nars cosmetics

Unsung Makeup Heroes: NARS Dolce Vita Blush

September 6th, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

Anyone who’s ever rocked a fall berry or red lip *and meant it* should own NARS Dolce Vita Blush. I started wearing it years ago to go with Dolce Vita Lipstick (that classic NARS reddish brown pink), but along the way I found out that it also ROCKS the heck out of other opaque, intense fall lipsticks, especially berries and brownish reds (but also chocolate browns and plums, too).

One swipe — literally, just one! — across the pan, and then buffed gently on my cheeks, and I look MUCH more awake. It also perfectly balances with whatever matte or satiny fall color I have on my lips without competing with whatever I have on the rest of my face (yup, even smoky eyes).

Plus, you can skip highlighter with it if you want, since Dolce Vita has a touch of sheen. Just a touch, though, so tell your pores to chill. They’ll be alright. 😉

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The NARS Fall 2018 Collection! (First Look and Swatches)

August 2nd, 2018 by Karen 8 Comments

nars 7 deadly sins — New NARS Fall 2018 collection

You guys, I am shooketh, and shooketh am I, for there is no blush to be found in the NARS fall 2018 collection.

LIKE NONE.

Perhaps François is assuming that your cheeks will naturally flush when you wear (and perhaps commit) some of the lippies in the 7 Deadly Sin Audacious Lipstick Palette?

Along with the lip palette, there are also two eyeshadow palettes, an eye and cheek palette, and a new line of brow pencils, so there’s lots of newness to fawn over, for sure.

Still…it’s hard for me to imagine a fall without a new NARS blush.

Can you?

Guess I’ll just have to continue my love affair with NARS Deep Throat for a little longer.

The NARS Fall 2018 collection is available now and includes…

7 Deadly Sin Audacious Lipstick Palette, $52

Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette, $59

Quad Eyeshadows in Singapore and Mojave, $52 each

Brow Perfectors in Calimyra, Goma, Makassar, Moanda, Komo, Naia, Lava and Atacama, $25 each

nars fall 2018 swatches 7 deadly sins — 7 Deadly Sins Palette: Pride, Disobedience, Idolatry, Foolishness, Greed, Wrath and Sloth

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The NARS Orgasm 2018 Collection! (Yes, More Orgasm)

May 31st, 2018 by Karen 8 Comments

nars orgasm blush lip balm k — Bare skin (just under-eye concealer), with NARS Orgasm Blush on my cheeks and Afterglow Balm on my lips

NARS Orgasm will forever and ever be the most embarrassing blush to say in front of your grandma. Or your kid! Gee, I wonder how that conversation’s gonna go. (Connor: “Mama, what does orgasm mean? Is it a color?” Me: “Ummm…”)

Chances are you’ve heard about NARS Orgasm… Yeah, I figured. It’s iconic. This golden peachy pink gets written about all the time and described as “universally flattering,” and it’s one of the cornerstones of the NARS color collection. Every year NARS does a few limited edition items with different iterations of the product, and this year there are three pieces in The Orgasm 2018 Collection — an LE oversized Orgasm blush for $38 (if you can’t get enough of it!), a loose highlighting powder ($28) and a darling lip balm in rose gold packaging ($28).

Oversized Orgasm Blush ($38)

My relationship with Orgasm blush runs hot and cold. I’ve worn it, but not much lately. Sometimes I feel like it’s too shimmery for me, like whenever I’m wearing a good amount of base makeup, ’cause then all I see are PORES, PORES, PORES!

But lately, since I’ve been doing the whole minimal base/no base thing, which is what I did over the Memorial Day weekend, I have a greater appreciation for Orgasm. It’s fabulous on bare skin or on top of a minimal base, like a tinted moisturizer.

nars orgasm blush 2018 — NARS Orgasm Blush 2018

All weekend long I wore under-eye concealer and really nothing else on the rest of my face to even out my skin, and with this blush, I find that the less you’re wearing under it, the better, because when the shimmer isn’t sitting on top of foundation or concealer or powder, it doesn’t highlight pores as much it does otherwise, so what you mostly see is the peachy pink color, which just looks so fresh and youthful.

It looks exactly like my cheeks after I finish a HIIT workout — flushed and healthy and a little bit dewy — and maybe even 5 years younger? (Keep tellin’ yourself that, Karen, LOL!) And that’s when I totally get the magic of NARS Orgasm. So, yeah, I’m feeling the oversized blush a lot this year — but only on bare skin! If you’re a makeup minimalist, you’ll like it.

By the way, if you have this blush sitting around but don’t wear it often because you feel like it’s too shimmery, try buffing it down like CRAZY with a clean blush brush after you apply it. A powder blush works too, as does a skunk brush. Any big face brush with a fluffy head should work. The buffing disperses most of the golden shimmer, so all that gets left behind is the peachy pink (just be mindful of not buffing away your foundation and concealer, if you’re wearing them).

❤️❤️❤️❤️ 4 out of 5 hearts.

Orgasm Illuminating Loose Powder ($28)

The loose highlighter caters to the “more is more makeup crowd” that likes a lot of bling. I’m not into a frosty highlight, so it’s too shimmery for my taste, but you might like it if you love highly reflective cheek bones.

nars orgasm illuminating loose powder — NARS Orgasm Illuminating Loose Powder

And even though I feel like the 0.09-oz. jar is small for $28, on the side, you don’t need to use a lot…and the powder grains are very fine.

❤️❤️ 2 out of 5 hearts.

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