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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

Fall Mascara + Base Roundup: Chanel, NARS, By Terry, L’Oreal + Glossier

October 11, 2018

I have a roundup of mascaras and primers I’ve tried over the past few months. A few I’ve already reviewed but thought a comprehensive lineup post might be more helpful. My top three tried-and-true have been Tom Ford Waterproof Extreme, L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Waterproof and Chanel Le Volume Waterproof. Since I have straight lashes waterproof works best to hold curl after using a lash curler and also helps prevent smudging in humid weather. I’m always looking to try new ones to volumize and define. Often times I find mascaras excel in one or two areas but rarely hit all the marks for volumizing, adding definition, holding the curl, no smudging, no flaking, and being easy to remove. So please keep in mind I’m super picky and have difficult lashes.

Mascara + Primer Roundup in today’s post includes:

Chanel La Base Mascara ($32 for 0.21 oz/6 g, made in France)
Chanel Le Volume Revolution de Chanel ($35 for 0.21 oz/6 g, made in Italy)
By Terry Lash-Expert ($30 for 0.28 oz/8.3 g, made in Italy)
NARS Climax Mascara ($24 for 0.21 oz/6.2 ml, made in Italy)
Glossier Lash Slick ($16 for 0.29 oz/8.5 g, made in France, save 10% off your first order)
L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Base ($9.99 for, made in USA)

Chanel La Base Mascara + Le Volume Revolution de Chanel

I think it’s hard to top the regular Le Volume Mascara or the Le Volume Waterproof for me. This formula was the first I tried from the brand that I liked for the true black color and the fact that the waterproof version didn’t look or feel crunchy on my lashes. I reviewed the new Chanel La Base Mascara over the summer and thought it was ok but didn’t really do much. When used in conjunction with their latest Le Volume Revolution de Chanel it makes for an excellent combination.

The new Le Volume Revolution de Chanel Mascara has a chubby brush that is 3D printed. It’s designed to give volume in a single stroke. I initially thought it would be identical to the Le Volume, but when I tried each one on each eye, side by side and the Le Volume Revolution does indeed give significantly more volume and intensity with one stroke. With the regular Le Volume I layer a couple times and brush it on to apply to get intensity. I do this with most mascaras. I think the new Le Volume Revolution de Chanel is excellent – I didn’t experience any smudging or racoon eyes, but of course your mileage may vary depending on how oily your skin is under the eyes. It was easy to remove with their Gentle Bi-Phase Makeup Remover. If this came out in a waterproof formula eventually I think I would love it even more. When in doubt, I really just prefer waterproof formulas in general. To sum up, the new mascara is great. It volumizes, doesn’t clump, stays put and is a true black.

By Terry Lash-Expert

This By Terry Lash-Expert Mascara is one of the most highly rated mascaras of the year. It has a wand you can twist to control how much volume/intensity you want applied. I reviewed this formula back in the spring and gave it an ok review since I preferred the L’Oreal and Tom Ford for holding the curl. Since then I’ve been experimenting with it more and find that for me this works best when layered over a waterproof formula. This is a trick many of you have shared with me to apply a waterproof version first, then layer with a more volumizing formula on top. This makes this version work for me 100%! I’ve tried it over the Maybelline Total Temptation and L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Waterproof.

NARS Climax Mascara

NARS Climax Mascara is the latest from NARS. I used to love their volume formula that was discontinued years ago. I stopped using their mascaras after they discontinued it. This one gives mega volume and doesn’t smudge on me although several of you have reported it does. I think your mileage may vary, but this one gives me good volume without any clumping. The bristles are well separated in this brush which makes it less prone to clumping for me. I do think the Chanel Le Volume Revolution de Chanel gives more volume with one stroke. However you can build it up with the NARS without caking it on.

