NARS Night Flight and Night Porter Eye Shadows

NARS has an absolutely stunning eye shadow range called Night Series, consisting of Night Breed, a glittery black, Night Fever, black with red glitter, Night Life, silver shimmer, Night Porter, dark green shimmer, Night Star, shimmer peach, and Night Flight, black with blue shimmer. Night Flight is not currently available on NARS' website, I hope it hasn't been discontinued. That was my first NARS eyeshadow, and last week I bought Night Porter last week so I figured I'd do a post on both!

Both of these shadows wear very differently when wet compared to when they are used dry - lots of people who post negative reviews of the dark Night Series shadows do so because they don't realise how much more pigmented and awesome they are when used with a damp brush (or finger). Additionally, they look totally different in the pan. When swatched wet, Porter becomes much more opaque and the green stands out more clearly against the black base. Flight is super opaque when wet, and the blue is a little more obvious but it stands out best with flash.

Top to bottom: Bonus! NARS Ondine, dry then wet (don't bother wetting this one, it goes patchy), Night Porter, dry then wet, Night Flight, dry then wet.

Used wet in conjunction with a primer they make good eyeliners. I use a little freebie Urban Decay liner brush and Urban Decay Primer Potion, which was the best primer on the market when I first bought it about 6 years ago, but the primer market has boomed in recent years and there are probably others worth trying. Temptalia uses NARS primer, so that's probably a good recommendation.

I'm not quite sure what market these shadows are aimed at as they seem to fill no particular role in an eyeshadow arsenal, but I enjoy using them on the rare occasion I attempt a bold smoky eye.

NARS Carthage, Manhunt, Niagara

There's something so incredibly sophisticated and alluring about NARS which means I can't stop buying bits from them here and there. Most people find the matte, black, dust-magnet packaging annoying but it's beautiful to me. A few months back I decided to branch into sheer lipsticks. I started with Manhunt - I bought it as a present for myself, but I don't remember why. I never need much of an excuse to treat myself! Then at the start of February I added Niagara to my collection.

From top to bottom: Manhunt 1 swipe, 4 swipes. Niagara 1 swipe, 4 swipes. Carthage, 1 swipe, 4 swipes.

Manhunt is described as a "sheer poppy red". Swatched above at maximum opacity. It looks much redder in the tube than it does on the lips, and, truth be told, I still haven't made up my mind about it. I bought it with the intention of using it when I'm doing a more bold eye look - that is, anything other than mascara on my eyes - to cover up the odd blue tinge my top lip gets when the temperature drops below about 5 degrees. This needs reapplying after a meal but lasts through a drink.

Niagara (swatched above at maximum opacity) is a Satin, not a Sheer, but if you're used to mattes and bold shades, they are one and the same. It's described perfectly as a "pink based coral". It can come up a little more orange on me in certain lights, and again, I haven't decided whether it suits me or not, but one thing's for sure - it looks much better now that I've bleached my hair than it did with my original mousy brown. I usually apply multiple layers and it lasts 4-5 hours.

Less than 24 hours after I bleached my hair, Into The Gloss published an article about bleached hair tips. I took to the comments section to announce my dye job and attached a photo, but noted that I wasn't sure whether my lipstick collection would still suit me. The lovely Lacey, who wrote the article, replied that she reckoned I'd suit a matte orange-red (hooray for Illamasqua Liable) or a glossy mid-pink (I'm looking at you, Bite Beauty Garnet - review to come). Spurred on by the recommendations, I purchased Carthage Pure Matte - as a bright, cool pink it doesn't fit either of her suggestions, but I'd wanted it for ages and never thought I could pull it off. With my new blonde, I thought it would give me a bit of an ironic Barbie vibe, because that's totally a thing. With MAC Prep + Prime Lip, Carthage lasts around 7 hours / through a couple of drinks / a frozen yoghurt - whichever your chosen unit of time happens to be. I just couldn't get Carthage to photo well on my lips, but my arm swatch was pretty spot on.

NARS lipsticks, lip pencils and lip glosses range from £17 to £18.50, though a price rise will come with the new gloss formula. I'm sort of paralysed by my indecisiveness - I've narrowed my next one down to Schiap, Heat Wave, Afghan Red, Rouge Basque, Shanghai Express, Timanfaya, Rikugien, Majella, Walkyrie or Bahama. So what I'm saying is, I haven't narrowed it down at all.

What are your favourite NARS lip offerings?

Kjaer Weis Cream Blush in Blossoming

Ages ago I posted about a sample set I ordered from the American beauty site Spirit Beauty Lounge. One of the samples I ordered was a cream blush from Kjaer Weis - an organic brand who, at that point, I'd never heard of, but the they seem to be getting more and more coverage, which is great - which actually turned out to be my favourite blush out of the samples I'd ordered. That's not to say I didn't like the other shades (two RMS Beauty Lip 2 Cheeks) but they didn't suit me nearly as well and I also found them a little patchier. I'll swatch them nonetheless.

