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NARS Holiday 2018 Collection Review + Swatches

October 28, 2018

Holiday beauty launches are in full swing and today I have a look at the NARS Holiday 2018 Collection. This is quite the massive launch with lots of palettes and sets. There are individual pieces as well and some of the products are exclusive to specific retailers. In addition a few items are online only so if you’re shopping places like Sephora or Ulta, I’d recommend checking online first and make your list to save a trip to the store! I received a large press package and dove right in to play! Due to the large number of items it has taken me a long time to swatch and test every single piece. There are some products I did not receive so check online for different variations and palettes.

What I have to review today:

Hot Tryst Cheek Palette ($59) with Kings Road, Swindle, Untamed, Friction, Bowery and Adrenaline
High Voltage Highlighting Palette ($42) with 1977, Fort de France and Queen
Orgasm Infatuation Cheek Palette ($42) with Laguna, Orgasm and Orgasm Highlighting Blush (Sephora exclusive)
Provocateur Eyeshadow Palette ($49) with Vinyl, Endless Party, Exploit, Screech, Smash it Up, Not for Sale
Chaos Velvet Matte Pencil Duo with Decibel and Zipped (NARS and Ulta Exclusive)
Manic Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Set with Spike, Chaos, Bondage, Vicious (Sephora exclusive)
Riot Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Set with Clash, Wasted, Riot and Rebel
Spiked Audacious Lipstick in Sheena ($34 each, Nordstrom exclusive)
Spiked Audacious Lipstick in Nancy ($34 each, NARS and Barneys exclusive)
Spiked Audacious Lipstick in Siouxsie ($34 each, Sephora exclusive)
Powermatte Lip Luster ($26 each) in Hardcore, Shredded, Shatter, Pierce, Combat and Blackheart
Little Fetishes Laguna/Fort de France ($24 each)
Little Fetishes Rita/Mona ($24 each)

For the cheeks there are three palettes. Hot Tryst, High Voltage and Orgasm Infatuation. I think there are two hits and one semi-miss. Thoughts and swatches below.

Hot Tryst has six colors with a texture/finish that reminds me of the dual-intensity blushes. They’re cream to power and all shimmery. Texture and finish is smooth with sheer-medium color. You can build more intensity with layering or a dense brush. Colors include a pale shimmery pink, soft muted pink, magenta shimmer, champagne gold shimmer, soft peach shimmer and a pink-red shimmer. This is my favorite of the three. Lasting power is excellent. I think every single color is perfect! Swatched with a heavy hand below:

The next two are trios one is a highlighting palette called High Voltage with three pale highlighters in 1977 a pale champagne, Fort de France available individually, and queen a soft light peachy gold shimmer. I did not have time to swatch or pull side by sides but this has an exisiting shade and as a very similar vibe to two previous trios Banc de Sable and Reve Sale. If you have either of those or Fort de France, I think you can safely skip this one. That being said the colors perform well with soft sheer shimmer. If you’re one who doesn’t want frost and needs a subtle glow this is a nice option.

Then there is the Orgasm Infatuation Palette which is sheer on my medium tan skin. I can make it work better by layering or putting it on top of a cream blush. Based on the vast number of positive reviews on this I think I might have a dud or just be too tan. This has the classic Laguna Bronzer and Orgasm Blush, both of which swatch ok on the arm, but on the face apply sheer. There’s also an Orgasm Highlighting Blush which I find very beautiful and pigmented. It’s the perfect soft peachy highlighter which I hope they will consider making individually full size.

For the eyes the Provocateur Eyeshadow Palette was a surprising hit for me! I say surprise because at first glance the colors looked like they would be too cool. I was really impressed with the pigment and the mix of colors and the brick red layered make for an incredibly unique smokey eye. Colors include Vinyl a duochrome vanilla with pink shimmer, Endless Party matte deep red, Exploit a shimmering brown with blue-violet flashes, Screech sparkling silver, Smash it Up deep shimmery navy, Not for Sale deep plum. Pigment is smooth and some of the shades are sparkly but I don’t think it’s quite to the level I can call glitter. I don’t think I have anything like it! Scroll to the bottom for a look with this palette.

I was completely overwhelmed by all the lip options. There is a lot to process with the sets! Many of these lip colors are retailer exclusive and I have a few missing so definitely do some research before deciding on which one to buy if you’re interested.