Glossier Lash Slick

I could not resist the cute pink Glossier Lash Slick tube for this one. It has a rubber applicator with larger gaps in between the spikes. I think this is a decent formula. It defines, lengthens and darkens the lashes nicely. It doesn’t give as much volume as other formulas do, but for the price I was pleased. It did not smudge on me and it held the curl pretty well. (Case shown is by The Daily Edited.)

L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Base

I’ve been the biggest fan of the L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Waterproof Mascara. I know so many of you love a good drugstore mascara but this is the only one I’ve tried that impressed me for EVERYTHING it claims. They recently launched the L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Base and I reviewed it in my budget beauty roundup here. I think it’s one of the best mascara bases I’ve tried. It works best if you don’t let it dry completely before applying mascara. Given how good the mascara is I don’t think the primer is essential, but it does help nourish the lashes and help mascara adhere better.

__________________

All the mascaras lined up so you can see the length of brushes:

In summary, my top three are still the top three. I think the Chanel Le Volume de Revolution is a winner for fall, but I’m really hoping it will come out in a waterproof version eventually. By Terry works when combined with another waterproof version. And for a mascara primer I still think this isn’t essential but I’m smitten with the L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Base formula.

For those who missed my previous roundups, my favorite removers and tools:

Almay Longwear & Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover Pads are the only removers that truly remove waterproof formulas for me
For non-waterproof versions I still love the Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover and Chanel Gentle Bi-Phase Eye Makeup Remover
For a lash curler my go to’s are the MAC Full Lash Curler or Surratt Relevee Lash Curler (I really loved the Chanel one but think it’s discontinued)

That wraps up my fall mascara rotation review. I’d love to hear your thoughts on any formulas you tried! Mascara can be so tricky, it’s truly hit or miss depending on your lash type and length. Mine don’t hold the curl and are naturally straight so what works for me might not work for you if you have fuller lush lashes!

Press samples include the NARS Climax and Chanel Le Volume Revolution de Chanel. I also purchased the Le Volume Revolution de Chanel on my own so I have two.

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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

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.

105 Comments

NARS

NARS Orgasm Collection 2018 Review + Swatches

June 11, 2018

For summer 2018 NARS has four new color items to expand their Orgasm Collection. Three launched last month and one was just released last week so I’ve waited until I had all the items to swatch and review. Last year’s collection brought us four new Liquid Blush Colors. This year we have two new lip colors and two complexion products. There’s something so perfect to me about peachy pink gold colors. I think every single item in this launch is perfect for a fresh glowing summer look. Items include:

Orgasm Afterglow Lip Balm ($28 for 3 g)
Orgasm Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer ($26 for 5.5 ml)
Orgasm Illuminating Loose Powder ($28 for 2.5 g)
Orgasm Oversized Blush ($39 for 8 g)

(Also shown above include the Staud Mini Shirley Bag and Kate Spade Johanna 53 mm gradient sunglasses.)

Up first are the lip products. I really liked the Orgasm Lipstick from last year (which you can still find). On my lips it gives me the perfect wash of peachy pink with a soft golden sheen. The Afterglow Lip Balm this season has a more emollient finish since it’s a balm. It’s smooth, soft and has a very moisturizing feel. I cannot detect any scent. Swatched on the arm or hand it’s almost transparent. On the lips it’s a sheer glowing pink for me. There is shimmer in it but it’s not really apparent on the lips. Color is just my lips but glowing. Lasting power is average for a tinted balm – the texture itself is like a regular lip balm, it won’t last all day but I don’t mind reapplying. The Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer is a high shine high frost peachy gold. It’s quite metallic and opaque but can be smoothed out with blending or if you layer it on top of the balm. To me it has a very subtle vanilla scent. It’s very glossy but isn’t sticky. I prefer the balm or lipstick version for a more natural look but the full vinyl lip lacquer is still very nice. I’m eager to see the other colors in this formula. Lasting power was pretty good with this one. It stayed put until I had a snack or drink. Otherwise it adhered well to the lips without sliding off or budging, but still was light enough to let the lips breathe.

