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NARS Non-Fiction Touch-Up Kit Review, Photos, Swatches

NARS Non-Fiction Touch-Up Kit
NARS Non-Fiction Touch-Up Kit

NARS Non-Fiction Touch-Up Kit ($65.00 for 0.52 oz.) includes a palette with two blushes and a pressed setting powder, plus a miniature-sized lipgloss and mascara. I wish they had opted for a third blush rather than the pressed powder, because the texture of the powder felt like cardboard–it was stiff, dry, and did absolutely nothing on the skin because next to no product came off of the pan to begin with. The blushes were decent, and if you aren’t too concerned about intensity levels dry vs. damp, they’re pretty easy to use and work together well. The gloss had good coverage and didn’t appear streaky, but it pulled into lip lines quite a bit. This was definitely one of the less impressive offerings from NARS for this holiday season.

Formula Overview

  • Dual-Intensity Blush: $45.00 for 0.21 oz. or $214.29/oz.
  • Pressed Powder: $37.00 for 0.24 oz. or $154.17/oz.
  • Lipgloss: $26.00 for 0.18 oz. or $144.44/oz.
  • Mascara: $26.00 for 0.32 oz. or $81.25/oz.
  • Set Value: $43.86 worth of blush, $12.33 worth of pressed powder, $17.33 worth of lipgloss, $9.75 worth of mascara
  • Total Value: $83.27

Noctum is a light-medium gold with warm, yellow undertones and a pearly sheen. The consistency was soft, smooth, and blendable and did not emphasize my skin’s natural texture or the look of my pores. It had semi-sheer, buildable coverage applied dry, which wore for seven hours before fading, and it had more visible shimmer particles. When I used it damp, the finish had more of a smooth sheen than visible bits of shimmer, and it had more medium to full coverage that wore for eight hours on me. Smashbox Glow (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar). Tarte Authentic (LE, $28.00) is more shimmery (95% similar). Tarte Champagne (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar). MAC Bare End (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar). Looxi Beauty Bombshell (P, $7.50) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Becca Champagne Pop (LE, $42.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar). ColourPop School is Fun (LE, $10.00) is lighter (90% similar). Anastasia Moonstone (LE, ) is lighter (90% similar). Wet 'n' Wild Sun Ceremony (LE, $2.99) is brighter, cooler (90% similar). Urban Decay Angel (DC, $26.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Glow (Original) (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar). Becca Champagne Pop (P, $38.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar). Becca Champagne Pop (P, $41.00) is less shimmery (90% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Vu is a light-medium coral with warm, peach undertones and a metallic sheen. It was less shimmery and a bit more subdued when applied dry, whereas damp application was more metallic and brighter on the skin. The dry application was more semi-sheer to semi-opaque with seven hour wear, while the damp application was mostly opaque and lasted for closer to eight hours. The damp application did emphasize my skin’s natural texture slightly. MAC Sippin' on Stars (LE, $31.00) is darker, cooler (95% similar). bareMinerals The Magic Moment (LE, $26.00) is warmer (95% similar). MAC New Romance (P, $29.00) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar). MAC Miss Cupcake (LE, ) is less shimmery (90% similar). MAC Stereo Rose (LE, $34.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar). Anastasia Kitty Kat (LE, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Fenty Beauty Mimosa Sunrise/Sangria Sunset (P, $36.00) is less shimmery, more muted (90% similar). Chanel Voyage de Chanel (LE, $70.00) is less shimmery (90% similar). Becca Lychee/Opal (P, $27.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Tarte Beat (-, ) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar). NARS Born to Be Alive (LE, $30.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar). NYX Menage a Trois (P, $15.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar). NARS Spark Got Hot (LE, $30.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar). Urban Decay Fireball (P, $30.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Hourglass Luminous Glow (LE, $40.00) is lighter (90% similar). MAC Shell Pearl (LE, $22.00) is cooler (90% similar). Too Faced Who's Your Poppy (LE, ) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar). YSL Corail Rive Gauche (P, $42.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Cover FX Spiced Cinnamon (Right) (PiP, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar). Stila Peach Shimmer (LE, ) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Chelsea Girls is a muted, medium pink-coral with a milkier, creamier finish. It had semi-opaque color coverage that went on evenly and didn’t look streaky, but the color pulled into lip lines immediately. The gloss lasted for three hours on me and was a touch hydrating. MAC Artful (LE, $21.00) is warmer (95% similar). Urban Decay Nooner (DC, $20.00) is lighter (90% similar). Charlotte Tilbury Sweet Stiletto (P, $22.00) is darker, more muted (90% similar). Bobbi Brown Nude Pink (LE, $24.00) is more shimmery, lighter, more muted (85% similar). NARS Vida Loca (LE, $26.00) is lighter (90% similar). Urban Decay Fuel (P, $20.00) is darker (90% similar). MAC Pure Delight (LE, $20.00) is cooler (90% similar). Maybelline Nude Illusion (060) (P, $8.99) is lighter, warmer (90% similar). Chanel Mystery (P, $30.00) is cooler (90% similar). Tarte Goals (P, $20.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar). Chanel Super Nude (137) (LE, $34.00) is more muted (90% similar). KKW Beauty Juicy (LE, $18.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar). MAC Calypso Beat (LE, $20.00) is more shimmery (90% similar). MAC Persistent Peach (DC, $19.50) is lighter, cooler (90% similar). NYX Tres Leches (P, $5.99) is lighter (85% similar). NARS Chihuahua (P, $26.00) is cooler (85% similar). Tarte Visionary (LE, ) is cooler (90% similar). NARS Giza (P, $26.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar). Charlotte Tilbury Bardot Beige (P, $22.00) is lighter (85% similar). MAC Everlasting Nude (DC, $19.50) is darker (85% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Light-Reflecting Setting Powder Pressed is a translucent pressed setting powder, and by itranslucent, it actually ended up being invisible–there was just no product that would come off the pan’s surface, as it was so firm and stiff. It felt incredibly dry, smooth, but noisy as I ran my brush or finger across the surface… yet no product transferred. I tried to swatch it, even jabbing at it to loosen product, and nothing appeared on my skin. This doesn’t function at all, not even remotely. This is one of the very few, possibly only, instances where I couldn’t even manipulate the product to make it work (scraping off product and so forth). I haven’t tried this in years, but when it first launched, I didn’t have an issue getting it onto the skin, though the standalone version was very finnicky with respect to hardening/darkening if any oils/liquid touched it.