For the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil there are a few sets I have swatched. Update- lip swatches added! I found all of these performed well on the lips. They can look a little dry depending on what your natural lips look like. Pigment is even and smooth though and I find they apply smoothly.

Manic Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Set (Sephora exclusive):
- Bondage is a matte brown nude neutral
- Vicious is a cool mauve pink
- Spike is a deep wine plum
- Chaos is a deep matte brown
Riot Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Set (Nordstrom exclusive):
- Clash is a matte muted red
- Rebel is a blue based red
- Riot is a brighter bold red
- Wasted is a fuchsia plum
Chaos Velvet Matte Pencil Duo (NARS and Ulta Exclusive):
- Decibel a cool mauve pink
- Zipped a matte orchid purple

Swatches below:

Individually there are new Powermatte Lip Lusters which are shimmery versions of the Powermatte Lip Pigments. I think these are solid winners. The formula is shimmery and metallic but very wearable and lasting power is excellent. Anytime anyone asks for a recommendation on a good budge-proof lipstick I always say most lipstick is going to transfer, but the NARS Powermattes are good.

I’m in love with all but one of the colors which include:

Hardcore is a metallic pink gold copper
Shredded is a muted brown shimmer
Shatter is a shimmering mauve
Pierce is a metallic brick red on my lips
Combat is the perfect deep shimmery plum
Blackheart this is the only color I do not like, it applies and performs well, color is just very scary looking on my complexion

Swatches:

Then there are the Spiked Audacious Lipsticks in three shade options. Each color also exclusive to specific retailers. I do think this makes it a little confusing with all these exclusives. Sometimes it can be fun to hunt them down but for me during the holidays I don’t really want to be hopping from store to store! Online shopping does make it all a million times easier but only if you know what you want. Formula is true to the Audacious formula – super creamy, smooth, not heavy and has a slight sheen for a finish. Every time I wear one of these it makes me wonder why I don’t wear these all the time.

Spiked Audacious Lipstick in Sheena is a nude pink (Nordstrom exclusive)
Spiked Audacious Lipstick in Nancy is a deep blackend plum (NARS and Barneys exclusive)
Spiked Audacious Lipstick in Siouxsie is the perfect berry red (Sephora exclusive)

Then there are the Little Fetishes sets which have minis of cheeks and lips. These make for really cute stocking stuffers! A quick peek at the Laguna/Fort de France Duo and Mona/Rita Lipstick Duo. I didn’t swatch because I’m keeping these as gifts!

Beauty look wearing the following items along with another closer look at my new highlights! Also I know in one of the photos it looks like I’m applying something on the cheeks with an eyeshadow brush – I assure you I’m not! It’s just one of the eyeshadow pictures I took but I was lowering the brush.

Worn on the face, press samples have a *:

Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff *
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder *
NARS Hot Tryst Cheek Palette in Swindle + Bowery mixed together *
NARS Provocateur Eyeshadow Palette on the eyes *
Hourglass Arch Brow Pencil in Soft Brunette * (I did one brow and forgot to do the other!)
Tom Ford Waterproof Extreme Mascara
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Vicious from the Manic Set *

That wraps up my NARS holiday 2018 collection review! There’s a lot to look at and as usual I would say my recommendations for palettes should be based on the colors you think you’re drawn to or think you will wear. Quality-wise most everything performed well for me. I would say the misses are the Orgasm Infatuation Palette, Blackheart Powermatte Lip Luster and if you have very dry lips you will need to use a primer under the Matte Lip Pencils but I think some of the colors and really good. My top picks: Hot Tryst Cheek Palette, Provocateur Eyeshadow Palette, Audacious Lipsticks in Sheen and Siouxsie and the Powermatte Lip Luster in Combat.

You can find the NARS Holiday collection out now. Everything is limited-edition. There’s a good portion of the collection you can find at NARS retailers but the exclusives are listed above. Available at NARS Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York.

Have you checked out the NARS Holiday 2018 collection yet? What did you think? Was it a hit or miss?

NARS Holiday 2018 collection provided for review.

