One of the world’s most successful make-up artists, François Nars was known for creating memorable runway looks, in particular for Marc Jacobs before he started his own business. Born in the south of France, François Nars launched his own makeup line, NARS Cosmetics in 1994 with 12 lipsticks which were sold exclusively in Barneys New York. His line had distinct minimalist matte black rubber packaging designed by Fabien Baron.
Nars became known for his love of colour and his modern style. In the eighties and nineties he produced many magazine editorials appearing in American Vogue, Vogue Italia and Elle, along with photographer Steven Meisel and Oribe Canales. After shooting his brand’s first advertising campaign, François Nars was led to his secondary career as a photographer.
The company was sold to Shiseido in 2000, however Nars remains artistic director, in-house photographer, and copywriter for his brand.
A brand that needs no introduction, NARS is a definitive cult classic, it is a brand I associate with exclusivity, partly because when I first discovered NARS, it only retailed in a few select stores and because it had the most beautiful distinctive colours. My first NARS products were a shimmery gold eyeshadow, the illuminator in Copacabana (both of which I still have today!) and of course its famous blush in Orgasm. Below I review some of NARS bestselling products including my personal favourites and some recent launches.
“A brand that needs no introduction, NARS is a definitive cult classic, it is a brand I associate with exclusivity...”
Blush (Orgasm)
I have always been a devotee of this blusher and it is this famous for a reason. This iconic shade gives a peachy pink glow with a golden shimmer and looks great on almost everyone. It has a weightless texture and flattering pigment which combined with its fine gold shimmer gives a beautiful glow to the skin. I love this blusher as it is highly pigmented and acts as a combined blusher and highlighter. It has great staying power and will last all day even with a light application. Whilst it works on my skin both in the summer and winter, I keep it for evenings or less formal outings due to the high level of shimmer. It is a must try!
Matte Bronzing Powder (Laguna)
Considered to be the gold standard in bronzing powders, this award winning bronzer will give your skin a longwearing, sunkissed glow. Along with the Blush in Orgasm, the Matte Bronzing Powder in Laguna is one of NARS most iconic products and has universal appeal. Francois Nars is quoted as saying “Bronzing Powder makes the skin look healthy and glowing. I was very precise with the amount of shimmer—I wanted to create an effect that made you look radiant and natural”. Laguna is a diffused brown powder with a golden shimmer, the shimmer is subtle which is why it is such a everyday favourite.
Bronzing powder is a relatively new addition to my make-up collection. I was always a little scared to use it until I discovered this particular one, it gives my skin a natural looking glow without looking cakey or muddy. Francois recommends applying to areas that would be hit by the sun: the forehead, bridge of nose, tops of cheeks, and chin, for a more natural look. This is the perfect product for adding an instant healthy glow to your skin and part of my daily routine now. I would recommend it anyone who loves bronzing power but especially those like me who are always a little intimidated by applying it correctly.
“Considered to be the gold standard in bronzing powders, this award winning bronzer will give your skin a longwearing, sunkissed glow.”
Radiant Creamy Concealer (Ginger)
The #1 selling prestige concealer in the U.S, this concealer is quoted to have a luxurious texture and a luminous finish with all-purpose perfection; contours, highlights, corrects and perfects.
I prefer to have a natural make-up look and the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer has a really nice, natural finish, most importantly for me it is super hydrating which is great for under-eye applications. It does not sit heavy on the skin and feels light and breathable, so much so that I forget that I am even wearing make-up. The quality is so good that you don’t need to apply setting powder afterwards. The coverage is buildable and it works for many skin types, even those with oily skin.
The Radiant Creamy Concealer is one of my favourite NARS products, it is a super long-lasting formula, even in hot weather and it creates a lovely soft, smooth complexion. Even at my most tired, my eyes feel instantly brighter with this concealer. It would be one of my top recommendations if you are looking for a medium coverage concealer.
The Multiple (G Spot)
An authority in illumination, NARS is especially adored for its iconic highlighting shades. Another innovation, The Multiple instantly enlivens any complexion it is a multi-purpose stick for eyes, cheeks, lips and body. With a velvety texture and sheer, blendable colour it is perfect for creating a shimmery accent, highlight or warming the eyes, cheeks and lips. I have always been a little sceptical of multi-purpose products but this one is really convenient and a must-have for when you need to make a day to evening transition or simply when you are looking to do a very quick make-up look.
“An authority in illumination, NARS is especially adored for its iconic highlighting shades. Another innovation, The Multiple instantly enlivens any complexion”
The G-Spot has a stunning creamy texture with a shimmery finish and strong pigmentation. As with all of NARS products the colours in the range are really beautiful, it is difficult to pick just one. I use the G Spot most often, it is a rich, gold infused rose colour which looks absolutely beautiful on a range of different skintones. I have even been stopped in public a few times by people asking what colour it is…
Illuminator (Hot Sand)
One of the first NARS products that I ever purchased was the Illuminator in Copacabana, an opalescent pink pearl highlighter which I used to use it as a highlighter on my brow bone and cheek bones. This is a multifunctional liquid illuminator that gives skin a refreshed glow. I have evolved to mixing the illuminator with either my moisturiser or foundation to create a natural radiant glow. which works as an everyday look. You can also use the illuminator on top of foundation to create a buildable colour. It has a nice liquid consistency that doesn’t feel too sticky or glittery and a little goes a long way. Whilst I still use the Illuminator in Copacabana for special occasions, I now use Hot Sand (a peachy champagne colour) for daily use as it is closer to my own skin tone and gives a more subtle glow.
