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Omg there’s so many gorgeous products listed here that I now want!!! Aaaahh. Those eyeshadow duos. Kauai and South Pacific are both soooo gorgeous! And I love the 413 Blkr blush! And I bunch of others I didn’t know I needed until now! Lol! Christine this new blog feature of yours is my FAVORITE!!!
Ps – I can’t click on the swatches link for the eyeliners
Hey Bonnie,
I just checked, and I was able to click “view swatches” under eyeliners and it worked for me. I am seeing a broken image (and I don’t know why, I’m purging the cache as we speak, but the image exists and works if I go directly to it, so I’m still looking into that one).
Definitely the translucent setting powder, in particular the loose one!
Awesome!
I second this! Translucent Crystal is amazing!
If you like the Dual Intensity Shadows, pick up a kit, as it’s a lot cheaper than buying singles. Their blushes are awesome, have Lovejoy. Don’t bother buying Laguna or Orgasm as a single, every face palette seems to have one. Their formula for the Audacious lipsticks are great, have mine in Jeanne. As for their Luminous Weightless Foundation, suggest you get samples first, people seem to love it or hate it.
That’s a great idea! If one can catch an LE palette when it’s out, it’s definitely the way to go on that formula. When I was looking for top picks, I was like “This shows how unimpressive a lot of the regular eyeshadow formula is…” as most were Dual Intensity!
I agree with a Dual Intensity e/s palette. I bought six singles when they first came out, and that was pretty pricey! The palettes are a great value.
Seconding the recommendation of not buying Laguna or Orgasm as a single – they’re ALWAYS included in palettes.
I’d recommend one of their contour kits over Laguna actually. Olympia is so flattering on my pale skin!
Good point about Orgasm/Laguna!
I would really just say their lip products. Audacious, crayons, and lipgloss. And I suppose their new dual intensity shadows (although I haven’t tried any, just going off your reviews). They definitely have some good products here and there in their line (several blushes, a few eyeshadow duos, foundations maybe), but there are other products out there with more consistency in quality. Oh, but Radiant Creamy concealer is a great one!
The Audacious line is really great! Wish they’d expand it.
I’d add Lhasa, Melusine, All About Eve, and Tokyo to the eyes. I’d add Charlotte, Liv, Anna, Rikugen, Cruella, Yu, and Quito to the lips. I’d also suggest their bases, concealers, primers, and multi-use products. About the only thing I don’t recommend from NARS any longer are the brushes as they are now hit or miss and too pricey compared to alternatives. Is it cliche to recommend Orgasm and Dolce Vita since they are almost 100% universal?
It was so hard not to effectively have like 90% of the Audacious range on the list, haha!
Oh this is really useful! I haven’t really branched much into Nars’s eye stuff, and a few of the eyeshadows caught my eye. Can see stuff I already love like Dragon Girl and Taos too. Kinda surprised not to see Gina among the blushes though – it was actually my very first blush, and although the colour may not work for everyone, the texture is so lovely,
Gina is a good one!
For those with medium, tan, and deep skin tones, Sin is a must-have blush color! Anna and Raquel continue to be two of my most favorite lip colors of all time.
Sin is a great shade!
I’m on fairer end of the spectrum, and very neutral, and Sin works well for me, too! I have to be extremely careful with blush that has red/pink/berry/plum tones, as I can look sunburned, but not with Sin. I’m also contemplating Seduction and/or Outlaw…
I don’t own a lot of NARS. It would be hard to go wrong with one of their permanent blushes. OG Orgasm blush was my first NARS product way back when it first came out. (Now I dupe it with Sleek Rose Gold.) I don’t own any of the Audacious lipsticks yet, but they’d probably be a great place to start.
My favorites from my meager collection: Isolde duo; Night Porter eyeshadow; Fuji Eyeshadow; NARSissist Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette (especially Giove); D Gorgeous eyeshadow (It’s powdery, but it’s so pretty! I make it work over primer.); Dual Intensity blush in Fervor; NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella; Kismet nail polish.