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Eye Makeup NARS

NARS Eyeshadow Singles and Duos Relaunch Review

October 3, 2018

NARS just redesigned their Eyeshadow Singles and Duos in a new formula and packaging. Some shades have been repromoted and new colors have been introduced. The formula is softer and smoother with a more buttery feel and now comes with magnetic removable pans. I still have yet to find a palette to put them into so I’m keeping them in the original compacts for now. Today I have a review of the following items:

Single Eyeshadows $19 each for 1.1 g/0.04 oz
Single Eyeshadow Mattes $19 each for 1.1 g/0.04 oz
Hardwired Single Eyeshadow $22 each for 1.1 g/0.04 oz
Duo Eyeshadows $35 each for 1.1 g/0.04 oz per pan
Tinted Smudge Proof Eye Base $26 each for 8 g/0.28 oz
Climax Mascara $24 for 6 g/0.21 oz

The new shadows are improved over the original but I really liked the original formula. Differences are in packaging design and texture. The revamped version is softer and velvety with a texture that seems to glide on the skin better. Pigment and color payoff is similar to me, I do think with the shimmers the softer velvety texture makes for a richer finish. All the colors layer and blend with each other beautifully.

First a look at the new vs old packaging. I like the concept of removable pans to make my own palette. I think all brands should have this option with singles! I’m still trying to find a good palette solution for these – they do have one they launched a while ago but it hasn’t held up the best for me.

The Single Eyeshadow comes in 42 shade options. There are a different finishes of matte, shimmer, satin. Some retailers split these into Soft Essentials for Mattes, Precious Metals for shimmers and Pops for bright colors. The ones I tested were all excellent in color payoff, texture and smoothness. I’m partial to the shimmers for their buttery soft texture that glides onto the lids perfectly. Color I have include a mix of press samples and ones I purchased on my own.

Top Row:

Cabo San Lucas* is a sheer mauve with a soft satin sheen
Noumea* is a warm matte red brown
Bengali* is a matte cool deep brown

Middle Row:

Virgin Gorda is a shimmering rose nude
Ashes to Ashes* is a soft satiny shimmer taupe grey
Fez is a warm bronze shimmer

Bottom Row:

Verona* is a cool purple silvery shimmer
Isla Bonita* is an ultra pale minty silver
Lahore* is a shimmering taupe grey

Swatches below, to me Ashes to Ashes and Lahore almost look identical on my skin. Lahore has more pigment and shimmer, but the colors look really close. If you have a pink undertone you will probably see the difference more. I’m tan olive.

The Hardwired Eyeshadow Singles are ultra shimmery and metallic. I had my eye on a few so I stopped by the store to see them. The ones I wanted looked ultra glittery while the ones I had were more of a refined metallic. I may go check them out again as my experience with the four I have blew me away. They’re so pigmented and non-gritty like you’d expect. The shimmer is ultra fine and adheres to the skin really well. Photos can’t capture how beautiful these are.

Earthshine is a pale lavender with green, blue and violet flecks
Stud is the perfect silver taupe shimmer
Lunar* is a high shine lavender
Eclipse* is a duo-chrome purple that flashes pink

The Duo Eyeshadow has been relaunched in a lot of repromoted shades. Based on a comparison of old vs new, the colors with the same names are very similar but I see slight differences. Pigment wise the newer ones adhere better to the skin and have a softer smooth texture. Color payoff is similar though, my experience is that the color is really good and lasts a long time.

Colors I bought include the following below. I did receive some press samples but they weren’t colors I felt like I’d use so I gifted them away and bought ones I knew I would:

Kalahari* is the perfect neutral medium tone plum and bronze
Alhambra has a shimmering pink and shimmering gold
Cordura has a shimmering bronze and deep chocolate with gold flecks
St Paul de Vence has a perfect soft pink and warm pink matte (I feel like since I missed out on the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk quad this could be a good alternative)

The Tinted Smudge Proof Eye Base now comes in tinted form. I ordered both Light and Medium as I wasn’t sure what color I’d be. Medium is my match and I’ve swatched it next to a few Radiant Creamy Concealers in Custard, Macadamia and Ginger for reference. I wasn’t a fan of the original clear base simply because it’s not meant for my skin type. I know many love matte bases for eyeshadows but I don’t have oily lids so most tend to dry out my skin. I prefer something creamy and emollient. These new Tinted Bases are ultra pigmented and a little goes a long way. They have a velvety matte dry down so while it will help the shadow stay put all day long I found them too dry for my skin type. It is an excellent product to even out the lids and help create a nice canvas for powder eye shadow and once it sets it is indeed smudge-proof.

