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Nars Lipstick
by jade1517
I will be honest until recently I hardly ever wore lipstick as i preferred something which was glossy rather than colour as i already have quite bright lips, but with red lipstick being very popular with celebrities at the minute i thought i would try a lipstick. I did try red in a different brand but i'm not very confident when it comes ... to my teeth and felt it drew too much attention to my teeth, so i decided to look for a lipstick in a pink shade instead as it is much more subtle.
I had heard lots of great thinks about the Nars brand so decided to check out their lipstick collections. I finally decided to try their Semi Matte lipstick in shade funny face. Well first of all i have to to say the colour is lovely, i still thought the colour i picked may have been to bright but when i put it on i fell in love instantly.
It goes on very smoothly and fells like a lip balm keeping my lips moisturised, as that was another one of my worries, that it may dry my lips out, but it did not. The colour also lasted a very long time and on average did not feel like i was reapplying it much at all. I did reapply it after eating lunch etc but i was expecting that. If i was not having something to eat or drink it would last a long time.
Overall i would definitely recommend this lipstick, it is slight in the more expensive end at £18, but this lipstick is proof that you get what you pay for. It is perfect in every way, finally found a lipstick i love.
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NARS Bronzing Powder
by HayleyBlondiee
I only recently jumped on the Nars bandwagon after falling in love with their quite cheekily named Orgasm blusher, the quality and pigment was outstanding - plus it lasted for ages. I was intrigued as to what their bronzers would be like and was hoping for the same orgasmic texture and look. I went onto the Nars website and found the ... Nars Bronzing Powder which retails for £25. At first I couldn't bring myself to paying out this much for one product, however when I did some research about it I knew that my skin simply needed it!
This bronzing powder creates a soft, healthy glow with diffused powders enriched with a golden shimmer to create an all over warmth or even to contour your face. Nars claim this is 'perfect for creating or enhancing the look of tanned skin.' So that's great news if you have tanned skin or if you are going for that look! The 'finely milled powders' fill in lines and pores to create a smoother and even looking complexion. The range contains 'iconic shades' that are ideal and suitable for all skin tones and types as well as giving you a natural looking an 'impeccable finish' with a very subtle shimmer to add a gorgeous glow. I really wanted to try one but still thought that £25 was a bit too much for a bronzer. With gentle persuasion I managed to convince my boyfriend to get it whilst claiming it was one of the essentials we needed for our trip. And he bought it - in both senses!
There are only three shades to choose from, which I think is quite standard for a bronzer. They are:
Laguna: This shade is the lightest of the three and is most suitable for lighter skin tones, although I should point out that it is still quite dark and you will need to have a very light hand to apply it, otherwise it can appear a little orange. The shade is a very light warm brown with a lot of gold and a little bronze running through. There is a subtle shimmer which is not that noticeable once on, however if you apply too much then it starts to glow - and not in a good way!
Irresistiblement: This is a medium shade as it is predominately a medium brown with a few bronzed and dark browney red undertones. I would say this would suit medium skin tones perfectly as it has such a lovely warm hue to it. again there is some shimmer to it, which isn't as noticeable once on.
Casino: For some reason I got a picture of Robert De Niro in my mind then! Anyway, this is the darkest shade of the range and is a deep brown with lots of bronze and gold undertones throughout. This would suite medium skin tones who want to achieve a darker look, or darker skin tones to enhance their natural beauty.
I chose the lightest - Laguna, and at first I was a little disappointed as I thought it was going to be much too dark for me, however once I applied it using a large fluffy brush my worried vanished and I was left with a glowing complexion! Having said that I find that if I want to touch up during the day I can't as it would make it darker, although it does have pretty good staying power! If you purchase this shade (or any of them) and want them to be a little bolder then simply spritz your make up brush with water and then swirl it over the product this turns it into a more fake tan rather than a bronzer.
The packaging is very classic of Nars - if you have used there blushers before then you will know what I mean. It comes in a squared off, matte black plastic compact, that is quite thin. On the top in large white lettering is the word 'Nars' overlapping each other. On the back are the ingredients and a little about the product. Once you open up the compact you notice that there is a mirror which is a great advantage for me and a lot of people I know as it aids easy application especially if you are on the go. Its also handy as a back up mirror I feel!
Overall I am very happy with this bronzer as it has a light formula that makes my skin feel like it can breathe even whilst wearing it, it does last a while and I don't have to apply setting powder over the top - which is always a bonus. The shade is great although I do have to be careful when applying, but once on the golden tones and the shimmer really help to make me look like a much better version of my skin!
You can purchase this Nars bronzer on their online website, as well as a multitude of other online make up stores. It is quite expensive but I would justify buying it as it lasts you for ages so it pays for itself. Or be cheeky like me and persuade your boyfriend!
