NARS Sin Blush Review, Photos, Swatches
NARS Sin Blush
NARS Sin Blush ($29.00 for 0.16 oz.) is described as a “berry with gold shimmer.” It’s a gold-shimmered plum with a frosted finish. It’s less red, more plum compared to NARS Oasis. MAC Plum Foolery is lighter but similar. MAC Vintage Grape is purpler. theBalm Cabana Boy is similar–perhaps a smidgen lighter.
Sin is like a plummy version of NARS Orgasm, because both of a golden shimmer/sheen that alters the underlying base color. It’s slightly cool-toned, but the golden shimmer adds warmth and makes it appear almost neutral in tone on the skin. It had great pigmentation, so it should show up well on most skin tones. The texture was soft and finely-milled. The finish is softly frosted on the skin after it is applied and blended out. There was a very, very slight emphasis of pores but it was hardly noticeable and the resulting glowy sheen was luminous without being oily. Sin wore just over eight hours well but started to fade after nine hours on my skin.
Sin
PPermanent. $30.00.
NARS Sin Blush
NARS Sin Blush
NARS Sin Blush
NARS Sin Blush
NARS Sin Blush
NARS Sin Blush
NARS Sin Blush
NARS Sin Blush
I’ve always found Sin so much easier to wear than Orgasm. Orgasm is terrible on me – I don’t think it’s as universal as people claim. It pulls really orange on my face, while Sin just blends in really beautifully, giving a natural flush. It still has that nice sheen to it. For reference my skin is light/medium olive with a rose undertone.
I don’t think Orgasm is universal either – I think corals tend to be colors people love to wear (I feel like every LE coral blush MAC has ever put out has sold out SO quickly), but it will definitely depend on your skin tone 🙂
I always thought Sin would look great on YOU, Temptalia!
Sounds like we have the same skin coloration. I agree about Orgasm, could never get into wearing that colour. This shade looks beautiful though!
I’m paler than NC15, somewhere between NARS Siberia & Deauville, and Orgasm shows up if you look very, *very* close (even on my white as paper inner wrist). Sin is so much more “universal”, as it can be sheered out for paler skin, and it still shows up on deeper ones. I also find plummy & mauve shades to be flaattering on a larger variety of skiontones. I don’t have this one *yet*, but I do plan to pick it up, soon.
For some reason when I swatched Sin and Oasis, they looked exactly the same on my NC45 skin tone but I ended up buying Sin. I love it!
Glad you love Sin! What made you choose Sin over Oasis (since they looked the same)?
I liked the finish of Sin better. Oasis had just a little bit more sparkle while Sin has more of a shimmer.
WOW this is stunning!! I’ve never seen a blush quite like this one, I think it’s the gold shimmer. I was just thinking I have enough blushes to be getting on with!! Plum lends itself amazingly to lip and cheek products – it’s my new love.
Plum is definitely pairs well with many things!
What a great shade. If only it was matte.
Too bad! 🙁
SIn looks horrible on me. it looks like got punched in the face. i love “O” though.
As long as you’ve found something that works, I’m happy! 🙂
Orgasm was popular from the very beginning of Nars intro. I looked at the colors and swatched them. I ended buying Amour. Then later I bought Sin….Really dont know what is so great about orgasm…at least for me that is
I think it just depends on your skin tone! Great for some but not perfect for everyone.
Even though I have a lot of blushes, NARS Sin is my favorite of all time! I just love it and can’t stop wearing it!
Aww! That’s amazing! What’s your skin tone like, Laurie?
I am Asian with really fair skin, neutral undertone 🙂 Sin gives me the most beautiful natural flush!
This is my absolute favorite blush from NAR’s! It is so gorgeous, and looks like the perfect flush when used with a light hand on my fair skin! It looks great on you too! :]
Sounds like Sin is quite the classic 🙂
Although sin is in my blush arsenal, I rarely find myself reaching for it. I have to apply with a really light hand and in my non-professional opinion I think other manufacturers do shimmer blushes so much better..Sorry Nars! I definitely have other well-loved Nars blush products which I use much more frequently–Madly comes to mind as a great workhorse! That being said, I think maybe it’s a pretty blush for more pigmented and youthful complexions than mine, but just not my cup ‘o tea.
