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NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows | Dione, Callisto, Himalia and Subra

July 11, 2014
I picked up four more NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows in Dione, Callisto, Himalia and Subra ($29 each). I’ve been using the more natural Europa and Andromeda on a regular basis for a natural glowy eye. The other shades in the line are more intense in color and sparkle. It was hard to narrow down my picks and I will probably pick up at least one more shade sometime in the future. All the colors are phenomenal in texture, pigment and lasting power. They have a sort of creamy finish but act like a powder. The texture makes these adheres well to to the skin and while I wouldn’t call them budge-proof, they last quite long without fading. 
  • Dione is a sparkly silvery taupe, it pulls very cool on my arm but on the lids it’s more neutral
  • Callisto is a very sparkly cool lilac champagne, it’s similar to Dione, but on me Callisto is more pinkish/lilac and paler in color
  • Himalia is a neutral warm and cool kind of gold, it has a warmish base but the shimmers are cool, on me it’s a neutral tan-nude golden color, it’s shimmery but not frosty
  • Subra is a dark purple, red, brown shimmer, it also has a subtle shimmer finish
Dione and Callisto are similar on my arm and in the pan but the difference is noticeable on the lids. Both have a high shimmer factor that borders on frost but aren’t too frosty. I was really happy to see that there was no fall out on the face during application or throughout the day. Himalia and Subra are shimmers as well but the shimmer is more subtle in finish.

Here they are swatched next to Europa and Andromeda. They are swatched dry with fingers.

Close ups of each shade show how they have a good base color and different colored shimmers. It gives these shadows a multi-dimensional look.

 
Some comparisons, two sets with:
MAC Coco Pigment (discontinued)
Tom Ford Platinum Cream Color (discontinued)

Chanel Magic Night Eyeshadow (discontinued)

Huge thumbs up. The Dual-Intensity shadows have a really smooth pigmented finish. They apply easily with fingers or a brush. I’ve found them extremely versatile – you can wear these alone with a liner, layered together, under or over powder shadows. The uses are really endless. Applying with a damp brush intensifies the color. Between Dione and Callisto, I prefer Dione because it has less contrast with my skin and therefore looks less frosty.
The Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows retail for $29 each. There are currently twelve color options and every color looks amazing. I bought mine from Nordstrom.
Have you purchased any yet? What are your favorite colors?
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3.1 Phillip Lim for NARS | Crossroads, Other Side and Insidious Nail Polish

July 8, 2014

This month there will be nine nail polishes released for the 3.1 Phillip Lim for NARS Collection ($20 each for 0.5 fl oz/15 ml) – available July 15 on narscosmetics.com. I have three shades to share today in Crossroads (a deep purple cream), Other Side (chocolate cherry perfection) and Insidious (a metallic blackened bronze khaki). You can see all the shades on Vampy Varnish.

All the colors come with removable caps. The brushes are wide and slightly rounded at the tips but I found them to be on the larger side making it a bit hard for me to apply on my small fingers. It was still manageable but I had to do a lot of cleaning up with remover and Q-tips after application. I had to play around with various base and top coats. The new formula of the NARS nail polishes did not perform well with my usual Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat (the polish didn’t glide over it) and Chanel Top Coat (it didn’t want to cover the polish smoothly). After testing with several of my go-to’s I found these worked best with Sephora Formula X Base and Top Coat.

The shimmer color applied well with just one coat. The creams I tested looked streaky with the first coat but evened out with the second for full smooth coverage.





Crossroads is a dark violet cream. It looks lovely on the hands but the texture of this one was a bit hard for me to work with. It bled easily making a mess of the cuticles. This one was really difficult to remove although it didn’t stain the nails. If you’re patient with this one, I think it’s worth the extra work it takes to apply.








Other Side is the perfect chocolate cream with a hint of red. It applied unevenly with the first coat but smoothed out with a second. It’s a dark almost vampy color but there is enough brown to prevent it from looking too dark.

Insidious is a metallic blackened khaki. It’s dark but not too dark. The shimmers make it glow in the sunlight. This shade will be exclusive to NARS boutiques and narscosmetics.com.


