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NARS Lovejoy Blush Review, Photos, Swatches

NARS Lovejoy Highlighting Blush
NARS Lovejoy Blush

Celebrate the Joy of Love with NARS!

NARS Lovejoy Blush ($28.00 for 0.16 oz.) is described as a “shimmering bronzed rose.” It’s rosy-red with a little brown thrown in paired with a golden shimmer-sheen. MAC Ring of Saturn is more orange-red, brighter–the two look a little more similar if used softly. Tom Ford Savage is similar but seems a smidgen lighter and has a mostly matte finish. MAC Buddy Up seems fairly close but doesn’t have the golden sheen. MAC Stratus is darker, a little redder.

The finish is noticeably sparkly and has a bit more shimmer than some of the more recent shades we’ve looked at. It did emphasize pores just slightly; not enough where it was too noticeable or really took away from the finish. Though there is a subdued quality to the overall color, there is enough red in it that it may give some skin tones a sunburned look. It had a slightly dry texture, but the color payoff was still good, and the color was blendable and buildable during application. This shade wore for seven full hours and started to have noticeable fading after eight hours.

NARS Lovejoy Blush
NARS Lovejoy Blush

NARS Lovejoy Blush
NARS Lovejoy Blush

NARS Lovejoy Blush
NARS Lovejoy Blush

NARS Lovejoy Blush
NARS Lovejoy Blush

NARS Lovejoy Blush
NARS Lovejoy Blush

NARS Lovejoy Blush
NARS Lovejoy Blush (Diffused Flash)

NARS Lovejoy Blush
NARS Lovejoy Blush (Studio Lighting)

58 Comments

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Farida Avatar

OMG, I was searching your site just last week to see if you did a review on this blush. I am so glad you did one now because I have the same skin tone/colour as you and it looks beautiful! I can finally go and get one for myself!! THX!!!

@maandym Avatar

Hello,
I know you are probably sick of this, but I thought I would give the heads up.
ELF Cosmetics recently posted on their Facebook page, creditless, the super helpful eye diagram you made us way back.

http://www.temptalia.com/tutorial-reference-eye-diagram-parts-of-the-eye-basic-eye-makeup

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=520550374629240&set=a.457447140939564.125665.232187243465556&type=1&ref=nf

It was shared by ELF USA too and who knows which else.

Christine Avatar

They’ve shown over and over that their apology was just to save face but nothing was meant by it – because they continue to repeat their behavior. Thanks for letting me know! I will email them to see if they’ll fix it or remove. I’m always happy to see others share my content and work, but there’s no reason to strip away the source.

Liz Avatar

I like it a lot. However, it looks like it might be similar to L’oreal True Match in Soft Sun (and I already have that). I’ll have to take a look next time I’m at Sephora. Also, your reviews have made me realize that Sephora.com does not carry the full line of Nars blushes. Beauty.com has a bigger selection.

Liz Avatar

Hi Christine. I did a swatch of the True Match in Soft Sun and they do look similar. The Lovejoy has a little bit more gold in it. I’m going off of swatches online though. I’ve never seen Lovejoy in person.

Kafka Avatar

Yeah, Sephora.com carries only 1/2 of NARS’ powder blushes and the stores even less. Maybe as little as 1/3rd or 1/4th. The stores are particularly bad in carrying the cream blushes which are some of my favorite things from NARS. They usually have just *one* out of the 8 or so. Maybe 2 if you’re lucky. Few Multiples, too. If you have a Saks or Neiman’s near you, that’s usually a slightly better bet, but even they carry a fraction of the full line. Unfortunately, a lot of what most stores carry are the very glittery stuff that is far from what NARS does best, imo. Things like the blasted Hungry Heart duo, Super Orgasm, New Order et al. are really not representative of the great NARS blushes out there, imo. But the unfortunate predominance of such blushes in the displays just adds to the somewhat inaccurate impression that most of what NARS does is tainted by glitter.

Liz Avatar

So true about the selection at Sephora. Every time I look at the display, nothing really interests me. That’s probably the reason I only have 1 Nars blush. Every color that Christine has reviewed that I’ve been interested in is not carried at Sephora. I don’t think they carry any on the cream blushes.

Kafka Avatar

See, that saddens me deeply because some of my favorites are the cream blushes. My not-so-secret-agenda is to make everyone here at least TRY “Cactus Flower” once (if not actually buy it) because it is, without doubt, one of the loveliest blushes I own. (And I own a LOT of blushes!) Cactus Flower is pure sex appeal, imo: a coral-pink-red with a subtle gold sheen. It may not last a massive amount of time (about 7 hrs on me before some minor fading) but that colour…. it’s so worth it, you really have no idea! Impossibly gorgeous. My fashionista mother took one look at it on me and went out the next day to buy it. These swatches here don’t do it justice but at least it will give you an idea: http://fleurdeforce.blogspot.com/2012/02/rave-nars-cactus-flower.html If you go looking for any of the other blushes that Christine’s reviews have interested you in, please give a swipe or two to Cactus Flower (assuming they have it) as well. 🙂

Liz Avatar

I have seen swatches of Cactus flower and they look great. The only thing is I don’t really use cream blush. Most days I wear powder foundation. I’m not sure if cream blush and powder foundation go together.

