First Time

NARS First Time Multi-Use Gloss ($26.00 for 0.16 oz.) has a translucent base with flecks of beige and champagne gold sparkle and micro-glitter. It had a semi-sheer amount of sparkle when applied to lips and was even less noticeable when I applied it to my cheekbones/brow bone--more shine than shimmer. The consistency was smooth, lightweight, and mostly non-sticky, though it was emollient and never dried down, so it felt tackier on my cheeks than it did as a lip product.

The formula was consistent with the other shades in the range: best for adding shine and/or very subtle sparkle on skin (brow bone, cheek bone, and the like) but is harder to use on the eyelid area unless you want to have a creased effect and don't mind the product sliding into the lash lines/getting into one's eyes. As long as I kept it away from my lid/crease area, it was a wearable, reasonably-lasting product to add shine/glossiness on my brow bone and cheek bones, where it lasted for six and a half hours before it seemed to slide noticeably. It actually seemed to do a bit better with respect to longevity when applied over complexion products at seven and a half hours before migration occurred, but it was critical to give my base products time to dry down and set them prior to applying the gloss on top.

As a lip product, it had noticeable shine but somehow didn't reflect/sparkle like a traditional gloss, and the shine wore down within two hours, though there was a subtle sheen and some of the sparkle after three hours. It was smooth and comfortable to wear as a lip product, though there was a denser, almost silicone-like feel to it that felt clingy on but wasn't actually drying.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview, which is a detailed review of the range as a whole.

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