NARS Larger than life lipglosses - Bimini, Candy says and Gold digger

Outrageously lustrous color meets high-impact shine. Dramatic, stay-in-place shades glide on smoothly and evenly for lips that are more luminous and voluminous than ever before.

Product highlights:
- High-shine, high-impact finish gives a dramatic effect.
- Long-lasting, stay-in-place wear.
- Infused with ingredients to nourish and fight free radicals.
- Natural lip enhancers pump up volume.
- Shorter-bristle brush delivers the most precise application possible.

I have been debating for a while do I really want to try and do I need more glosses... oh well... NARS Gold digger has been on my wishlist since it came out, Candy says was part of Andy Warhol collection and I skipped it then but now I see it's part of their permanent range. But the first one I got is actually Bimini - it was released with Spring 2014 collection and will stay permanent.

NARS Larger than life glosses are one of the nicest product I have tried from NARS. They are ten times better than their old gloss range. There is no nasty smell and texture is creamy but lightweight and not sticky. Three shades that I picked are on a sheer side -  I do not wear opaque glosses. With that said I can't judge on the colors in Larger than life line that are more opaque but seen from swatches there are some that give more color and coverage.

Two of the shades I have have visible shimmer. I love shimmer in glosses. More the better. Don't judge me :)

Gold digger has almost clear base with beige golden and copper shimmer. This is my kind of color. Almost completely sheer but gives lips enough shine and some light color. Such a nice color for summer combined with some bronzer.

Candy says is strawberry pink with some silver shimmer but not really visible chunky one. It blends in so nicely to give out silver shine. It is more opaque than other two. Texture is creamy, does not settle in lines on the lips and stays on longer than other two. I am so happy it became part of the permanent range. It is really one of the nicest pink glosses I've ever tried.

Bimini is described as sheer pink guava. It is peachy orange with a very fine shimmer. This color is really stunning, pictures don't do justice. You really need to see this is in person and try it to see how pretty it is. Such a wearable color. It was part of the Spring 2014 collection and became permanent (yay).

NARS made Larger than life glosses with tiny brush that does give very precise application but on another hand you have to dip the wand couple of times to actually get the color across the whole lips. What strikes me is that size of the brush is not consistent at all. You will notice that the one on the Bimini or Candy says is much bigger compared to one on Gold digger (this one is ridiculously tiny). I am not sure how I feel about the brush. I like it better than the doe foot applicator. If all of them are sized as the ones on Bimini I would be OK with that.

L-R : Bimini, Gold digger, Candy says 

Larger than life lipglosses are great addition to NARS line and I am happy I bough them. I am also excited about the new revamped line of NARS original glosses. So far I have only tried Orgasm shade and loved it . I have an eye on couple of more shades.

These glosses retail for 26$ 

NARS 413 BLKR and Hot Sand Illuminators

What it is:

A multifunctional face product that gives skin a refreshed luminosity.

What it does:

This light-reflecting liquid glides on to refresh and enhance the complexion, creating a shimmering incandescence. Wear it alone, or pair it with makeup to transform your skin from ordinary to extraordinary.

 

Today I wanted to show you two new additions to my ever growing NARS collection. NARS is a dangerous addiction. I have purchased  Hot sand illuminator as well as 413 BLKR illuminator. 

413 BLKR is described as shimmering champagne. It is on the similar page as Copacabana illuminator but it's more subtle not so shimmery. It is subtle enough to be mixed with the tinted moisturizer, moisturizer only or a foundation for the nice glow. I can see this one working on any skin tone and year around. Such a great addition to NARS line, although it's exclusive to their BLKR boutique and online shop.

Hot sand is part of their summer 2014 Adult swim collection. Described as peach champagne. When I hear anything peach and anything champagne and especially these two combined together I am sold right away. NARS you can take all of my money.  Hot sand is next to Orgasm illuminator probably the lightest one. It is VERY sheer. I assumed it will give some color like the rest but it barely shows up on my ghostly white NC15/20 skin. Good thing is that color is buildable. In my swatches I did couple of layers, pretty heavy to show you the color. There is no visible shimmer just nice warm glow. This could be great for those with light skin that are scared of color and shimmer on their cheeks. You can really overdo Hot sand. For the medium or darker skin tones this could work well mixed with foundation to give all over warmth or as a subtle hilighter. My friend who is about MAC NC35 uses this as a base underneath her blushes, bronzers etc... To give some glow and make the color pop.

 Warning - heavy swatches. The amount you see here could probably cover your whole face. 