Swatched on bare lips:

For the two complexion products there is a new Illuminating Loose Powder and an Oversized Orgasm Powder Blush. The Illuminating Loose Powder comes in a small jar and the product is a very pigmented metallic shimmering peachy gold. If you apply with a dense brush or dip a lot of product it’s quite intense with an almost foiled look. If you use a loose brush or apply just a soft wash it gives the skin a more subtle luminous glow. A little goes a long way so I’d recommend playing with a little bit and layering more on if you want more color. There is a supersized Orgasm Blush this year. If you followed me on Instagram stories you may remember that I mentioned it looked slightly different than the original version. This was off the top of my head and a side by side swatch proved my thoughts correct. This year’s oversized version has slightly more pink with less gold shimmer. The difference is noticeable on my face with my skin tone. Your mileage may vary depending on how light or deep yours is.

Swatches:

Close up:

Two beauty looks, Look #1 wearing:

Laura Mercier Flawless Ultra Longwear Foundation in Buff
Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Powder in #2
NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette
Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown
Orgasm Afterglow Lip Balm
Oversized Orgasm Blush 2018
Tank from Madewell
Nail color is OPI Tiramisu for Two

Look #2 below wearing same makeup as above with different lip and cheek. On the cheeks is the Orgasm Illuminating Loose Powder heavy vs blended. Orgasm Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer on the lips.

One last set of swatches:

Bottom line stunning. My favorite is the new Afterglow Lip Balm. I also love this year’s large Orgasm blush. It’s the perfect soft pink with a tiny bit of gold shimmer for me.

You can find the new NARS Orgasm Collection pieces out now. Online at Sephora and NARS Cosmetics.

Balm, powder + blush provided as press samples. Lip Vinyl purchased by me.

23 Comments

NARS

NARS x Man Ray Collection for Holiday

October 20, 2017

NARS has seriously outdone themselves with their NARS x Man Ray holiday launch this year. This season they’ve launched a collection of individual colors, palettes and sets inspired by modern artist Man Ray. This is one of the first makeup launches that has me really excited about holiday – they’ve created a nice range of options so I think there is something for everyone. The collection launched exclusively at NARS online for the first part of October and now items are starting to trickle in at other counters. There’s quite a bit in this collection and I’m thrilled to be able to feature a lot of the items, but do note there are other sets and items available exclusive to certain retailers like Nordstrom and Sephora. You may have to do some shopping around to find the color sets you have your eyes on.

I’ve split my review into product category: eyes, cheeks and lips + one set. For the eyes this season we have shadows and pencils:

Duo Eyeshadow in Debauched ($36) is a richly pigmented duo of cool-toned plums. There is a smooth plum shimmer and a blackened purple with tiny violet glitter flecks. Both have good smooth pigment, the deeper shade is probably best applied in a patting motion or liner.
Duo Eyeshadow in Montparnasse ($36) has a smooth texture of shimmers with a soft warm pale gold champagne shimmer and maroon shimmer. Both swatch well with good pigment, but on my eyes the plum shade applies on the semi-sheer side once blended. To get more pigment you either have to pack it on over a cream shadow or with a dense brush.
Velvet Eyeliner in Nagoya ($24) is one of the most beautiful violet cream shades I’ve ever seen but it’s a color I don’t see myself wearing on the eyes. Application is a bit sheer but the color is so pretty!
Velvet Eyeliner in Santiago ($24) is a sheer shimmering auburn color, it makes for a good subtle liner for the lower lash line to add definition without looking harsh. However formula is sheer which I find a bit odd for a liner where I usually think you’d want more intense pigment.
Eyeshadow Palette Glass Tears (not shown)

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For the cheeks we have beautiful highlighters, blushes and a stunning palette:

Powder Blush in Fetishized ($30) is a bright warm reddish pink, but once applied it’s not quite as warm or red as it looks in the pan. It has a subtle sheen to it but the pigment overall is very intense. I could not pull this one off alone but it looks amazing as a layering or mixing color, especially if you soften with a highlighter or warm it up with bronzer.
Powder Blush in Intensely ($30) is a very smooth matte semi-sheer orange cream color. Texture is dreamy and soft with flawless application. I often find orange blushes surprising because they can actually be quite flattering and different than what you’d expect. On my skintone alone this one just looked like orange candy, almost like Tic-Tacs. Again this is a great one for layering to warm up colors or even mixed with a highlighter. That’s the beauty of a lot of NARS colors – you can layer and mix and the result is often really pretty.
Overexposed Glow Highlighter in Double Take ($42) is a stunning highlighter, it’s all kinds of gorgeous with the warm gold with slight peachy tones. It has a smooth almost creamy feel with intense shimmer that you can blend out or layer for that super shimmery highlight. Swatch comparisons below to the Banc de Sable shades and some from Dior.
The Veil Cheek Palette with Laguna, Lovesick, Surreal ($49) is another beautiful color and if I had to pick one thing from the entire collection it would be this palette. Laguna is the Sun Wash formula which is a stiffer almost hybrid kind of formula. The full size ended up being a bit muddy on me, but as most NARS fans know – the Laguna individually (regardless of formula) isn’t always the same as the ones you get in the palettes. The palette Laguna is still very stiff and sheer, but it’s not quite as muddy. Lovesick is like a dual-intensity blush formula and is a rich coral with a sheen. It’s almost identical to the powder blush Fetishized but the formula makes it more wearable. Surreal is a similar formula to the Banc de Sable palette and the Overexposed Double Take Highlighter. It’s intense with a pretty peachy tan shimmer.

Beauty breakdown:

Foundation is La Prairie Skin Caviar Concealer and Foundation in Satin Nude (review coming soon)
Concealer is NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger
Powder is La Mer Pressed Powder in Light
Cheeks are NARS x Man Ray The Veil Cheek Palette, all three shades in Laguna, Lovesick and Surreal applied with a very light hand
Eyeshadow is Montparnasse Eyeshadow Duo
Lips is NARS Audacious Lipstick in Barbara
Brush shown is Wayne Goss #14 from The Face Set (reviewed here)
Nail polish is Diorific Ruby

Some highlighter swatch comparisons below. If you own Banc de Sable the new holiday highlighters have a very similar effect in terms of formula, texture and shimmer. Colors are close and similar but not identical. I’ve also included two of the Diorskin Nude Air Luminizers (all on my face here). The NARS vs Dior both have that intense shimmer but smooth almost creamy feel (yet they are still powders).

Update 10/21: I re-swatched the comparisons with a denser brush. The original comparisons above looked a little washed out due to the curve of my arm combined with blending using a larger brush. A more dense application shows that Surreal is closer in color to Embruns than it looks when it’s blended out more. Same order below just swatched with a MAC 239 brush.

This year the Becca x Chrissy Teigen palette has been my favorite face palette launch (review + beauty look here). It’s wearable, easy to layer and I love the color combinations. At first glance I thought the NARS might be exactly the same, but it’s deeper, warmer and a bit more intense. If I had to pick one it would be a tough call. Both are extremely versatile and you can increase or soften intensity depending on what brushes you use or how much you layer product.

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For the lips, the Man Ray collection has four glosses in a new formula called Photogloss Lip Lacquer then there are lots of sets with a mix of colors:

There’s a new formula called Photogloss Lip Lacquer ($26 each) which is super opaque and glossy without being thick or tacky-feeling. These have serious pigment and smooth finish. Lasting power is excellent for a gloss and there was no color bleeding along the sides.

