NARS

With NARS Gaiety Blush on My Cheeks, Merriment Ensues

January 12th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

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Well, I’ll be darned… There’s shine in that thar blush!

After seeing the new NARS Gaiety Blush ($28) in its pan, and even after the first quick swatch on the back of my hand, I was sure this candy pink would apply as a straight up matte, but it turns out that this member of the new NARS Spring 2012 collection has a secret up its sleeve — it likes to shine. Coupled with its medium pigmentation, this sweet sheen transforms Gaiety from a pretty pink blush into a thing of beauty.

Imagine the light flush you get when your crush notices that you’re wearing your hair differently. For me, that’s Gaiety. 🙂

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The $34 Limited Edition NARS Paramaribo Eyeshadow Duo, and the Time I Was on Jeopardy

January 11th, 2012 by Karen 40 Comments

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Beauty Jeopardy

Karen: “Hmm… Since I’m on a roll, I’ll take Famous Crazy Cat Ladies for a thousand, Alex.”

Alex Trebek: “This pop star, crazy cat lady and ex-wife of Russell Brand has a perfume line with bottles shaped like cats… Karen?”

Karen: “Who is Katy Perry?”

Alex Trebek: “Correct! Well, you certainly know your cat ladies, Karen, and your Madonna lyrics and Ryan Gosling trivia. Two categories left — Projectile Sports, and the NARS Paramaribo Eyeshadow Duo.”

Karen: “I’ll take NARS Paramaribo for $200, Alex.”

Alex Trebek: “Paramaribo is named after the capital city in this tropical South American country… Oh, and there she goes.”

Karen: “What is Suriname, Alex? NARS Paramaribo for $400.”

Alex Trebek: “These five attributes distinguish NARS Paramaribo from your everyday, run-of-the-mill eyeshadow duo… Karen?”

Karen: “What are soft texture, high shine, punchy pigments, booyah blending, and color that resists creasing and fading? Let’s keep going with NARS Paramaribo for $600, Alex.”

Alex Trebek: “This duo from the NARS permanent collection is sometimes mistaken for Paramaribo due to its bronzy tones… Karen, first on the draw.”

Karen: “What is the NARS Star Sailor Duo?”

Alex Trebek: “Correct!”

Karen: “I’ll stick with NARS Paramaribo for $800, Alex…”

NARS Paramaribo on the left and Star Sailor on the right

Swatches of NARS Paramaribo on the left and Star Sailor on the right
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The NARS Mexican Rose Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil Diaries (Uncensored)

January 11th, 2012 by Karen 59 Comments

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Excerpted from the diary of a NARS Mexican Rose Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil…

Dear Diary,

Didn’t do much yesterday other than radiate awesomeness.

Yeah, that’s right. I make it rain! And if that makes me sound conceited, so be it.

My pink-haired roommate (we totally match!) tells me all the time, “you’re basically the sh*t.” She clearly sees that I’m the chupacabra of perfect pink lips.

Coral Vine, aka Mexican Rose I think she might be my new BFF, which is funny… Girls usually get so jealous of my dense pink pigment, high shine and easy-to-apply pencil tip.

But it’s not my fault that I’m so awesome and unique. I can’t help that I start off all super shiny like a gloss or that I morph into a hot pink lip stain with a subtle sheen.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s so not easy being flawless, and when I finally make my debut beside the rest of the NARS spring 2012 collection on January 13, not only will I have to shoulder the burden of perfection, but popularity, too.

Oh, well… Both of them are crosses I’m willing to bear.

Anywho, the pink-haired girl and I hung out for 12 full hours yesterday. She slipped me on shortly after brunch. Then, I watched her write a bunch of cheesy @ss puns — “Mexican Rose blooms with intense pigment,” “This pink is the hot house flower of NARS spring 2012,” and “Send me a dozen Mexican Roses for Valentine’s Day” — while we shared six cups of tea, a Honeycrisp apple (wow, those are good!) and spent time harassing her rotund tabby cat.

Next thing I knew, night had fallen, and we were off to yoga class (I would’ve preferred a swanky museum opening or a garden party).

I gotta say, I was the hottest pink lip in the room — well, the only pink lip in the room, but details, shmetails.

At one point in the class, between awkward downward dogs, the pink-haired girl checked herself out in the mirror and mouthed, “Holy crap! Mexican Rose is still going strong!”

Back at the house, we watched an episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (is Brandi’s butt for real?!) and had a dinner of slightly burnt broccoli and pasta, with a few kisses from a dude who kindasorta looked like Detective Stabler for dessert.