Last but not least a quick mention of the Climax Mascara*. I’m going to do a roundup soon of mascaras I’ve been trying and this one is excellent. It volumizes, doesn’t clump, holds the curl and is almost smudge-proof. Indoors in air conditioning it does not smudge on me. But outdoors for extended periods of time here in Florida we are still having humid weather with temperatures in the high 90s sometimes exceeding 100. In those cases minor smudging occurs. But overall this is an excellent formula.

A quick look at some of the originals I still have versus new version. I think the colors are really close but there are slight differences. The original Alhambra is a tiny bit peachier. Original Kalahari is cooler-toned. Original Ashes to Ashes is the slightest bit warmer in undertone.

Overall thoughts are positive. I think there has been an improvement in the new formula although I never had issues with the original ones. I really like that the pans are removeable and hope they come out with a large empty palette like MAC does that I can use to put the shadows in for travel or to make my own palette. I’m going to give the Hardwired shades another look, especially Pattaya because the formula is really good. I personally don’t love the Eyeshadow Bases but they aren’t bad – they’re just not what I like to use because of the matte finish.

You can find the NARS Eyeshadow Singles and Duos out now. Some shades seem to have been selling out quickly so you may have to shop around to find the colors you want. Available at NARS Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Sephora and all other NARS retailers.

Some items featured are press samples, others purchased by me. Press sample shades have a * next to them.

10 Comments

NARS

NARS Fall 2018 Color Collection Review + Swatches

August 22, 2018

NARS Fall 2018 features two new eyeshadow quads, a gorgeous lip palette and new brow pencils. The collection launched last month and I’m a little late to review them, but I’ve been working my way through testing the pieces. The products do not disappoint and I think every piece is stunning. The palettes for eyes and lips are limited-edition, in this launch we have:

Quad Eyeshadow Palette in Mojave ($52, made in Canada)
Quad Eyeshadow Palette in Singapore ($52, made in Canada)
7 Deadly Sins Audacious Lipstick Palette ($52, made in USA)
Brow Perfector ($25, eight shades available, made in Korea)

The Quad Eyeshadows in Mojave and Singapore seem to have a new formula in them. Each quad has a mix of textures from matte, satin and a new pressed sparkle shimmer. The shimmer is this pressed formula that reminds me of the ones you find in Asian brands like Lunasol or even some of the sparkles you find from Surratt Beauty. Both quads this launch are just so pretty.

Mojave has perfect neutrals that aren’t too warm or too cool. With most palettes like this I find some of the browns run a little too cool-toned, but this has the perfect mix of warm and cool. If you found the Chanel Clair-Obscur Matte Quad too matte and wanted a little shimmer, NARS Mojave is the way to go. It has a shimmering silvery taupe sparkle, matte brown, soft tan shimmer and a semi-sheer pale champagne.

Singapore is one of the best warm palettes I’ve tried. It has a similar vibe to that of the NARSisisst Wanted Eyeshadow Palette because of the texture and the red, but Singapore has some warmer options I think are so pretty. It’s very rare that I can wear all the shades in a warm-ish palette like this but the shades layered together are perfect!

The 7 Deadly Sins Audacious Lipstick Palette has a mix of classic nudes, pinks, reds and a deep plum. All the colors are creams and are supposed to be the Audacious Lipstick formula. I find them to be a little more glossy and sheer compared to the individual Audacious Lipsticks you find in the full-size tubes, but the palette colors are really good. With all the different finishes, textures and new things we have in the beauty market these days, sometimes it’s nice to find a classic lipstick. This palette has all classics with smooth even medium coverage.

All but one color worked flawlessly on my lips. There is no scent and they have a smooth creamy finish. It does come with a lip brush which is nice. Colors include:

Pride – beige nude cream
Disobedience – pink neutral
Idolatry – medium pink
Foolishness – bright warm red
Greed – muted brick red
Wrath – deep cool red with blue tones
Sloth – plum, this went on patchy for me, but if I apply a liner first and then top it with this it works just fine

Last but not least are the Brow Perfectors. I’ve been a long-time die hard loyal user of the Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown. I feel like I have odd-shaped brows and for me a stiff and semi-sheer pencil I can use to feather in small strokes works best so I don’t overdo it. The NARS Brow Perfector has more pigment and is a little softer so you can create a bolder brow easily. It still has a really fine tip so you can feather in color and build it. Also even though I have nearly black hair, I naturally have a lot of red hair which you can only see in sunlight. Finding a color that isn’t too deep, red or grey is hard for me although I do think brands are doing a better job at launching more options these days. I tried a few of these and felt I could wear either any of the Auburn and Medium Brown colors.