Comparisons to Tom Ford Bitter Bitch
Chanel Vamp
Chanel Diabolic (discontinued)
Dior Ultra Violet (discontinued)
Chanel Vendetta (discontinued)



I’m in love with NARS Other Side and Insidious as a close second. The colors are rich in pigment and with two coats you get full coverage. I did find application a bit hard because the brush is on the larger side. The formula has a medium liquid texture, not thin but not thick. I wore Cross Roads on the nails for 5 days before taking it off to test another color. By Day 5 I had a bit of tip wear on the index finger and thumbs but the rest were fine.
The nine shades will be available online at Narscosmetics.com July 15th and all other NARS locations starting August 1.
This review contains press samples sent by NARS for review consideration. For more information refer to my Disclosures.
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NARS Lip Gloss Swatches | Sweet Dreams, Istria, Angelika, Risky Business, Tasmania, Supervixen, Ophelia and Sixties Fan

July 7, 2014
Here are the lip swatches of my NARS Lip Gloss picks, left to right include Sweet Dreams, Istria, Angelika, Risky Business, Tasmania, Supervixen, Ophelia and Sixties Fan. (Descriptions and arm swatches one post below.)

Thumbs up for almost all the shades. Only Istria needs extra work because it’s so sheer and milky. I like to apply Tom Ford Spanish Pink or Pink Dusk Lipstick underneath. Risky Business and Ophelia are pretty close, only a few shades away – Risky Business is darker and deeper while Ophelia is lighter in color but just as pigmented. In terms of texture, most of the shades all have the same lush glossy smooth texture (even shimmer ones). Angelika is slightly thinner and drier (at least mine is) but it’s still very smooth.
All shades are listed as permanent (yay!), available now in stores and online at Nordstrom, Sephora and narscosmetics.com (complimentary mini Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base on orders over $25 through 7/8/14 at 11:59pm ET or while supplies last with code SUMMERHEAT at checkout).
Have you tried the new formula yet? What’s your favorite? 
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NARS Lip Gloss Relaunch/Reformulation – Beauty Look Book Picks

July 7, 2014

NARS launched a new reformulation and packaging design for their Lip Gloss back in April. There are 30 shades that were released ($26 each for 0.18 fl oz/6 ml). I splurged on several shades over the past few months. The new NARS Lip Glosses have a similar design to the original tubes but now come with a modern updated look with a sleeker looking tube. The pigment of the new glosses is slightly smoother with better pigment. NARS also removed the plastic smell from the gloss (which didn’t bother me but the new ones smell better).
The colors I splurged on from Nordstrom (at one of the trend shows) and Sephora (because I love their Beauty Insider program) include:
  • Sweet Dreams is a stunning pale pink sparkle, the shimmer in the new one is more finely milled and less chunky (although the old one was one of my favorite glosses)
  • Istria is a pale sheer milky pink with a slight iridescent quality
  • Angelika is a hot cool pink with gold flecks
  • Risky Business is a lovely deep raspberry shimmer
  • Tasmania is a sheer cantaloupe peach color
  • Supervixen is a complex nude brown rose shimmer
  • Ophelia is a lighter watermelon pink shimmer
  • Sixties Fan is a sheer plum that applies like a wine/red color
The original packaging came in a clear but frosted tube at .28 oz, the new one comes with a completely clear tube at .18 oz. Differences in packaging and colors for a few of the shades shown below. The overall color is pretty similar for Angelika and Supervixen. There is a huge difference in pigment for Ophelia, the new version has much better pigment:

Close ups and swatches:

I’m in love with the new formula of the shimmers. The pigment is smoother and richer with really good coverage. The non-shimmers are hit and miss for my lips. I was head over heels in love with Istria and Tasmania in the tube but on the lips they are really sheer. They do perform well over lipsticks with similar tones though. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but so far my top three picks include Risky Business, Supervixen and Sweet Dreams. Lip swatches in this post.
NARS Lip Glosses come in 30 shades at $26 each. Available at all NARS locations, online at Nordstrom, Sephora and narscosmetics.com.

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Eye Makeup Roundup

Neutral Creamy Shimmer Wash Eye Shadows | NARS, By Terry, Laura Mercier, RMS and Chanel

