NARS

A Friday Face of the Day With the New NARS Matte Multiples

February 21st, 2014 by Karen 28 Comments

Wearing the new NARS Laos and Cappadoce Matte Multiples on my cheeks — Those are the new NARS Laos and Cappadoce Matte Multiples on my cheeks.

I took a couple of the new NARS Matte Multiples out for a spin today. 🙂

I wanted to see if they’d work on top of NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation, and they did! They buffed and blended easily, and now it’s just a question of seeing how well they wear over the next few hours…

Cappadoce, the golden bronze, I’m wearing as a bronzer, and I’m wearing Laos, the rosy coral, as a blush.

Um…yes, I am wearing warm coppery bronze colors on my eyes, again, this time via Tom Ford’s eye quad in Cognac Sable. Apparently, I’m going through a phase, LOL!

Tom Ford Cognac Sable Quad — Tom Ford Cognac Sable on my lids, MAC Superslick Liquid Liner in Definitely Feline on my upper lash lines and MAC Costa Riche on my water lines

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My Valentine’s Day Face of the…Night With NARS

February 14th, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

NARSissist Palette — Tonight I’m wearing the NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette to the movies

It’s just me and the boys tonight, El Hub and Tabs, per usual.

We were all supposed to go to a movie (About Last Night), but Tabs totally ditched us (no explanation, either), so it’s just gonna be El Hub and moi.

Cats are so rude, aren’t they? After I Fandango’d the tickets this afternoon, I walked out of my office and saw a pile of Louis Vuitton bags by the front door.

I guess Tabs is going somewhere? I kept getting mysterious texts today, too, like one from his car service saying that his “flight is on time.”

Whatev!

I hope the movie’s good… It has a 75% on rottentomatoes. That’s a good sign.

Other than that — and this sounds a little weird — we have to run to Target to get a space heater tonight because our gas line is off. Yup, the contractors who’ve been fixing our siding for the past couple weeks discovered a problem with the gas line, and so we’re trying to figure out how we’re going to stay warm and shower…

Most romantic-al Valentine’s Day ever!

Needless to say, necessity will be the mother of invention tonight. I think we’re going to try to improvise something with a 5-gallon bucket filled with hot water from the stove or an empty 5-gallon spring water bottle.

I feel like this is the kind of situation where chocolate can help… And maybe also caramel.

About my makeup, I didn’t feel too ambitious tonight, so I just went with my default going-out eye look — a brown smokey cat eye with a bright lip.

It’s called lazy girl makeup, yo! 🙂

Thank goodness for the NARSissist Palette. It made getting ready easy, since I didn’t have to go searching high and low for different shadows.

BAM! — it was all right there.

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A Pink and Bronze Face of the Day Using the NARSissist Eye Palette, With Help From MAC and Urban Decay

January 23rd, 2014 by Karen 25 Comments

A few things…

First, this morning I tried on a pair of skinny jeans I ordered online and got stuck in them.

Seriously.

Apparently, I wasn’t paying close enough attention and ordered the wrong size.

Yeah…

I’d managed to shimmy into them up to my thighs when I realized that something was very wrong, and if I’d kept going, I’d need prayer and the Jaws of Life to get out of them.

Lesson learned here, kids. If you’re going to purchase the Citizens of Humanity Avedon skinny jeans, go up at least one size.

Second, SWV lives!!!

I found them while channel surfing last night. SWV Reunited on WE. The combination of early ’90s R&B and reality TV gets me weak in the knees… I can hardly speak. I lose all control. Then something comes over me… 🙂 Hahaha!

Third, I realized this afternoon that pinkish bronze metallic eyes are totally fun. And not too hard to create, believe it or not! I got the idea from a pink and bronze eye look I saw on UD’s website.

For this face of the day, I went with a few products from MAC, NARS and Urban Decay.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation

January 20th, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

“Feline enthusiast.”

“Beauty addict.”

“Beyonce advocate.”

“Defender of dental floss.”

“Hater of the word, ‘panties.'” (YUCK! I can’t even stand seeing it in print.)

“Advocate of enabling (primarily in the makeup arena).”

“Enemy of under-eye circles.”

Like you, I wear many badges, and I wear them all with pride. 🙂

“Foundation philanderer.” I’m growing quite fond of that one, too.