What are your preferred brands for shimmery blushes?
Tom Ford and Chanel Joues Contraste. Their shimmers are just so much more magical and complex.. more ethereal and less like glitter stuck in a blush formula. They are more refined and I love how both show up subtly when the light hits your face. But the best part is I can wear TF and CJC on aging skin and they do not emphasize pores or texture. It dawned on me that Angelika is another NARS fav which looks like a glitter bomb in the compact, but I always tap off the sparkles before using. Love NARS blushes, just not so much for those with heavier shimmers. Oh, and like many others posting here, I hate orgasm blush. It’s hideous on me. LoL
This looks like a more plummy Lovejoy to me. 🙂
I could see that!
It’s not 100% cool but I still don’t think it would work on me.
Maybe try it in store 🙂
Sin is my first nars blush. I love the golden shimmer which just suits my skin tone, making my face more brighter.
Aww!
Would this blush be too dark for someone with NW15/NC20 skin? It looks super pretty, but it’s also very pigmented
With a light hand, it should be no problem, Anna!
I find the easiest way to apply a super pigmented blush on a light skin tone is to use a stippling brush aka skunk brush.
However, if you don’t have one, lightly pat your brush in the product and then against the back of your hand to get most of it off. It’ll apply super lightly this way, but it’s always easier to add more blush if you need, than to try to remove what you’ve already applied 🙂
I have 2 Nars blush, Sin and Zen. Sin can creates contour effect on me cuz I have fair medium skin. It just balances the redness on my cheek. While Zen is the perfect match for earthy/nude look. Both are very long-lasting.
BTW Christinne do you know Everyday Mineral? I got a few base samples and totally love them!
I’ve heard of the brand but can’t recall trying anything!
I love this – one of my favourite blushes for autumn in particular 🙂
I get a very autumn-y vibe from it, too!
LOVE this blush!! (olive skin here)
Awesome! Thank you for sharing, Melissa!
Ha! I’ve been eyeing this bad boy since discovering it last night on sephora. I don’t really need another blush, but I just may do it! It looks beautiful on you!
Thank you, Summer!
Sin and Angelika (also from Nars) are my favorite blushes ever! They look perfect on my skin tone, which is kind of an odd tone, light-medium with rosy neutral undertones (if that makes any sense). For reference, I wear MUFE 135 (the only foundation that looks good on me).
Sin is perfect to use for a more dramatic or winter fall look, while Angelika is a great every occasion blush.
Christine, can you recommend more blushes for me?
Also, on the foundation matrix, you do not have MUFE 135, so I can not find any dupes for it. Can you recommend me a foundation from another brand?
Thank you so much,
Marina
Hi Marina,
Make Up For Ever #135 is listed under “light-medium!”
Sin has been my go-to Nars blush for years! I concur about Orgasm not being as universal as people claim – I’m Asian with fairly neutral undertones, but can run rosy. Orgasm worked really well on a friend of mine who is much more fair than me (and Caucasian), and if it looked that good on me, I’d understand the hype. I have the Orgasm/Laguna combo, and if I’m traveling and want to pack light, I can use it in a pinch, but it’s not something I’d purchase on its own.
Orgasm definitely isn’t universal, but I think it’s hard to find much that truly is!
I own plum foolery and love it. Do you think it would be worth the money to buy this? I’ve never owned a nars blush and I don’t know which one I should get as my first. Any recommendations? I have pretty fair skin. I’m about a little lighter than an NW15. My cheeks have a bit of a red undertone however my foundation covers most of it. I can’t wear blush without foundation or I’ll look super red in my cheeks.
If you have Plum Foolery, I don’t think I’d opt for this for your first NARS blush. I mean, you’d probably love it, but it’s be a fair amount of overlap, you know?