Shown below:

NARS Goma – Blonde Cool
Calimyrna – Blonde Warm
Makassar – Auburn Cool
Moanda – Auburn Warm
Naia – Medium Brown Cool
Komo – Medium Brown Warm
Atacma – Dark Brown Cool
Lava – Dark Brown Warm
Diorshow Brow Styler – Universal Brown
Anastasia Brow Wiz – Medium Brown
By Terry Brow Mascara – #4 Dark Brown

Beauty look below wearing:

Foundation: NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation in Vanuatu (review + swatches here)
Concealer: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger
Powder: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose
Blush: By Terry Compact-Expert in Sun Desire (swatches here)
Eyeshadow: NARS Eyeshadow Quad in Singapore
Eyeliner: MAC Technakohl Liner in Graphblack
Brow: NARS Brow Perfector in Komo
Mascara: Tom Ford Waterproof Extreme Mascara
Lipstick: NARS 7 Deadly Sins Palette in Disobedience

Bottom line perfect. I didn’t expect to love the eyeshadow quads as much as I do. Sparkle can be hit or miss for me and even though some of the colors are ultra sparkly they work beautifully on the lids. I feel like both are must-haves. The Lip Palette is nearly perfect (one patchy color). I think every single color is wearable and they pretty much give you all the colors you’d need in a single palette for a classic day to night lip look. I’m hoping that Disobedience is a close dupe for an existing shade. I’m going to try and find a similar one because it’s the perfect pink. I’ve been a long-time fan of the Dior brow pencils, but this new NARS Brow Perfector is really easy to use and gives me more color to play with because it’s creamier. I think they are winners.

You can find the NARS Fall 2018 Color Collection out now. Available at NARS Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Sephora, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York. The eyeshadows and lip palette are limited-edition.

Have you checked out the launches yet? What did you think?

NARS Fall provided courtesy of NARS for review.

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Lips NARS

NARS NARSissist Wanted Velvet Lip Glide Set

August 9, 2018

NARS x Ulta launched another exclusive mini lip set called the NARSissist Wanted Velvet Lip Glide Set ($45 for 3.4 ml / 0.12 oz x 6). As a lover of minis I couldn’t resist picking this up while browsing through Ulta a few weeks ago. This has six small Velvet Lip Glides, two of which were launched earlier this year individually in Swing and Roseland swatched here. The other four shades are exclusive to the set for now.

Inside you have six colors that I think are perfect for everyday wear:

District is a medium peachy pink
Swing is a perfect neutral nude beige
Lure is a warm soft orange
Roseland is a pretty pink rose
Spike is a perfect mauve plum
Vault medium neutral-warm brown

I think every single color is perfect in this set. Loving everything in a set is rare for me but this one equals pure love. I’ve reviewed the Velvet Lip Glide formula before but in case you haven’t tried it, these are medium coverage liquid lip products that have a liquid lipstick feel but lighter in weight and without the matte dry down. There is a soft slight sheen to the finish but it has a more velvety feel. Lip swatches on bare lips below. Lasting power is like a regular lip gloss – you’ll have to reapply every few hours or if you snack.

There have been a number of request for swatch comparisons for Cozumel from the NARS Undressed Liquid Lip Set (reviewed here). I pulled the ones I thought might be similar to that along with ones from this set in attempts to dupe it. From left to right below:

NARS Wanted Velvet Lip Glide Set (Ulta Exclusive)
- District
- Swing (available individually)
- Lure
- Roseland (available individually)
- Spike
- Vault
Velvet Lip Glide Unlaced (reviewed here)
Velvet Lip Glide Suck (was a Nordstrom exclusive reviewed here, now available at NARS)
Full Vinyl Lip Lacuqer in Santo Domingo (reviewed here)
2017’s NARS x Ulta Lip Glide Set with Night Together, Rapture and Californication
Velvet Lip Glide Xenon (reviewed here)
Velvet Lip Glide Bound (swatched here)

