A lot of repeats this month from recent features. Right now I’m loving …
NARS Eyeshadow Duos – here are a few of my favorites that haven’t been depotted yet (which I don’t recommend, but did for the compacts that got too sticky, now stored in my Trish McEvoy planner pages)
Urban Decay Naked Palette (previously featured here)
Chanel Teint Innocence Foundation and Natural Finish Loose Powder – No matter how many other foundations I try, I keep coming back to the Teint Innocence. Just recently tried their loose setting powder and love it as well. I use Shell in the foundation and Naturel in the powder.
Chanel Rouge Coco in Chintz & Rose Dentelle – A little bit more delicate than most of my other Chanel lipsticks. These came a bit dinged on the sides but everything else was in tact. They are really close in color, Chintz is more peach, while Rose Dentelle is more pink.
Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliners – Rich pigment and longlasting plus no sharpening required! Wish they would re-release that old shade Tweed (a lovely golden taupe).
Black Shimmer & Ebene swatched here Cassis swatched here Marine swatched here and here
Edward Bess All Over Seduction Cream Highlighters – Perfectly glowy (previously reviewed and swatched here)
Paul & Joe Lip Lacquers – Great pigment and shine. I had to get almost all of the colors. I’ll get to lip swatches eventually.
Burberry Lipglosses are great . . . but I’m loving everything I purchased (click on the Burberry tag)
Quilted accessories, purses, makeup planners – dreaming of a quilted flap bag
Out of all the Trish planners I have, the quilted ones are my favorite.
Last but not least, my kitty, small but mighty fierce. This is the only photo I could get of him that makes him look non-evil. (I love my puppies too but they won’t sit still for a picture – way too excited about my brother in-law visiting this week after having been gone to the east coast for several months)
For Estelle: How does NARS Tzarine Eyeshadow Duo compare to MAC Smoke & Diamonds Starflash Eyeshadow?
My take: It’s very different and unique for a greyish eyeshadow. I don’t have any shade that compares to NARS Tzarine – it’s difficult to describe because it’s a very complex cool grey with steel blue tones and gold flecks which reflect a golden-ish sheen depending on how the light hits. For me there is no comparison – at least among all the greys I have. Most other greys are either very black, taupe or silvery. The only two in my collection that I find similar in undertone are Urban Decay Gunmetal which isn’t nearly as pretty, is more of your basic silvery grey frost with silver sparkles (see swatch here), also NARS Notorious is in the same family which is significantly lighter and a more powdery dove grey (see here for dove grey eyeshadow pics). Scroll down for more comparisons.
Therefore my answer is: It doesn’t really compare. I normally can’t do cool blueish greys but NARS Tzarine is just so gorgeous. Photos don’t do it justice. The gold flecks give it that extra special finish that can’t be duped (in my opinion). I hope this helps!
Close up where you can see the tiny gold flecks in the NARS duo (grey side):
Swatched on bare skin:
Swatched in natural light, no flash:
Swatched with high flash:
*Updated per request* Compared to Urban Decay Gunmetal & NARS Notorious (note that UD Gunmetal pulls really blueish on my skin as with most greys, it may not be as blue on you):
The original photos from my NARS Fall 2010 Picks (from here):
Karen at Makeup and Beauty Blog also has amazing swatches of NARS fall (her article is linked for your convenience). I highly recommend you check it out as well.
I already posted a few comparisons of the new NARS Douceur Blush for fall, (see my comparisons here) but many of you are curious for even more comparisons to Zen and Madly. Here are pics of the blush comparisons you requested. They are all different in my opinion. Douceur is a dusty pink-brown. Madly is a beige with slight shimmer and pink tones (on my face at least). Zen is a straight nude-beige-brown. Ninotchka goes on me a brownish color.
Swatched heavily over Chanel Teint Innocence Liquid Formula in Shell 1.5 to pick up the color more: Douceur, Madly, Zen, Ninotchka.