What’s interesting about NARS Orgasm is I feel like a lot of the dupes out-perform the original! But in a way that’s good, because then one can look at other NARS’ blushes instead 😀
That’s especially true after they changed it to the chunkier glitter. I like Rose Gold much better than that.
Yeah, I have 5 orgasms, and only 2 are dupes in the pan. Made me question the QC. Didn’t know it until I deported.
Don’t you just love automatic spell correction? Depotted.
D. Gorgeous is great (on me) as a transition/blending shadow, so I really like the texture. It’s also handy when using a shadow like Daphne or Outremer, which can be patchy on their own, but when blended with D. Gorgeous, they maintain their color, and stay matte.
Thanks for the tips, Amy. I have used it as a transition shade. That’s really good to know about it helping the patchy matte shades. Next time I have an issue like that, I’ll try D. Gorgeous.
I have an old Orgasm, I love it. I didn’t know they had reformulated it. Pity.
I love Nars for their Sheer Glow Foundation first off blushes in Madly, Douceur, Sin, Deep Throat and Luster. Mata Hari and Gaiety I have to choose one to get. And there goes your blush wardrobe. Eye Shadows pick a duo any duo you can’t go wrong, some of my favs, Alhambra, Kalahari, Cordura, dual intensity in Telesto, Subra, Himilia and Dione, lip products satin and matte pencils and the audacious lipsticks!!!
NARS’ blush is a great way to start off. I love the Dual Intensity range but haven’t had quite as much luck in the regular shadow range, though there are some gems!
Gaiety has a lovely brightening effect and is nearly impossible to overdo, so it’s great to use if you’re in a hurry, or looking sallow. I sometimes use it as a pop of brightness just on the apples over another blush, although it’s great on it’s own too.
There is no Nars counter in my country, which is why I would have to order blindly.
Sin and Dolce Vita look sooo intruiging, but I don’t want to take the risk after my Albatros fail XD
Awwww! I totally understand, Mahatma! NARS is expensive to be ordering blind!
So far, I only have 8 or 9 Nars products, but most of what I’ve had , I’ve loved! Especially the Kauai duo, Calisto and Pasiphae DI eyeshadows, Cruella lip pencil, and I’m in the minority here because I actually loved my pan of Laguna till it was all gone!
I do, however, have a ton of Nars products I want to try: definitely Anna, a toss-up between Barbara and Vanessa, Dragon Girl, Dolce Vita blush, Isolde duo, possibly Kari, Tarvos and/or Subra or Phoebe. Too many!!!
You’ve got some great NARS products, Nancy! 🙂
I would also throw in the dolce vita velvet matte lip pencil. Perfect MLBB in a matte finish. Orgasm multiple is good for eyes and cheeks. It was my first NARS purchase :’)
Dolce Vita is such a pretty shade whether on lips or cheeks!
I want to try out their lipsticks, eyeshadows, concealer, and more of their blushes now. My first buy, surprise: the Nars Orgasm blush just because I love the color itself and peachy pink blushes are a weakness to me. I just don’t dig the prices, though. ;_;
NARS can be pricey!
I have very little NARS, but I love every item I do have! Madly blush is my desert island blush. I’ve been branching out and trying other things, but I always return to Madly. I also have the eyeshadow duo in Alhambra, which is another staple for me and Brigitte from the Audacious lipstick line.
Madly is nice! I wish there were more neutral-y blushes like it in various tones.
I haven’t been a fan of Nars ever since I got the Misfit duo and found out it was matte (it looked shimmery in the photos), plus it was hard to get here in Melbourne.
The duel intensity eye shadows are fantastic and I am a big fan of Tarvos. The Audacious lipstick line was a winner too.
Oh no! That must have been so disappointing.
Those are great choices, so pretty and colorful. I love how you break down into cool and warm categories. I wear more cool tones, but there are a lot of warm-leaning shades I like too.
For first timers to NARS I would also suggest the Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base, Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder, and the Porto Venere Eye Paint is a great brightening lid shade and/or base for my fair/light cool skin.
Their matte Zen “blush” is my HG for contouring or bronzing – it’s not warm at all like it appears on their website – rant coming – why in this day and age these cosmetic companies can’t post color accurate photos and swatches of their products is mind boggling – rant over.
