NARS Dolce Vita and Capri Little Fetishes Set Review & Swatches
Dolce Vita and Capri
NARS Dolce Vita and Capri Little Fetishes ($24.00 for 0.26 oz.) contains a pinky-beige highlighter and a reddened-plum blush, and both shades are available individually within NARS’ permanent range. They performed consistently with the full-sized, individually-sold versions I last tried, so I think it’s a good way to enjoy both products without having to spend much–two shades for less than the cost of one! They’re by no means tiny, so one should get plenty of use out of each (frankly, the highlighter formula at full-size is massive!).
A full-sized blush retails for $30.00 and contains 0.16 oz. or costs $187.50/oz. A full-sized Highlighting Powder retails for $38.00 and contains 0.49 oz. or costs $77.55/oz. This set contains $22.50 worth of blush and $10.86 worth of highlighter for a total value of $33.36.
This set is exclusive to NARS (available now) and Ulta (available 10/14).
Dolce Vita and Capri
LELimited Edition. $24.00.
Dolce Vita
Dolce Vita is a rich, reddened plum with fine golden pearl over a more matte finish. When applied and blended out on my cheeks, it had more of a semi-matte to satin finish–not really shimmery or luminous but not totally matte. The consistency was soft, a little drier of a powder, but it was easy to pick up with my brush and to blend on my cheeks. It was quite pigmented, so a little went a long way, and I’d recommend building up color using a lighter hand to make it easier to apply overall. It stayed on well for eight hours on me.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Tom Ford Beauty Soleil d'Ambre (Blush) (LE, $60.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Flesh Beauty Pulse (P, $26.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Makeup by Mario Wildberry (P, $24.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Love Thing (P, $29.00) is lighter (85% similar).
- Salt New York Wine (P, $16.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Glamour Feast (LE, $21.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Milani Merlot Moment (P, $8.99) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Anastasia Velvet (PiP, ) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Danessa Myricks Spicey (P, $18.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Chanel Lively Rosewood (5) (P, $45.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$30.00/0.16 oz. - $187.50 Per Ounce
From NARS’ website, their blush formula is described as “beautifully pigmented” and “soft [and] blendable.” NARS' blushes, since they've been released in such a massive range of shades over the years, can vary from shade to shade to some degree. Most shades are pigmented with firmer, slightly stiffer consistencies that can also run on the thinner side, which allows greater control when picking up product but some of the more matte shades could be a bit more blendable or easier to work with.
Some of the more newly-released shades have softer, more yielding textures that are a bit creamier and are easier to blend out, though most of NARS' blushes are fairly blendable. The wear typically ranges from eight to nine hours with a few shades falling above or below this range.
Browse all of our NARS Powder Blush swatches.
Dolce Vita
PiPPermanent in Palette. $30.00.
Capri
Capri is a soft, pinky-beige with warmer undertones and a luminous sheen. It had semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation with a soft, smooth consistency that felt slightly emollient to the touch. I find that the formula feels “firmer” in the pan but when I use a highlighting brush with the product, it goes on evenly, smoothly, and blends out easily. It was consistent in color, texture, and quality with the full-sized version I have. It wore well for eight and a half hours on me.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Natasha Denona Light (01) (P, $38.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Viseart Highlight #1 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Intensity 0.5 (Highlight) (PiP, ) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Wet 'n' Wild Blossom Glow (P, $4.99) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- L'Oreal Rose (P, $12.99) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Tarte Gleam (PiP, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Cle de Peau Almond (16) (P, $55.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Cle de Peau Bal Masque (LE, $120.00) (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Luminous (P, $30.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Milani Afterglow (P, $10.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
Formula Overview
$38.00/0.49 oz. - $77.55 Per Ounce
The new powder highlighter formula 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), and 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.
Browse all of our NARS Highlighting Powder (2018) swatches.
Love holiday mini sets!
As I have always wanted Dolce Vita blush, and Capri isn’t bad either, I may have to consider this duo!
Wouldn’t you know it, I purchased Dolce Vita just before I left. I would have preferred this mini size with the highlighter. I will pick this up for my daughter as an Advent Calendar gift if I think it would look okay on her more medium toned skin, the highlighter I mean. I guess I could get it and if the highlighter looks to lite for her skin tone I could use it. I do love Dolce Vita.
Nice set! I haven’t tried either, so it might be a good time to pick these up.
These are really beautiful shades and a welcome addition to the Nars blush family.
I thought I owned Dolce Vida at one time but knowing my visual limitation when applying makeup, I could be wrong. Both look good to me.