One last look:

Bottom line, I think the set is an easy win. The colors are perfect for summer to fall. There is a good range of warm and neutral for me. I love that Spike isn’t too blue in undertone which makes it easy to wear. I don’t mind that there are repeats of Swing and Roseland as those are my favorite colors anyways. Lure does pull a little orangey/warm on me but I think it’s summer appropriate. It’s also a good one I can mix in with pale colors to balance out for my lip/skin tone. For previous NARSissist Wanted reviews:

NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette reviewed here
NARSissist Wanted Cheek Palettes and Power Pack Lip Duos here

You can find the NARS NARSissist Wanted Velvet Lip Glide Set available at Ulta Beauty and at NARS Cosmetics. I do believe it’s limited-edition. I highly recommend it.

7 Comments

NARS

NARS Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette Review

August 7, 2018

NARS launched a new limited-edition palette called the Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette ($59, Sephora exclusive). It has a perfect sunkissed summer vibe with warm bronzey colors for eyes and face. It comes in a mirrored compact with six colors, two of which are repromotes:

Icon Eyeshadow – shimmering soft warm tan gold
Isolde II Eyeshadow – shimmery warm copper
Kink Eyeshadow – warm sparkle copper
Galapagos Eyeshadow – matte deep brown with gold flecks
Last Call Highlighting Blush Powder – soft golden sandy beige shimmer
Unleashed Bronzing Powder – matte sheer warm brown

The eyeshadows are for the most part shimmery. Icon and Isolde II have perfectly soft textures that are easy to blend powders. Kink is a very sparkly eyeshadow which I found best applied with a super dense brush or fingers in a patting motion. Galapagos is a formula that has a matte base but enough gold flecks to make it sparkly. It’s best applied with a dense brush along the lash line or on top of a creamy liner smudged/blended. For me all the eyeshadows performed well without any issue. Kink does have some fallout if you apply with a loose fluffy brush – it may take some experimenting application-wise.

The cheek colors are both soft. Last Call has a semi-sheer finish which is great if you want a soft glow vs sharp frost but it’s not really the most unique shade. It does have a soft warm golden sheen that is more flesh-like than most champagne shimmers but the effect is going to be similar to a lot of other highlighters. Unleashed Bronzing Powder is one I have mixed feelings about. It’s sheer and stiff in texture making it more of a very soft contouring powder on me. As a bronzing powder if it had more pigment or a softer texture I feel it would be too dark for my complexion. Since it is harder and sheerer it gives my skin a very soft contoured look. I don’t typically use contouring powders – I usually just use any regular bronzer to add a tiny bit of dimension.

The palette itself is really pretty and easy to wear for me. Each time I tested it I was happy with the performance and look. It’s a super easy to wear palette that I don’t have to think about when applying. It has all the colors I need, minus a cream shadow base and a little bit of color for blush, but there are a lot of days I don’t wear blush – just bronzer. I do think it would be better if the bronzer had a different texture/finish. But since it’s stiff and semi-sheer it does work well on me as a crease blending color to add depth on the eyes (even though it’s meant for the face). I’m not the biggest glitter shadow fan I would have preferred if Kink weren’t a glitter but I can make it work and I think it’s really nice for summer. Since summer won’t end here in Florida until maybe November I will get a lot of wear out of the colors.

Quick and easy look wearing Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff, Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealer in 3W (swatches of all shades here), La Mer Pressed Powder in Medium, Diorshow Brow Styler Universal Brown, Eyes + Cheeks are NARS Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette, Lips are NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer in Santo Domingo (review here).

Since the cheek colors are ones I feel are easy to dupe, here are a few swatch comparisons below: Natasha Denona Glow 01 Light is more pink and has more shimmer (reviewed here), Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow Light-Medium is more neutral/cool, NARS Highlighting Powders in Fort de France and Ibiza have more shimmer, Becca Sunlit Bronzers in Ipanema Sun and Maui Nights have deeper color and are easier to build pigment-wise:

One last look:

Overall easy to use, nice wearable colors. Two shades I’d love to change a little color or formula-wise but I can make the palette work as it is. It’s pretty much an effortless one that I can apply any day for any occasion. In a sense I’m glad the bronzer is stiff/sheer because the color works for my complexion, otherwise I feel like it would be too dark for me to wear.

