NARS Outlaw Blush Review, Photos, Swatches
NARS Outlaw Blush
NARS Fall 2012: Outlaw Blush
NARS Outlaw Blush ($28.00 for 0.16 oz.) is described as a “soft rose with golden shimmer.” It’s a medium-dark raspberry pink with a faint golden shimmer-sheen. MAC Mocha has a similar base color without the golden sheen, a little more red-toned. MAC Star Wonder is similar but a little lighter. Illamasqua Ambition is lighter, paler. MAC Plum Foolery is plummier. theBalm Cabana Boy has more plum in it and no golden sheen.
It looks like Outlaw is being added to the permanent range, as it is not noted as limited edition with the fall collection (only the eyeshadow trio and nail polish are). The color is undoubtedly gorgeous; it seems like a shade that would be wearable on a variety of complexions. Working with it was troubling–trying to do a heavy swatch required a lot of scraping of the product to get enough loose for decent pigmentation. The texture was so dry that it was almost unmoveable, which led to really disappointing color payoff, sheerness, and patchy color overall.
Sometimes this can happen but will be less of a problem during application–this was not that case–it was difficult to blend out the color once applied. The pigmentation seemed a bit better, because I was able to really loosen the powder by jabbing my blush brush into the pan, but trying to apply and blend it out around the edges was a more frustrating effort. The wear of Outlaw was seven hours with minor fading around the edges. Overall, the color is beautiful, but it needs major improvement on the texture. It’s not the highly pigmented, soft, blendable formula NARS describes it as.
Outlaw
PPermanent. $30.00.
NARS Outlaw Blush
NARS Outlaw Blush
NARS Outlaw Blush
NARS Outlaw Blush
NARS Outlaw Blush
NARS Outlaw Blush
NARS Outlaw Blush
NARS Outlaw Blush
Wow, when I looked at the photos of the product in the pan, I thought for sure it would be one I’d think of getting but reading your review and then seeing the rating…YIKES. I wonder if you realize the money and annoyance you save those of us who read your blog. Just going on how it looks in the pic, I’d have put this on my “must buy” list, especially since I really love Cabana Boy and Plumful.
Oh thats a bummer as I loved the color….is it possible that it’s adud? or maybe they will all be that way?
@GailFHendley No idea – hard to say since this is the only one I have!
@Christine (Temptalia)
Hi Christine!
I switched this on my arm at Sephora last night and it was divine. Soft, pigmented and it sure seemed blend able. The only reason i passed is because I just ordered the Joie de Vivre palette. Although it seems unlikely I wonder if you did get a dud.
Since I have Star Quality and Plum Foolery I will do my best to be good and skip this one. 🙂
I think Outlaw is a returning shade that had been discontinued. There are a bunch of swatches from some years back online.
@Krenee81 thanks for backing up my suspicions! I thought I was losing my mind about this one, as I was sure Outlaw has been discontinued a few years back. I had been using it for a couple of years, and I was very upset when it was discontinued because it was my absolute favourite blush. So when I saw it in Sephora recently I had to do a double-take! I had since been using a different NARS blush (Taos), but I’m very happy Outlaw is back.
darn! it looks so pretty and promising in the pan!
Phew..I dodged that bullet as I was tempted last night with my Nars Canada order.. No harm and I think my Tom Ford Wicked is similar and far better!
Wow, I wasn’t expecting there to be such a variety in rating. It even looks patchier on your cheek than the other ones did – What a shame! The colour looks lovely.
Looks great on you. You always look so genuinely happy 🙂 The color of NARS blushes tends to intimidate me when just looking at it in the pan, but it looks very good on you.
I thought this would be like Tom Ford Wicked but its a bit darker!
@baby in a corner Yeah, there were some similarities, but Wicked definitely looks fairly pink when I compared them!
I definitelly need the color you have on your lips. What is it? 🙂
@Woodbutterfly More Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil!
@Christine (Temptalia) It says Autumn Leaves in the box.
Definitely was surprised at the D+ rating! Amazing that there can be such a variety in texture quality between Nars blushes!
I love the shimmer but its a bit darker than it looks! Pass!
Nicole <3
Whoa, that is shocking! I was expecting a great review of this. You really saved me, Christine! Since this blush is so lacking, how would you say Dolce Vita compares to this? I’m looking for a nice Fall blush, and I was hoping this would be it.
Dolce Vita is less pink and doesn’t have a golden sheen, but Dolce Vita is a good alternative for a fall blush.
@Christine (Temptalia) Thank you, Christine!
@Gina Have you looked at Lokoum? It’s gorgeous and I think it would be lovely for the Fall or Winter. It’s what I think Orgasm *should* have looked like on me. It’s a cream blush and similar to Dolce Vita but a bit more dusky rose and less brown in its undertones. No glitter, no shimmery gold, just a lovely rose-plum. Some people on MUA have returned Dolce Vita for Lokoum. It gives a VERY natural colour, imo, and can be used all year round. It’s so lovely, my mother saw it on me, tried it and went out the very next day to get one for herself.
Good God, above. A D+!!! And for one of NARS’ blushes, no less! Bloody hell. I’m so saddened. Even worse, I’m absolutely kicking myself for ordering this without waiting for your swatches and review. I was just so excited that they were bringing Outlaw back, I didn’t even care that it could potentially be close to the lovely Mounia. It’s supposed to arrive this afternoon, I think, so I’ll see just how bad it is. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need a lie down to recover from the utter shock of this review. Poor @Miss J is probably going to join me as soon as she sees this. She, too, ordered early in the whole joy and excitement at Outlaw’s return. I’m… I’m….. stunned. Bloody hell. <staggers to her bed to lie down and sob>
@Kafka @Miss sends hugs to you both ;(
@wwendalynne She’ll be even more upset, I think, than I am. You know Miss J and her NARS blush collection; it’s even bigger than mine and she was probably more excited for Outlaw than for any single product this year. We may need to get some cushions for her inevitable collapse when she sees this. Martinis, too….. LOL.
