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.

NARS Outlaw Blush

NARS Outlaw Blush

NARS Outlaw Blush

NARS Outlaw Blush

NARS Outlaw Blush

NARS Outlaw Blush

NARS Outlaw Blush

NARS Outlaw Blush