NARS
NARS cosmetics (www.narscosmetics.com) was created in 1994 by Francois Nars with the release of 12 lipsticks shades at Barneys, New York. With the increase in demand, it was acquired by Shiseido in 2000. NARS not only offers beautiful neutral shades, but also bold statement colors not to mention the provocative names that each one is given. Their bestseller is the NARS Orgasm blush and has been created into a everything else like lip gloss, multiple stick, nail polish, etc.
My favorite NARS makeup product is definitely their blushes. I reach for Orgasm and Madly the most often but their bright pinks like NARS Desire and Angelika are fun too! Here are all of our NARS makeup reviews that we’ve done and as always, if we ever come across a NARS coupon or sale, we’ll be sure to share that with you!
FOTD Featuring Bobbi Brown, NARS and Clinique
Hey everyone!
I’m finally feeling better (minus a little sniffle) and actually have the energy to start wearing makeup again. While I was getting ready I realized that I missed sitting at my vanity playing with makeup! Here’s the look I’m wearing today. It’s a simple everyday purple/gray tone look that I love! Unfortunately the colors don’t show up very strong in the photo.
It was actually kind of embarrassing taking this photo so I tried to be a bit discreet, haha! Since it’s so overcast today I had to open our kitchen blinds to take these self portraits… hopefully the neighbors weren’t home.
So here’s what I have on!
FACE | Garnier BB Cream (totally appreciating how moisturizing this is after my cold!)
BROWS | MAC Concrete Eyeshadow
CHEEKS | NARS Gaiety Blush
LIPS | Urban Decay Lovechild Lipstick, MAC Chatterbox, MAC Lazy Day and Sephora Rouge Shine No. 14 (I was trying to achieve a certain pink shade hence so many colors, haha)
EYES | Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow – Heather, NARS Lhasa, Clinique Iced Mauve and Maybelline Velvet Crush
Can you tell I love my purple/gray shades? <3
Here’s how you can achieve the look too!
1. Apply Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Heather all over the crease of your eyes as a base.
2. Pat on Clinique Iced Mauve on top of Heather and a bit above the crease as well.
3. Deepen the outer V with NARS Lhasa and also run it along your upper and lower lash line.
4. Highlight using the “base” shade in your Maybelline quad under your brows. Then mix the “base” and “lid” shades to highlight your inner corners of your eyes.
5. Line your eyes with any black liner (I used MAC Added Goodness) and smudge it out with the “liner” shade from the Maybelline quad.
6. Optional: Line your upper waterline with a black liner. I think this really deepens the look of your eyes and makes them appear larger.
7. Curl lashes and apply mascara (I used Covergirl Lash Perfection mascara).
And that’s it! I wish I could accurately show you the colors because it looks so faint in the photo! :( On most days my entire eye look consists of all MAC or Urban Decay but this is my one look that uses a combination of one-off pieces from other brands that I don’t purchase too often! 
Anyway, I hope you’re doing well and finishing off the week strong! Tomorrow is Friday! Woohoo!
Wishing you a wonderful Thursday!
NARS Lhasa Eyeshadow Swatch and Review
Today I finally got around to putting together a review for my favorite new eyeshadow of 2o12, NARS Lhasa. Lhasa eyeshadow was part of NARS’ Spring 2012 collection along with their new blush that I adore, Gaiety. What I love about Lhasa is that it’s such a pretty lavender gray that you can wear on its own or combine with other colors. I usually like to use Lhasa to deepen my eyes on top of Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow in 2CE Iced Mauve.
NARS Lhasa Eyeshadow $24
I went through my collection to look for some similar shades. Urban Decay Mushroom is much more pigmented, brown-gray with more frost. Laura Mercier Sable is less shimmery, a warmer gray with a softer consistency. MAC Shale is much more red tone with a frostier finish. Compared to the above, NARS Lhasa is a cool tone gray with a hint of lavender.
NARS Lhasa eyeshadow starts off pretty sheer so you really need to layer for a darker finish for example like the outer corners of my eyes. No worries though, the pigmentation blends very smoothly so it’s quite easy to work with.
