NARS

Swatches and Pics of the New NARS Laced With Edge Holiday Collection Lipglosses in Burning Love, Corsica and Soleil D’Orient

October 10th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

NARS Lipglosses from the Laced With Edge Holiday collection from the left: Corsica, Soleil D'Orient and Burning Love

To quote the great Elvis Presley, “Lord Almighty, I feel my temperature risin’!”

Could it be? — Burning Love? A NARS Lipgloss named after my favorite Elvis song, ever?

BURNING LOVE!

Something tells me The King might not be edgy enough (anymore) to get his own too-cool-for-school NARS reference, but a girl can dream… I want to believe that The King’s rhinestone-encrusted jumpsuits played a part in this shimmer. 🙂

Burning Love, a bright ruby with subtle shimmer, is one of three new $26 Lipglosses in the 13-pieced Laced With Edge holiday collection, along with shimmery pink raspberry Corsica and shimmery pink champagne Soleil D’Orient.

You can find them twinkling at NARS boutiques and online October 15, and at department and specialty stores beginning November 1.

Same NARS gloss formula, non-sticky, unflavored and comfortable, even on my dry lips.

NARS Lipglosses from the Laced With Edge Holiday collection swatches from the left: Corsica, Soleil D'Orient and Burning Love — Swatches from the left: Corsica, Soleil D’Orient and Burning Love

It’s Going to Be a Merry Lips-Mas With the NARS Laced With Edge Holiday Collection Lipsticks in Deadly Catch, Femme Fleur and Adriatic

October 10th, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

NARS Laced With Edge Holiday Collection Lipsticks from the left: Deadly Catch, Femme Fleur and Adriatic

NARS Laced With Edge Holiday Collection Hardwired Lipsticks from the left: Deadly Catch, Femme Fleur and Adriatic — The new $26 NARS Hardwired Lipsticks, from the Laced With Edge holiday collection

The Hardwired-ness continues. To keep the new Hardwired Eyeshadows company, NARS is also releasing a new Hardwired lipstick formulation, with three new lipsticks ($26 each) in glistening cream Adriatic, crimson Deadly Catch, shimmery brick red Femme Fleur (also has gold pearl).

First impressions…

The feather-weight formula feels great, and I can barely feel these on my lips, but they don’t seem to last as long as the Audacious formula. These may be a good fit if you don’t like to feel like you’re wearing a ton of product on your pout.

Vertical lip lines can also breathe a sigh of relief, in general, as the two shimmery shades, shimmery Adriatic and Femme Fleur, don’t settle into my fine lines. The finish looks really smooth and expensive (reminds me of Guerlain’s Kiss Kiss lipsticks).

Now about that wear time…it’s not my favorite thing about these. Adriatic only lasts 2-3 hours for me, while Deadly Catch and Femme Fleur manage 3-5.

These unflavored, unscented lipsticks will be available along with the rest of the 13-piece Laced With Edge Holiday collection at NARS boutiques and online October 15, and at department and specialty stores beginning November 1.

Swatches from the left: Deadly Catch, Femme Fleur and Adriatic

P.S. I am so overjoyed right now. 🙂 Got some takeout Pasta Pomodoro for dinner (capolini tre colore with shrimp) and Gilmore Girls playing on the TV. Oh, yeah… Good times. I hope you’re having a good night.

The New NARS Algorithm Laguna Bronzing Powder Palette: A Seemingly Giant (But Actually Smaller Than Normal) Laguna Is the Variable in This Algorithm

October 9th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

For the love of tubby tabbies, why can’t I spell the word “algorithm”!?

I keep wanting to spell it algo-rhythm, which sounds like some kind of weird exercise class where you crunch numbers and abs.

“Welcome to Algo-Rhythm! Where Zumba and calculus collide!”

I also can’t figure out why this NARS Algorithm Laguna Bronzing Palette is seems so huge (it’s 0.24 ounces, which I only realized after I published this post is actually smaller than the regular NARS Laguna Bronzer’s 0.28 ounces, but for some reason it just seemed bigger to me). Or expensive. It’s $89!

I mean, I love NARS Laguna, but it’s already in almost every single NARS blush palette. It’s not like I’m gonna be running out of it anytime soon. This pan alone could conceivably last the rest of the decade.

