NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

"This lightweight primer creates a seamless canvas that keeps cream and powder colour looking brilliant, fresh and just-applied all day. No smudging, no creasing, no caking, no looking back. Ophthalmologist tested. Dermatologist tested."

Despite loving the Too Faced Shadow Insurance (post here), I recently decided to try the NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. I have enjoyed everything I have tried from NARS and after hearing good reviews about this, I decided it was worth a shot. I picked mine up from House of Fraser (link here). 

The primer is whitish in colour, though it blends out easily and isn't noticeable. It has a bit of a thicker texture than the Too Faced Shadow Insurance or the Urban Decay Primer Potion. In terms of staying power, I have been really happy with its performance, helping eyeshadow stay creasefree and vibrant for hours. I tend to pair it with a Paintpot (post here) to increase longevity.

The one negative I have with the primer is the packaging. It has a doe-foot applicator and I prefer a tube that you squeeze the product out of. I feel its more hygienic and means you can use up every last bit of product here, which could be a problem here. Saying that the packaging isn't awful and it wouldn't put me off the product. 

So far I have been really enjoying the NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base and would recommend it if you are looking for a good eyeshadow primer. 

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NARS Douceur Blush

Nars Douceur 

I love Nars blushes and have blog posts up already featuring some of my favourites (Deep Throat and Orgasm) so it's surprising that I hadn't picked up Douceur sooner. Douceur is described as a soft pink brown and it has a matte finish, resulting in a nice sculpting effect. Douceur works well with my skin tone, it isn't too dark and blends well. Probably not the best choice for darker skin tones, however, as it might not be pigmented enough. 

Douceur comes in the standard Nars packaging and costs around €29 (available here or here). Douceur has quickly become one of my most reached for blushes. It blends beautifully and the colour is a perfect choice for everyday as it suits pretty much all makeup looks and gives a sculpted and healthy look. Definitely glad I finally picked up Douceur and my only regret is not buying it sooner. 

  

Swatched

Have you tried Douceur or do you have similar blushes you would recommend? 

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Nars Miss Liberty Highlighter

I have previously talked about Nars Albatross highlighter (post here) and today I thought share another Nars highlighter, Miss Liberty. Described as a soft, shimmering peach, it is pretty different from Albatross. The base is quite peachy with some silver shimmer which has quite a subtle, pretty result. I think its quite a universal colour that anyone would enjoy wearing. 

Miss Liberty comes in the standard Nars rubberised packaging and as you can see from the photos, my one has become quite grubby looking over time. Miss Liberty costs about €29 and you can pick one up from Nars counters or House of Fraser online (link here). 

Do you have any highlighter favourites? If so, I'd love to hear about them. 

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Nars Lipgloss

Admittedly I am not a huge lipgloss person, I don't often bother wearing them. However, on the occasion that I do, my favourite lipglosses are from Nars. The biggest plus about these glosses is that they aren't sticky. I tend to wear my hair down a lot and absolutely hate getting my hair stuck in lip gloss, which isn't a problem with these. They have a really pretty colour range and the three I have are  called Turkish Delight, Orgasm and Ophelia. I also quite like the packaging of the lipglosses which is just really simple and sleek. The glosses come with a doe foot wand applicator, which I prefer over brush applicators. My main issue with these glosses is the smell. They have quite a potent, plastic smell, which I really dislike. However, if you can get past the smell, they are a really good range of lipglosses. I bought mine from ASOS (link here) and they cost around €24. 

Turkish Delight, Orgasm, Ophelia

Turkish Delight

First up is the shade Turkish Delight, which is described as a pink sherbet. I had heard some good reviews about this shade and decided to try it out. It's quite a milky, light pink which is noticeable on the lips. I have quite pale skin so I like light pinks on my lips on occasion, though I would recommend swatching the shade in person if you have a darker skintone to ensure it suits. 