Interestingly, I’m able to remain committed to the same cat for seven years (I don’t count my dalliances with Charlize and Orangey, my two favorite neighborhood kitties), yet I’m unable to stay with the same foundation for more than a few months.

Weird.

Just when I think I’ve found THE ONE, I stumble on to something else, and frequently describe it as having, air quotes, “changed my life.”

As of now, that distinction goes to NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation, and yes, it really has “changed my life.” 🙂

At least I think it has… I certainly love it; that’s for sure.

Yeah…I’m kind of on a serious NARS kick right now, and Radiant Cream has something to do with it.

It’s a great little foundation, especially if you like medium-to-full coverage and have combination, or straight-up dry, skin.

I’ve been fiendishly obsessed with MAC Face & Body for the better part of a year, and I still love it…but I’ve temporarily set it aside in favor of this. For now. I mean, I still have mad love for Mac Face & Body, but like I said — I’m on a serious NARS kick.

This stuff handles my combination dry/oily skin like RyGos handles ab work — beautifully. Even the dry parts. It smooths and evens out my skin tone without catching on any flakes or drawing attention to my dry or scaly bits (gross, but true). Great coverage, and it looks natural.

Wearing NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation in Barcelona

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The Fab 5, Vol. 3: NARS Cosmetics

January 17th, 2014 by Karen 24 Comments

Wow, this was hard…narrowing it down to just 5.

I should have called this one the Fab 15, LOL! I’m almost certainly going to have to do a part 2 version to dig into the eyeshadows, blushes and lip products. Let me know if you think I should.

Um…as for the video, sorry about the awkward pauses that last a couple beats too long. I had planned to edit them out, but then I was stricken by a bout of fatigue and laziness.

Oh, well. Big sigh…

Products mentioned in the video:

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($42)
NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base ($24)
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($28)
NARS Amour Blush ($29)
NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Lodhi ($25)

Thank you, as always, for watching, my friend. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Watch Out, Pores! The New NARS Pro-Prime Instant Line & Pore Perfector Has It In for You

January 17th, 2014 by Karen 23 Comments

Took me a hot second to get around to trying NARS Pro-Prime Instant Line & Pore Perfector, NARS’ newest face product, because, let’s be real, I get REALLY easily distracted by pretty colors (see: High Seize, Final Cut, the NARSissist Eye Palette), and Instant Line & Pore Perfector is un-remarkably colorless.

But, I finally took it out for a spin this week, and I’m glad I did.

The name pretty much says it all: Pro-Prime Instant Line & Pore Perfector. A colorless primer in stick form, you use it target specific areas of the face where you want to smooth out fine lines and pores.

According to NARS, “line and pore-filling microspheres” in the formula, along with hyaluronic acid, smooth skin and gently plump fine lines. The stuff also has something called “spherical line smoothing powder,” which makes wrinkles less visible by a trick of light. They evenly reflect it and brighten up the dark areas within the wrinkles themselves.

The formula feels like a lightweight, non-sticky, non-greasy balm. Just glide the stick on top of wherever you want some smoothing, and then pop your face products on top.

I’ve been using it as a spot “perfector” this week on top of my usual primer, MAC Natural Radiance. After I work a dollop of Natural Radiance into my skin, I swipe Instant Line & Pore Perfector on my cheeks, under my eyes and around my mouth — the places where my pores and fine lines need serious mellowing. Then, I blend it in with my fingers.

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The New NARS NARSissist Eye Palette Plays Like a Compilation of NARS No. 1 Hits

January 13th, 2014 by Karen 42 Comments

I think of two things when I hold the new NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette in my paw…

The first one is awesomeness, as in the state of being awesome.

The second one is Greek mythology.

Remember Narcissus? He was the guy so enamored with his reflection in a pool of water that he couldn’t leave it, and eventually, um, he died.

Seriously, dude? You couldn’t even take a break from admiring yourself to at least eat some fruit??

Anyway, I remember reading that story for the first time in fourth grade, which was during the height of my Greek mythology phase, and thinking, “Wow…Narcissus must’ve been really, REALLY cute. I bet he looked like Michael J. Fox.” LOL!

Oh, NARS…

Not gonna lie, I could spend hours cooing at this palette like I’m Narcissus at that pond. “Oh, sweet palette… You’re such a gorgeous palette. Yes you are! I lurve you sooo much.”