@Kafka @wwendalynne LOL. I do need a drink now. I am really disappointed. I ordered based on the texture and shade that it used to be thinking it would be the same wonderful Outlaw. Looking at the swatch, it looks like they tried to add some of Orgasm’s duochrome shimmer rather than just leave it at a beautiful microshimmer. Thanks for f***ing it up, NARS. What the hell am I going to do with it now? I hate having to go out of my way to return things. Grrr.
@Miss J I just don’t understand how they could screw up an existing formula THAT badly!!??!!? It literally makes no sense to me. Unlike you, I don’t see duochrome shimmer added to this (but with that swatch, how can one really see anything?) but even if they made minute changes, how could the texture and application be THAT altered? The old Outlaw was supposed to have a lovely soft, silky texture and be easy to blend. I’m baffled.
@Kafka My fingers are crossed that Christine just got a “dud”! Although (from all descriptions I’ve read on this color, I knew it wasn’t for me, I was so excited it was making a return, because so many others wer so excited. It actually is very pretty, and I think the gold shimmer is alot subtler than I expected, but it’s enough to warm up the base color. I just might have to swatch it at Sephora.
@xamyx @Kafka Yes, that’s it!! She may have gotten a dud! LOL. I’ll cling onto that irrational thought and bit of wishful thinking, even though I don’t think there is a chance in hell. I just checked my FedEx tracking # and seems, like the poster here in the Exhibit A thread, that my package got stuck in Ohio. So, it’s not arriving today after all. I guess I’ll have a few days to prepare myself for the huge disappointment. At this point, I’m more worried about Miss J when she first sees that D+. <grin>
@Kafka @xamyx Why is Ohio holding all of our packages?! Ugh. Mine arrives Friday according to FedEx.
@Miss J Mine is supposed to arrive Friday *at the latest* but usually, FedEx doesn’t ever get to that far end of the time frame. Hopefully, both of ours will arrive sooner. As for Ohio, I think they must have a grudge against NARS. ;P
@Miss J @Kafka If you can, check out if there’s bad weather in or around Ohio. They may also be backed up due to the recent storms in the last couple of weeks.
@Kafka My package FINALLY moved, but now it’s been pushed back three days. I love when my packages hang out in the same location for 5 days. *eye roll* Now, it’s going to hang out in another location for the rest of the week. I could drive there today and back easily.
@Miss J Mine moved too! I guess Ohio decided to stop holding it hostage. LOL. But mine is supposed to arrive tomorrow, the 19th! WTH has your delivery date been extended???? I’m so confused by all these conflicting reports on the damn blush. Both Karen *and* Christine couldn’t have gotten duds! But others report such totally polar opposite experiences. I’m so confused.
@Kafka Well, let me know if it ends up working out for you! I honestly don’t know what’s up with the dramatically opposite findings. I’ve never had to scrape a product myself unless it was exposed to moisture or heat, so I’m just confused how it ended up so freaking atrocious!
@Kafka @Miss Let us know 🙂 I’m certainly curious. I loved the color but didn’t like much else. When I have to get the metal spatula out to scrape off layers of product for a swatch, I know there are going to be problems!
@Christine (Temptalia) I thought THAT part was one of the more ominous aspects of your review! Believe me, I’ll let you know. I’m truly surprised that NARS screwed this up so badly given the incredibly, months-long excitement (nay, giddy hysteria and ecstacy) associated with the return of this blush. People on Spektra and elsewhere have been going on about its return like it was the Prodigal Blush worthy of a fatted calf! Judging by the raves in the old thread at Makeupalley, the old Outlaw was something amazing. Complex colour with faint shimmer, no chunks, *easy to blend*, silky to apply, a natural flushed glow…. the raves just go on and on. WTH happened??!?
@Christine (Temptalia) I thought THAT part was one of the more ominous aspects of your review! Believe me, I’ll let you know. I’m truly surprised that NARS screwed this up so badly given the months-long excitement (nay, giddy hysteria and ecstacy) associated with the return of this blush. People on Spektra and elsewhere have been going on about its return like it was the Prodigal Son, worthy of a fatted calf! Judging by the raves in the old thread at Makeupalley, the old Outlaw was something amazing. Complex colour with faint shimmer, no chunks, *easy to blend*, silky to apply, a natural flushed glow…. the raves just go on and on. WTH happened??!?
@Christine (Temptalia) @Kafka I will make sure to let you know how it goes when I get mine, too. I thought/felt something was wrong when I saw Karen’s swatch on her blog.
@Kafka @Miss when i saw the post .. only you came in my mind dear 🙂 what to say ?? glad am sitting in India and had to wait for monthssss to get the stuff … 😀 but just imagine .. what if your blush has better texture ….
do let us know if it does dear 😀
@rashmidev Awww, you’re so sweet to have thought of me. I’m really upset over this and it makes no sense. It’s just a blush after all, not something earth-shatteringly monumental. But I’m genuinely disappointed, verging on a bit crushed…. <sigh> Let’s hope my Outlaw ends up being very different, though I’m not holding out much hope.
@Kafka i am crossing my fingers for the texture … butttt if it is better texture then dont share it haan … otherwise i will take the whole credit along with blush hahahha 😀 😀
jokes apart … i am sure it is going to be good .. happened with me few times 😀
I have Outlaw from a few years ago, before it was discontinued. It is one of my go-to blushes. The texture is great and very easy to work with. It’s a shame if they changed that 🙁
Whoa, a D+ for a NARS blush? Amazing. This one looks gorgeous in the pan, too. Sad to see the texture is THAT bad. Now I can’t wait to see all of the blush reviews from NARS to be surprised by other blushes that I thought would be okay!