Orgasm

Next is the infamous Nars shade Orgasm, which is also available in other products (Orgasm blush reviewed here). Orgasm is described as peachy pink with shimmer, which I think is pretty accurate. The golden shimmer is noticeable on the lips, though I don't particularly mind this. I think this is a great pick for summer as it would look great with a tan. 

Ophelia

Lastly, I have Ophelia, which is described as a strawberry nectar. I will admit I was drawn in part to this shade because of the name as I was studying Shakespeare's Hamlet at the time. Out of the shades I have Ophelia is probably my favourite as it's a pretty natural colour. It is a little bit sheerer than the other two shades as you can from the photo of the swatches above. 

Have you tried any Nars lipglosses or do you have any lipgloss recommendations? 

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Eye Liner Alternatives

My everyday makeup tends to be done in a hurry, which means gel or liquid eyeliner is simply  too time consuming. However, I don't have the thickest pair of lashes and I find I need to had some sort of definition to my lashline, which is where this post comes in.  

I thought I would do a quick post about my favourite eyeshadows for adding some definition to the lashline. What I love about using a dark eyeshadow rather than conventional eye liner is that is super quick and fussfree. As the colour isn't as opaque as eye liner, you don't have to worry about being neat. If you make a mistake, you can easily blend the shadow out. 

Moving on to the actual eyeshadows I particularly like to use, I'll start with a simple matte black. My one is Carbon from MAC and I bought mine in the pot form to make it easy for travel. Obviously you don't need a black eyeshadow from MAC, any will do and I think it's such a capsule eyeshadow shade. Next is Brun, also from MAC, which is described as a muted blackish-brown. It's a little bit more subtle than Carbon, which makes it a nice choice if I'm not wearing a lot of eye makeup but still want to define my lashline. Finally, we have the NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Cordura. I like to use the dark brown shade on the right-hand side of the palette for liner. It looks lighter in the pan than it applies and I find it is somewhere between Brun and Carbon. It has a little bit of shimmer in it as well which I think adds a nice effect. 

MAC 266 Brush

I thought I would also mention my brush of choice for applying the eyeshadow as liner, the MAC 266. I also use this for gel eye liner when I have more time on my hands and have heard good things about using this for brows. The 266 is a small angled brush with natural bristles and I find it does a really good job, making eyeshadow placement quick and easy. 

Carbon and Brun are available to purchase here, Cordura here and the 266 brush here.

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Nars Orgasm Blush

The Nars blush in Orgasm is somewhat of a cult beauty product in the beauty world. I would say it is probably the most raved about blush on the market and it's status was definitely a contributing factor when I bought it. Orgasm comes in the standard Nars blush packaging and will set you back around €29. I bought mine from Asos.com (link here). Nars also sell the shade Orgasm in a lipgloss, illuminator and multiple.

Orgasm is probably Nars's most famous shade, in part because of the controversial name. In terms of colour, Orgasm is described as a peachy pink with shimmer. As you can see from the photos, there is quite a lot of gold shimmer running through the product. However, as it is quite finely milled, there are no issues with fallout and you don't end up big chunky bits of glitter across your cheek. The shimmer just helps to give your face a bit more of a glow. Part of Orgasm's cult status is due to universal nature of the shade. I have pale skin and enjoy wearing it and think it would look beautiful on more medium skintones as well. I think Orgasm is a lovely choice for summer months as it compliments a tan beautifully. 

While I do like Orgasm, I find myself reaching for the Nars blush in Deep Throat (previously blogged about here) more.

Have you tried any Nars blushes?

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Nars Albatross Highlighter

Considering my love of both Nars blushes and highlighting products in general, it should come as no surprise that Albatross is one of my favourite makeup products in my collection. 

Albatross is made up of a sheer white base with golden shimmer through it. The powder is finely milled so you don't have to fear ending up with big chunks of glitter on your face. As the product is so finely milled, I have never had an issue with fallout when using it. When blended it, Albatross produces a wonderful sheen on the skin. Most of Nars blushes have a golden shimmer running through them and I find Albatross dusted along the tops of the cheekbones, compliments the blushes beautifully. 