Allison Avatar

Funny that MAC has a mineralize blush called Lovejoy as well, it’s actually my HG blush. If you own MAC’s Lovejoy, how do you think these two compare? I’m just wondering, thanks!

Erin Avatar

The warmth is flattering on your skin tone. Lovely! You have been wearing Dior Charnelle in a lot of looks lately. Are you planning to review it? It’s so pretty!

Edith Avatar

Your eyeshadow looks amazing. Of course, now I want the #24. This blush has a lovely color but I’m very fair so it will probably look too red on me. Thanks for the great work, Christine!

Lulle Avatar

You’re so incredibly fresh and pretty with this whole look! Love this blush on you, and it pairs very well with Dior Charnelle (which I definitely need to get!!) It looks very bridal (except the eyes might be a little too shimmery for a bridal look, but why not?) 🙂

Kafka Avatar

YAYYYYYYYYYYY, the NARS blush reviews are back! *happy dance* I always look forward to them and they always make my day. As for this blush…. *blink* What a surprise! It doesn’t look at ALL as I had expected it to. Nor did I expect to like it quite so much! On my monitor, I don’t see red tinges but a really pretty brown-peach with subtle gold shimmer. I see it a wee bit more in the photos on my cell phone but it’s very faint, which makes me pretty keen on this. I would probably use it as a bronzer because I think it would work for my preferences: not orange-y or too bronze-y. It might be a suitable option to the NARS Irrestiblement that I have been contemplating for eons and eons now. Unfortunately, I doubt you’ll get to reviewing the bronzers any time soon (esp. as NARS’ cream blushes are probably next- Hurrah!), so this might do the trick. Then again, I keep thinking that summer is over, I don’t use the bronzers that I *do* have right now, so do I really need this??! But logic has never quite factored into my NARS’ obsession and blush lust, so let’s ignore the answer to that. *grin* THANK YOU for the review!

Liz Avatar

Kafka,

I just saw that a while back you asked me about Irresistiblement bronzer. Sorry I didn’t see your question. I like the color. It’s not too brown. Sometimes I’ll wear it as a blush. Sometimes I like to mix it with blush to add warmth to my skin. I’m too dark to use it to contour my cheeks. For that I’ll use Tarte’ Park Ave Princess (I got it in a Sephora gift).

Kafka Avatar

Liz, do you mind me asking your skin tone/colouring so I can compare with mine. I’m an olive with yellow undertones (NARS Punjab or NC 25-35, depending on season). Do you see a lot of brick orange or terracotta in the colour?

Liz Avatar

Kafka,

I don’t mind telling you my coloring. I usually wear UD Mineral powder foundation in Mirage or L’oreal True match in 2 different colors, W6 mixed with N6.5. I don’t know if that helps you.

I’m actually wearing Irresistiblement now and it looks like a slightly reddish brown, but not orange. I hope that makes sense.

Liz Avatar

Get them 🙂 BTW, I was looking at the color in direct sunlight and it didn’t look orange at all. I actually like the color a lot. It’s a little pricey for me, but still pretty.

Charlene Avatar

I am trying to decide if I need this , or maybe Tom Ford’s Flush? Flush looked great on you, but I am wondering if it is more of a “summer” color? I have Exhibit A and Taos, and Tipsy, etc….so I may NOT need any! I have similiar coloring as you (but older with lightened hair). Should I get on e of these new blushes?

Lubi Avatar

Hi Christine!!! And what about Mac Lovejoy? I have this blush from mac, and I think they both are pretty much the same, what do you think?

Miss J Avatar

This shade looks so much more attractive on you than it does on me! It just ends up looking like a muddy, red, rash on my cheeks – I assume that is due to the natural redness in my cheeks and my tendency to look splotchy already. Super flattering on you!

kisha Avatar

lovejoy was my FIRST nars blush ever and i’ve been collecting em ever since!! i wear it all year round (as i do most shades) but even for a quick n simple face lovejoy brightens my day 🙂

Veronica Lynne Avatar

I bought NARS Lovejoy over a year ago and I have to say, it’s one of my favorite blushes. I’m fair-skinned but I find it looks natural on me, even with the slight sparkle. It’s become my go-to for photographs and special events, too.

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