That’s a shame- it looked so pretty in the pan 🙁
Oh, dear. I can’t say I ever expected to see a D+ from a NARS blush — they’re usually so well-received; it’s really too bad to hear they’ve gone and “tweaked” the formula on this one! 🙁
Have they changed the formula? I have one from a year or two ago and still use it. I use it sparingly as I have fair skin but the one does not fit the description/rating you are giving it. Makes me really wonder if they changed the formula of it. 🙁
@myxanderella I looked but I don’t have the first Outlaw, so I don’t know 🙁
@Christine (Temptalia) Guess I will be holding on to mine a little longer! 😉
The whole combination of the look is stunning. I would never have expected the lipstick & the blush to work together, but I think it may be the warmth of the gold shimmer in Outlaw that’s pulling it together. By the way, Christine, thanks for the “sneak peek” at Autumn Leaves, I can now safely cross it off the list (as pretty as it is, it just won’t work on me).
@xamyx Autumn Leaves was a lil’ more orange than I anticipated (I have to check the official description again, though).
@xamyx Oh my goodness, in the whole shock of that horrifying D+, I didn’t even notice Autumn Leaves! I had the fleeting, passing thought that the orange didn’t quite go with the rest, but that was it. Hahahahaha, I told you Autumn Leaves looked too burnished brown-orange.
@Kafka @xamyx Argh – it is actually the More pencil 🙂
@Christine (Temptalia) @xamyx And there goes another thing for me to avoid! 😉
@Christine (Temptalia) That was my initial thought when I saw the pic, LOL. Autumn Leaves looks like a brandy color. Either way, although *this* lip color looks great with warmer skin tones, I have to avoid it.
I…I…I thought when you said “stiff and dry” you meant like a Vodka (maybe gin, gin is good, too) Martini…not bad just an acquired taste. Um. *sobs* This is BAD. This has to be some sort of first batch failure because the old Outlaw was soft and pigmented. I was SO excited for this. 🙁 *waves goodbye to $28* Ugh. I’m going to go rest now. *wails in agony*
@Miss J Cherie, come sit next to me. I’ve already prepared cushions for your collapse. Martinis, too, in fact. I’ve been very concerned about your reaction when you first saw that horrifying D+. Come, we can wail together. <hastily passes her a drink>
@Kafka @Miss I was worried about both of you when I saw the rating! *passes the chocolate for good measure*
@blueraccoon ROFL! Chocolate always helps in a crisis. Always. And believe me, for Miss J and me, this definitely counts as a crisis! 😉 Thank you for the thoughtfulness. xoxox
@Kafka maybe Christine really did just get a dud? I don’t know how likely that is or if I’m holding out false hope. I’m a bit bummed too, it’s such a gorgeous color, but my fave blushes are Burberry these days. (My fave almost everything makeup is Burberry these days.)
@blueraccoon @Kafka I’m giggling uncontrollably
@blueraccoon *passes martini glass* Thanks for the thought, @blueraccoon!
@blueraccoon This has been one of the saddest and yet funniest posts on Temptalia. You Kafka, Blueraccoon have kept me in stitches! I wonder if they bake blush? Maybe they left Christine’s batch in the oven too long??
@blueraccoon Honey, I promise you: if a Burberry blush you’ve longed for ever gets a D+ score (or, God forbid, worse), I’ll be there with chocolate. And Nutella. (Life is always better with Nutella.) You just need to tell me if you prefer dark or milk. 🙂
@Miss J *sips martini* I’m hoping the rest of the fall collection won’t be so disappointing!
@Kafka Milk chocolate always, please! If *anything* Burberry gets a D+ I may need the Nutella. My love for Burberry is similar to your love for, well, NARS *g* I’m actually hoping to pick up a few items on Friday at the Nordie’s sale.
@blueraccoon Oh, I can’t wait to hear if you picked up any goodies and what they are. In my mind, BlueRacoon=Burberry +Fresh. So, I’m very excited for you. I’d like to try some Burberry blushes but they’re a little outside my price point for a blush *and* I hear they’re sheer. But they look lovely and the casing is SO chic! You are lucky to be paler than sallow-olive me, so I’m sure they work gloriously on you. I think I need the extra kick and boost from NARS’ pigmentation. BTW, how do Lindt’s Lindor balls sound as a future comfort source? They’ve always been one of my favorite milk chocolate lines. Fingers crossed that you will never need the double-barreled help of Nutella. lol.
You and me both. I will still swatch it, or try to swatch it at least. This was #1 on my list.
Wow, I’ve read 2 very different reviews on this blush. It seems nice (and, as usual, looks lovely on you) but I’m not sure I will be purchasing :/
I’m actually sad now. Like really genuinely sad. And kinda numb :/ I’ve been wanting this blush so bad. From what I’ve read the old version has mostly good reviews, so I’m pretty sure they must have changed the formula :S
@t_zwiggy All that was pretty much my reaction too. 🙁 But think about the $30 (incl. tax) that you saved! Unlike me, who I bought it the minute the pre-sale on June 11th made it possible.
@t_zwiggy I’d still swatch it and test it. Every pan is different.
Wow. I shouldn’t bee bummed, considering that it’s money saved, but after the summer blush was so warm-toned, I was really looking forward to something new from Nars… Guess I should stick to the ones that are already in the line.
