The Best of NARS Highlighting Powders (2018)
NARS Maldives Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is supposed to “melt seamlessly into skin to enhance your natural glow” with “buildable radiance.” The texture had a smooth feel that was finely-milled but firmer, almost stiff in a way, in the pan (not in a bad way), and it was not at all powdery. There was a dryness and thinness present in the texture that made it less like traditional powder highlighter formulas (including the brand’s original range of highlighting powders), but none of that translated into poor performance.
That being said, all of the shades applied better on the cheeks than the they did applied to my arm. I also noticed that finish became more and more luminous–almost blindingly at times!–as the powder was buffed and blended on my cheeks. They were very reflective and shiny on my cheek bones with semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation. I had no trouble blending and diffusing any of the shades on my skin, and despite having a firmer feel in the pan, I could use fan brushes and other feathery brushes to pickup product. The powders lasted between eight and nine hours on me.
NARS Ibiza Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a slightly muted, medium gold with warm, orange undertones and a luminous sheen. It...
NARS Ibiza Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a slightly muted, medium gold with warm, orange undertones and a luminous sheen. It...
NARS Capri Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a soft, pinkish peach with warm, beige undertones and a luminous sheen. It had...
NARS Capri Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a soft, pinkish peach with warm, beige undertones and a luminous sheen. It had...
NARS Fort de France Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a pale gold with warm, yellow undertones and a metallic finish. The color...
NARS Fort de France Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a pale gold with warm, yellow undertones and a metallic finish. The color...
NARS St. Barths Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a medium-dark copper with warm, orange undertones and a metallic sheen. It had...
NARS St. Barths Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a medium-dark copper with warm, orange undertones and a metallic sheen. It had...
Queen is a soft, peachy copper with warm, brown undertones and a luminous finish. It had good color coverage in a single layer, which was buildable...
Queen is a soft, peachy copper with warm, brown undertones and a luminous finish. It had good color coverage in a single layer, which was buildable...
NARS Albatross Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a bright, light white gold with warm, yellow undertones and a metallic sheen. It...
NARS Albatross Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a bright, light white gold with warm, yellow undertones and a metallic sheen. It...
Disco Nights is a light gold with warmer undertones and a soft, metallic sheen. It had opaque pigmentation with a soft, lightly powdery consistency...
Disco Nights is a light gold with warmer undertones and a soft, metallic sheen. It had opaque pigmentation with a soft, lightly powdery consistency...
1977 is a pale pink with warm undertones and a sparkling sheen. It had semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation with a luminous finish that could be built...
1977 is a pale pink with warm undertones and a sparkling sheen. It had semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation with a luminous finish that could be built...
NARS Maldives Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a medium, rosy copper with warm undertones and a luminous finish. It had...
NARS Maldives Highlighting Powder (2018) ($38.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a medium, rosy copper with warm undertones and a luminous finish. It had...
Glossover Averages
Reader Reviews
Based on 0 Reviews, 3 Quick Reviews
The Good: Smooth (2), Blendable (2), Easy To Apply (1), Long-wearing (1), Great Value (1), Travel-friendly (1)
The In-Between: Buildable (2), Luminous (2), Highly Pigmented (1), Sheer (1)
I really want one. Fort de France in particular. But I surely have enough lovely
highlighters to last me probably forever so I have no excuse 🙁
Join the club, Ginny! I feel much the same. Someone I know has a sample of the rms cream highlighter (I think it’s called “Luminizer”) and was extolling its loveliness and while part of me was thinking of getting it, the logical part of my brain was reminding me that I really don’t like cream highlighters all that much. But these Nars ones are powder and I love both Capri and Fort de France but I’ve barely made a dent in any of the many lovely powder highlighters I already own.
I was looking into the RMS one recently also! I think I saw Lisa Eldridge use it. I was all, “I need a glossy cream one!” But no. I’m better off just mixing one of my powders with Vaseline lol!
I want to get Fort de France both because the shade suits me, but also because I’m French and my uncle is from Martinique, and grew up in the capital (Fort de France). So shade range meets family ties.
These NARS highlighters are beautiful – the shade range, the ratings and, surprisingly for NARS, the names of their products. Not one smutty one here – which must be a record for the brand.
I swatched these in store and Ibiza was the only one that looked really special on my skin, NC35 here. Also looks great on eyes.
Fort de France is my favorite out of all six, but all of these are stunners! I’m also quite a fan of Albatross, too. Especially now that it’s been redone. Hey, finally a brand did a recent reformulation that actually worked out!
I have st barths & ibiza on my wishlist but I need to finish what I have already 🙂
Now this is how you reformulate!