I’ve been excited about NARS Fall ever since Karen at Makeup & Beauty Blog featured a sneak peek of the collection. Imagine my surprise to see the collection display up today when I went to Nordstrom to pick up my pre-sale items from the Anniversary Sale. The NARS summer collection left me unimpressed but the fall collection seems to be right on track for the typical stunning, inspirational and unique releases they normally do. I picked up three items:
Rajastan Eyeshadow Duo – shimmering sandy beige & deep smokey blue-green
Tzarine Eyeshadow Duo – lovely cool sparkley champagne & cool-toned dove grey with gold microglitter sparkles
Douceur Blush – a neutral dusty pink with slight brownish tones
Top: Rajasthan & Tzarine Eyeshadow Duos
Bottom: Douceur Blush
* Labels corrected, thanks Stephanie!
I couldn’t find any dupes for Tzarine Eyeshadow Duo. For Rajastan, I couldn’t find any dupes either, but the golden shade is similar to Cyprus Single Eyeshadow. I compared the smokey blue-green to MAC Club and Forest Green Pigment (discontinued) and Rajastan has more blueish tones. For Douceur Blush, I thought in my mind “perhaps it’s a powder version of Penny Lane.” I was way off. It is pink, but has more brown and is darker. Douceur seems most similar in finish to Cubic. Compared to Blushbaby, Douceur has more dusty pink where Blushbaby is more brownish. I haven’t tried them on the face to see how the colors look though. Below are the close ups, comparisons and more swatches.
NARS Tzarine
NARS Rajasthan
Compared to NARS Cyprus, MAC Club, MAC Forest Green Pigment (discontinued, pro)
NARS Douceur Blush (Limited Edition)
Comparisons to NARS Penny Lane, MAC Blushbaby, MAC Cubic
These were the three standouts to me. I didn’t check the lip products or single shadows. I have to say I was extremely surprised to find Douceur Blush is limited edition. I didn’t ask the specialist about the other items in the collection, but I one of the things I love about NARS is that he typically doesn’t do “limited edition” colors. I have noticed that in the past couple years a number of beautiful shades such as Mogambo Duo, Galaxy Girl Lipstick, Cannes Multiple, Antibes Multiple have been discontinued and retired to the “vintage” section of the NARS website. I have found similar colors for these and understand they probably can’t keep everything, but still am very sad about Cannes being discontinued.
Perhaps it is the California girl in me that is obsessed with bronzers, but I’ve always been one who prefers to be tan rather than fair. Right now I am a Chanel Teint Innocence Shell (equivalent to what’s in between MAC NC30 and NC35, neither is an exact match for me), hardly “tan” but luckily I have bronzers to help me feel not-so-pale since I have little patience for tanning in the sun.
There are so many different effects one can achieve with bronzers. One’s skintone and skintype will also affect one’s preference for formula and finish. A bit of information about my skin & personal bronzer preferences: I have normal skin with olive tones. I get a bit oily in the T-zone only when it’s really humid. I prefer something that gives noticeable tanned look. My top 3 requirements for bronzer:
Don’t turn orangey as my skin
Don’t make me look dirty/muddy
Too much shimmer = copper bronze statue
Powder Bronzers:
Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer – Daydream $48 This is my favorite bronzer ever! Not being able to see this in person, I purchased it based on the recommendations of Leslie (see her guest review on the EB line here). Her description was right on. It’s neither shimmery nor matte but somewhere in between. It’s a goof-proof bronzer that I can never go wrong with and makes the skin glow. I like it alone or layered over a luminizer like NARS Multiples or Edward Bess’s All Over Seduction. I recently bought the other bronzer shade shade from EB, Desert Sun, and will be reviewing it soon.
Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing Powder – Bali Brown $33 Part of her Illuminating Bronzer formula, I don’t find this one all that “illuminating” even though there are sparkles in this one. For some reason it applies more matte and I find the sparkle/shimmers don’t show up on my skin. This one is more pigmented so I have to apply it with a light hand in layers or else I get an intense brown streak across my face. I would say this gives a more earthy-brown look rather than illuminating glow.