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Glossy!
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NARS Spring 2012 Swatches

January 10th, 2012 by Karen 34 Comments

Swatches of eight of the nine pieces from the NARS Spring 2012 collection for eyes, cheeks, lips and nails. Reviews coming soon!

Trio Eyeshadow in Douce France, a shimmery icy pink, a rose petal pink and a matte deep rose ($45; limited edition)

Duo Eyeshadow in Paramaribo, a metallic brass and bronze ($34; limited edition)
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NARS Spring 2012 Product Pics

January 10th, 2012 by Karen 17 Comments

NARS Spring 2012 just hit my desk, and I couldn’t wait to give you a looksy. Reviews to follow in the next few days, but for now, peep these product pics of eight items from the nine-piece collection for eyes, cheeks, lips and nails. 🙂

Trio Eyeshadow in Douce France, a shimmery icy pink, a rose petal pink and a matte deep rose ($45; limited edition)

Duo Eyeshadow in Paramaribo, a metallic brass and bronze ($34; limited edition)

Single Eyeshadow in Lhasa, a lavander gray ($24)

Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Dark Rite ($24)

Blush in Gaiety, a bright candy pink ($28)
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NARS Unsung Heroes: Cyprus Eyeshadow

January 4th, 2012 by Karen 27 Comments

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Things of which one can never have enough…

Good friends
Cozy sweaters
See’s Candies (well…)
Come-hither jeans
Kitty hugs
Black shoes
Love notes
Power-nap eyeshadows

Power-nap eyeshadows are like soft white lightbulbs for your eyes — shades that instantly brighten up tired peepers after a late night or an insomnia attack.

Some people yearn to scale Mount Everest; I yearn to amass a collection of power-nap eyeshadows so vast that it would scare the hosts of Hoarders!

My latest power-nap love, NARS Cyprus Eyeshadow ($23), is a shimmery bronze with a golden whisper. The morning after a rough night, I apply one layer over my lids and mellow out the edges with a finger.

“Ah!” Instant relief. 🙂 And quicker than a shower and mani.

I’m also fond of using Cyprus as a base for bronzy looks using colors like the dark bronze shadow from NARS Star Sailor, a combo I could happily wear every day for weeks.

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NARS Unsung Heroes: Indian Summer Eyeshadow Duo

December 29th, 2011 by Karen 14 Comments

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NARS has a knack for neutral eyeshadows but likes ’em with a twist, like Star Sailor, which accompanied me on my quick holiday trip last weekend. Keeping us company on the open road was another dynamic neutral duo from NARS, the $33 Indian Summer Duo Eyeshadow, which happens to be the subject of today’s Unsung Heroes post.

Like both of the colors in Star Sailor, Indian Summer’s shadows keep a low profile until they get out of their pans; that’s when their powder shadows sing. In the official PR, the shades are described as a frosted champagne and a mustard seed, but I think they’re much more exciting than that.

How about this? — a shimmery golden beige that flashes silvery taupe, and a buttery golden brown satin?

Right? 🙂 Both shadows bring a subtle brightening effect to lids — not too much. Just enough that you can tell there’s something there.

Since these powders lean toward the warm end of the color temperature spectrum, I think they look particularly fetching on tans and olive-toned skin.

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NARS Unsung Heroes: Cairo Eyeshadow

December 28th, 2011 by Karen 10 Comments

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So. Majorly. Jealous. You’re so lucky you can pull off every shade of taupe. Not fair!

I love taupe…especially taupe eyeshadows, but for me it can be a tough color to wear. On my warm skin tone, the wrong taupe can leave my lids looking muddy or bruised.

Thank goodness for NARS Cairo ($23) — one of the prettiest, most wearable taupes I’ve found. There it was, sitting like purplish pirate treasure on a shelf during one of Sephora’s Friends & Family sales a while back. I brought it home, and I’ve been reaching for it on a regular basis ever since.

NARS characterizes it as a shimmery champagne rose (isn’t that a pretty description?). I’ve seen it grace a few different lids, and it hasn’t looked the same way twice. I think that’s because it’s complex, and the color varies based on the wearer’s skin temperature (warm/cold) and tone. On one lass it might look like a beige taupe, on another, more of a rosy shade. On me, I think it looks like a violet taupe with a silvery sheen, and sometimes I swear I also see flashes of gold in it.

Super pretty! — and easy to wear, too. It’s one of the products I turn to when I want fresh-looking, dewy eyes.

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