Essentially, it’s the brand’s version of a neutral/Naked palette, and holla! — it’s kind of amazing.

NARSissist (NARS∙is∙sist) (n.) – lives by her own rules, not afraid to express herself in every look, mood or attitude. Effortlessly captivating with a bottomless makeup bag.

NARS Cosmetics introduces the NARSissist Eye Palette, named for and inspired by the brand’s devoted fans and cult followers, this inaugural palette will set the stage for future NARSissist products to come.

— NARS PR

The limited edition palette plays like a compilation of NARS No. 1 hits. Most of its 15 powder eyeshadows hail from the NARS single eyeshadows permanent line, while a handful of them appear in NARS permanent eyeshadow duos.

There is also one formerly limited edition shade, Bad Behavior, a deep pewter from the Guy Bourdin holiday 2013 collection.

The whole enchilada: 15 shades

All About Eve I: a flesh-toned neutral (permanent)
Ashes to Ashes: a shimmery violet-based brown (permanent)
Fez: a velvety cocoa (permanent)
Bad Behavior: a deep pewter (limited edition; this is the one from the Guy Bourdin holiday collection)
Bali: a neutral matte brown (permanent)
Brousse II: a shimmery blackened violet (permanent)
Coconut Grove: a deep brown infused with reflective particles (permanent)
Dogon II: a charcoal black (permanent)
Madrague I: a matte cream (permanent)
Madrague II: a matte caramel (permanent)
Belissima I: a shimmering beige with subtle glitter (permanent)
Mekong: an espresso infused with gold (permanent)
Lhasa: a lavender grey (permanent)
Pandora II: a matte black (permanent)
Nepal: a soft, sheer rose (permanent)

Nepal! Lhasa! Coconut Grove! The darker shade from the Dogon duo! OMG! I can’t even…

If I were ever to make a list of my end-all, be-all, must-have NARS eyeshadows, so many of these colors would make the cut. It is literally (OK, figuratively) my NARS eyeshadow palette dream come true.

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With Provocative Pink Pairings for Cheeks and Lips, the NARS Final Cut Collection Arrives in Time for Valentine’s Day

January 10th, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

NARS Descanso Satin Lip Pencil — Wearing the new NARS Final Cut collection on my cheeks and lips

Right now, the only thing that sounds better to me than biscuits, mashed potatoes and buttered corn (I love KFC’s sides!) and my booty on the couch is the NARS Final Cut collection.

Key words: pink, blushes, lip pencils and illuminators. And pink.

NARS Final Cut Collection — Eight of the 9 pieces in the new NARS Final Cut collection

Grabby hands! I haz them. 😀

In Final Cut, a limited edition release coming arriving next month, NARS re-imagines pink lips and cheeks with modern femininity. Like @ss-kicker boots worn below a frilly lace dress, the colors are edgy and fierce.

Nice.

The collection includes four Blushes, four Satin Lip Pencils (my favorite formula in the NARS lip product line) and one shimmery liquid Illuminator. And yes, pink.

Lots and lots of pink.

The nine-piece NARS Final Cut collection…

Sex Fantasy Blush: a pale lavender pink ($29)
New Attitude Blush: a cherry blossom pink ($29)
Final Cut Blush: a peachy coral ($29)
Love Blush: a tea rose ($29)
Adelaide Illuminator: a shimmering lavender pink ($30)
Stourhead Satin Lip Pencil: a pale lavender pink ($25)
Villa Lante Satin Lip Pencil: a cherry blossom pink($25)
Torres del Paine Satin Lip Pencil: a peachy coral ($25)
Descanso Satin Lip Pencil: a tea rose ($25)

Each of the blushes has a matching lip pencil, with the idea being that you can wear matching sets of coordinating colors together — a lip pencil with its matching blush. Or, of course, you can mix things up and wear any of the colors together. The liquid highlighter goes with everything.

Here are pics and impressions on eight of the nine pieces (I’ll post my thoughts on the fourth blush, Final Cut, soon). In a word: beautiful. In two words: absolutely beautiful. And four more words for good luck: super wearable, super flattering.

NARS Sex Fantasy Blush — Sex Fantasy Blush

NARS New Attitude Blush — New Attitude Blush

NARS Adelaide Illuminator — Adelaide Illuminator

NARS FInal Cut Satin Lip Pencils — The FInal Cut Satin Lip Pencils

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