Thanks. Maybe I’ll get it later on if its different enough. Do you have any nice spring/summer-like shades that you’d recommend?
Sex Appeal! 🙂
i have this from their holiday palette from a couple of years ago, i think i dislike this blush, it makes my cheeks look dirty. nc42.
I’m NC 20 and quite neutral in skintone. When I read your post I found myself nodding in agreement. I think you’ve nailed why I’m not so fond of this one. It looks dirty on me too. Weird.
I’m NC20, as well, and I find this one looks glorious on my skin; so interesting! Although, I admit, I seem to be able to pull of most blush shades fairly easy.
I caught your post too 🙂 and it is always surprising isn’t it when something should theoretically work. I’ve got other plums in the stash that work better, but they are brighter less murky. I’m curious though and so I’m going to pull this sucker out of storage and try it again today just for fun. It could be short lived.. haha
Let me know how it ended up! I just noticed your response to Christine above in your original comment, and I had to laugh because you mentioned Angelika as a favorite, which is one I’m not too particularly fond of on myself. LOL. That’s one I want to work so badly on me, but it just never really looks right. There just must be enough differences between coloring, chemistry, and of course preference that account for two people of the same foundation shade having totally opposite experiences.
Well..it isn’t as hideous on me as I remember, but it totally looks like a contour shade on my skin tones. I even applied it with my yachiyo brush, the one I use when I want a really light application. So get this, I ended up after about an hour, putting a bit of Chanel Joues in pink cloud on top and that was really pretty~ LoL. I’m laughing about how you feel similar about Angelika on you. Just as a caveat on my claim to NC20 skin: I really haven’t a clue on MAC foundations, but I do believe NC20 is about the right level. I haven’t had a lot of success with their foundations because the colours are never remotely a match and they oxidize on me like crazy and pull orange. Definitely must have something to do with my chemistry because I’ve encountered this with other brands. Probably as you suggested also why we can be the same and yet so different. I was fun trying Sin again anyway. Angelika wouldn’t be my first choice for most people either. It’s a blush I never thought would work for me, but my old Nars dude at the department store where I used to shop picked it out for me. He also picked out a cream blush, Montenegro..and it looks like a really dark plum in the pan. I have to apply this baby super lightly, but it’s a plum I can pull off successfully. I think it has a lot more red in it than Sin. Have a great night~
I couldn’t reply to your last comment, so I’m replying here… I hope you don’t mind answering a question, but I was wondering how your experience has been with the yachiyo brush? Do you find that it has stayed in tact fairly well, and do you have any tips for washing it? Also, do you find it to work better than a stippling brush for pigmented blushes? Hope you have a great night, too.
Hey J: Mine is holding up okay, but showing some wear on the tips after about 1 year of use. I bought the NARS version on eBay for a lot less than retail. I love it for really pigmented blushes and also because the shape makes it so freaking easy to have that pretty diffused look on the apples of the cheek without any effort! When I use this blush, I never have to blend. I also have a regular style blush brush from Hakuhodo. They are every bit as amazing as we have read and I am slowly slowly building up my set. They are take your breath away expensive! Anyhow, I use the hakuhodo blush brush when I want a more defined sculpted cheek or when I’m using less pigmented or natural/nude colours. I wear both ‘styles’ of cheek.. the soft flush of colour and the slightly sculpted nude cheek. I personally gave up on a stippling brush for blush and use those strangely enough for cream concealer and highlighter and even contour (the shorter denser duo fibre one by MAC is my fav contour brush..can’t remember the number off the top of my head). I use a daily brush cleaning spray–very lightly–by BBrown and then just the regular MAC cleanser weekly. I only use little bits and since I pretty much clean my brushes daily. The daily cleanser doesn’t get down and get the pigments out from the depths of the brush quite like the weekly version, but at least it’s a somewhat clean brush to use on my face. Sorry for the long posts..I swear I could talk cosmetics for hours on end! I eventually want to buy a yachiyo from Hakuhodo.. I swear the shape and quality natural bristles are the reason they deliver so well. Perhaps the Hakuhodo will stand up a bit better than the Nars…one would hope at the price! 😀
Oh and p.s. I never ever ever squish my brushes around in the palm of my hand when cleaning.. just something I picked up from using art brushes. Clean in the direction of the bristles, squeeze to remove excess water, give a bit of a shake to loosen up the fibres and let dry naturally, standing in a coffee mug or something like that. I bet some of the pro’s on Temptalia have a ton of recommendations on this and I think this would be a good topic..unless it has already been done! ha!!
