NARS Coeur Sucre Larger Than Life Lipgloss

NARS Coeur Sucre Larger Than Life Lipgloss ($26.00 for 0.19 fl. oz.) is described as a “shimmering vibrant pink.” It’s a medium cotton candy pink with blue undertones and a silver-white micro-glitter/shimmer. I couldn’t think of too many shades that came close to this. MAC Vanity Fair is much lighter and has no shimmer (more like a liquid lipstick formula). NARS Angelika would be much closer, except it’s not as opaque and applies fairly streaky. MAC Sassy Lassy is darker and brighter.

The Larger Than Life formula is designed to give “intense color” with “brilliant shine” while being long-wearing. It also has moisturizing ingredients and “natural lip enhancers” that will plump lips. The consistency of Coeur Sucre isn’t too thick or too thin, and it’s not a gloss I’d call lightweight, but it doesn’t feel thick and goopy either. It has a gel-like texture initially, which is non-sticky, but after a half hour or so, it delivers a tackiness that gets rather sticky after an hour and a half (much as I experienced with Giorgio Armani Gloss d’Armani). It delivers semi-opaque color and applies surprisingly evenly for a gloss in this color–there is some minor settling into lip lines that is barely noticeable because of the high-shine finish.

Coeur Sucre wore for five and a half hours, which is longer than the average gloss wears (three to four hours; as little as two for lighter shades).  I found the formula to be hydrating–sometimes when you wear just gloss all day long, your lips can easily show signs of dehydration, but even after twelve hours of wearing the Larger Than Life formula, my lips felt lush and lovely.  I don’t see (or feel!) any plumping effect; the glossy shine does give lips a larger, more luminous appearance.

Here is what I loathe about this product–and I don’t use the word lightly–the applicator. It is like applying lipgloss with a toothpick, or nearly so. It’s just absolutely miniscule, and if you have very thin lips, I think this may be the applicator you’ve been looking for, but even you may find it takes several pumps of gloss to get enough product to cover your lips. I get that NARS is hoping this applicator will give you the precision you want, but it’s unnecessarily small. You can maneuver around the lip lines with something double the size. In order to cover my lips, I had to go back five times for color.

NARS Coeur Sucre Larger Than Life Lipgloss

NARS Coeur Sucre Larger Than Life Lipgloss

NARS Coeur Sucre Larger Than Life Lipgloss

NARS Coeur Sucre Larger Than Life Lipgloss

NARS Coeur Sucre Larger Than Life Lipgloss

NARS Coeur Sucre Larger Than Life Lipgloss

NARS Norma Larger Than Life Lipgloss (see applicator)