NARS Fervor Dual-Intensity Blush ($45.00 for 0.21 oz.) is a mix of warm pink and plum. The formula can be used wet or dry, with dry application yielding a “bold flush,” while damp application gives a “translucent wash of color.” The blushes perform best when applied dry, as they blend and diffuse with little effort and have decent wear (though wear definitely is longer and improved with a damp application). Applying either damp is trickier, as you lose a lot of the ability to blend, and it’s really more like tugging and dabbing color into place, but it never appears as nicely diffused and blended as dry application does. Damp application also means you have to contend with potentially emphasizing pores due to shimmery finishes getting amplified; the lighter shade in the duo didn’t seem to do so, but the darker shade will get very metallic quickly if you aren’t careful (and will take a lot of work to tamp it back down). The texture of the blushes is soft and smooth to the touch, but the powder itself has a firmer press, so really soft, feathery brushes (like Chikuhodo Zs, SUQQU, etc.) do not work well with these in particular. I primarily used MAC 159s when applying these, as they worked well for both dry and damp application methods.

Fervor (Left) is described as a “shimmering, soft pink.” It’s a light-medium pink with warm, yellow undertones and a silvery shimmer. The pigmentation was similar both wet and dry–mostly opaque–but dampened application made the color two to three shades darker and intensified the shimmery effect in the finish. Luckily, while it has noticeable shimmer, it doesn’t intensify to the point where it’s harder to apply; it stayed luminous without emphasizing pores regardless of application method. On me, the blush lasted for seven hours applied dry and eight hours applied damp. LORAC Underrated (LE) is darker, more matte. MAC Modest Blush (LE, $27.00) is more matte. MAC Lesson in Love (LE, $21.00) is lighter. Chanel Sakura (87) (LE, $45.00) is more matte, warmer. Charlotte Tilbury Love Glow (P, $40.00) is similar. Giorgio Armani Eccentrico (LE, $88.00) is warmer. MAC Dainty (P, $27.00) is less shimmery. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Fervor (Right) is described as a “sparkling deep coppery rose.” It’s a medium-dark, coppery brown with pink and gold shimmer for a more frosted finish. Applied dry, it had semi-opaque pigmentation with a soft, frosted finish. Applied damp, it was darker, bolder, and nearly metallic. It is a lot harder to work with damp than dry, so my recommendation is to apply dry unless you really need the color intensify of damp application, but be prepared for a lot of buffing and/or dusting of translucent powder to tamp it down. Just blending the damp product is significantly harder, whereas dry application feels nearly effortless. Applied damp, the metallic finish emphasizes the skin’s natural texture and any pores in the area. Applied dry, it wore well for eight hours, and applied damp, it lasted for eight and a half hours. This one was more of a chameleon between dry and damp applications, as it takes on a stronger rosy/plum color damp compared to how warm and copper it is dry. Sephora + Pantone Universe Marsala (LE) is rosier. MAC Make You Mine (P, $23.50) is less shimmery. Gucci Beauty Cherry Nectar (P, $49.00) is redder. Tom Ford Beauty Contour (Softcore) (LE, $55.00) is redder. NARS Mauritanie (LE, $39.00) is a cream, matte. Chanel Canaille (89) (LE, $45.00) is similar to the dry application, primarily. NARS Na Pali Coast (P, $39.00) is a cream. MAC Scene to Be Seen (Inner) (LE, $30.00) is similar. NARS Lovejoy (P, $29.00) is slightly more plum. MAC Stylish Me (LE, $21.00) is darker. MAC Ambering Rose (P, $21.00) is warmer, brighter. MAC Stratus (LE, $27.00) is darker. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

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NARS Fervor Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Fervor Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Fervor Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Fervor Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Fervor (Left) Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Fervor (Left) Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Fervor (Left) Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Fervor (Left) Dual-Intensity Blush (Wet)

NARS Fervor (Left) Dual-Intensity Blush (Wet)

NARS Fervor (Right) Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Fervor (Right) Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Fervor (Right) Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Fervor (Right) Dual-Intensity Blush (Wet)

NARS Fervor (Right) Dual-Intensity Blush (Wet)

NARS Fervor Dual-Intensity Blush (Both) (Dry)