While the packaging looks super tiny especially since it looks just like a NARS blush but smaller, don’t be fooled. You actually get more product (.07 oz) versus a MAC eyeshadow (.05 oz). It is pricier though at $24.
There is nothing about the NARS eyeshadow formula that stands to me so my stance is that if there is a color that I fall in love with (like Lhasa) then I’ll pick it up. But I won’t go out of my way to find more NARS eyeshadows to collect. For now I’m actually quite content with my current eyeshadow collection- pretty crazy right? We’ll see how long this goes. :]
Here’s what I have on today for the whole look:
FACE | Benefit The Porefessional Pro Balm, Tarte Smooth Operator – Agent04, MAC Blot Powder – Medium, Benefit Hoola Bronzer
BROWS | MAC Concrete Eyeshadow
EYES | NARS Lhasa Eyeshadow, Maybelline Perfect Pastels Velvet Crush – Base, MAC Fluidline – Added Goodness, Cover Girl Exact Eyelights – Vibrant Pearl, Benefit They’re Real Mascara
CHEEKS | NARS Sin Blush, theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer Highlighter
LIPS | MAC Lazy Day, Buxom Claire
If you could only pick one, what was your favorite new eyeshadow of 2012? Let me know in the comments below!
Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday!
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Sex Machine Swatch and Review
Of all of NARS’ crazy product names out there, this is probably the one that I’m most bashful to say in public or write about. It’s NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Sex Machine. What a strange name for this product, no?? Unlike it’s riske name, Sex Machine is described as an innocent pink mauve. Against my skin tone I would describe it more as a medium pink with slight mauve.
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Sex Machine $24
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Sex Machine is actually darker than I was expecting. After reading the description and seeing some other bloggers’ photos I thought the shade would be more of a light nude pink-mauve. It’s definitely not nude against my lips. It’s more of a mid-tone to almost dark pink. I’m not disappointed though! It’s very wearable for any occasion and can be a great everyday color.
Here is the swatch along with some NARS Sex Machine dupes. MAC Syrup is very similar but it’s a bit more light and mauve and has a glossy finish. Lancome L’Absolu Rouge Blush Classique is definitely more light pink with a glossy finish. Of the two, MAC Syrup is the closer dupe.
For a matte lip product, NARS Sex Machine is surprisingly not drying on my lips. It’s nice and creamy upon application and as the hours pass it turns more into a soft powdery feel- pretty interesting. The pigmentation has stayed put through some light snacking but I’ve yet to go through a whole meal plus drink yet.
Like I’ve mentioned in previous posts I love the jumbo pencil design because they’re so easy to use and carry around. But I do wish you didn’t have to sharpen the tip once it gets dull. I’d much rather twist the product up rather than waste away product while sharpening the tip.
For the complete look here are the products I used:
Face: Garnier BB Cream – Light/Medium, MAC Blot Powder – Medium
Cheeks: NARS Sin blush
Eyes: MAC Quarry, MAC Blackberry, MAC Trax, MAC Graphology
MAC Shroom (highlight)
MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil – Permaplum
Covergirl Lash Perfection Mascara
Brows: MAC Concrete
Lips: NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil – Sex Machine
I’m quite happy with NARS Lip Pencil Sex Machine. I use MAC Syrup a lot throughout the year so I know that this will be a great alternative for days where I want a more long-lasting matte look!
Do you have a favorite matte lipstick? And do you prefer matte lipsticks or glossy finish lipsticks? Let me know in the comments below!
Wishing you a wonderful start to the week!
NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil New Lover Swatch and Review
Hey All!
This is my other NARS velvet gloss lip pencil, New Lover. I received this little guy as a gift-with-purchase at Nordstrom a couple months back. NARS New Lover is described as a gold-infused strawberry pink which I find pretty accurate.
NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in New Lover $24
NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil Swatches in New Lover and Baroque for comparison. Click here to read my Baroque review from yesterday. :]
Since my New Lover (haha, that sounds funny) was a gift-with-purchase, it’s a bit smaller than the regular size tube. Here’s a comparison photo. As you can see the gift-with-purchase is actually a pretty decent size!
The texture is very soft, moisturizing and glossy as expected. The color stays on and my lips feel hydrated for a good 2-3 hours but it never lasts through a meal for me. And I find that my lips get pretty dry if I don’t reapply a new layer or moisturize with another lip product. If you’re good about reapplying you shouldn’t have a problem.
The color builds up pretty well. The first coat is fairly sheer and you can obviously build up the color with more coats.
Funny thing is that I feel like New Lover has less of a scent than Baroque. Baroque has a bit of a #2 pencil smell to it while I can’t smell anything from New Lover. If you’re not into scented lip products, you’ll most likely like the NARS velvet gloss lip pencil line.
You can easily wear NARS New Lover everyday since it has a more casual feel than NARS Baroque. It’s great for school, work, lunch with the girls, etc. Plus I feel like the shade is pretty versatile through all the seasons. It’s not too pink or too red so it’s a good neutral lip color.
Hope this was helpful!
Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday afternoon!
NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil Baroque Swatch and Review
Happy election day everyone!
Today I wanted to share with you NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Baroque. Baroque is described as a raspberry sorbet shade but it looks more like a soft brick-red on me with silver sparkles. It’s a really fun red lip for the Fall and Winter.
NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil Baroque $24
NARS Baroque Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil Swatch
Top line is multiple coats whereas the bottom line is one stroke.
I love wearing red lips. It’s such a fast way to glam up a look! I’m actually wearing my workout clothes in this photo but you’d never know, haha.
The texture of NARS velvet gloss lip pencils are very soft and moisturizing. It’s also super pigmented so it doesn’t take very many coats to get this dark red shade. Because it is a gloss formula, you’ll want to be careful about accidentally smudging your lips and this will definitely come off while you drink and eat.
Scent wise you can’t really smell anything unless you really take a hard sniff. It smells like crayons or pencils to me- school supplies in general. No need to worry though, you really can’t smell anything when you’re applying it on your lips or after the application.
The tip of the lip pencil has a nice point right now but with continued use it’ll dull down. At that point I’d definitely recommend using a lipliner to define your lip line. I do wish that the NARS lip pencils twisted up instead of having to sharpen it. You waste so much product when you have to sharpen the pencil and it can get messy.
I’m personally a fan of the lipstick pencil (chubby sticks) right now so I knew I had to try a few of these guys out. It’s definitely the most moisturizing and pigmented out of my collection so far compared to Clinique, Revlon and Tarte. But what you get in moisture/gloss, you lose in longevity. So overall, if you fall in love with a shade in the NARS velvet gloss lip pencil collection I think you’ll be happy with your purchase. If nothing catches your eye, I don’t think you’re missing out either. But go ahead to your neighborhood Sephora or Nordstrom and check it out for yourself!
What is your favorite brand for lipstick pencils/chubby sticks? Do you have a favorite shade as well? I’d love to know so tell me in the comments below!
Wishing you an exciting Election Tuesday!
Finally Out and About – FOTD
Hey everyone!
I finally feel well enough to put on my face and go to the neighborhood coffee shop. Here’s what I have on today.
This is actually a look that I’ve been wearing a lot the past few months.
Face: Tarte Smooth Operator Agent 4, MAC Blot Powder Medium
Eyeshadows: MAC Quarry, MAC Blackberry, MAC Graphology – love this combo!
Liner: NARS Larger Than Life Long-wear Eyeliner in Madison Avenue
Lashes: Covergirl Lash Perfection
Brows: MAC Concrete
Cheeks: NARS Orgasm
Lips: Sephora Rouge Shine Lipstick
My normal camera battery was down so I’m left with my phone. :T
I promise I’m working on getting some new camera equipment and better photos!
All bundled up!
I thought the below shot was cute!
Hubs and I have the same laptop cases! His is clear while mine is pretty pink!!