NARS Illuminators are easy to work with. You can apply and blend them with your fingers or with a synthetic face brush. They have light texture that dries fast and does not leave any wet sticky feeling on skin. They stay on longer than Multiples. And I feel they look better on skin and they set better than Multiples.

I have previously reviewed NARS Copacabana, Orgasm and Super orgasm illuminators here

NARSissist eyeshadow palette

Are you a NARSissist? Cause' I am! When I saw preview of this palette I could not wait to get my hands on it! What else could you ask for if you are eyeshadow fan and NARS fan? This is your dream come true - and mine too! 15 iconic shades in one palette is a great choice for someone who does not own any NARS eyeshadow or for someone who might have almost all of them but needs something more compact , purse or travel friendly. 

This palette contains:

All about Eve 1 - flesh toned neutral

Madrague 2 - matte caramel 

Fez- velvety cocoa

Bali - neutral 

Coconut grove -deep brown infused with reflections

Madrague 1 - matte cream

Nepal - soft sheer rose

Ashes to ashes - shimmery violet based brown

Brousse 2 - black violet

Mekong - espresso infused with gold

Belissima 1 - shimmering beige with subtle glitter

Lhasa - lavender gray

Bad behavior - deep pewter

Dogon 2 - charcoal black

Pandora 2 - matte black

I have read so many different reviews on this palette that makes me wonder if some women even know how to use makeup... anyway here are my thoughts.

All about eve - soft, neutral, so light that blends right into my skin tone. Great for all over base color or for the inner corner/ brow bone. Good pigmentation and easy to work with.

Madrague 2 - much lighter in the pan than when applied on skin. On me it shows up much darker, which surprised me. Great transition color for above the crease. Even though it's matte it's easy to work with (some NARS mattes are little bit tricky and takes time and patience to figure out the best way to apply them).

Fez- serious stunner. One of the best colors in the palette. In the swatch below I used only one swipe with the brush. Please note how much pigmentation it has, it is super opaque and almost feels creamy. My top 3 from this palette for sure.

Bali - super wearable, soft, easy to blend such a staple color. It has been on my wishlist for a while and I am glad it came with this palette. I love using shades like this one for the outer corner.

Coconut grove - next to MAC's handwirtten the best matte brown eyeshadow I have ever tried. Very pigmented, can be used as an eyeliner too! I had no problem with application or blending. Matte texture but very "creamy" (what a wrong way to say it) meaning it is not dry or doesn't have any fallout.


From the first row I did not have any of the colors. Bingo! I usually avoid NARS palettes because for example - I already have 6 out of 9 colors they put in a palette.

Madrague 1 - it is so sheer that I can't see it being use for anything but highlighter. Which is ok, some of the colors have to be for that too. I had to make about 3 swipes with the brush to get anything to show up on my skin.

Nepal - very wearable soft pinkish color, great for all over the lid. Decent pigmentation, I won't say it's great but it's not bad either.

Ashes to ashes - one of the most popular shades from NARS. It's a nice taupey violet based brown. I can see this looking great on everyone. Good for a quick makeup all over the lid and with the eyeliner. Soft and wearable, office friendly. It could have been more pigmented. It does not have visible shimmer.

Brousse 2 - it is dark violet with some dark grey tones to it. No black in it really. It is on a drier side, and it takes couple of swipes to build the color. I think it compliments other colors in this row nicely.

Mekong - I do not see how this color fits into this row and an idea of taupey, rosey, violet colors. Mekong is dark chocolate brown infused with gold. Not that I am saying it has to be used with other colors from the row, but it's an odd choice. I already have single of this one and it is very pigmented and great color for brown/bronzey neutral smokey eyes. When swatched just with finger you will notice gold shimmer more, but when blended with the brush shimmer mostly disappears and you end up with very dark brown.

Belissima 1- one of the worst NARS eyeshadows I've tried. I already reviewed it here. Color is mostly non existing , it just offers golden shimmer. It is ok over other eyeshadows to give some shimmer or maybe for the outer corner but I find it hard to work with. Layering layering, patting the color on.... too much work for my taste.

Lhasa -  surprise number 2! I have swatched it a while ago and found that it's too dry and not really pigmented so I skipped even though I liked the color. Liv from blushnglow liked it and I should have listened to her. I am so glad it came in this palette! Great pigment, soft, easy to blend one swipe and it's completely opaque... I can go on and on how impressed I am with this color and it's texture.