June 25, 2014
Lately I’ve been a fan of these swipe and go shimmery wash eyeshadows. I like a creamy texture so there’s no extra base needed for good pigment and blending. I like neutrals but have discovered a few non-nude shadows I find good for color, dimension and glow. Just add a simple black or bronze liner and mascara and you’re good to go (for lazy makeup days). I also find them good for touch ups if you’re transitioning from day to night to add a bit of depth to the eyes. The creamy textures mean you apply straight from the tube if it’s a twist up stick or right from the compact with your fingers and smudge/blend easily. My current favorite neutrals:
  • NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Iraklion ($25) is a mauve rose quartz taupe fawn shimmer. It blends out to a sheer finish but nicely contours the lids. You can layer for more color and it also works well as a base for powder shadows but won’t change the color.
  • Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Rose Gold ($26) is a shimmery gold with a slight hint of pink tones, on me it pulls more champagne gold but the pink prevents it from being a pure yellow gold. It’s on the creamy side so if you have oily lids you may need a matte base underneath.
  • By Terry Ombre Blackstar ($43 each) in Ombre Mercure (interesting oyster that flashes gold and a bit of green sparkle), Frozen Quartz (cool medium pink sparkle) and Misty Rock (plum pink) are all intense creamy shadows, I adore each of them alone on the lid with a simple liner. They are on the pricey side but the quality, texture and lasting power make these worth every penny.
  • RMS Cream Eyeshadow in Solar ($28) is something I use on a weekly basis, alone or as a base, there’s something so pretty about a rich gold shimmer for the eyes that warms up the complexion (review here)
  • Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Emerville ($36) is a classic champagne peach shimmer. I think it’s one neutral shimmer everyone should have in their beauty collection. It makes a lovely wash all over the lids.
  • NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows ($29 each) in Europa and Andromeda (reviews here) are nice when layered together for that simple polished glow look for the eyes. 

Swatched side by side you can see they look intense when swatched straight from the tube, the pigment is good and textures are super easy to blend and layer. They aren’t quite as frosty when you blend them out. My assessment for shimmer levels:
  • Most shimmery are the By Terry Ombre Blackstar sticks but if you’ve tried these you know they blend out really nicely but maintain the color. RMS Solar is on the shimmery side as well but the gold base blends well with my natural skintone almost like a contour.
  • Medium shimmers are Laura Mercier Rose Gold and Chanel Emerville.
  • Sheer shimmers are NARS Iraklion and Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows in Europa and Andromeda (most in this formula are intense, but I have the softest ones).

What are your favorite creamy shimmer shadows for an all over wash? Do you have any swipe and go kind of shadows you love? Or are you one who usually prefers to layer more color on the eyes?

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Eye Makeup NARS

NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow | Andromeda and Europa

June 19, 2014
There’s been a lot of buzz about the new Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows ($29 each) from NARS. There will be twelve shades launching July 1st on narscosmetics.com (update, these launched this morning). These are a new dual-application formula where you can apply them dry for a sheer wash of color for a luminous glow or apply with a damp brush for more intense color. You can see all the shades listed at The Non-Blonde and swatched on Temptalia. There is a diverse range of options from natural barely-there colors to dramatic navy and black. I have half a dozen on my wishlist to check out when they officially launch. Today I have two of the neutral romantic shades to share with you, Andromeda and Europa.
Both of these shades are on the lighter neutral side. They have a lovely glowy sheen rather than an intense shimmer or sparkle. The texture is slightly creamy but they act more like a dry powder shadow. I found lasting power to be very good without any eye base. The dry finish helps these adhere well to the lids.

Andromeda is a pale ivory pink with golden shimmer. It has a lovely sheen in the shimmer which gives a really lovely all over wash to the lids. I suspect this one will go nicely with any of the darker shades. Pigment is easy to control, I was able to apply with my fingers and a brush for a nice soft wash of color. For my light-medium skin it gives a nice neutral wash of color giving the lids a nice highlighted glow. When you  hold this in the sunlight you can see how there is a slight multi-chrome finish to the shimmer which gives your lids some depth in the glow.

Europa is a medium neutral-warm peach pink with a pearl sheen. I’m at the right skintone where this one looks like a barely-there color. I can definitely see the color on the lids but it’s very natural making it a soft no-makeup kind of eyeshadow. It gives a hint of color to the lids and makes the eye glow. On either paler or deeper skintones this will be more visible. My skintone almost matches this one. Applying this with a damp brush intensified the color with more pink, but it’s still very natural looking. This one also has a good mix of cool and warm in it. I would say the base is a warmer pink-peach while the pearl has a cool-toned sheen. It’s not a pure duo-chrome but the combination of the base and shimmer gives it a very subtle duo-chrome effect.

Swatches applied with a damp brush and dry with my fingers:

I’ve been playing with these the past week. I like to layer them together, the pale Andromeda color first, then applying the darker Europa on top with a dense brush and packing it onto the lids. Add a simple black eyeliner and mascara and you have a super polished glowy lid to go with a dramatic bronzer or lip.

