks ($32 each) have quickly become a favorite in my makeup stash. Formula is smooth, hydrating, glossy in finish. They have the perfect amount of pigment in them. I love that they’re not too sheer but at the same time they don’t look or feel thick. I reviewed a couple shades from a Sephora haul earlier this year. I immediately bought more colors. I do think they’re very small (product wise) for the price. They only have 1.5 g of product for $32 while the Afterglow Lip Balms are 3 g for $28.

Colors I have include Breathless (beige nude), Orgasm (pink gold), Devotion (mauve brown), Dolce Vita (rosy brown) and On Edge (bright coral).

Afterglow Liquid Blush

Last we have a look at the Afterglow Liquid Blush ($32 each). There seems to be a blush explosion on the beauty market right now. This is the first new formula I’ve tried but I will be testing out the ones from Pat McGrath and Makeup By Mario soon.

I really like the Afterglow Liquid Blushes but they will be hit or miss for you depending on how much pigment you prefer. These have a similar vibe to the Tarte Maneater Blushes which I love. They have a sponge tip applicator, they’re super easy to apply, blend and layer. They do sheer out quite a bit when you blend but I actually like the pigment level. They aren’t quite as sheer as the Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks (swatched here). If you’re a blush wearer that needs more pigment or color payoff the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blushes (review here) are more pigmented and the original NARS Liquid Blush formula also has a lot more color payoff.

Lasting power has been pretty good on my skin. It doesn’t fade or slip off quickly. On me it stayed put and lasted all day.

Behave is a pretty soft pink (on me it doesn’t really show up once blended out), Brazen is a coral peach (my favorite), Orgasm is a pretty pink gold, Dolce Vita is a plum brown.

On the face below wearing:

• Foundation NARS Light Reflecting Foundation in Vanuatu
• Powder NARS Soft Matte Advanced Perfecting Powder in Creek
• Eyeshadow NARS Eyeshadow Quad in Laguna Sunset
• Brow Too Faced Superfine Brow Detailer Pencil in Medium Brown
• Mascara Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara
• Nails Chanel Insomniaque Nail Polish
• Top Citizens of Humanity Tank Top

NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush Behave and Lipgloss in Chelsea Girls

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NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush Brazen and Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick in On Edge

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NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush Orgasm and Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick in Orgasm

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NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush Dolce Vita and Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick in Dolce Vita

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I bought my items from Nordstrom and Sephora. Have you tried any of the new NARS launches? What did you think? Hit or miss?

NARS launched some new additions for spring with their 2023 Orgasm Collection in some stunning pink packaging and I have a review + swatches for you today. The collection was launched early to Ulta Beauty and NARS Cosmetics. It’s now also available at Sephora. There are 5 new pieces including:

• The Multiple in Orgasm and Orgasm Rush ($39 each)
• Orgasm Four Play Blush Quad ($45)
• Orgasm Rising Eyeshadow Palette ($49)

Orgasm Rising Eyeshadow Palette

I’ll start with my favorite item in the collection which is the Orgasm Rising Eyeshadow Palette. This is a stunning palette with 9 shades. It has a good mix of textures and tones. To me this seems like an updated take on their Wanted Palette from several years ago (which I really loved). This palette has:

• Hotwired is a metallic champagne
• High Speed is a shimmery beige peach with sparkles
• Orgasm is a pink gold shimmer
• Seven Heaven is a matte soft light brown
• Seduced is a medium rosy sparkle loaded with gold and silver and pink flecks
• Reckless is a warm satin brown with tiny gold shimmer
• Push It is a medium matte warm brown
• Faster Pussycat is a deeper copper shimmer
• Galapagos is a matte dark chocolate with gold flecks

I love the tones, pigment, color payoff and wearability. It’s warm but not too warm/red for my skin tone. It’s one I can easily see myself wearing this year. It is similar to what we’ve seen from NARS in the past but I still really like this one.

The Multiples

NARS has two Multiple Cream Sticks in the new limited-edition packaging. Orgasm is their classic pink gold shimmer. This one seems to be more emollient in texture than I remember but not dewy. On my skin tone it’s almost invisible. The gold and pink tones almost match my skin (NARS Light Reflecting Foundation in Santa Fe + Sahel right now) so all you see is a slight gold pink sheen.

Since it has a very emollient finish this has minimal lasting power on me. I think it could be used as a nice highlight for special date nights or going out, but it’s not going to be an all-day wear kind of product, especially if you have combo/oily skin.