Photogloss Lip Lacquer in Zambeze is a yellowed-beige cream
Photogloss Lip Lacquer in Off Limits is a bright sparkling fuchsia purple
Photogloss Lip Lacquer in Kiki is a blood-red semi-sheer, the sheerness made it a tiny bit streaky looking, it can be smoothed out if you apply over a liner or lipstick
Photogloss Lip Lacquer in Muse is a shimmering gold, the color and shimmer was a bit patchy looking once applied but there is no gritty texture and you can blend it out for a smoother finish

The Kiss Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Set ($49, Sephora exclusive) has four full-sized Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, I really love this set – they look better in person than in these photos. Pigment is smooth with a soft matte finish. They have a very airy feel to them and glide on the lips nicely. Lasting power is about average for a lipstick, they will fade after a few hours and transfer to cups if you drink, but I don’t mind reapplying. This set comes in a shiny gold zippered pouch:
- Endangered Red is a soft muted deep vampy red
- Spellbound is a pretty shimmering pale pink
- Toundra is a muted plum-brown with shimmer
- Wild Ways is a shimmering soft tan bronze

Audacious Lip Coffrett in Noire Et Blanche, not shown ($55, Sephora exclusive) with Lee, Dolores, Josephine and Charlotte Audacious Lipsticks
Audacious Lip Coffrett in Les Amoureux ($55, Nordstrom exclusive) with pretty neutrals that aren’t boring. I had forgotten how much I loved this formula of lipstick, Barbara was a staple for a long time for me. I need to use it more often. The lipsticks in these sets are miniature sized. The coffretts come in a round dome case.
- Ady light peachy orange cream
- Ardon medium rose
- Jane coral
- Barbara perfect nude pink beige

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Then there are a number of duos with minis called Love Triangle ($24 each). Different color combinations are available at different retailers. I have the Deep Throat + Barbara duo which is available at Sephora. These aren’t full-sized, they’re minis and I think they’re great options for stocking stuffers or something under the $25 mark.

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That wraps it up for my look at NARS x Man Ray for holiday. There’s a lot to pick from! My top picks include The Veil Cheek Palette trio, Double Take Highlighter, Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Set and the Audacious Lipstick Set. Quality and pigment is on point for everything except the two Velvet Eyeliners (a bit sheer) and the gold lip gloss (just a bit patchy-looking on application). The blushes are excellent quality but for me require layering to work, alone they don’t quite look right on my olive skintone but they are beautiful if you mix them.

All the items are limited-edition. You can find them available now although you’ll have to do some hunting to find all the pieces as some are exclusive to certain places. Online now at NARS, Nordstrom, and Sephora. They should arrive at other retailers very soon.

Have you tried anything from the collection yet? What did you think?

NARS x Man Ray items provided courtesy of NARS for review.

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Lips NARS

NARSissist Velvet Lip Glide Set (Ulta Exclusive)

August 18, 2017

There’s a super cute NARSissist Velvet Lip Glide Set ($45) which is an Ulta Exclusive. It has six new shades which are really perfect for summer but wearable year round. I found this at my local store – they don’t have the full line of NARS but did carry a small selection including this set. The velvet lip glides are minis (same size as the Sephora Give Me Some Nude Lips Set) and I’m beyond thrilled all the colors are new. It comes in a pretty pink box:

Colors include cream colors. All the colors are consistently medium to full coverage with a smooth streak-free finish. Pigment is really good and they have a natural sheen even though they have a velvety finish. I don’t detect any scent in these and they feel comfortable on the lips. Lasting power is medium – they have a similar lasting power to a regular lipstick. I love that the formula feels weightless and doesn’t dry out my sensitive lips.

Rapture a medium soft coral peach
Night Together soft neutral medium pink brown with a hint of plum
Californication cool-toned mauve
Immoral bright pink
Staying Alive vibrant plum
Burning Love is a bright red coral

Full size vs minis and some comparison swatches:

Shown below:

NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Playpen and Bound (review here)
Marc Jacobs Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme in Slow Burn (review here, love this color and formula)
NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Suck
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquified Lipstick in Chutney (swatched here)

I think the set is a great buy. Colors are very wearable but not boring. Even the brighter ones are easy to wear especially for summer. If you haven’t tried the NARS Velvet Lip Glide formula this is a nice way to try more than one shade without having to buy the full sizes.