A few of my favourite things - NARS

So, I thought it might be a nice idea to do some brand focussed posts, and write about my favourite things from each line. I'm starting off with NARS, which can be found in SpaceNKs, Liberty and Selfridges. The Selfridges counter always seems to be very busy, and is often out of stock of the most popular items. I like the Liberty counter, where the MAs are helpful and knowledgeable without being pushy.

Favourite things:

Lili Marlene cream eyeshadow. A dark cream eyeshadow is the best base for a smoky eye, and this grey is a good alternative to black on fairer skin (if you want a more dramatic look, or if you have a deeper skintone, Zardoz is a true black cream.) I wear this under any of the eyeshadow duos to intensify the colours and make an instant smoky look.

London eye pencil. This is a grey pencil that matches the Lili Marlene exactly, and it’s soft enough to wear on the waterline. Again, it’s a softer alternative to a black pencil that defines my eyes nicely without being too much on my pale skin. I do find NARS pencils smear a bit during the day and travel under the eye.

Cannes multiple. I’ve already given this its own post, but it is worth a mention here. It’s a good rose/bronze, perfect for holidays or on days when you can’t be bothered with much makeup.

Medea lip lacquer. Be warned, these smell of lanolin, which gives them a medicinal smell (they smell a bit like 8 hour cream, or nipple ointment for breastfeeding.) These are not drying, and this is a good colour for adding a little natural depth to the lips. Medea is a warm cinnamon colour and has a little shimmer, but is not frosty.

Eyeshadow duos. The eyeshadows duos are a particular strength in this line; there are some strange looking combinations which somehow work brilliantly. Personal favorites include Cheyenne (plum and copper) Habanera (smoky dark purple and seafoam green) and Cordura (sooty darkest brown and golden chocolate.)

Not so favorite things:

I don’t like the infamous Orgasm. It’s too shimmery, and the colour doesn’t work on me; I look like a fevered disco ball. A lot of the shimmer blushes are just too shimmery for me.

Recent collections have been glitter-tastic. Francois has been putting glitter in too many products from each collection recently. I am looking forward to him getting over this.

Egea duo. I bought this earlier in the year, and it’s a disappointment. It’s billed as a sage shimmer and smoky mauve shimmer duo, but on me it looks like indistinguishable shimmer. There is no contrast in depth or texture, and I honestly can’t tell the difference between the sage and the mauve when I apply them.

The lipsticks. There are some great colours, but I can feel them sucking all the moisture out of my lips as soon as I apply them.