Swatched lightly

Swatched heavily 

Albatross is part of the permanent line and comes in the classic Nars packaging that the blushes and eyeshadow duos also come in. As the packaging has a rubberised finish, it does have the tendency to attract dirt. Mine has quite a bit of golden shimmer all over it. In terms of prices, Albatross will set you back about €29 euro and is available from House of Fraser (link here), ASOS (link here) or from Nars counters. As you need very little product to achieve results, I expect it to last for ages. If you are looking for a nice highlighter, I definitely recommend taking a look at Albatross. 

Have you tried Albatross or do you have any highlighter recommendations? I would love to know your thoughts below. 

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Nars Deep Throat Blush

Before I start I just want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I hope you all had a lovely holiday period and have a wonderful 2013!

New Year's wishes aside, today's post concerns my favourite Nars blush, Deep Throat. Nars is known for the provocative names, with Orgasm being one of their most famous. I am a huge fan of Nars as a brand and their blushes are no exception. They have a good colour range and I find Deep Throat to be a lovely choice for the daytime. 

Deep Throat is a beautiful peachy, pink with gold shimmer running through it. While it certainly isn't a matte finish and it does have shimmer, however, the effect is subtle. It leaves you with a nice glow, rather than glittery like a disco ball. It is sheer enough to be suitable for everyday. As it is sheer and a light pink shade, it is suitable for pale complexions. Nars blushes can be built up so a medium skin tone could also wear it. 

I quite like the packaging of the Nars blushes, however, I can understand why some people are not huge fans of it. It does seem to attract quite easily, meaning that sleek rubberised black casing quickly becomes filthy. I talk more about my thoughts on the Nars packaging in my review of one of their eyeshadow duos (post here). 

I would definitely recommend the Nars blush in Deep Throat. I think it is a beautiful colour, that would make a lovely everyday colour for most people. Nars blushes aren't the cheapest and I think Deep Throat is a good colour to consider if you are looking to buy your first Nars blush. Nars blushes retail for around €29 (available here).

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Nars Alhambra Eyeshadow Duo

My everyday eye normally consists of a champagne coloured eyeshadow across the lid, a light matte brown in the crease and some eye liner on the lash line if I have the time. While it may be fairly simple, I think it is quite subtle and perfect for when you're in a hurry and still want to look put together. I own plenty of shimmery champagne shades, but today I am sharing my favourite, the Nars Alhambra eyeshadow duo (available here).

The Alhambra duo comes in the typical Nars packaging. The eyeshadow duos have identical packaging to the Nars blushes, which can be a little confusing so it is best to store them separately. In terms of the pros and cons of the packaging, it is the same as all of the Nars packaging. Ascetically pleasing, not overly bulky, decent sized mirror. The major issue is always that the rubberised finish has a tendency to attract any dirt that may be lurking in your makeup bag. Given that, I am still rather found of the Nars packaging.

The Alhambra eyeshadow duo comes with a pinky champagne shade (left) and a golden shade (right). As I am quite pale, a lot of champagne shades had a tendency to appear quite orange on my skin, All That Glitters by MAC is one such shade. However, the pinker shade in this duo produces a lovely champagne shade on my skin. It is a colour I find myself reaching for most mornings when applying my makeup. The golden shade is also stunning, swatching as a true gold. While the gold does not get worn as much as the pinker colour, it is still a beautiful colour that I enjoy wearing.

In terms of the eyeshadow itself, I find the texture to be beautiful. I am a massive fan of Nars eyeshadows in general, with this duo being no exception. The shadows are wonderfully smooth and buttery, blending with ease on the lid.

Nars eyeshadow duos are not the cheapest eyeshadows on the market, retailing for around the €30 mark. However, I think this eyeshadow duo is definitely worth it. It is easily my most worn eyeshadows and the quality is supreme. I think if you are a fan of neutral and champagne shades, it is definitely worth a look.

Have you tried any Nars eyeshadows before? Do you have any other neutral eyeshadow recommendations?

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