NARS: The Standouts

NARS is one of those brands that continues to impress me with each purchase I make. I haven't found a fault in any of the products I have tried over the last few years, which is why I am very happy to keep going back for more. My makeup storage is over flowing with NARS products (amongst my ridiculous makeup collection) but there are a few standouts that I think deserve a mention. I love the NARS face products. Anything from their primer to their multiple, it has been tried and tested by yours truly and they all have my stamp of approval. 

NARS Sheer Glow is one of those foundations that is a cult favourite amongst beauty bloggers and vloggers. Everyone and their dog has raved about this foundation, and of course it deserves the love. It blends seamlessly into the skin, giving you perfect coverage that makes your skin look as if it is glowing from within. Did I mention that it is a dream to wear AND its long lasting? If you haven't tried it yet get your hands on this immediately. Other cult favourites are the Creamy Concealer and the Tinted Moisteriser, two products I will re-purchase over and over again. 

I couldn't write this post without mentioning the Contour Kit and blush could I? The contour duo was a new discovery for me a few months ago, and I don't know how I lived without this product. It makes contouring so unbelievably easy. Using the ITA brush and the powders I am able to contour my cheek bones and bring dimension to my face in seconds. The colour is spot on and has made contouring so simple for me. 

Everyone has heard about Orgasm and Deepthroat blush, but there are a few others that I think deserve a bit of love. Sex Appeal and Gaiety are beautiful pink blushes that I use on a daily basis. They are matte shades which make them very wearable during the day and add a flush of colour leaving a healthy looking glow on your cheeks. I have also been loving the Orgasm Multiple, which I think blows the powder blush out of the water. In the summer this goes perfectly with a tan, accentuating your natural glow and works wonderfully as a cream blush in the winter to make dry skin appear more dewy. The glow this gives your skin is like no other, and it works beautifully with all skin shades.

Copacabana illuminator is a staple in my everyday makeup routine. If I wear foundation, I mix a little in to make my skin look radiant and I always put a little of this on top of my cheek bones and under by brow bone. It leaves a beautiful pearl sheen on the skin and really illuminates your complexion. This stuff also lasts forever, I have used this nearly everyday since October last year and I still have most of the product left! For all these reasons and more this probably has to be my all time favourite NARS product. 

FOTD - Shimmery Pink Eye Makeup

 

My typical everyday makeup is a basic neutral eye, mascara and luminous skin with a light coverage. I don't tend to do different makeup looks unless I am going out or if its a special occasion but today I felt like mixing things up a bit. I have these beautiful Bobbi Brown palettes and cream eyeshadows that don't get used very much, however today I felt like I needed a change from my day-to-day routine and I felt inspired by these colours. I wanted to completely change up my routine so I started with some Chanel skincare, starting with the Chanel Eau Doucher Cleansing Water Balance and followed with the Hydramax + Active Serum and Bobbi Brown hydrating eye cream to moisturise my skin. We are transitioning from Summer to Autumn (Fall for you American readers) and my skin is feeling the effects of the weather change so it needed a hydrating base.

I started with my new Luminous Moisturising Treatment Foundation from Bobbi Brown. Today was my first day using it and I found it very moisturising, it felt more like a tinted moisturising than a foundation with great coverage, but it does has lavender scent so it might not be great for those with sensitive skin. I then used my Bobbi Brown corrector and added colour to my face by using Nars Laguna Brozner, Nars Orgasm Blush and MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralise Skin Finish.

The eyes were the most exciting part of this makeup look, I used Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear cream shadow in Bone all over from the lid as a base and followed with Long-Wear cream shadow in the shade Ballet Pink on the eye lid. To make the pink more opaque and add intensity to the look I applied Ballet Pink Sparkle Eye Shadow over the top of the cream shadow base and lightly dusted Caramel Eye Shadow through the crease as a transition colour. I finished the look with a thin line of eyeliner by Lancome, a few coats of YSL's Shocking Mascara and lastly YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in shade 13. 

Sadly I couldn't get a good quality picture of the eye makeup because my DSLR camera broke a few weeks ago and I am stuck using a digital camera for now - and of course the battery died before I could get a decent picture. The picture doesn't do the eye shadow any justice in the slightest but it is such a pretty shade. If you are near a Bobbi Brown counter swatch this colour, you'll probably have to buy it there and then. 

Chicago Wishlist

In just three weeks I will be flying across the atlantic ocean yet again this year for a two week trip to Chicago. I travel to America a fair bit so I am very well accustomed to the shopping over there. Were I am visiting is home to one of the largest malls in America so I am thoroughly spoilt for choice when it comes to the range of stores. I have been trying to saving like crazy over the last few months so I have enough money to spend on products I have wanted to try for a long time now.

Tarte Cosmetics

I have a huge list of products I am hoping to pick up from this brand. I raved about their ethics in my August Favourites post but also the quality of their products. The 'Camera Lights Lashes' mascara is probably the best mascara I have every tried so I will be picking up all three the brand have to offer and I will be trying some new products that I have had my eye on. The Creaseless Concealer has been compared to the MAC pro long wear which is something I've wanted to try for a while now as I have an issue with my concealer creasing. Apparently it works just as well as the MAC pro long wear but is much more forgiving under the eye as it is a little more moisturising. I am also keen to try out the Pure Maracuja Oil as I love to have moisturised skin and this also helps with acne prone skin and as I am breaking out a lot lately this maybe the trick to help my skin. There are a few more products I want to try out from the brand but there are the three I am most excited about purchasing. 

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua 

This is definitely a cult product amount beauty bloggers but its a foundation I have heard so much about its about time I gave it a try. This is supposed to be a very light, water based foundation yet it gives amazing coverage. I am not a fan of heavy duty foundations and I typically mix them with a moisturiser to make them lighter on my skin, but this seems like a good alternative to tinted moisturisers as it has a light consistency.  I have never tried a Chanel foundation before so I am interested to see if this will live up to the hype. 

NARS

Nars is a line that I am very familiar with, their powder blushes and bronzers are definitely among the best that I have tried. I have had my eye on the Copacabana Illuminator for a little while but I've never had the chance to pick one up as the closest counter to me is an hour away in London. I like the look of this highlighter over the 'Orgasm' because its not as peach based and I think I will get more use out of this one. I also want to try some of their eye shadow duos because they have some lovely colour combinations that I don't yet have in my collection. 

Butter London

Me and my sister have a ridiculous nail polish collection. We are both die hard fans of Essie and OPI and stock up on different shades whenever we are in the states as it was much cheaper for us. Its about time we changed up our collection a little bit and tried some different brands and stop buying so many Pink shades - seriously, we must have about 5 bottles of OPI Passion. I have wanted to try Butter London polishes for the longest time so I am hoping to pick up some new shades to add for our ever growing collection.