The NARS Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette is available at Sephora. It’s listed as a Sephora exclusive, but right now you can also find it online at NARS Cosmetics. It’s limited-edition. Have you checked this one out yet? What did you think?

NARS Atomic Blonde provided courtesy of NARS for review.

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NARS Nordstrom

NARS Endless Summer Collection for Nordstrom

July 18, 2018

The NARS Endless Summer Collection is a new limited-edition launch exclusively at Nordstrom for their Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives this year. The focus is on sets with four options to choose from. NARS describes the collection as having a smoldering summer vibe. I feel the colors pull more neutral or fall-like but there are still some pretty options that are wearable regardless of season. I have all the colors swatched for you today along with some thoughts. I love seeing what options and deals are available during the sale, but sets can be touch and go if you don’t love all the colors. Also there are frequently repeats. I do think they are great for beauty newbies, especially since they often give you a price break on the sets. If you’ve been a long-time NARS lover or collector you might want to shop your stash or wait for fall. The four items from the NARS Endless Summer Collection include:

The Hot Escape Eye and Cheek Palette has four eyeshadows, one highlighting blush and one regular powder blush. The overall look and feel of the palette runs neutral-cool with sheer to medium finish. If you’re one who wants to wear a minimal eye makeup look with a neutral rose blush this is a great one.

Colors in the palette:

Aurora Eyeshadow is a matte soft cream
Yucatan Eyeshadow is a soft grey taupe satin
Endless Eyeshadow is a sparkling tan (LOVE this color)
Next Wave is a satiny cool grey
Sunstreak Highlighting Powder is a sheer ultra pale pink shimmer
Hot Pursuit is a dusty rose

While the colors are on the soft side you can definitely build if you use a dense or synthetic brush. Overall lasting power was pretty good. Everything stayed put from morning until late afternoon without budging. I do recommend using a creamy base for the eyeshadows. On dry lids the color will be ultra sheer.

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The Sunseeker Lip and Light Duo has miniatures of their Highlighting Powder in Fort de France and Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita. The powder is small like eyeshadow size and the lip pencil is nice for a trial size. Both are classics in the NARS line and I would actually recommend buying the full size versions – I think both colors are going to work on a wide range of skin tones. Fort de France is my favorite highlighting powder of the new shades launched (reviewed here). The Velvet Matte Lip Pencil is smooth and glides on with a very soft velvety finish. It’s a classic warm rose color.

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Then there are two Liquid Lip Sets, each with four colors. Each set has two Velvet Lip Glides which offer natural to medium coverage in a soft velvet finish gloss. Lasting power is medium – there will be color transfer if your lips touch something and you will have to reapply throughout the day. There are also two Powermatte Lip Pigments which are thin liquid lipsticks that dry to a full matte finish. These stay put all day once you apply, no budging at all! The Undressed Liquid Lip Set 1 has neutrals/nudes:

Velvet Lip Glide in Stripped is a pale beige cream, this is an existing shade
Velvet Lip Glide in Cozumel is a pink beige cream, this is a new limited-edition color (love this)
Powermatte Lip Pigment in Antigua is a neutral-cool beige rose, also new and limited-edition
Powermatte Lip Pigment in American Woman, this is an existing shade and to me one of the most perfect everyday neutrals

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The Undressed Liquid Lip Set 2 has rose/pinks:

Velvet Lip Glide in Bound which is the perfect neutral-cool rose with a hint of mauve
Velvet Lip Glide in Cartagena a bright orchid pink, new shade
Powermatte Lip Pigment in Save the Queen is the prettiest cool mauve color on my arm, but when it dries on my lips it turns very blue
Powermatte Lip Pigment in Haze is a deeper mauve rose

Quality and color-wise these sets are just as good as the individuals. Since there is a mix of existing colors within the sets you might want to pass if you already own some of them. Or if you have friends you can split the sets with that might be another option if you had your eye on certain colors anyways. To me the best colors are Bound and American Woman which you can buy individually. I do have a soft spot for neutrals and nudes, I really liked the Undressed Liquid Lip Set 1. Even though I already own 2 of the colors I still love the 2 new ones Cozumel and Antigua. I’ve set aside the duplicates for friends and swatched the colors I already had in my stash. That being said I do want to mention if you’re a nude lip lover you might also want to look into the NARSissist Wanted Velvet Lip Glide Set in Nude Scene which is an Ulta Exclusive. It has six miniature nudes.