NARS Non-Fiction Touch Up Kit (Holiday 2016)

NARS Non-Fiction Touch Up Kit (Holiday 2016)

NARS Non-Fiction Touch Up Kit (Holiday 2016)

NARS Non-Fiction Touch Up Kit (Holiday 2016)

NARS Non-Fiction Touch Up Kit (Holiday 2016)

NARS Non-Fiction Touch Up Kit (Holiday 2016)

NARS Non-Fiction Touch Up Kit (Holiday 2016)

NARS Noctum Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Noctum Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Noctum Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Noctum Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Noctum Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Vu Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Vu Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Vu Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Vu Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Vu Dual-Intensity Blush

NARS Chelsea Girls Lip Gloss

NARS Chelsea Girls Lip Gloss

NARS Chelsea Girls Lip Gloss

NARS Chelsea Girls Lip Gloss

NARS Chelsea Girls Lip Gloss

NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder

Makeup Look
On face:
  • Guerlain Lingerie de Peau Foundation
  • Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder
  • NARS Give In Take Blush II
  • Anastasia Amber Glow Highlight Powder
On eyes:
  • NARS Give In Take Dual-Intensity Eye & Cheek Palette
  • Sephora Eccentric Diva Eyeliner
On lips:
  • Bite Beauty Cava Matte Crème Lip Crayon

22 Comments

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Mariella Avatar

A D? Ouch! I hoped this would be much better. I only have the Dual Intensity eyeshadows, which I love, though I know a lot of people aren’t crazy about them. I don’t have any of the blushes/highlighters, etc. and was hoping that this or the Give In Take palette might be my first “foray” but maybe not….

Allison Avatar

I’ve never liked their crystal translucent setting powder. i always thought it was dry and didn’t prevent product from creasing.

another pet peeve… if you are going to market something as a “touch up” kit, then it NEEDS a brush or some sort of touch up tool! I hate to touch up during the day because I hate the idea of one of my expensive brushes rolling around in my makeup bag and getting dirty, and then using it on my face. Same goes for a sponge. I would love to see more touch up powders with useful tools included

BeauBlooms Avatar

I’ve been dying for this review! So sad… When I first tried Nars, the two blushes I tried were EXACTLY as you described the powder. I was so upset, I returned them to Sephora. I only do this for extrememly poor performing products. Both were completely unworkable for me. I swore off Nars blushes for years afterward. What really irked me is that I spent hours researching for Nars blush colors that show up on dark skin beforehand. Since then, I realized that I must have purchased two from (very) bad batches. I haven’t had any problems with Nars blushes since.

I’m most looking forward to the blushes and trying the mascara in this kit, so I’ll probably still give it a try and hope the sample you received is a fluke. We’ll see I guess.

Fran Avatar

This set seems like a good example of the kind of bizarre quality control issues that happen with holiday palettes! NARS, if you had to come out with an epic fail, thank you for making it in all warm colors that I don’t covet anyway, lol!

Oddly, I’ve actually been wanting to try the light-reflecting setting powder, to compare it with the Hourglass powders for someone who doesn’t want to mattify their look, and if this set was good quality and in colors I could use I would have bought it. I guess I’ll just have to try the stand-alone product after all!

Trina Avatar

I fell in love with this when i first saw the promo pic over the summer. I bought it the day it launched. Always risky to buy blindly, i usually wait for your review. Sometimes the excitement just gets the best of you lol. I really love the first 2 they are such a nice texture. My setting powder worked somewhat better after i got the first layer off. I’ve never used their setting powder so I’m not sure what the “norm” is. I’m undecided about keeping it. Why do i never learn?? every time i get frisky and buy without your review i regret it lol.

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