Blossoming is a warm peachy-pink shade - the kind of blush that suits me best  - in a super creamy formula. The standard blush, i.e. not the sample, comes in a heavy metal compact, and the idea is that you can buy refills instead of repurchasing the whole thing. I love it when brands do this although it does tend to be a practice of high-end brands such as Guerlain, so even the cost of refills does sting. The original is £38 and the refills are £19 at Naturisimo.

Swatched above heavily then blended out. Excuse the goosepimples and the state of my face in the following shots, I took these at about 8am which is really early for me because I'm a student. The advantage is that my deathly pale morning face shows the blush rather well.

 



It's super blendable, even without moisturiser underneath (bad habit) and virtually impossible to over-apply. It's a perfect autumn-winter shade for me and would probably suit 99% of those with pale skin, though I'd skip it if I were darker. There are 4 other shades in the range though, so I think everyone will be able to find one that suits them. A huge thumbs up from me!

Rivoli

I finally got round to buying Chanel Rouge Allure in Rivoli at the end of August. I've wanted it ever since my MAC What Joy! was stolen at a party (!) but it seems as if putting items on my (imaginary) wishlist means it takes me far longer to buy them than if I were to just get them on a whim... Anyway, Rivoli is a dark, reddish berry shade, almost totally opaque with a shiny satin finish.

The following photo shows the difference between the bullet colour and the colour on the lips:

The following is an outdoor, sunlit shot (skin looks surprisingly good but I have practically no top lip...)

Lip primer almost definitely required. Not the colour/formula to wear if you are planning on doing a lot of eating or drinking. I don't mind touch-ups, but this berry shade obviously carries quite a high risk of high-impact smearing.

Rivoli has, like most berry lipsticks I imagine, some down sides, but it's such a gorgeous colour that I would recommend it to anyone who likes high-end lipsticks. Maybelline Red Garnet is very similar, and Revlon Red Velvet is similar but sheerer. MAC's Hang Up, Dare You and Dubonnet are all nice deep shades.

NARS Velvet Matte Pencil in Dragon Girl

Because one more swatch of Dragon Girl on the Internet can't hurt, right?

My first ever lip product. I've lost count of the amount of people who've called this the perfect red (I don't agree, but I still think it's great.)

I used to find it kind of drying, but then I realised that it was okay to wear lip balm under lip colours. It wears off the inside of the lip a lot more quickly than the outer edge, to the extent that if I was wearing this, I would have to take it with me wherever I go, but other people report it being very long-wearing, so I guess it varies. I've not worn it in ages so I haven't tried it with MAC Prep + Prime.

Worn with Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara and YSL Touche Eclat. I don't know if Touche Eclat makes a difference at all, I'm still playing around with it and seeing what I can do.

Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer SPF15

When I had my Bobbi Brown makeover last week, I decided it was time to buy a Tinted Moisturiser. There were two main reasons I didn't want to buy a BB cream. Frstly a kind of refusal of the BB cream obsession (especially given that by all accounts most non-South Korean BB creams are just tinted moisturisers with a different name.) Secondly, most BB creams have a higher SPF, for example, Bobbi Brown's is SPF35, which I worry might feel greasier and make me glow white in photos. I do have a separate face sun cream just in case though!

I bought the lightest shade they had in stock, Extra Light, which is the right colour for me in the summer. A lighter shade, Alabaster, is also available, and I think that in winter that would suit me better. In addition, there are 5 darker shades.

The coverage is really sheer, as you would expect from a tinted moisturiser it simply evens out any redness and makes the skin appear a little smoother. If you usually use concealer, you will probably still find yourself wanting to use some in conjunction with the tinted moisturiser.

It comes in a regular and an oil-free formation, and even though I chose the regular one, it's not heavy or greasy, and hasn't broken me out at all.

This wasn't my very first tinted moisturiser: I used Benefit's You Rebel Lite (£24.50 for 50ml) which is a little lighter than Extra Light in colour for a year or so when I was 14. It didn't make my spots any worse but it was a little streaky and perhaps a touch too yellow for my skin. I definitely prefer the Bobbi Brown formula. I would like to try NARS Tinted Moisturiser which comes in 11 shades, two of which are lighter than Extra Light, but it is £28 for 30ml, and it's SPF30. I've heard good things about it though.

In short, though, I approve of this formula and I'll definitely keep using a tinted moisturiser. I have a feeling that when the signs of aging start appearing (hopefully not too soon) I'll be happy that I'm already using some kind of base makeup and don't need to make the conspicuous move from bare skin to foundation.

Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Blush in #5 'Nip Slip'

This blush wins the award for the most random blush packaging ever.

A pump! What? That's not to say I don't like it though. It's fun to use (and it does come with an actual lid, so no spills.)

This is more than enough for two cheeks - only a tiny little pump is needed. This blush will last forEVER.