The primer is fantastic! Porto Venere might make a good base, too.
Nars Luxembourg is one of the best colors of lipstick I own. It’s pretty hard to find a dupe and the color looks good on a range of skin tones. It’s brightens the face and really the only bright color I like!
Thanks for sharing, Maren!
I would totally advise starting with a few of their better rated eyeshadow duos (my favourites are Kauai, Nouveau Monde, Habanera and Kalahari) and one or two of their eye paints (Baalbek is the one I love most; Snakeyes is nice too). Lhasa (which Sephora doesn’t seem to carry any more) is one of the most wonderful eyeshadows you can ever hope to buy. The dual intensity shadows are pricey and not everyone’s cup of tea so for those, I’d advise trying to get one of the palettes – they offer more variety, so more bang for your buck from that perspective. One or two of their original blushes (depending on your colouring, Orgasm might be great for you or not a good shade and something like Sin or Mata Hari might be way better. Their lipsticks are good but pricey and from my experience, I’d say STAY AWAY from Radiant Creamy Concealer – it’s dry and dreadful – but their setting powder (loose or pressed) is a great purchase. Their foundations have never been very good on me but I do like the tinted moisturizer and the Light Optimizing Primer. Based on my one experience with their pencil liners (in the Sephora birthday gift), I would stay away from those.
The Eye Paints are underrated, IMO! They’re one of the few products that can actually multi-task as promised! Well, dual-task?
I LOVE Audrey (so much that I wore it on my wedding day) and Fanny. The Audacious formula is probably one of my favorite lip formulas ever.
Audrey is a gorgeous shade!
I have the world’s most sensitive lips – I can hardly even tolerate natural lip balms except for a select few. (I think it’s vitamin E/tocopherol and peppermint oil that are the culprits) and if I wear lipsticks or lip glosses my lips peel to bleeding for days. This started in my late 20’s and I went for YEARS without any lip color fun. Until I received a 500 point perk from Sephora a few years back which was Nars – it included a mini-Orgasm blush and velvet gloss pencil in New Lover. I was OVER THE MOON when I tried New Lover and it didn’t make my lips peel. I’ve since invested in several shades of their thick lip pencils and they are all fantastic though I wish their selection had more wearable shades (then I’d buy even more).
Orgasm and Laguna. Winners.
My biggest Nars fail is Albatross highlighter. It just looks so sickly on me. I wonder if anyone can pull it off.
How exciting that must have been, Linda! I am happy that you found a formula you can wear!!
I’m a NARS addict … wanted to use different word but …
what a fantastic list Christine 🙂
if I have to recommend I would suggest
Cruella … ohhhh maaaaa it is my lifeline and something that will flatter anyone and everyone
Luxembourg
Yu
Audacious formula … Marlene , Anna and Vivian to name a few
shadows … definitely Dual intensity shades like pasipahe , dione , subra
classic like
deep throat
taos
lovejoy
nars scarlet empress
red lizard
jungle red
niagara and last but not the least
fire down below
these namesssss
I need to try more of the classic NARS reds!
Great post! I would recommend the Radiant Creamy Concealer and the Multiple sticks. They have such a velvety texture and great coverage.
Thanks!
Get an Audacious in your favorite color. Don’t forget that some are .com exclusives. Either get a go-to shade of blush, or wait for a palette. E/S regular was better 10-15 years ago. Dual intensity E/S is better than reg, but usually very shimmery. DI blush has interesting combos, but is highly shimmery. MPO is for the regular blush. Gilda and Gina are .com, and in-stock irregularly. Usually Almeria, that they seem to have rechristened Almerla, is too. It is a Marsala shade. Pencils are only fair (eye.). All the non liner fat lip pencils are usually good quality. Classically good red lip products across the board. If you can wear it, Taj Mahal is beyond belief. Great for women with darker skin tones. Eye duos are inconsistent: consult T or other reviews. Imo all the face products run warm, or too warm for me, but the formulas are quite good. L/S always seemed good to me, esp. the dark reds. Then they did Audacious, and it is to die for.
Taj Mahal is a fierce shade. It’s so rich, but I think it is gorgeous sheer o opaque!