Such a nice colour! And such a shame it has an awful texture. 🙂
love the color on you Christine.. and love the gloss on you even more! I searched for a detailed review on it on Temptalia but could not find it… it is GORGEOUS! Please post a review on the NARS more velvet gloss.
It’s such a beautiful color! Shame about the texture.
It looks very similar to NARS Cactus Flower (albeit the latter is a creme formulation).
On me, CF is more of a reddish coral, not so much rosy pink. Still has a gold shimmer though.
I know I’ve asked you this before Christine, but can’t remember on what post… How do you determine the rating of packaging?
@Beckie2795 There are over 15 different characteristics I look for – things like durability, type of material it’s made out of, whether you can drop it, etc.
Shame this isn’t like the original release! I have that one and it is pigmented and lovely. My favorite blush in the fall.
@BrianneR You’re breaking my heart right now! Lol. You’re lucky to have the original version. It’s sad because this shade is so beautiful, but the swatch shows really awful pigmentation and texture. *sighs* Why do brands release repromotions that aren’t on par with the originals?! You’re killing me, NARS!
@BrianneR I expected superb pigmentation – I was dumbfounded at how hard I had to work to get the “heavy” swatch, which really looks exactly like the blended swatch. 🙁
@Christine (Temptalia) Not to mention in the photo, it actually looks splotchy on your cheeks! That floored me!
ive been using this for the past couple of days and see no issues at all
@lauratinapay New or previous version? Either way, totally happy for you 🙂 I really wanted it to work – it’s a very pretty color! Though I’m never there rooting for a product to be terrible, LOL!
@Christine (Temptalia) the current version. i guess i like how it turned out to be ‘blended-looking’ right away because nars blushes tend to look BAM right at yo face (when the user is not careful)! LOL
@lauratinapay The new version? Please, please tell me you *JUST* bought this! Please.
@Kafka i have the new version. i told christine how i like the look of this blush because it’s not too intense looking compared to a typical nars blush which can be easily overdone if the person is not careful with application. i have a video in my youtube channel too. youtube.com/user/lauratinapay
@lauratinapay But have you found the blush to be as pigmented as other NARS blushes usually are? From your comment to Christine, it sounds not. Rather, the blush sounds sheer and not very pigmented, which is not the way the old Outlaw was. Regardless, I’m very glad you love your Outlaw. 🙂 I hope I will too when it arrives tomorrow.
your earlier comment made me little disappointed for this blush ..
but it is looking beautiful here … why the texture is bad ????????
a pass for me and thank you so much for saving some 1600/- INR …..:D loveddd your eyes and lips “C”
Ok, I’m going to take a deep breath and hope for the best when mine arrives. I’m just really bummed after seeing both Karen and Christine’s swatches illustrating the poor texture and lack of pigmentation. I had been googling swatches of Outlaw for months trying to figure out if I was going to (for the first time ever, really) hunt around on the net to score a discontinued product. I was sort of waiting, hoping it would come back, and then @xamyx had mentioned it was part of the fall collection…I about fell out of my chair while drooling all over myself; I was delirious with excitement. @Kafka said this was probably the most I’ve excited I’ve been about any single product this year (something along those lines), and she is right. I was so sad/mad when it was discontinued since I had held out on getting it.
*takes deep breath* It’ll be ok.
@xamyx @Kafka @Miss J Do let us all know 🙂 It’s important to find out if there are duds out there or not. A reader just commented a minute ago that they tested it at Sephora last night and had a totally different experience!
@Miss J I’m actually a bit more upset now than I was *earlier.* All through my book club meeting and the subsequent dinner, while people were arguing about doctors in Ethiopia, nuns getting pregnant, Janus twins and more, I kept thinking “But… but…. I just don’t UNDERSTAND wtf happened to Outlaw???!” I feel as though someone took away my Christmas present and replaced it with a dirty piece of coal instead. Melodramatic? Probably. But I was SOOOO excited for this and you know how I feel about those damn NARS blushes. Maybe more chocolate will help. <sigh>
@Kafka @Miss I’m still so heartbroken, but I’m hoping this one was just a dud, or that there was a bunch of duds, or SOMETHING. I’m just very confused. The swatches I’ve seen don’t compare to the old ones, or what I’m remember from swatching. At the same time, I’ve read people loving and not having problems with it. The formula already exits, so how does it get fucked up. I don’t know. I’m just hoping it arrives and works out better. :/
The color is gorgeous, too bad the pigmentation is so poor 🙁 Just wondering, why does the packaging get a 5/5? Nars (For me at least) packaging for blushes tends to collect a lot of dust etc, so it’s tough to keep clean.
I’ve never had a problem with dust collecting with NARS products. I’ve brought several along (even just recently) with me to travel, and they all look quite clean.
Rubberized packaging is easier to hold (less chance of it slipping), absorbs impact a lot better (so if you drop it, you’re less likely to have it shatter or break), more travel-friendly (it can take more of a beating, again, less likely to break).
I only recently got my first Nars products and I have to say I really like the packaging. I’d read that it could be problematic with regard to looking dirty but I love the shape – very “grippable” – and the non-slippy material. Mind you, it didn’t bother me that the UD 15th Anniversary palette showed finger prints but I didn’t like how difficult it was to open. So maybe I’m won over by how easy things are to grip, use and open.
@Mariella Are you from Pittsburgh, by any chance? Pardon my nosiness, but my fiancé is from the ‘burgh and he is the only person I’ve ever met (other than his family) to say “slippy” instead of “slippery”. I actually love it!
A thought just occurred to me: the only time I’ve had to scrape a product was when it was somehow exposed to moisture, even in a closed compact in a bathroom drawer (which is why I now *never* store my makeup in the bathroom). Perhaps the PR samples were stored somewhere damp, which is why the texture is so bad? Or, with the storms that were recent, maybe something happened to the PR samples in transit?