Quad Eyeshadow (Orgasm X)
This eyeshadow palette is part of a newly launched collection for summer 2020 and I absolutely love it. Orgasm X started as a new, stronger version of the original Orgasm blush shade and now encompasses a whole new collection that includes cheek palettes and eyeshadow quads. Orgasm is pretty peachy pink with gold shimmer and the X version is a much deeper colour that’s more towards coral/gold pearl. I think these colours look beautiful on those with darker skin tones or if you wish to make a stronger statement.
Extreme Effects Eyeshadow Palette
The Extreme Effects Eyeshadow Palette features twelve high-impact eyeshadows in one on-the-go palette. Each of NARS palettes are a unique curation of shades in a variety of finishes; buttery mattes, lustrous satins, and multi-dimensional glitter formulas. Over the years I have tried a few NARS eyeshadow palettes, they are really wonderful if you want a variety of different colours and finishes. This limited edition eyeshadow palette is one of the most innovative eyeshadow palettes on the market with a mixture of supermatte, shimmer, and latex-like finishes, all designed with a superfine, creamy feel. The eyeshadows glide on and have buildable colour.
High Pigment Longwear Eyeliner (Mambo)
The one product I wear everyday, without fail is eyeliner, so as you can imagine I have tried many eyeliners over the years. The NARS High Pigment Longwear Eyeliner is a blendable, gel-like formula with high pigmentation and high precision. It glides on the eye and lasts for at least eight hours. The range includes sixteen matte to metallic shades for creating many different looks.
This eyeliner does exactly what it promises - highly pigmented for bold intense colour, and is long lasting. It glides on easily, less difficult and more precise than liquid eyeliners and gives the same bold impact. The colour of this liner in Mambo is a rich brown matte colour, which is a really nice alternative to black or your basic brown.
Climax Mascara
The Climax Mascara is a volume mascara “for buildable intensity without clumping or smudging”. With a full brush this mascara is easy to apply and delivers instant volume with one stroke. The formula is light and whipped and effectively covers every lash and lengthens, thickens and fans out in one coat. It does give a dramatic false lash effect. If standout lashes are what you like then Climax should most definitely be the next mascara you buy, you won’t be disappointed.
Smooth & Protect Primer (SPF 50)
There are two reasons why this primer is one of the best I’ve tried for my skin type, firstly, it has SPF 50, I am always very particular about wearing skincare with a high SPF and it is difficult not to find products which have a high SPF but which are not chalky. Secondly, I have large pores and it feels as though it fills in my large pores leaving a good base for make-up application. Whether I am wearing foundation or a more natural look the Smooth & Protect Primer prolongs and enhances the make-up I’m wearing.
Powermatte Lip Pigment (American Woman, Somebody to Love, Call Me, Get up Stand up)
NARS most powerful matte, this lip colour is described as “liquefied pigment with a zero-gravity feel, introduces infinite matte colour saturation with ultra-flexible longwear”. It is a lightweight, high-pigment liquid-to-matte lipstick and one of my favourite matte lipsticks. The pigment has a fluid consistency that applies like an ink on lips and dries down for “smudge-resistant, carefree wear”. Only a single layer is required for an instant opaque colour, it’s so lightweight you forget that you are wearing it. If you can get used to the thin consistency of the lipstick and the drying time, the performance of the product yields great results.
“It is a lightweight, high-pigment liquid-to-matte lipstick and one of my favourite matte lipsticks. The pigment has a fluid consistency that applies like an ink on lips and dries down for “smudge-resistant, carefree wear”.”
The problem with most matte lip colours is that they are often very drying, whilst this formula does not dry out the lips like other matte colours I have tried before, I do feel like my lips get a little dry after wearing it all day. It has great longevity with little colour transfer, it lasts on me for over twelve hours with some touch ups required throughout the day on the edges of the lips. What I love most about this product is that the finish is almost velvety in texture. I really like wearing the Powermatte Lip Pigment in the winter months especially as the range of colours are so highly pigmented and perfect for autumn for winter months. There are lots of natural / pink / nude colours which I typically gravitate most to but also some lovely brighter colours.
Some of my favourite colours are:
American Woman: a medium rosy pink, I’m always searching for that perfect nude pink lip colour and this is one of my favourites
Somebody to Love: a warm rose brown, a flattering nude colour which also has some hints of pink
Call Me: warm-toned, medium coral, it is great for when you want something a bit brighter
Get Up Stand Up: a medium-dark pink with subtle, warm undertones, this is perfect for when you want to go for a bold but flattering colour
You can find out more about NARS Cosmetics by visiting a store or at https://www.narscosmetics.co.uk/
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Note: All products were gifted