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Nars Sheer Matte Foundation
by helenc72
=== The Brand ===
NARS Cosmetics is a brand which was founded by the makeup artist and photographer François Nars. It is best known for its "Orgasm" blusher but has a full range of makeup including the Sheer Matte foundation which I am reviewing.
NARS is not the best known or most widely available brand ... but it is stocked at Space NK and can also be bought from some branches of House of Fraser and John Lewis (but not Debenhams). You can also get it at Harvey Nichols and Selfridges. Alternatively you can buy directly from the NARS website at narscosmetics.co.uk.
=== Sheer Matte Foundation ===
The name is quite self explanatory with this foundation! It is sheer, so it gives fairly light coverage and is not as heavy as a lot of other foundations. It gives a matte rather than a dewy finish, so it is suited for people with oily skin and it aims to control shine.
=== Packaging and Dispensing ===
The Sheer Matte foundation packaging is simple and classy. NARS is known for its minimalist design and this bottle is quite typical. It is a glass bottle with very little writing other than NARS in large capital letters down the side. It comes with a chunky matte black screw top which leaves an open bottle neck when you unscrew it, but you can buy NARS compatible foundation pumps separately for £3, which I opted to do. I find that the pump makes a big improvement to the bottle as it means I can easily dispense a very small amount of foundation at a time. Tipping foundation straight out of the open bottle neck causes way too much to come out and I find it a bit unhygenic to be scraping bits back in that I haven't used.
The bottle contains 30 ml which is the amount I would expect from most foundations and which should last a long time even if worn daily. We are advised the foundation should be used up within 2 years of opening it.
=== Shades ===
There are 20 shades available and I think the range is pretty good. I wear the shade "Mont Blanc" (light 2) which is a pale shade with a pinky base. Often I find that I need the lightest available shade from a brand, but NARS actually has one for people even paler than me. Not being able to find a pale enough foundation is a common complaint which I often hear from people, so I think it is great that NARS really does cater for the full spectrum as the shade Siberia (light 1) is much paler than you often find in most brands. There is a good mix of shades with pink, yellow or neutral bases to them. There is also a good number of shades suited to Asian and black skin tones, so most people should be able to find a good match.
=== Application and Wear ===
My skin can be oily at times, especially in humid environments, so I first decided to try this foundation while on holiday in Florida and the Bahamas. Some of the products I had been wearing had ended up making my face look shiny or sliding off, so I decided I wanted something more matte which might do better at withstanding the heat.
I apply this foundation after moisturising and on top of primer. I use a normal flat foundation brush to put it on, and then blend and buff it with an airbrush foundation brush, similar to a stippling brush. This gives it a very natural finish and it doesn't look like I am obviously wearing makeup. I find it very easy to apply as it has a nice liquid texture, not too runny and not too stiff. When I apply a small amount from one pump it does only give minimal, sheer coverage but it looks good and evens out my complexion, making my skin look brighter and fresher. It is buildable and can easily be added to in order to achieve a bit more coverage if necessary, but it is not really going to be enough to cover anything like acne scars or blemishes.
When wearing it in hot climates I found that once applied it was fairly transfer resistant and not too easily rubbed off. It lasted pretty well, keeping light coverage throughout a day but needed redoing if I wanted it to look really fresh again in the evening. On the whole I was really happy with it and it did a good job of keeping me shine free, controlling oil and stopping my foundation just melting off.
As I had been so impressed with how well this had worked on holiday, I went to Space NK when I got back and bought a full bottle. Sadly however, I have been much less impressed with it in the English climate! On quite a few occasions when I have worn this, I have been really shocked to see that shortly after applying it the foundation has started to go a bit patchy. It can look extremely powdery and has shown up some slight dryness which I did not even know I had! I would never have described my skin as dry at all, as it is definitely more on the oily side, but this foundation shows up every bit of dryness. On those dry areas, the foundation seemed to peel away a little bit and the coverage did not look even. It also felt a bit uncomfortable and powdery on my skin. Needless to say, if you do want to try this foundation, you definitely need to make sure you have moisturised very well beforehand, even if you think you don't have dry skin.
In an effort to avoid this problem, I also tried mixing the foundation with a tiny bit of serum or a bit of moisturiser on the back of my hand, which improved the situation somewhat, but made the consistency a little bit strange and made it harder to put on my face and blend.
I found it quite surprising that my experience with this foundation was so wildly different once the environment had changed, and I haven't found it suitable to wear at home at all really. Even on the few hotter days we had I was wary of risking it as I had seen how bad this foundation made my skin look when the coverage had gone patchy, so I prefered to stick with my trusty Estee Lauder Double Wear. I will give it a try again the next time I am in a hot and humid environment, which I hopefully will be next week, but I would not buy it again.
=== Irritation? ===
It is dermatologist tested and fragrance free, and I haven't suffered any kind of irritation or allergic reaction from it though I do have quite sensitive skin.
=== Price ===
This foundation costs £29.50 for 30 ml from the NARS website.
*** This review is a relay entry for team Dooyoolympians ***
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