NARS Siam Matte Multiple ($39.00 for 0.26 oz.) is described as a “warm poppy red.” It’s a bright, deep red with warm undertones and a satin-matte finish–it is very true-to-description. theBalm Cobbler (P) is similar in color but has more of a sheen. Kevyn Aucoin Fira (P) is more orange, powder. NARS Exhibit A (P, $29.00) is more orange, powder. See comparison swatches.

If subtle blush is your game and fuss-free application is your name, Siam isn’t going to be up your alley. On the other hand, if you love richly pigmented, in-your-face blushes where a mere dab of color will get you a just-flushed coloring, you’ll love Siam. Even just a dab or two blended out is still very opaque and intense–a teeny tiny bit goes a very long way. This one was less blendable than the rest, and I think part of that is just the way the color can look the more it gets fussed with, which is splotchy, so it was really important to apply very little and build up, because if I applied too much, it didn’t blend out evenly. It could only be blended so much before it seemed to set and dry down, and then it was like, “Nope! Not budging.” NARS warns, on their website, that this shade may stain, and it does stain both cheeks as well as lips. I had very slight staining on my cheeks even eight hours after removing it, so you have to love the color. On my lips, the staining only lasted for a few hours after the lip color was removed. As a blush, the color lasted for nine hours before I removed it, and as a lip color, the color was still going strong after five hours but had noticeably settled into lip lines, so I would say good wear is only for about four hours. The lingering stain on the lips helped to downplay the settling, though. It also seemed more drying than some of the other shades I tried as a lip color. For more of an overview of the Matte Multiple formula, check out this post.

NARS Siam Matte Multiple

NARS Siam Matte Multiple

NARS Siam Matte Multiple

NARS Siam Matte Multiple

NARS Siam Matte Multiple

NARS Siam Matte Multiple

NARS Siam Matte Multiple