NARS Bronzing Powder – Laguna & Irresistiblement $32 NARS Laguna has achieved cult status as the most well-known and popular bronzer. It was one of my first bronzers and I used it every single day while I was in college because I found it so versatile. It worked well alone and when layered with other blushes. Irresistiblement is the newest powder bronzer from NARS. It looks rather orange in the compact and when I saw it I immediately wrote it off. However, I saw it featured on Em from Too Much Blush and it looked so good on her pale skin I had to try it. See her review here. See it on her lovely face here. She’s done a few looks with it and her review is extremely helpful. I highly recommend searching through her archives for inspiration on how to use this. I tried this at Nordstrom and fell in love.
MAC Bronzing Powder – Golden & Bronze $22 I find these to be the most natural and sheer bronzing powders. Golden is very subtle on me because it’s close to my natural skintone (when applied) so I like to use it as a contouring powder or over powder blushes to add a bit of warmth. I’ve hit pan on this one twice. Bronze is similar just a few shades darker and warmer. These give a soft bronzed glow. I like the simple mirrored compact. If you find these too sheer, try MAC’s Refined Golden instead.
Armani Sheer Bronzer #1 & #5 $49 #1 is the most brown-based bronzer I have. Looks like it would be too brown in the compact but goes on a nice tanned bronze. I would call #5 my most glowy bronzer. It on the shimmery side but doesn’t apply frosty. It’s a warm golden bronze that makes the skin glow. Darker skinned girls will find this less dramatic and more glowy than bronzey.
Cream Bronzers:
Chanel Soleil de Tan Bronzing Makeup Base $48 This replaced the Bronze Universel de Chanel Sun Illuminator. Comes in the same tub and compact. Looks virtually identical to the original. I believe it was simply reformulated and given a new name. My favorite cream bronzer for a natural contour. The tub is huge and lasts forever. This is my second tub. Looks brown but blends out naturally.
Armani Fluid Sheer #11 $59 This is more of a peachy bronze shade. I like Fluid Sheer #3 as well but find it extremely sheer. The Fluid Sheer #11 is one of the shades that shows up better. It has enough color on me to wear alone as a blush. I apply this over powder and foundation with a foundation brush and it doesn’t cake or get greasy.
NARS Multiple – South Beach $38 Another pretty peachy-bronze shimmer. More shimmery than the Armani. I like this with a powder bronzer (like MAC Golden or Bronze) layered on top. Love how this can be used on eyes, lips and cheeks. The challenge for me with this is making it last. It’s so emollient I find it hard to make last throughout the day. Still, the color is so pretty, the non-existent lasting power won’t stop me from wearing it.
MAC To the Beach Cream Bronzer – Weekend $25 I didn’t think I would like this because it looked so reddish in the container, but it works well as a subtle bronzer with warmth. Fair skinned girls will probably find this too red. If I were slightly paler this would turn orangey on me.
Discontinued Loves:
Chanel Irreelle Soleil Silky Bronzing Powder in Sierra 22 This was the best bronzer Chanel made. Then they discontinued the formula and came out with something I feel is chalky which just sits on the skin instead of blending in with it.
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish – So Ceylon, Sunny by Nature, Global Glow I find these can be a bit intense so I like these with a skunk brush.
Shu Uemura Loose Powder in Luster Bronze I don’t remember which year this came out, I think back in the summer of 2005? I got this at Bergdorf Goodman when I was in New York summers ago. I use it only for special occasions because I love the color so much I’m afraid to use this up.
Tools:
I like brushes that are more on the fluffy side for bronzer to get a sheerer application. These are my most frequently used brushes. For the creams, most of the time I use my fingers but my staple is the Prescriptives Foundation brush which is no longer available. Listed left to right:
Prescriptives Foundation Brush
MAC 129 Powder/Blush Brush $34
MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush $42
MAC 138 Tapered $52
Bobbi Brown Bronzer Brush $50
My Top Bronzer Picks:
Best Bronzer Hands Down – Edward Bess Daydream
Best Bronzer For the Price – MAC Golden or Bronze
Most Natural Bronzer – MAC Golden & Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base
Best Bronzer Brush – MAC 129 (because it’s the most versatile)
A Side Note: I do have a number of other bronzers from the same brands listed above and other brands like Guerlain, Laura Mercier, Le Metier de Beaute, Dolce & Gabbana, Becca and Dior. The ones listed above are just my favorites for the formula and price. Also, I just got a new computer which I am trying to get used to. You may see a slight difference in the photos from my normal posting. Please bear with me as I am trying to figure out all the new settings with a new version of photoshop as well.