It’s sad that they changed the texture. I have the old outlaw, and it’s my go-to blush every time when I feel like not to wear eye makeup. And the new one really looks much less pigmented. I used to trust the quality of NARS and got all those colors I like without hesitation. However, honestly, they just kept disappointing me in the past two years… 🙁
Like a dark Orgasm.
That’s exactly how my NARS orgasm blush was! The sample one at Sephora was silky & pigmented so I was really disappointed that I got a bad one! Especially for the price point.
I am so upset about this review. Broke my heart.
It seems like it’s getting mixed reviews! A couple of readers said theirs were really soft, pigmented, blendable, etc. People can disagree/have different ideas of what soft/blendable/pigmented are BUT to have totally opposite experiences is usually not a result of different definitions! Check it out if you can or make sure there’s a good return policy in case it’s not so good 🙂
I’m joining the ones who hope you got a dud, lol. It’s so sad!
Me too. Mainly because I have already ordered it. lol.
I tested it at a Nars counter near me during an early access Nordstrom event after the kind rep there brought out little testers upon my request. I swatched it along with the rest of the fall line. One swipe across the pan gave me a smooth as butter, highly pigmented swatch! It was such a lovely shade that I ordered it from nars.com along with the autumn leaves lipstick and rouge tribal gloss. These products were so amazing that I couldn’t wait for the official counter release!
@P_riya You have no idea how happy I was to read your comment. Confused, too, at the degree to which reports can be *so* polar opposite from person to person, particularly as another blogger has the same experiences that Christine did, but mostly just happy. 🙂 I don’t know if it’s possible for 2 bloggers to get 2 duds, but I’m certainly hoping they did. Thank you for giving me a little hope that my long-desired, long-awaited blush won’t require the violent use of force and a spatula to scrape out an inch of colour. lol
@Kafka I am not sure how the one I ordered is going to be. Reading this did worry me a bit, but if mine is anything at all like the tester I swatched, I will be very happy! 🙂
So strange. Sometimes I wonder if a product is defective, or if people’s needs are just different, or what. But this is also why I won’t buy online w/o swatching myself on high end products, no matter what a blog raves/hates about it. http://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/page/2/
Wow, so sad that the texture is bad 🙁
I received mine today and I didn’t feel like it was a real “D” product. It is dry, but I felt the color payoff was good. I will however try it both directly onto skin with foundation and once after sheer powder all over; sometimes application is key, as well as what you’re using to apply it.
@NazNyc Just to get it to swatch on the skin, I had to take a metal spatula and scrape off layers of product because a brush/sponge-tip wasn’t yielding anything. For face, I tried using MAC’s 129, 116, 184, and an OCC face brush (don’t remember the number).
My Outlaw from 2008 has the same EXACT texture as yours Christine! It’s soooo difficult to work with because it’s so dry and rigid. I have to swipe multiple times and I figured that it must have gone bad throughout the years but I guess not! Thank you for this post because now I know it was actually a dud..
@lifesentropy LOL, at least we’re not alone now!
Seeing as it costs 48dollars here, Iam glad i have you to keep me from buying these things. 😀
So glad they’re bringing this one back. It’s been my favorite, but hard to find.
wow! thanks for the tip I love NARS orgasm but not this. haha.
So, I just got mine and thought I would give a full report. Bottom line: Christine, I think you may have actually gotten a dud! Given the other polar-opposite reports from users, @xamyx turned out to be right after all. So, @Miss J, I think you will be a bit relieved. Mine is definitely NOT a D+! It’s not an A+ either. I would probably give it a B+ or — if I were to go JUST by prettiness of colour *alone* or how it looks on me when put on top of foundation — I would give it an A+. I can report that it does have some pigmentation and it looks absolutely LOVELY on. A long report to follow for anyone who has been worried about buying this blush.
I tested it out in a lot of diff. ways. My very first swipe with my finger, very little showed up but it was the very first time the blush had ever been used. I then used a totally clean Skunk brush and the white part turned very bright, almost cherry pink! I swatched it on my arm but, due to my much darker tan on my arms, almost nothing showed up. As a control experiment, I swatched a number of my other powder NARS in the same area. They all showed up with two swipes *except* for Angelika which required about 4-5. (Desire & Gilda took like 1 swipe.) I then tried again, and maybe it was that initial, first-time newness which failed to show up, because my subsequent attempts (3 in total) definitely made Outlaw visible in the swatch. But it was still more sheer than the others. All this using just my finger. BTW, on my finger, at this point, Outlaw showed up in one swipe. I then put Outlaw on my bare face using a skunk brush and there was *definite* colour which showed up, not patchily either. But it was muted for that first brush stroke. The colour could and was built up. Using a regular blush brush, it was much easier to build up the colour. And it’s a gorgeous, gorgeous colour! GORGEOUS! Truly, I have to say it one more time: the colour is GORGEOUS. (@Wwendalynne, I think this would look so pretty on you.) But…. it’s dryer than blushes like Gilda, Desire, the very silky Luster and Mounia. In that sense, it’s a bit like the Laguna or Angelika that I have.
I then wiped one side of my face clean and put on NARS’ Sheer Glow foundation in Punjab. I took a skunk brush, swiped it 2-3 times across Outlaw, and took one blush stroke across my cheek. INSTANT, gorgeous, blended, bright and visible but *soft* colour. If I were to give it a grade based on how the colour looked on me on bare skin, it would be a B+. But when worn on foundation, A+. (Is that really weird??)