*Shrugs shoulders* I guess some people really like Laguna.

The palette also comes with a mini-sized NARS Ita Brush, which I think is just OK… I need to spend more time with it, though, because so far, I keep having to finish my blending with a fluffy brush after using it.

If you want to decipher this ~~Algorhythm~~ Algorithm, it arrives at department and specialty stores, online, and at NARS boutiques November 1.

Get Four for Forty-Nine With the NARS Tech Fashion Lip Gloss Coffret Holiday Set

October 9th, 2014 by Karen 7 Comments

Well this is a conundrum worthy of a cat lady mystery book!

Why are the four little lip glosses in the new $49 NARS Tech Fashion Lip Gloss Coffret called Shade I, Shade II, Shade III and Shade IV?

NARS normally names things after geography lessons, vacation destinations, or gives shout-outs to artists and art-house references.

Tech Fashion just seems so…not NARS. I’m probably reading too much into it (safe bet), but then again, names are powerful things. They carry weight. If I passed someone wearing a kick-@ss gloss and asked, “Hey, girlfriend, what’s that gloss you’re wearing?” and she answered, “Shade II…” I’d be a little bummed.

I mean, I get it. Not everything has to have an epic or creative name. After almost 10,000 blog posts dating back seven years (for serious), sometimes I can’t string three words together, and I say everything in fragments. “NARS. Lipgloss. Non-sticky. Unscented. Unflavored. Doe foot. SHINY! Me likey.” 🙂

Shade I, a sheer pinkish peach with silver glitter, kinda looks a little like EvRev, but without the multicolored sparkles. Shade II is a bronze with silver glitter, Shade II is a berry, also with silver glitter, and Shade IV is a pearly red.

The limited edition $49 Tech Fashion holiday set of four miniature Larger Than Life Lipglosses (now there’s an oxymoron) arrives online, and at NARS boutiques, department and specialty stores, November 1.

NARS Tech Fashion swatches from the left: Shade I, Shade II, Shade III and Shade IV — Swatches from the left: Shade I, Shade II, Shade III and Shade IV

This Hot Pink C.P. Yu From the $49 NARS Digital World Set Made Me Feel a Million Megabytes Better

October 9th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

I'm Wearing NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Yu from the Digital World Kit — Wearing NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Yu, from the $49 Digital World set

Memory is a funny thing, isn’t it? So many times I read the same tips over and over again — tips that have helped me before, but then I forget that they exist until I read them again, and it’s like, “Well I’ll be damned. That would totally work!”

Here’s one I know I’ve heard before, but I recently read it again: sometimes when you aren’t feeling great first thing in the morning, it can help to spend a little extra time getting ready.

Like, say goodbye to the sweats, and put something on that makes you feel cute. You know, fix your hair, do your makeup — that kind of thing — even if you totally aren’t in the mood.

To the first person who figured that out, wherever you are, thank you. You saved my butt this morning.

I woke up exhausted after an orange alert meltdown last night. It’s my fault, because I haven’t been taking my breaks throughout the day, which slowly turns me into a crazy person.

On top of that, I’ve been riding a PMS-fueled hormonal tidal wave, and everything has been getting on my last nerve. I’m serious, that one nerve is RAW.

Ha! OK, but seriously, I turned into a rabid cat in my office yesterday, and my poor computer chair… I kicked the living crap out of that thing, and then I cried non-stop for 45 minutes.

I felt much better this morning, but nowhere near my usual self. Without really thinking about it, I grabbed a pair of stretchy pants and a wrinkled tee shirt and planned to put my hair up in a bun and skip my makeup.

But then I remembered that tip about spending a little extra time getting ready when you feel blue…

After a long shower, during which I did a hair mask, a body scrub and even shaved my toes (yay!), I put on one of my favorite dresses, spritzed some Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Perfume, and slicked a hot pink lipstick on my lips.

Never underestimate the power of hot pink lipstick, my friend. It’s even better than chicken soup.

Today I haven’t once felt the urge to punch any office furniture. 🙂 Cupcakes for everyone!