Bad behavior - I am surprised they put an eyeshadow that's not from their regular line but Cinematic one - limited edition from Guy Bourdoin collection. I want to know how did I miss on Bad behavior?? How? I only got Mississippi mermaid which I loved. I wish all the NARS shadows have this specific texture. I am blown away by Bad behavior. It's such a complex color - deep pewter but it has tiny shimmer that's pink, silver, blue etc... Pictures don't really do justice. I tried to capture but I am not sure how successful I was.

Dogon 2 - great for outer corner if you do not want to go with something as bold as black. Slightly dry texture, and sheer pigment but buildable. I have Dogon from the first release but do not use it often.

Pandora 2- great matte deep black. Very pigmented and easy to work with. Probably the best
matte black eyeshadow I have tried.

Size comparison with NARS blush or eyeshadow duo (their compacts are the same size) and NARS single eyeshadow 

Photos taken with flash:

L-R : All about eve, Madrague 2, Fez, Bali, Coconut grove

L-R : Madrague 1, Nepal, Ashes to Ashes, Brousse 2 , Mekong

L-R : Belissima 1, Lhasa, Bad behavior, Dogon 2, Pandora 2

Check out the beautiful shimmer in the Bad behavior <3

What I have read out there  - pigment and quality is not the same as their single and duo eyeshadows. I have to disagree. I wonder if people who claim that actually do have their single and duo eyeshadows? I would say no. Yes quality can be different across the line and NARS does have some hits and some misses when it comes to their eyeshadows but this palette pretty much represents how NARS eyeshadows are. They are not as soft and "creamy" as for example Urban Decay. I would say they are on the same page as MAC. 

Others claim that darker shades are hard to work with. Whaaat? Darker shades in this palette are absolute winners! They are so pigmented and smooth and much better than the light ones. 

Thank you NARS for making this wonderful palette for all of us who already have a lot eyeshadows but also for those ones who are just being introduces to your brand. 

My top 3 from the palette : Fez, Lhasa and Bad behavior 

3 most disappointing: Belissima, Dogon 2, Brousse 2

NARS Kauai eyeshadow duo spring 2014 collection

NARS Spring 2014 collection is inspired by exotic places like Hawaii and Bahamas. Inlcudes some bold and electric colors. I only picked up two items from this collection - Kauai eyeshadow duo and Bimini lipgloss. I love how NARS combines colors that I would never think that could go together - electric purple eyes and guava orange lips? Yes why not.  To quote Francois "Rules are boring". Both items I picked up are now part of NARS permanent range. 

Kauai is really unique and breath taking. I can't think of any dupes especially for the lighter color.

Lighter shade is described as "gold lame".It is very light gold, almost antiqued and more wearable than some bright yellow golds. It has very metallic finish with the same color shimmer that can become almost multi-colored depending on the light (I loved it the most under the artificial store lights). Texture is beyond amazing. I can easily say this is the best NARS eyeshadow duo texture wise. It is such a smooth silky and soft powder that will make you think it's a cream. Incredibly pigmented. 

Darker shade in this duo is described as "iridescent smokey orchid" . I had to google orchid pictures, especially Hawaiian orchid and honestly that color has nothing to do with this. There might be some orchids that I managed to find pictures of that are very dark purple and do fit in this description but most of the orchids are much lighter and warmer toned. This eyeshadow does have some orchid color undertones but mainly it is medium-dark purple with shimmery finish. Though you want see shimmer itself it has very iridescent finish as well as lighter shade. This duo is not really work appropriate if you work in corporate worlds, it's just too much for the office. Darker shade could be used as eyeliner - I think that might look beautiful even for everyday makeup. But both of these shades together will make anyone look more like a disco ball. 

Purple side of the duo is also very smooth and soft but not as pigmented as the gold side. It is not bad, but I had to make three swipes of the purple side to achieve the same opacity that I got with only one swipe of the gold side.

Indoor photos taken with flash:

Outdoors direct sunlight:

Indoors daylight:

Indoors with flash:

I am still trying to figure out how to wear this duo - both shades together or to combine it with something more matte and not as bright. I will post some eye look separately.  I often find that I can't wear NARS duos the way they were supposed to - by itself. I have better luck when I combine them with other NARS eyeshadows I have.

Francois NARS named this duo by Hawaiian island of Kauai:

http://www.gohawaii.com/kauai

Experiencing Hawaii is something that you should put on you bucket list... It is wonderful experience and I was lucky enough to be able to visit Hawaii 4 years ago. Hopefully it's not the last time. It is world for itself. Pictures and descriptions can do justice to this magical piece of land in the middle of the ocean. It is heaven.

ALOHA!