So relieved tomorrow is finally Friday! :]
What’s in my Travel Makeup Bag – Oregon Edition
Hey All!
It’s been my goal to start traveling lighter- makeup wise. I always take so much makeup and then end up using maybe a quarter of what I’ve brought. It’s such a waste of space and adds extra weight to lug around. So here’s all the makeup that I took on my mini-vacay to Oregon that was 5 days, 4 nights long. I tried my very best to only pack what I need and know I’ll use.
I took Hubs’ Lacoste toiletry bag that I bought for him a couple years ago. He’s never used it… so it’s mine now, ha. I took this guy instead of my usual pink Victoria Secret makeup bag because it’s much smaller and forces me to pack lighter.
And here are the contents of the bag. It only filled the bag about half way! Pat on the back for me!
I actually took this picture before my trip and decided to leave my Benefit Hoola and Coralista behind along with MAC Lazy Day lipstick!
For my face I used my Garnier BB Cream and MAC blot powder
For cheeks, NARS Gilda and NARS Gaiety
For lips I took Tarte Charming, Buxom Bunny and Sandy, MAC Plink! and Media lipsticks and NYX Pumpkin Pie lipstick
For eyes, Urban Decay Smoked palette, my new small Z-palette filled with 9 different mostly nude shades, eyelash curler, MAC Added Goodness Fluidline, Covergirl Lash Perfection mascara and Urban Decay Primer Potion.
I did take my makeup brushes and those were packed in a different bag
I think I did a pretty good job of only taking a handful of things! What do you think? Is this a lot more than what you would take or a lot less? Let me know in the comments below!
Wishing you a wonderful day!
NARS Sin Blush Swatch & Review – NARS Blush Series Part 8
I’m feeling much better today but am still very tired. I managed to gulp down some coffee (probably not good for my recovering tummy) and put on some NARS Sin blush to share with you guys. It’s the last of my NARS blush series and it feels really good to finish my collection review – that is until I buy another NARS blush. :]
NARS blush Sin is a berry tone with gold shimmer
The gold shimmer is super faint
Nars Sin Swatch
Side note: this picture was taken in my old office (now the guest room)
The guest room is slowly turning into a storage room as you can tell by the containers behind me
Must clean and reorganize soon…
NARS Sin is medium pigmented like NARS Lovejoy so I dipped my skunk brush into the pan twice before applying on my cheeks. It blends out very well and smoothly. Sin looks very blue-based in the pan but on my face it has more of a berry red undertone. NARS Sin blush can look very different in different forms of lighting. At the Nordstrom when I purchased it it looked much more mauve tone with gold shimmer. But in natural lighting the gold shimmer is very hard to see. I’d recommend going to Sephora or Nordstrom and trying it on for a day to see how the shade appears on your skin tone in different lighting.
My blush collection is full of peachy-pink tones so I welcome this berry shade NARS Sin into my collection with open arms. I’m really liking Sin paired with MAC Lazy Day lipstick and Buxom Clair lip polish on my lips (as seen in the photo above)!
Hope you enjoyed my NARS Sin review. Whew- can’t believe I’ve finished my 8 part series! Which blush has been your favorite? I think mine are Gilda and Lovejoy for the Fall. In case you want to see the other NARS blush reviews again, here are the links!
- NARS Orgasm blush review – Part 1
- NARS Madly blush – Part 2
- NARS Desire blush swatch – Part 3
- NARS Gilda blush – Part 4
- NARS Gaiety blush review – Part 5
- NARS Exhibit A blush review – Part 6
- NARS Lovejoy blush review – Part 7
- NARS Sin swatch – Part 8 (you’re on it now! :])
Wishing you a fantastic Tuesday!
NARS Lovejoy Blush Swatch & Review – NARS Blush Series Part 7
Here’s another amazing blush for you to try out- It’s NARS Lovejoy! Lovejoy blush is a shimmering bronzed rose perfect for the transition from Summer to Fall. What’s great is that it’s like a blush and bronzer in one. Don’t you love finding ways to save time? :]
NARS Lovejoy swatch
So pretty!