A Note About These Swatches: Please take these with a grain of salt. These were swatched on a bare arm without primer or moisturizer. Bronzers apply better over foundation + powder for me, so these swatches aren’t really true to life. I put as many as I could fit on my arm. There might be a few missing. Please don’t be alarmed by the furry thing at the bottom, he’s my kitty.
NARS Beverly Hills Multiple Tint NARS Sertao Blush NARS Cordura Eyeshadow Duo Urban Decay YDK Eyeshadow Bobbi Brown Bronzer Brush Bobbi Brown Shore Cream Eyeshadow Chanel Nail Polishes MAC Blonde’s Gold Pigment MAC Fleur Power J.Crew Skinny Belts
* Sorry for the misspelling on the NARS blush, it’s Sertao, not Serato
Paul & Joe Creamy Facial Foam – I tried this from a sample and finally purchased the full size. It’s thick and creamy and cleanses the skin really well. Leaves the skin feeling clean and refreshed.
NARS Beverly Hills Multiple Tint – See more swatches and the review here, a nice swipe & go type of product, easy to use and blend, gives a pop of color, can’t rave enough about these
NARS Sertao Blush – A pretty shimmery light golden tan
NARS Cordura Eyeshadow Duo – Great for a smokey bronzed eye look
Urban Decay YDK Eyeshadow – This is from the old packaging, a nice nude-taupey-bronze sparkle
Bobbi Brown Bronzer Brush – This is from the Black Plum set, but is available in the regular brush handle, the most luxurious soft bronzer brush you’ll ever find. Definitely worth the price even though it is pricier.
Bobbi Brown Shore Cream Eyeshadow – My perfect lids-but-better base, review here
Chanel Nail Polishes – Especially love Riviera (check out dupes here) and Orange Blossom (see the manicure here)
MAC Fleur Power – The perfect healthy warm pink blush
MAC Blonde’s Gold Pigment – The prettiest wash of soft gold-champagne
J.Crew Skinny Belts – Simple, classic and makes a nice accent to the waist, now I just need to go back and find a black one
What are you loving right now? I always love reading your favorites.
*Update* I wasn’t happy with the swatches for this post – I think they were a bit misleading because the lighting was off so I removed them so I don’t confuse my readers. Sorry for any confusion!
NARS Turks & Caicos completes my trio of the new Multiple Tints ($38 each). I previously reviewed Beverly Hills and Cadaqués here and am equally thrilled with Turks & Caicos a bright orange shade that reminds me of an orange popsicle. Those who avoid orange (like me) should still try this one out. My first reaction was “orange?!” but having experienced the genius of NARS products, I knew I had to try it out. NARS has a way of making odd or bright colors look amazing. I don’t know how they do it! Turks & Caicos has a sheer transparent-like tint that goes on a sweet peachy apricot with a hint of pink. For some reason, each multiple tint pulls a bit of pink on my skin. The color definitely shows up, but I will say that one swipe might leave you disappointed. Swipe it 2 to 3 times and then you will see the color better. On the plus side is that blending doesn’t make the color disappear.
Swatched on the back of my hand (do note that this is washed out a bit due to the flash and for some reason my camera flash doesn’t do so well with neon colored products hence the almost electric-orange glow on the multiple):
At this time I’m not sure if these are limited edition. I was told by my sales associate that they were (I found mine at Nordstrom instore), but I’m never really sure the sales associates know for sure until the product is sold out and not restocked. For more details on how they compare to the regular multiples, refer to my previous post on Beverly Hills & Cadaques.