NARS Multiple in Orgasm

NARS Blush in Orgasm

I did another look with their regular Powder Blush in Orgasm which shows up a lot better on me. If you want this tone but no shimmer then I highly recommend checking out the Liquid Blush in Orgasm. This is one of the best liquid blush formulas and I wish they would launch more colors in this!

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NARS Multiple in Orgasm Rush

Orgasm Rush is a deeper almost russet color. It has a less emollient finish, almost thinner in texture and better dry down. I’m undecided on this. I’m at my palest right now (almost 2 foundation shades lighter than I normally am) so it pulls a bit orangey. If I had a tan I think I would like this more, however due to the sheerness I’m not sure how well it would show up.

Orgasm Four Play Blush Quad

Last we have a look at the Orgasm Four Play Blush Quad. This has that pressed metallic finish. It’s not as frosty as I had anticipated and on me it did not emphasize texture (huge plus!). It’s a nice intro to the line if you’re new to NARS and the colors blend out nicely on the skin. Love the compact size (easy to fit in my hand) and the pan size is pretty good. Convenient, pretty and glowy.

Colors include:

• Swinger pale metallic gold
• Orgasm metallic pink gold
• Orgasm X deeper pink with gold shimmer
• Orgasm Rush copper russet shimmer

On the face:

Swatches of the cheek items in this launch:

However I can’t help but feel this is a boring repeat of what NARS has launched in the past so many times. To me isn’t new or innovative so if you already own a lot of NARS you can safely pass.

That’s my take on the new NARS Orgasm Collection for spring! I think the new eyeshadow palette is a winner. In the Orgasm color lineup I still think the Afterglow Lip Shine, Original Powder Blush and Liquid Blush are the best shades they’ve launched to date.

You can find these out now at Sephora, Ulta Beauty and NARS.

Did you check these out? What did you think? Love or pass?

NARS launched a few new items recently including their Summer Unrated Collection with an eyeshadow palette, three cheek duos and a lip balm called the Orgasm Lip Mask. I have swatches for you today!

Summer Unrated Blush & Bronzer Duos

There are three Blush and Bronzer Cheek Duos, each with a blush and bronzer in a large mirrored compact. I have the Orgasm + Laguna and Orgasm X + Casino variations. Colors are repromotes and quality with these palettes is very good (just like the singles). They’re nice for a summer glow. Texture is smooth, pigment is medium but buildable, lasting power is great.

Orgasm is a peachy pink with gold shimmer and Laguna is a medium tan. Below wearing:

• Foundation – NARS Light Reflecting Foundation in Sahel
• Powder – Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless in Medium
• Brows – Anastasia Brow Wiz in Soft Brown
• Eyeshadow – NARS Summer Unrated Palette with the pink, plum and copper tones
• Mascara – NARS Climax Extreme
• Blush + Bronzer – NARS DUO Orgasm + Laguna
• Lips – NARS Afterglow Lip Shine in Orgasm
• Top – Free People
• Nails – Hermes Rose Horizon

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Orgasm X is a deeper coral pink with gold shimmer and Casino is a deeper bronze. Wearing the same base as above but with different eyeshadows in the lighter/golden/bronze tones instead and with the Orgasm Lip Mask on lips (goes on clear).

Summer Unrated Eyeshadow Palette

The Summer Unrated Eyeshadow Palette is a stunning one! It has a beautiful mix of mattes and shimmers with a couple sparkle shades. Every single color performed well on me. They’re smooth, pigmented, apply beautifully and are buildable. I love that there are warm shades but they don’t look too warm or red on the skin. There are enough neutrals to balance it all out and with 16 shades the combinations are endless!

Orgasm Lip Mask

Last we have a look at the Orgasm Lip Mask. I hauled this from Sephora and like it, but don’t think it’s a must-have. It’s better than the Laneige Sleeping Lip Mask (which didn’t work for me) but you can find other balms that give you the same hydration. It’s thick but not too goopy. It does hydrate but I get better results from the Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask or Summer Fridays Lip Butter.

The NARS Orgasm Lip Mask has a pale pink tint to it, but it pretty much goes on clear.

Overall everything performed really well. The cheek duos are nice to have if you don’t own any of the colors already. I love the eyeshadow palette. The lip mask is ok for me, but didn’t wow me.

You can find the NARS Summer Unrated Collection out now. Available at NARS, Nordstrom, Sephora and all other NARS retailers.

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Did you check out anything from this launch yet?

Summer Unrated Cheek Duos + Palette provided for review. Lip Mask purchased by me.