NARS Little Darling Lipstick

NARS Little Darling Lipstick ($24.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a limited edition light beige nude that applies semi-sheer with a glossier finish. It seems to have more neutral undertones, and on me, it looks like my natural lip color pulls a touch of pink out of it. It has a creamier, slicker feel than other NARS lipsticks have, and it is very comfortable to wear.

NARS Lipstick typically wears four to six hours, with a shade like this lasting just under four. It has a creamier texture that’s moisturizing, and this particular shade is more opaque (some shades can be quite sheer). I didn’t notice any waxy scent, as NARS lipsticks are typically unscented but the scent of the waxy base sometimes come through.

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• Product: 27/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: For lighter skin tones, both cool and warm, I see this being a workable nude. It’s sheer enough that it doesn’t come across too pale, but it has enough color to alter the natural color of your lips.

WHERE TO BUY: NARS

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NARS Little Darling Lipstick

NARS Little Darling Lipstick

NARS Little Darling Lipstick

NARS Little Darling Lipstick

NARS Little Darling Lipstick

NARS Little Darling Lipstick

NARS Bad Influence Nail Polish

NARS Holiday 2010: Bad Influence

NARS Bad Influence Nail Polish ($16.00 for 0.5 fl. oz.) is a mushroom brown. It is one of two limited edition nail polishes from NARS for the holidays (the other being Pokerface). I have heard others compare this shade to Chanel Particuliere, but I find Particuliere grayer and less brown (I don’t comparison swatches, because I gave mine away). The are definitely similar, more so in natural lighting, perhaps 90% similarity. I only needed two coats to get creamy, opaque color.

I’ve had good luck with NARS polish in terms of wear–about a week with just minor tip wear but no chipping. Bad Influence wasn’t too thick or thin (but it is on the thinner side), and I didn’t experience any bubbling.

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• Product: 28/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: If Particuliere wasn’t in your budget, NARS is a good alternative that’ll save you a few bucks.

AVAILABILITY: NARS

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NARS Bad Influence Nail Polish

NARS Bad Influence Nail Polish

NARS Bad Influence Nail Polish

NARS Bad Influence Nail Polish

NARS Bad Influence Nail Polish

NARS Bad Influence Nail Polish

NARS Holiday 2010: Petit Monstre Lipstick

NARS Petit Monstre Lipstick ($24.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a softened coral-red with subtle copper shimmer. This shade is a limited edition hue featured in NARS’ Holiday collection. It is similar to MAC Rose Maiden (which seems a little brighter), MAC Thrills Lipstick (which has a much more obvious and reflective copper-gold sheen). It really is a beautiful shade, and it is particularly flattering on neutral and warmer skin tones, but the subtle copper shimmer makes it a shade that can be worn by cooler skin tones, too.

NARS Lipstick typically wears four to six hours, with a shade like this lasting about five. It has a creamier texture that’s moisturizing, and this particular shade is more opaque (some shades can be quite sheer). I didn’t notice any waxy scent, as NARS lipsticks are typically unscented but may have the waxy base come through.

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• Product: 28/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: This is such a great fall/winter lip, and it can even work well for summer trends, too–because a little gold gloss can really brighten it up and make it a perfect summer coral.

AVAILABILITY: NARS

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NARS Petit Monstre Lipstick

NARS Petit Monstre Lipstick

NARS Petit Monstre Lipstick

NARS Petit Monstre Lipstick

NARS Petit Monstre Lipstick

NARS Petit Monstre Lipstick

NARS Holiday 2010: Downtown

NARS Downtown Lipgloss ($24.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a darkened mauve-plum with brightened fuchsia-plum shimmer. It has a high gloss shine, and it is surprisingly thick. I actually found this gloss to be rather thick and tacky, while NARS’ Lipglosses are known for their non-sticky texture. Stickiness aside, I really loved this shade–it seemed different than the usual plums. I loved that it was opaque, but the shimmer and shine almost made it seem metallic when worn.

The texture of this particular gloss felt so different from other NARS’ Lipglosses; the stickiness was one thing, but this was very thick, too.  I don’t mind a tacky gloss myself, but if non-sticky is a must-have, I would pass on this or else try it in-store first.  I did not notice any scent (plastic, wax, or otherwise), though.

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• Product: 28/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: If you can handle very tacky gloss, this is a color worth checking out. It’s flattering on both warm and cool skin tones as well as paler and darker skin tones.

AVAILABILITY: NARS

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NARS Downtown Lipgloss

NARS Downtown Lipgloss

NARS Downtown Lipgloss

NARS Downtown Lipgloss

NARS Downtown Lipgloss

NARS Holiday 2010: Melusine Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo ($32.00 for 0.14 oz.) is one of two new and permanent products from NARS’ Holiday Collection (the other is Sex Appeal). NARS describes these shades as “pale silver lilac” and “bright deep purple.”

From NARS: In folklore tales, a melusine was described as a feminine, free spirited woman. Similarly, this duo eyeshadow is an ultra-modern union of two colors working in harmony. Sweep the bright deep purple across the lid and highlight under brow with the pale silver lilac.

First things first–this is by no means a dupe for NARS Daphne. The swatch tells the whole story! Daphne is a brightened violet with blue undertones, while Melusine (the purple side, of course!) is an eggplant purple with red undertones. Bottom line: they are quite distinct.

The light shade of the duo is a silvery gray, and if I look close enough, I can make out the finest misting of lilac–so light that it’s almost pink. On cooler skin tones, I imagine the lilac will be more pronounced, but the effect is still quite subtle. The finish is a frosted shimmer, smooth overall, but does have shimmer kick up. The darker shade is a rich eggplant purple with red undertones and has a matte finish. It swatches better than Daphne did, but they’re both lovely in use–very rich, smooth, and true-to-color.

I threw this duo on before running some errands, and I had three sweet ladies compliment me on my eyeshadow. There is a lot of contrast in the duo, with the silvered shade being so much lighter than the deeper purple, so it works well on its own. When I wore it, I wore the silvery shade all over the lid with the purple hue in the crease (to highlight, I used Burberry Trench Eyeshadow, which is just my-skintone-but-better!). I’ll try and post that look soon!

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• Product: 27/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: I think as a duo these shades work really well together; you have the mix of textures, nice contrast, and overall, two nicely pigmented, smooth textured eyeshadows.

AVAILABILITY: NARS

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NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Daphne / NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Holiday 2010:  Bougainville

NARS Bougainville Lip Gloss ($24.00 for 0.28 oz.) is described as a “sensual pomegranate … with dramatic, diva-esque color.” The description also goes on to say “deep in pigment yet sheer on the lips,” which is an interesting statement. NARS’ Lip Gloss is non-sticky and scent- and taste-free, though they have been known to smell a bit like plastic or wax. I did not notice any scent whatsoever with my Bougainville, though.

It is similar to fall’s Strawberry Fields in the way it is pigmented, creamy, lacks shimmer, and is non-sticky. The colors, however, are noticeably different. While Strawberry Fields is a bright raspberry pink-red, Bougainville is a rich berry. It has the same color-rich look with a glossy shine but no shimmer, though. This is Strawberry Fields’ older, more sophisticated best friend.

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• Product: 29/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: Because of the richness in color, it would look lovely on cooler, paler complexions for a strong contrast, but it would also flatter deeper skin tones. I think this is more wearable than Strawberry Fields, because it’s dark without being ultra vampy.

AVAILABILITY: NARS

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NARS Bougainville Lip Gloss

NARS Strawberry Fields / Bougainville Lip Gloss

NARS Bougainville Lip Gloss (right)