NARS Oasis Highlighting Blush ($29.00 for 0.16 oz.) is described as a “sparkling pink champagne.” It’s a softened, reddish-plum with a hint of golden shimmer that translates to a shimmer-sheen when applied to the skin. NARS Debbie Harry #1 is similar but has silver sparkle. theBalm Cabana Boy is slightly less red (more plum).
This blush is nicely pigmented, and you should have no trouble building up color to true-to-pan payoff or going for something softer and sheerer. There are a few bits of golden sparkle but they seem to get lost before they even hit the skin, as I couldn’t detect them on the skin. Instead, there was a faint golden sheen that was quite lovely on the skin as it did not emphasize pores. Oasis should be flattering across skin tones, because it’s not too dark or too light, not too warm or too cool-toned. The texture is soft, finely-milled, and very blendable on the skin. It applies evenly and sits well on the skin, and then it wears well–a solid eight hours and only minimal fading after nine hours.
This season, NARS dresses up lips in the new Satin Lip Pencil. Drenched in decadent moisture for an ultra creamy finish, thirteen statement shades smolder with rich pigments. Created by Founder & Creative Director Francois Nars, the Satin Lip Pencil combines the convenience of a pencil with the application of a lipstick in a jumbo-size crayon design.
NARS Nico Highlighting Blush ($29.00 for 0.16 oz.) is described as a “natural glow.” It’s a lightly warmed-up, pale beige with a subtle sheen. When I tried thinking of potential dupes, I wasn’t finding any. The closest I could come up with was theBalm Solid Gold, which is really much yellower and frosted.
I actually think Nico was one of the first few NARS products I ever purchased, and it may have been one of my first NARS blushes. It was recommended to me as a brow highlighter, actually, and as a light wash of color for lids. As a blush, it doesn’t quite work on my skin tone. Nico is a shade that you’ll love or never have a use for, and it’s really going to depend on your skin tone and how you want to use it. It’s categorized as a blush, but I think it might be better suited as a NARS “Highlighting Blush.” As you can see on my skin tone, it’s very nearly my skin tone–just with a sheen, so it does give me a slight “glow” when worn on the cheeks. I do prefer it (on me) as a brow bone highlighter, because I feel like you can see it better, and it sometimes looks a bit powdery when I’ve worn it on cheeks.
The texture is very soft and finely-milled, and I’d recommend using softer bristles with it, as it can be powdery with a denser blush brush (the “scratchier” the brush feels on your skin, the more powder gets dislodged from the pan). Nico lasts seven hours on my cheeks, and then it starts to look a bit patchy towards the eight-hour mark. I’ve worn this of and on throughout the years, and when my cheeks are more normal, it can be quite nice, but it definitely isn’t as flattering if my cheeks have any dryness. I think for those with oilier skin types, it might work well as a highlighter as it shouldn’t look too dewy or glowy (which can sometimes make oilier skin types look oilier). The sheen does not emphasize pores, which is the best part about it, though–it’s all sheen, no shimmer or frost.
NARS New Order Highlighting Blush ($29.00 for 0.16 oz.) is described as a “sheer highlighter with golden shimmer.” It’s a pale, cool-toned, blue-based pink with golden sparkle and a golden shimmer-sheen finish. MAC Veronica’s Blush is warmer, less sparkly. NARS Undress Me is a grayer pink and has silver sparkle (that is more like glitter in particle size).
Despite NARS’ great success with Albatross, their other Highlighting Blushes have a high dosage of sparkle and shimmer that doesn’t bind with the underlying powder/blush color, so a lot of the sparkle gets lost, looks unflattering on the skin, and sometimes travels for parts unknown. New Order has a powdery, almost gritty, texture, as a result of all the sparkle that just seems to sit on top at all times. If this had no sparkle but just a level of golden sheen, I think it would work better.
The pigmentation is as described–sheer–and will add some pink on lighter complexions (like a blush) while perhaps brightening on deeper complexions. When it blends out, it’s mostly just sparkle/shimmer and the pink coloring fades away. This shade wore six and a half hours, and then I only saw remnants of sparkle. This is my second pan of New Order, and while the texture was still on the powdery side, it wasn’t nearly as dry as my original New Order.
NARS Miss Liberty Highlighting Blush ($29.00 for 0.16 oz.) is described as a “soft, shimmering peach.” It’s a soft, subtly warm-toned peach with hints of beige (that keep it from being too warm) with sparkle and very luminous finish. bareMinerals The Love Afair is more golden and has a soft sheen for a finish, rather than sparkles. MAC Superb has a similar color on, but it is a bit darker and browner. MAC How Beautiful! is slightly more beige and has no sparkle.
This is a shade I’ve reviewed in the past (here), but I have a horrible compulsion to redo things after about a year. Miss Liberty is going to appeal to those who love shimmer and sparkle; it’s by no means a subtle highlighter or sheen. It’s sparkle-city, but it has a really cool, almost wet-like sheen on the skin beyond the sparkle (and if you aren’t keen on sparkle, you can buff them mostly away). There is some emphasis of the skin texture and pores–that very slick, radiant sheen might be worth the cost to some, and to others, unforgivable.
Unlike NARS’ regular blush range, the Highlighting Blushes are “made with transparent pigments to avoid heaviness on the skin,” and are, generally, rather sheer/subtle. It’s no Taj Mahal! There’s no chalkiness or powderiness to the peachy color, so it should work, as NARS states, across skin tones. If you have any redness, the peach coloring of Miss Liberty should help reduce the appearance of it. I re-tested the wear of this shade, and I still only experienced seven hours of good wear but much had faded away after eight hours.
NARS 413 BLKR The Multiple ($39.00 for 0.50 oz.) is described as a “rich burgundy.” It’s a reddish-wine with a little rust and berry thrown in for good measure that dries down to a mostly matte finish–there’s a very subtle shimmer that reads matte on the skin. My first thought was that it seemed like a dead-ringer for NARS Seduction, which launched recently, and it’s really quite close; so it’s a matter of whether you prefer powder or cream-to-powder. NARS Dolce Vita is much pinker. MAC Hidden Treasure is warmer, more orange. NARS G-Spot has more shimmer and is a softer, slightly rosier color. NARS Grenadines (an eyeshadow) is also similar but very matte, slightly muted.
Now, The Multiple and I don’t get along as well as you’d expect, and the reality is that as a multi-tasking product, The Multiples are disappointing. Trying to use one on the lips is like signing yourself up for a one-way trip to chapped, cracked, and peeling lips that look as awful as they feel. Turning them a reddish color only serves to make lips look almost bloody and torn. It was not a flattering look at all.
Multiples can also be used on eyes and cheeks, though if you have sensitivities to red dyes, you may want to avoid using this on the eyes. When I used it on the eye area, there was some noticeable creasing after six hours. The best application of The Multiple tends to be on the cheeks, and 413 BLKR is no exception. It’s an incredibly pigmented product, and two little dabs will give plenty of color for most complexions. The product applies best when warmed up, so fingertips tend to be helpful in spreading and blending out the product. I like using a brush to apply and spread but then use fingertips to soften the edges. Once applied, I saw good wear for seven and a half hours, and then after nine hours, there was noticeable fading.