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Yu, the hot pink I’m wearing in these pics, couldn’t be easier to apply (unless it applied itself…which would be scary and weird). It’s from the new Digital World holiday set. One of the things I like about it, in addition to the color, is that I can line and fill in my lips with the same pencil.

Yu is one of five Lip Pencils in the $49 Digital World set (coming November 1 exclusively to Sephora), which also includes the Satin Lip Pencils in tea rose Descanso and peachy coral Torres Del Paine, and the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils in scarlet Cruella and warm orange Iberico.

NARS Digital World Lip Pencils from the left: Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella, Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Iberico, Satin Lip Pencil in Descanso and Satin Lip Pencil in Torres Del Paine — From the left: Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella, Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Iberico, Satin Lip Pencil in Descanso and Satin Lip Pencil in Torres Del Paine

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For Queen B Cheeks, Try Matte Tan Rose NARS Almeria Blush

October 9th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

NARS Almeria Blush Swatch — Wearing the new NARS Almeria Blush on my cheeks and, yes, I’m standing in front of a fan, Beyonce-style

“Just to warn you…I look completely insane.” A good thing to broadcast right before you enter a room if you’re wearing NARS Blush in Almeria ($30) but didn’t spend enough time blending.

If, however, you did invest the time in blending — because you’ll need to with this intensely pigmented matte tan rose from the new NARS Holiday 2014 Laced with Edge collection — then you shan’t need to warn the general public, because your cheeks will look so naturally fabulous and flushed that witnesses will just assume that you’re Beyonce, and that you wake up like this. 🙂

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NARS Holiday 2014: The Laser Cut Eye, Cheek and Lip Palette

October 8th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

Super quick look at the new NARS Laser Cut Eye, Cheek and Lip Palette ($59), one of seven gift sets in the 2014 holiday collection, available November 1 online and at NARS boutiques, NARS counters and specialty stores.

Swatches from left to right of the eyeshadows, blush, bronzer and lipgloss…

The NARS Holiday 2014 Hardwired Eyeshadows in Gabon, Canberra and Opal Coast: My Lids Are Hardwired to Like These

October 8th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Also wearing in the picture above…

EYES: NARS Bronzer in Laguna in the crease, NARS Hardwired Eyeshadow in Gabon in the outer corner and inner corner, NARS Hardwired Eyeshadow in Opal Coast in the center of the lid, NARS Hardwired Eyeshadow in Canberra on the lower lash line, NARS Larger THan Life Long Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte on the water line and Topshop Doe Eyed Lashes mascara on my lashes.

CHEEKS: NARS Bronzer in Laguna to contour and NARS Blush in Almeria on the apples.

LIPS: NARS Lipstick in Femme Fleur and NARS Lipgloss in Soleil D’Orient.

OK, help me out. These are the three new Hardwired Eyeshadows from the 13-piece NARS Holiday 2014 Laced with Edge collection, so I’m trying to think of puns using the word “hardwired.”

Tabs is hardwired to kack at birds.

I am hardwired to lose track of time in Sephora.

The Terminator is hardwired by John Connor, in the future, to travel back in time to kill John’s mother, thereby ensuring Skynet’s…

Yeah, that one’s not working.

How about this? I am hardwired to like NARS.

Simple, clear, to the point. I like it. 🙂

I gasped out loud when I swatched this new line of sparkly powder eyeshadows in Opal Coast, Canberra and Gabon.

NARS Holiday 2014 Hardwired Eyeshadows from the left: Canberra, Gabon and Opal Coast — Hardwired Eyeshadows from the left: Canberra, Gabon and Opal Coast

NARS Holiday 2014 swatches from the left: Hardwired Eyeshadows in Opal Coast, Canberra and Gabon — Hardwired Eyeshadow swatches from the left: Opal Coast, Canberra and Gabon

It’s no secret, but sometimes iridescent and metallic finishes can be difficult to wear, especially when they’re really chunky and gritty and just sit on top of my skin highlighting my fine lines…

Being slightly creamy, the Hardwire formula seems to bind a little better to the skin. Sure, my fine lines are still there, but they don’t look as obvious as they do when I wear other metallic eyeshadows. As far as shiny shadows go, I think these are very forgiving.

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