NARS Motu Tapu Face Palette Review & Swatches
Motu Tapu
NARS Motu Tapu Face Palette ($42.00 for 0.33 oz.) includes a highlighter, blush, and bronzer. The highlighter and blush had decent pigmentation, application, and wear, though not stellar, while the bronzer, Casino, had a disappointing texture that made it harder to work with.
Ingredients
Motu Tapu
LELimited Edition. $42.00.
Moana
Moana is a light, peachy gold with strong, warm undertones and a pearly sheen. It had buildable color coverage from semi-opaque to opaque, while the texture was soft, lightly powdery in the pan but applied evenly and didn’t sheer out too readily. The color was easy to blend out, and the resulting finish was glowing but not prone to emphasizing my skin’s natural texture. It lasted well for seven and a half hours on me before I noticed slight fading.
Top Dupes
- Hourglass Glistening Strobe Light (LE, $40.00) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- Milani Highlight of the Day (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- NARS Tied Up (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Looxi Beauty Bombshell (P, $7.50) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- NARS Crique (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Becca Champagne Pop (LE, $42.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Becca Champagne Pop (P, $38.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer (PiP, $24.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Guerlain Electric Light (LE, $56.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Becca Royal Glow (LE, $38.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Moana
LELimited Edition. $30.00.
Bounty
Bounty is a light-medium orange with warm, redder undertones and warmer, fine gold pearl. It had medium pigmentation in a single layer, which was buildable to nearly full coverage with another layer or or so. The texture was lightly powdery, thin, but it was fairly easy to apply and blend out on my skin. Once buffed out, the color had a subtle, luminous finish–true satin really–that gave my cheeks a nice glow without emphasizing my skin’s natural texture. It wore well for seven and a half hours on me before I noticed fading.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- MAC That's Peachy (LE, $30.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Mented Cosmetics Peach for the Stars (P, $22.00) is warmer (95% similar).
- ColourPop Shook to the Coral (LE, $12.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Chanel Peche Rosee (LE, $70.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Tarte Fame (LE, $29.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Peach Poison (Left) (PiP, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- OFRA Ollie Need is Love (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Sephora Shine Bright (P, $14.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Too Faced Sugared Peach (PiP, ) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Hourglass Lucid Glow (LE, $40.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (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.
Bounty
LELimited Edition. $30.00.
Casino
Casino is a muted, medium-dark brown with warm, reddish undertones and fine, gold pearl throughout. The texture was drier, almost chalky, and came off the pan in clumps of product, which made it harder to work with as it would go on unevenly and be harder to correct due to the thinner consistency. I had to really work and buff in small circles to get the color to even out on the edges, which took two to three times longer than a decent bronzer would to apply. It had semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation that stayed on well for seven hours before fading visibly on my skin. It’s part of the permanent range, but when found in palettes and sets, it seems to be drier/thinner and harder to work with.
Top Dupes
- MAC I'll Hold My Breath #1 (LE, ) is lighter (90% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Medium/Dark Bronze (PiP, ) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Tarte Carat (PiP, ) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop Poolside (P, $8.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Hourglass Filtered Bronze Light (LE, $52.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Gold Dust (P, $68.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Becca Malibu Soleil (LE, $38.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Becca Sunrise Waves (P, $38.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Hourglass Radiant Bronze Light (P, $52.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Clinique Bronze Glow (P, $27.00) is cooler (90% similar).
Ingredients
Talc, Silica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Nylon-12, Zinc Stearate, Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Lauroyl Lysine, Chlorphenesin, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Trisodium Edta, Tocopherol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, [+/- (May Contain/Peut Contenir): Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891)].
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Thank you for reviewing these so quickly! I personally would have loved to see NARS bring back the Irresistiblement bronzer in one of these palettes, especially this Motu Tapu palette. The red tones would have played very well with the blush and highlighter, plus I don’t think anyone needs more Laguna or Casino variants. Maybe if this is your first NARS palette, but given the review I’d hope this isn’t someone’s first venture into NARS cheek palettes. Irresistiblement was just red enough to look natural and defining on fair to medium tones, while being a rosy bronzed blush on deeper, richer skin. I swear NARS gets rid of everything I love!
Had Casino even earned a solid B, and Bounty a B+, I would have had to jump on this deal. But, nope. I did pretty much know from the Sneak Peek that this trio wasn’t as up to snuff as I’d hoped for, unfortunately.
Read that as “Mapo Tofu” face palette and now I’m hungry. ??
Well, now… so am I!
Lol! I’m glad I’m not the only one who had trouble with the name. I had to go back to it a few times to make sure.
Honestly, it is the packaging on these two face palettes from Nars that is the appeal for me. I think the packaging looks so pretty. I am a sucker for pretty packaging and embossed products as those who have followed the blog for a long time, already know, LOL! Too bad Casino is so bed and the other palette has Laguna which I have plenty of so I will pass although I will miss the packaging.
Glad I haven’t used this yet. Taking it back. I have so many cheek palettes already for me to add any more they have to be top quality.
Another trio where the bronzer is a dud. What is going on with NARS?