What I like about these is that they are not the typical high-frost pale shimmers. If you’re in want of dramatic color you might find yourself wanting more. The good news is that the Dual-Intensity line will have plenty of other dramatic shades to choose from. I personally love these for that no-makeup look for a no-fuss easy swipe and go application that gives the eyes a nice polished look.

A few comparisons to some other light pink neutral shimmers:
NARS Nepal Eyeshadow (one of my favorites)
Tom Ford Pink Haze Cream Color for Eyes (discontinued, swatched here)

One last photo, left is Andromeda, right is Europa:

First impressions are a thumbs up for this neutral makeup lover. I can’t wait until July 1st because there are so many other pretty dramatic shades that I can’t wait to check out. Update as of June 20th, the shadows are now available for purchase on narscosmetics.com, Lord & Taylor and Beauty.com. Have you been able to swatch or see the NARS Dual-Intensity Eye Shadows yet? Do you have any on your wishlist?

The Dual-Intensity Eye Shadows were provided courtesy of NARS for review consideration. For more information see my Disclosures.

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NARS

NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette

April 30, 2014

The NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette ($79 for 0.03oz x 15 shades) is a glorious palette of 15 neutrals. It comes in a large mirrored compact and includes a wide range of colors, textures and finishes. I’m late to the party with the NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette (it launched back in January). I thought long and hard for months about purchasing this one because I already owned many of the colors individually and also thought the Urban Decay Naked eye palettes might be duplicates. The Sephora VIB sale earlier this month pushed me over the edge. I put it to the test for several weeks. It was also the only powder eyeshadow palette I brought with me on my recent trip to Dallas. I’ve been really happy with this palette, the versatility is impressive. This one palette has all the colors you need for a multitude of looks: natural, smokey, bronzey, etc. It will take you from day to night.
The colors in the NARSissist Eye Palette include (from left to right, from top row to bottom)


All About Eve (1 side) – shimmery champagne
Madrague (both sides) – matte cream and matte tan
Fez – shimmery copper
Bali – matte soft brown
Coconut Grove – matte brown
Nepal – shimmery peachy pink
Ashes to Ashes – soft grey shimmer
Brousse – shimmery soft plum
Mekong – dark blackened brown with gold flecks
Bellisima – white base with gold sparkle flecks
Lhasa – shimmery light grey mauve
Bad Behavior – shimmery gunmetal
Dogon – darker blue-grey metallic
Pandora – matte sheer black

There have been mixed reviews about the palette, some have reported a different quality and texture of the palette shades compared with individuals colors. Overall I found the palette to be very good quality on par with the individual colors. There were a couple shades I found to be sheerer in texture and harder to work with (my personal experience). Colors I found to perform different in this palette included:
  • the matte colors of Madrague (the regular duo applies smoothly, this palette’s version was a bit chalky)
  • Ashes to Ashes (the singles I have are more pigmented and smoother in texture, but the palette applies ok, just different texture)
  • Dogon (individual is creamier in texture while the palette is drier)
The palette still worked well with no issues for application from what I tested. The colors I noticed differences for still applied well, it just took a little bit more work for me. Close ups and swatches below of the NARSsissist Eye Palette:

Many have asked how this compares to the Urban Decay Naked and Naked2 Palettes. There are similarities in the concept – all have a mix of shimmer and matte neutral-ish colors. I find that my Naked Palettes (1, 2 and 3) are the ones I reach for the most frequently out of any of the eye shadows that I own. The differences between NARS and Urban Decay are mainly in packaging and texture. Both brands have distinct shadow formulas, I can’t say one is better than the other, they are just different.

I’ve swatched them below for your reference. There wasn’t enough room for labeling the swatches but the colors are in the order of the palettes. (To have enough room on my arm, I skipped one of the Madrague shades from the NARS palette because it didn’t show up on my skin in the photograph.)

Overall love. As you can see above there are similarities between the NARSissist and Urban Decay Nakeds. Your preference will depend on a number of factors, such as packaging preference, if you own a lot of the individual colors already, texture preference (Urban Decay is softer and more buttery, NARS is more like traditional shadows in texture with more complex shimmers).

I believe the NARSissist Palette is limited-edition. It may take a bit of hunting to find it in stores, but you can still find it now online at Sephora, Beauty.com and Saks.

Did you buy the NARSissist Palette? What did you think?
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