I can’t decide about the pigmentation. In the arm swatches, it took a bit of effort to build up Outlaw enough for it to be visible. But 1) it was *just* out of the box at that point; and 2) I’m pretty brown on my arms right now. (Probably something like an NC 37-40, if I had to take a guess.) By the time I put it on my bare cheeks, it definitely showed up. But I *do* think it’s a lot less pigmented than what I would have expected from Outlaw. It doesn’t have that *in your face* POW! immediate colour of a lot of NARS’ blushes, but that could make it easier to apply when just on the run.
In terms of application, I would put Outlaw in between Gilda and Orgasm. I think it would be closest to Angelika, in my experience. My Angelika, being a wee bit paler (dryer?) than my other blushes, does require a bit more to show up than something like Gilda or Luster, for example. My Orgasm requires a hell of a LOT of work to show up but I don’t know if the one I have is a bit of a dried-up dud or if it’s just blush that takes a lot more work for it show up. I do think Orgasm — on my skin tone — is all glitter and little pigmentation so it requires endless effort for *some* actual colour (as opposed to sparkle) to show up.
I guess all that brings it back to the pigmentation issue. It really isn’t a blush that I think is *immediately* and *HIGHLY* pigmented right off the bat. Not a one-stroke blush, in other words, like Gilda. Not a blush that is POW! and which you need to be careful with, like Exhibit A, Taj Mahal or Mounia. But it also doesn’t require the massive, monumental amount of work that it took Christine, either. It’s a blush that will require a bit of build up if you want intense colour, but no effort at all if you want a very natural glow or a very fresh, pretty cheek.
I am very happy, very relieved and absolutely thrilled that I have it. I hope this long, detailed report will make others — who, like me, saw that D+ and freaked out — to try this blush in person. Enough people seem to have had good experiences with the new version to make me think that — unlikely as it initially seemed — poor Christine really did get a dud.
@Kafka YES!! I am so happy to hear you love the color, and that it is not completely awful texture/pigmentation for you! Thank you for the review. I should get mine tomorrow or Monday, so looking forward to testing it out! 😀 But I’m mostly so, so, so happy to hear you love the color, and that it makes you feel fresh and pretty!
@Miss J Promise you’ll let us know what you think of yours when it arrives. I so, so, SO want you to love it and for it to be all that you’d wanted. Hopefully, if enough of us have a totally diff. experience, it will show that the one they sent Christine was a rare anomaly.
@Miss J I finally looked up Karen’s review of Outlaw and she gave it an A+! A+…….. Wow! She even said it may be her new favorite blush ever. What did you read that lead you to think it was bad? Her swatch of it was pretty pigmented and dark. About 1000% times more so than Christine’s swatch which is admittedly ghastly. Karen is a *lot* darker than Christine and it looks like she put it on super sheerly because trust me, I have more colour on ME after 6 hrs than she does in those photos on her blog. So, I don’t think you have cause to worry about it at all.
@Kafka I never meant to imply that she didn’t like it. She gave it a rave review, but it was the swatches that worried me. I felt the swatch looked sheer and patchy compared to what I remember, but I thought she might have just done a light swatch. It was only when I saw her swatch AND Christine’s that made me worry. I had seen another swatch that showed better pigmentation, but it looked a little powdery/dry. I basically just got confused with all the conflicting info. I will for sure let everyone know what I think!!
@Kafka I never meant to imply that she didn’t like it. She gave it a rave review, but it was the swatches that worried me. I felt the swatch looked sheer and patchy compared to what I remember, but I thought she might have just done a light swatch. It was only when I saw her swatch AND Christine’s that made me worry. I had seen another swatch that showed better pigmentation, but it looked a little powdery/dry. I basically just got confused with all the conflicting info. I will for sure let everyone know what I think!!
@Miss J Got it. I went back and looked at Karen’s review but this time on the computer, not on my phone. You’re right, the swatch looks sheer and light. Patchy, too. But all 3 of the blushes do, even part of the Taos swatch and definitely Amour (which somehow looks like a pale peach in that swatch). Huh. How weird. Equally weird is that I can barely see Outlaw on her face. Well, honey, if I’d seen those swatches, I would have worried a hell of a lot too. But at least she gave it an A+. LOL!
@Miss J Got it. I went back and looked at Karen’s review but this time on the computer, not on my phone. You’re right, the swatch looks much sheerer and patchy. But all 3 of the blushes do, even part of the Taos swatch and definitely Amour which somehow looks peach (peach!) in the little bit of the swatch that isn’t patchy and faded. Huh. How weird. Equally weird is that I can barely see Outlaw on her face. Well, honey, if I’d seen those swatches, I would have worried a hell of a lot too. But at least she gave it an A+. LOL!
@Kafka @Miss I had the same experience. The first time I swatched it, I barely got anything on my finger and whatever I had wouldn’t deposit on my skin. Then I saw Christine’s review and freaked! I tried it again yesterday before I was going to take it back and it did start depositing colour, it just takes a bit more to build it up. I also expected it to be like Mounia in pigmentation but it’s much softer than that. A drier texture? – I’m not sure. It’s odd, I have swatched it about 6 or 7 times and yet the pattern at the top (I can’t remember what it’s called right now – the checkered cloth type pattern that all powder products have, not a specific pattern) is perfectly fine. The blush still look BRAND NEW. Either way, GOOOORGEOUS colour! And I think I agree with you, Christine’s must have been a dud. I have to say though, now that the blush is working fine, I feel like I can breathe and focus on other things now. lol.