I’m with you on Dione, Callisto, Pasiphae, and Giove, would add Lysithea; love Kauai; love the eyeshadow single Stud, but I guess it’s LE. I love the Eye Paint formula, highly recommend trying at least one; I use Transvaal (to tightline) and Interstellar (as liner or blended out as shadow) frequently. For lip colors, I’m with you on Sylvia, Vivien, and Anna, would add Fanny to the cool colors and Greta to the warm (and Kelly is so beautiful, I really, really, really wish it worked on me — I’ll have to try it again some day); Cruella, Never Say Never, and Luxembourg for cool lip pencils, Golshan for warm, New Lover for a warm gloss pencil. I need to try the cool-toned blushes you mention here. NARS makes some nice base products, but they’re all too yellow for me, so I don’t have enough experience with them to recommend them.
It was hard not to recommend just about every shade of Audacious, lol!
Never thought I’d see an introduction to NARS that doesn’t include Orgasm!
I think their other blushes are actually a lot better to start with! 🙂
One of the blushes. I haven’t tried much of NARS, but they never failed to excite me.
What have you tried, Linda?
I love NARS! It’s one of my favorite brands. You listed several of my favorites: Isolde eyeshadow duo, Malacca eyeshadow single, and Dolce Vita blush. And I’ll third what other commenters have said: you never ever have to buy Orgasm or Laguna. They’re always in a set or a deluxe sample or a gift with purchase. I’ve never been that much into Orgasm, but a lot of people do really like it – it’s a classic for a reason.
I love NARS for their unusual color combinations. I always think, now how do those colors go together, but they do and they’re gorgeous!
The powder foundation is also really nice.
Do you have any other eyeshadow/duo recs, Pteetsa?
I highly recommend all of the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils! I have them in Cruella, Dragon Girl, Red Square, and Damned, and they’re all such beautiful shades with great pigmentation and durability without drying your lips like most of the matte lipsticks out there.
Oh, and how could I forget: I don’t live without my Radiant Creamy Concealer and the Smudgeproof Eyeshadow base!
Great picks, Nathalia!
I love NARS, and especially since i’m a cinephile, I love that many of their product names are references to cinema!
Awesome! 😀
I don’t have much from NARS, I do love the dual intensity shadows, I got the palette and I have used it a lot. The Audasious lipsticks are wonderful, I have Olivia and Vera. I so want Vivien, but I’ve forgotten to check if I can order it from them. For some reason Sephora here only have about half of the line 🙁
I have held Iskandar and Baalbek so many times, but they are on the expensive side, so I’ve gone for chaper pencil liners form other brands.
I would actually have included Orgasm, it is the first NARS product I bought, and I love it. I didn’t know it was reformulated, though. I also love Orgasm lipgloss, I think it’s my most used gloss.
I would not include Laguna, their other super wellknown product, mostly because it’s so wrong for me.
I must add that I really like these New to the Brand posts. So much fun, a good way to get to know the brand from it’s best side, and also a good way to see if one have missed some real goodie.
Happy to hear that palette is getting a lot of use, Helene! It is a pretty one.
I’d recommend Nars blushes hands down. I’d also suggest the eyeshadow duo palettes, the Audacious lipstick line, the creamy concealer and the foundation. The Nars creamy and matte lip pencils are divine. The dual intensity formula is just okay to me. I find that the dual intensity eyeshadows are not long lasting even with a primer.
What are your favorite duos?
I love Nars, but for me it’s all about the powder blushes and the lipsticks. Nobody does those two categories better and the color selection is phenomenal.
What are some of your must-have lipsticks, JoAnn?
I love these introduction posts! Gives me some great ideas. 🙂 I would definitely recommend the Radiant Creamy Concealers, though I know some people have issues with them creasing on the under eyes area. It’s great if you can work with it!
Thank you, Arianne! 🙂
Isn’t Dolce Vita blush warm-toned?
It’s almost a neutral, as it seems to be a blush that pulls cooler on pink undertones and warmer on warm undertones 🙂
I wish for a come back of Rajasthan eyeshadow duo!
Maybe one day!