@wwendalynne
Crap, we’re running out of places to reply, LOL. Thank you so much for all the info, and no worries about long posts! I’ve been using the MAC 188 for highlight, bronzer, contour, and blush and MAC 130 for concealer and cream blush, but I’ve just kind of wanted to move on from the 188 when it comes to pigmented blush. I’ve been contemplating the NARS yachiyo for a bit now, but I have heard some horror stories about the binding coming undone and the brush not handling washes well. Eeep!
As for the Hakuhodo brushes… LEt’s not get me started, LOL; that’s a whole notha beast to tackle! I’ve been lemming, but haven’t delved into any, yet!
This is one of my absolute favorites; I would put this in my top 5 NARS blushes! On my NC20 skin, this doesn’t read too cool, and it just gives off the nicest berry-rose flush. Sin turned me on to other berry and rosy shades of blush because I would only wear pinky-peach or other warmer shades of blush before I picked up this one. This is quite pigmented, so I do have to be a little careful with it because it can start to look a little too purple and dark if I don’t use a light hand. This looks nice on you, too! Is the other cheek color Taos? I actually think I like that better on you!
well that’s a gorgeous blush. I made need to own this. I do own and love orgasm, ftr, but I’m all about broadening my stash, especially blush, and I don’t have anything plum! I hope it wouldn’t be too dark for my very fair skin. I guess it’s an excuse to go to sephora & swatch!
I have this but I don’t think I’ve ever actually worn it, and I can’t access my stash at the moment to tell. It’s so pretty, though. I’ll have to use a really light hand with it as I’m really pale, but I tend to do that anyway.
Very pretty, but I feel it may run too dark on my NC10 skin unless I use a very light hand. I’ll pass for some of the lighter shades, but this wears very beautifully on you. 🙂
Sin was my first Nars blush and it is my all time favorite blush. I was NC15 when I first purchased it, NC20 now that I”m older. It pulls much more purple on me than it looks in the pan. I like the shimmer. I don’t do shimmer all over my face, but at age 46 the cheeks are where I like it best.
I resisted orgasm for years. I finally tried it and I do like it; however it pulls very pink on me.
Looks like bruising!
I tried Sin a few months ago. I’d seen a photo where the wearer looked absolutely beautiful and classic and had colouring that seemed similar to mine. So I tried Sin in-store with such high hopes but it really didn’t work for me at all – didn’t really show much and just didn’t look great. I really want it to be a blush I can wear but…. I may try it again the next time I’m at Sephora, just to give it another chance (and hope it works). As for Orgasm, that is just NOT a blush for me at all
My first Nars blush and one of the favorites in my collection. It looks good on such a vast array of skin tones – and I usually like matte blushes but Sin is just amazing
Are you using highlighter? I love how your cheeks look!
Just Sin!
What foundation are you wearing? Your skin is glowing!
I believe it’s Giorgio Armani Maestro here!
=)
Hi Christine, this looks awesome on you. My favorite Nars blush so far 🙂
Love this color so much! It’s so pretty when worn 🙂
Gosh it’s sooo pretty I want it!
This product is #1 on my want list. I am forcing myself to finish up NARS Orgasm first since the packaging is all wonky. I love this though! I test it out every time I am at Sephora.
Hi Christine,
I have theBalm Cabana Boy is this blush different enough to warrant getting?
I love the finish it leaves on your cheeks its beautiful.
I don’t think you need both.
Thanks.