@Maryum, YAY that it’s working for you! Yay, yay, YAY! I totally relate to your relief. LOL! I also know exactly what you mean about that superfine, almost imperceptible checkerboard pattern. Yes, my blush looks totally untouched despite repeated swatches. I don’t know about the texture being softer than Mounia though. My Mounia is super soft. So much so that it is almost powdery; even a gentle swipe of my brush yields some powder kick back. Not a lot, but more than any other blush I have. And yet, it is super soft and buttery. (It’s also *the* most pigmented blush I own and I adore it). Outlaw isn’t as soft, dense or rich as that but far, FAR removed from needing a metal spatula to scrape in order to get patchy, sheer colour. Isn’t it weird though how Outlaw doesn’t initially deposit ANYTHING for the first 5 or 6 tries? I’ve never experienced that. It’s as though it’s a newborn and just learning how to … er.. blush. LOL. But I tried on even more since my report and it’s actually showing even more colour! One thing I noticed that I didn’t mention in my original post: it has the most gorgeous soft gold shimmer. Very subtle and almost more like I put a sheer gold highlighter on, but really lovely. It’s so subtle, I didn’t even notice it until I went past a mirror and saw it in natural light.
My hope is that NARS’ PR dept. will see Christine’s review and the comments from people who have had no problems, and then send Christine a new one for her to try. This blush is far, far too pretty for one rare bad apple to ruin its score.
@Kafka @Kafka, you’re totally right. It’s the oddest thing that it doesn’t do anything for the first few swipes. I’m glad to hear that it’s showing even more pigmentation since your original post! I feel like I can get excited about it again. lol. But I feel like certain Nars products have a weird sealer or something on them that keeps the true texture/pigmentation from being expressed properly. I recently bought Dolce Vita and Belle de Jour lipsticks and as soon as I put them on the lips, they tube looked like it started to ball up at the surface that had touched my lips. I thought maybe it was flaky skin or something at first so I took them and exchanged them and the same thing happened so I think it is somehting that’s on the lipstick itself. After a few uses, it mostly disappeared but some of the little balled up peices got stuck in the tube and it just looks ugly. I can only assume it was the sealer causing the problem there as well. Has that ever happened to anyone?
Sorry, got a little ranty and off topic there. 🙂 But I agree, Nars PR Department should definitely send her another one. Considering Christine’s opinion can be the deciding factor on whether people buy the product or not (God knows her reviews have determined my decision plenty of times), NARS will send her another one if they know what’s good for them (that wasn’t meant to sound as aggressive as it does. lol)
P.s. When I said outlaw is softer, I meant that it is a softer colour, not the texture. Texture-wise, mounia wins hands down. I also don’t understand why Nars discontinued that colour either from their permanent line. And I totally know what you mean about the golden sheen. It’s frickin’ BEAUTIFUL!
@Maryum Yeah, Mounia rocks and should never have been discontinued! I’m so glad I managed to find one on eBay. And I totally understand now what you meant by “softer;” it’s definitely a softer colour than Mounia but then, many things are. LOL! As for your lipsticks, I’ve never had that problem but I only buy NARS’ pure matte or semi-matte lipsticks. Both the ones you mentioned are sheers, so maybe NARS added something moisturizing that ends up being a little filmy at first on a brand-new lipstick? I don’t know. BTW, “Maryam” is often a Persian name. I don’t wish to pry but, by any chance, are you Persian? 🙂
@Kafka Thanks for your review! Mine isn’t here yet but I am not really worried anymore. I think if the *newness is/could be a factor, that would explain why I had an amazing experience with the tester. It was definitely well used so the lightest touch of my finger yielded beautiful color. And I totally fell in love with it because if the golden sheen! The only thing left for me to see is whether it would be as soft as the tester was… But I am not that concerned. :p
@P_riya I’m very glad but let me know what you think when you finally get it and try it, ok? 🙂 As for that golden sheen, I think you’ll be happy because….. WOW! It’s as delicate and subtle, but glowing and lovely, as the golden sheen on Cactus Flower which may be one of my favorite blushes ever. That said, I have revised my prior estimate of B+ for Outlaw to make it a flat out A. It’s really gorgeous beyond belief. And thus far, no fading either! 🙂
Outlaw is absolutely FLIPPING GORGEOUS!!!! Ugh, seriously, it’s such a lovely berry, rosy-pink with subtle gold shimmer. I can’t quite even put into words how much I love the shade. A+ and five gold stars in my book for the color. It’s very, very, VERY hard for me to find a cooler toned blush that I’m head over heels for. I lose a lot of my color in fall, but especially in winter, and feel like I need something more rose or pink to pick me up…THIS IS IT!
Ok, I’m done gushing about the color (for now)! 😛 As soon as this arrived in the mail, I pulled it out for a swatch session. Something I ALWAYS do with blush is see how much pigment comes off with a light touch (light pressure, no swirling, and just a small little touch/slight rub). Doing that…all shimmer, pretty much no color, and wouldn’t transfer. I then swirled my finger in a circular motion once. Definite color, but swatch was still sheer. I did a swipe with definite color again. The more I touched it, the easier the pigment came off. It was easy to build up. I’ll admit, I was a bit disappointed after swatching because it was sheerer than I remembered. I then applied some foundation (MUFE Face & Body in 32) then grabbed my stippling brush and a more traditional blush brush. The stippling brush in one swipe gave a very soft glow. The more traditional brush gave a fuller color in one swipe. I probably did a swipe and a half to get the color I wanted. So, while I was disappointed with the way the swatches looked in terms of pigmentation, I EASILY got the color I wanted when applied. There’s definite pigment, but it’s not one of the super intimidating NARS blushes where you barely touch it and have enough pigment for both cheeks. I kind of like this because I didn’t have to be so careful, and no worrying about buffing the excess color away.