NARS Lovejoy is more pigmented than NARS Madly but less than Gilda and Exhibit A blush. In this case, I’d recommend dipping your brush into the pan twice before applying and blending away. It blends smoothly and doesn’t leave patches or hard lines. The bronzed affect lets you create more of a contoured look than a regular blush. There are also teeny tiny gold sparkles in the blush but honestly they’re so tiny that I can barely see them on my cheeks. That’s a good thing for girls like me that aren’t too fond of big chunks of glitter.
Like the other NARS blushes in my collection, NARS Lovejoy stays put on my cheeks for hours! It’ll last at least a good 6 hours on my naturally oily skin if not longer.
If you’re a regular bronzer and blush user, I’d definitely recommend you check this out. Although I don’t bronze everyday I love how quickly I can warm up my complexion with a couple sweeps of NARS Lovejoy. So quick and easy for such a pretty finish!
Have you tried NARS Lovejoy before? What types of looks do you like to combine with it? If not, what are your initial thoughts on this blush?
In case you want to see the other NARS blush reviews again…
- NARS Orgasm blush review – Part 1
- NARS Madly blush – Part 2
- NARS Desire blush swatch – Part 3
- NARS Gilda blush – Part 4
- NARS Gaiety blush review – Part 5
- NARS Exhibit A blush review – Part 6
- NARS Lovejoy blush review – Part 7 (you’re on it now! :])
- NARS Sin swatch – Part 8
Wishing you a wonderful morning!
NARS Exhibit A Blush Swatch & Review – NARS Blush Series Part 6
Hey Everyone!
So in my last haul, I mentioned that I got 3 new NARS blushes in Exhibit A, Sin and Lovejoy. Assuming you won’t mind, I’ll be adding these as a continuation of my NARS blush series from a few weeks ago. :] So here is Part 6 of the now 8 part series of my NARS blush reviews.
I’ve been eyeing NARS Exhibit A, a matte red blush, for a couple years now but have never had the guts to get it. It is by far the most intimidating, crazy-looking blush in the NARS blush collection. But once applied correctly, it gives you a beautiful natural flush.
Look at how incredibly red it looks in the pan!
But don’t run away- I promise I won’t end up looking like a clown :]
A close up- yup, still looking pretty scary
NARS Exhibit A swatch
This is a relatively heavy swatch so that you can get a good look at the shade
And finally applied on my own cheeks
See? Not so scary right? Looks pretty natural
Hair up? Hair down? Take your pick.
NARS Exhibit A is super pigmented like many of their other blushes. You only need to dip your brush into the pan ONCE then blend blend blend for a natural look. If you feel like you want a bit more pigment, dip your brush again just once. For how little pigment you need for amazing color payoff, Exhibit A is going to last me a lifetime.
I think you could wear this blush in so many different ways. You can dress it up with a matching red lipstick. I’m wearing MAC Viva Glam Cyndi in these photos. Or you can totally dress it down by keeping eyes and lips more natural for an “I just ran through a field of wildflowers” flush. You could wear this year round as well but I think it’ll look especially beautiful during the Winter and holiday season.
I’m sure NARS Exhibit A won’t become one of my go-to blushes because it requires more blending and care than NARS Madly or NARS Orgasm. Regardless, I’m really happy that I have this in my blush collection and definitely don’t own a NARS Exhibit A dupe. To me it’s one of a kind and I’ll be getting good wear out of it for sure.
What do you think about NARS Exhibit A? Which NARS blush has been your favorite in the series so far? Let me know in the comments below!
And in case you want to see my other NARS blush reviews…
- NARS Orgasm blush review – Part 1
- NARS Madly blush – Part 2
- NARS Desire blush swatch – Part 3
- NARS Gilda blush – Part 4
- NARS Gaiety blush review – Part 5
- NARS Exhibit A blush review – Part 6 (you’re on it now! :])
- NARS Lovejoy blush review – Part 7
- NARS Sin swatch – Part 8
Wishing you a BEAUTYFULL Monday!