Overall some nice options if you end up liking all the colors or have been wanting to try NARS products I think this is a great time to start. The prices are really good, especially for the lip sets considering each lip color full size is $26, so 4 of them individually would cost $104 and the sale set price is only $49.

You can find the Endless Summer Collection now at Nordstrom for their Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives. Everything is limited-edition. Did you pick up anything from the sale yet or are you shopping it this week? More swatches and reviews of my haul picks to follow soon!

NARS Endless Summer collection provided courtesy of NARS for review.

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Lips NARS

NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer Review + Swatches

June 25, 2018

New lips just launched from NARS in a few different formulas and today I’ve swatches of all the new NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer ($26 each for 0.17 oz/5.5 ml, currently available at NARS and Barneys New York). There are 10 shades in this formula and 1 special-edition color Orgasm (reviewed here). In addition there are 5 new colors of the Velvet Lip Glide (reviewed here) and 5 new shades of the Powermatte Lip Pigment (to be reviewed soon). The NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer is an opaque, rich color, full coverage gloss with a high shine. They come with a flat applicator with a sponge tip on one side and plastic portion on the other. One will dispense a lot of color while the other blends it out more. There are 10 shades total, 6 creams and 4 sparkles. I believe there are hits and misses with this launch formula-wise.

Most of the colors have a beautiful smooth application. There are some however that apply streaky on bare lips and settle into fine lines. Color descriptions and thoughts on which ones are the best below. First a look at the shades and swatches.

Shown above from left to right:

Santo Domingo is a medium to light muted dusty pink, it settles into fine lines at first but once you let it set on the lips, it smooths out
Conquest is a perfect medium bright warm pink
Valencia is a bright coral hot pink, this also settled into my lip lines
Red District is the best cream formula, it’s a perfect bright red, smooth, opaque, glossy
Mississippi is a sheer mauve plum, it takes a few layers but applies smoothly
Baden Baden is a gorgeous deep plum, but alone it was streaky, I’d recommend applying it over a matte lip pencil
Abruzzo is a high sparkle metallic wine plum with gold and silver flecks, I thought this would be too glitzy but this is a truly stunning color, smooth coverage and no texture
Everglades is one of the scariest lip colors I’ve seen, having actually driven through the Everglades a couple times I’d say this color evokes the same feelings I had driving through alligator territory (they are probably the most frightening living creatures I’ve ever seen)
At First Sight is a sheer sparkling white silvery gold, it’s pretty sheer, almost transparent but has the prettiest sheen
Cape Town is an iridescent duochrome orange, pink loaded with multi-color sparkles, it’s very metallic but smooth

Overall the shimmers performed better on my lips formula-wise. I would say the cream colors Valencia and Baden Baden are the higher maintenance ones for me as the color settled into fine lines if I applied these on bare lips.

Close up lip swatches on bare lips. For skintone reference I’m wearing the MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC37, Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealer in 3w1 (reviewed here) and Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation #4 on top to set.

All the lip swatches side by side:

Overall some beautiful colors and lovely formulas (patchy colors aside). There isn’t really any detectable scent to these. Lasting power is pretty good, they are thicker than the Velvet Lip Glides due to the high shine so they adhere better to the lips. Lasting power is pretty good, not as good as their Powermatte Lip Pigments, but for a gloss they stayed put until I snacked. My favorites are Santo Domingo, Red District, Abruzzo and At First Sight. Compared to other lip glosses these are among the most full coverage that I’ve tried. Ones like the Pat McGrath LUST Glosses or Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss are a lot sheerer. Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Glosses are probably the most similar (but hers are thicker), Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquid is also thicker with a more lipstick feel.

You can find the NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer now at NARS and Barneys New York. Starting July you will also be able to find them at other NARS retailers like Sephora and Nordstrom. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer provided courtesy of NARS for review.

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NARS Fall 2018 Color Collection Review + Swatches

NARS NARSissist Wanted Velvet Lip Glide Set

NARS Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette Review

NARS Endless Summer Collection for Nordstrom

NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer Review + Swatches

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