In regards of texture, it was smooth, but not buttery/creamy feeling nor dry. It was somewhere in the middle. Also, I had absolutely no problems with getting an even swatch or application. It blended easily with no patchy issues, and no difficult blending around the edges. It was pretty much swirl on to my cheeks and done just lightly going over the edges and innermost part of the apple as I usually do with blush to soften. Applied it shortly after 2pm, and it’s still on great. Even a hint of color is left from one of the arm swatches.
Overall, I am extremely pleased, and so excited to finally have Outlaw. The worst thing I can come up with is that it is sheerer than I remember, and I wouldn’t mind it being a tiny bit more pigmented. I just feel so pretty, fresh, and awake looking when wearing this. I usually only wear cooler/pink/rosier shades in colder months, but I don’t think I’ll be able to help myself from wearing this shade in warmer weather.
OH, I also want to note…when I used a dark bristled blush, I COULD NOT see the color on it, and ended up applying too much. I reapplied with the stroke and a half, which was perfect. I like white bristled brushes because it makes me feel better when I clearly can see the color, lol.
Alright, wow, I just wrote a book. Final thoughts – LOVE the shade, so happy to have this finally, but wouldn’t mind if it was a bit more pigmented (like I remember it to be, but I assume it will get that way with use). I can’t imagine having to scrape this, and it really does make me think you got a dud. I wish NARS would send you another one to test out to see if you have the same experience. It’s really sad to have to see a NARS blush with such a low rating and so many “leave its,” LOL.
@Miss J I cannot tell you how happy this report make me. And the relief… the relief! Not only because you like it but because we seem to have had an IDENTICAL experience, right down to how glorious the result was on foundation. (I thought I was just being weird for thinking that, as you can see by my report below.) The only difference we had is a tiny one: I got colour, not just shimmer, on my finger after a while. But, definitely, at first there was nothing at all. It’s as though the blush needed to be “broken in,” which is not something I’ve ever encountered before with a blush. But… BUT… once broken in, the amount of colour is huge! And I would like to echo, once again, your finding for other readers: there is no patchiness or no problems blending either. It may not be Exhibit A in terms of immediate POW! impact, but I don’t think it’s supposed to be. There is certainly more pigmentation and colour than, say, Orgasm.
The virtually identical reports that we both combined with *other* posters positive experience with this makes me think Christine’s version was a one-off dud. NARS, please, please, PLEASE read this and send her a new one. Not a single one of your blushes has ever received a D_ to my memory. If New Order (which is a *highlighting* blush) received a C+ for being essentially just one big discoball of chunky glitter and no colour, then this definitely deserves a second chance. So many people will see that D+ (esp. now that this thread is buried on later pages), think that is the quality across ALL the blushes, walk away and never give it a try. Such a shame and a pity. This is probably one of the most beautiful blushes I’ve ever owned. It ties with my beloved Cactus Flower and, actually, may have even inched passed to first place. I truly don’t say that lightly. If I could, I would write to NARS myself to beg them to send another one.
Somewhere in there I mention getting color during the swatching process. I was actually getting more color on my finger than on my wrist. I was swiping my finger then swatching against my wrist. I was initially disappointed because I wanted the swatches on my wrist to be more pigmented, but I think the oils in my finger were absorbing the product rather than transferring it, which is when I grabbed my brushes. I pretty much had my opinion formed when I posted in FFHF, but I wanted to play with it a little more and see how it wore. I actually got TOO MUCH color when I first applied because I wasn’t seeing much on the brush, and with the swatches being sheer, I thought I needed to load up the brush. NOPE. Haha.
I agree with you in the comparison to other NARS blushes; it’s no Exhibit A, Taj Mahal, or Mounia, but it’s not Orgasm where you layer 5x and have so much added sparkle with each layer. Just a couple swipes and I was good.
I definitely agree this is one of the most lovely and stunning blushes I have, and it’s easily already my favorite more pink toned blush. I couldn’t stop looking in mirrors with this on, and I’m not even kidding when I say I started singing “I Feel Pretty,” LOL. The dog thought I had lost my damn mind!! Seriously, this blush is so freaking pretty. I really did think about contacting NARS with a link to this thread, but didn’t know if that’d be out of line. This isn’t the most luxurious blush formula, but there’s no real major problems with it, either IMO. I would love to see it get a go with another compact of the product.
Now, if NARS does see this…Crazed and Mounia, and maybe some Sertao back next? ;D
This is obviously a product with an inconsistent formula. I went to my local NARS counter today to check this out again; I was actually concerned that I’d swatched the wrong blush and had misled you earlier, Christine.
The woman at the counter swatched it onto my arm with a brush and the swatched Liberté beside it. Believe it or not, Outlaw was the MORE pigmented on my arm. I don’t love gold in my blushes so I didn’t end up getting it, but it was very definely pigmented. She buffed both shades out on my arm. It may be that Liberté just melted into my arm more because I’m so warm toned (NC 20-25), but they both can deliver a punch of colour.
As a result of conducting this test, I came home with both Liberté and Autumn Leaves. That was NOT the plan. I’m thinking must be your fault in some way, Christine. LOL
I’m sorry but this review is not accurate at all, outlaw is fantastically pigmented, buttery smooth and completely in synergy with the skin when applied. Seriously… NARS at its absolute best.
@winter100 I can only go off of my experience – I’m glad you had a better one! But I’m not a liar.
Wow, I just bought this because it was gorgeous in the store and looked up a review for the heck of it. It was way easier to swatch in the store than on the one I bought but I definitely didnt have to scrape with a spatula. Maybe yours was a dud…. 🙁 The color payoff definitely isn’t as good as it should be though, which is a shame because it’s so pretty. But it definitely was pigmented enough for my cheeks.
Do you think this could compare to Mac breezy?
Breezy seems a bit pinker to me.