Despite being described as a 'neutral pink', it looks slightly cool-toned in the bottle, then super neon highlighter watermelon, ever so slightly brighter and darker than it appears above when it's swatched thickly, then it warms right up to a sort of hot peach when blended out. It is pretty thick, I apply it right after moisturiser (or tinted moisturiser as I've been converted!) to make sure that it blends out more than it did in the above swatch.

Depending on your colouring it may warm up even further on the cheeks as it did on mine. I can imagine this colour being flattering on almost every skin tone. It lasts all day and then needs a fairly enthusiastic cleanse to remove all traces of the blush - if you ever need a blush to last more than 12 hours, this is a solid candidate for the job.

I got it from Sephora where it was $26, and I'm on the lookout for places to get this range in the UK. There are a lot of products in the range that are called HD Micro-something, and if they're all as long lasting and well-pigmented as this blush, then I might be on to a winner. 

N.B. If you are wary of chemicals in your makeup, I would avoid these. I hope to be able to try Tarte's Amazonian Clay powder blushes, also from Sephora, which are said to be very well pigmented and long-lasting, but also all-natural.

Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Color in Hot Raspberry

The other day I went for a make up session at a Bobbi Brown counter which ended in me buying a tinted moisturiser (yeah, I now wear tinted moisturiser) and a, excitingly, hot pink lipstick that is misleadingly described as sheer. I thought that a counter makeover was the best time to start trying lipsticks that weren't red, so on a whim I picked this neutral toned bright fuchsia.

Okay so it's not full cover, but the colour is by no means subtle. It feels totally weightless and also hydrating.

It lasts surprisingly well through a couple of glasses of water, and it doesn't lose its shine then its colour as you might expect, instead staying shiny right until the end (about 5 hours after application). Despite the brightness of the colour, I find it a lot more wearable in the daytime than most of my reds. Thumbs up from me! I'm after NARS Schiap next.

Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro #400

Another scheduled post, still on holiday :)

#400, £25, is in total contrast to my last red lip, Guerlain Genna. While that was a slippy, creamy, orange-toned lipstick, this is a satin-matte, practically permanent, deep, slightly blue based red. But just because it's totally different, doesn't mean I don't adore it.

This is high-impact colour. It's not in the slightest bit sheer, it's practically Dulux paint. The formula is velvety, but if you want to push the wear-time to the 8 or 9 hour mark without completely drying out your lips, I'd use a little bit of balm underneath. This will still stick like glue.

It transfers on to cups etc., but the transfer isn't evident on the lips at all. After literally 7 hours, inner lip fading may be evident and the finish may be slightly more matte than velvet-satin, but it's still very much there.

This is almost definitely a winter colour. It makes me look pale, but doesn't wash me out or anything.

An oil-based make up remover is an absolute must, followed by an immediate lip balm or moisturiser application. If I'm not careful it can take my lips a day or two to recover. But in my opinion, that's a given, and also a fair trade-off, for a lipstick this matte and long-wearing.

Another highly recommended red.

Guerlain Rouge G 28 Genna

This is a scheduled post as I'm on holiday.

I bought Genna, £31, last Thursday because I can't help but make a purchase every time I'm alone in John Lewis make up department. I decided I wanted to try on a couple of more orange reds to see how orange I could go, and this was the one I settled on.

Oh my goodness, this is luxury. I've bought Guerlain Meteorites before, but never had a lip product from them. I've read a lot about Guerlain lipstick packaging, but just in case you haven't -

It's a super chunky shiny case with plenty of weight to it.

Pull the cap off to reveal a pop up mirror. So in love.

Oh yeah.

L'application. I took a few photos of me applying, but they're all a bit silly.

It's so shiny and silky. I realised that all of my reds are either mattes or liquids/stains, this is the first creme finish red lipstick I've ever bought. And I love it. It feels like I'm not wearing anything on my lips, and the finish is so stunning and not at all aging like I thought it would be (no reasoning behind that thought at all).

I applied directly from the bullet because it feels nice, but when I bought it the assistant used a brush. She also recommended using a lip liner due to the slip of the lipstick.

It's warm and slightly orange, but not so orange it makes my teeth look bad.

Enough photos?

Sheer application also looks good. It doesn't stain, which is a positive, because sometimes you just want a lipstick to come fully off at the end of the day (but not before then, this lipstick has good wear.)

Face Of The Day: In Honour of Black Cherry

This is a face of the day in honour of the fact that I found my favourite Stila lipglaze that I thought I lost about 5 months ago. I'm pretty sure I wrote before that I didn't like sheer lip colours - I lied. I love this one. I love it so much I'm wearing it in June, even though it's a definite winter shade.

It's Black Cherry and it's a part of the permanent range, costing £15 for 2.4ml. Mine's only 1.5ml because it was part of a holiday set of 8 glosses. Despite the smaller size, I'd recommend getting a set because you still make a great saving, plus you can try out more colours. There are always plenty of trios available on their site.

Black Cherry is a great product for anyone looking for something a little bit nineties who doesn't want to go all the way to mocha coloured lipstick (me). For me, Stila lip glazes have always been a very nineties product as well, so bonus points for parading it around and applying it in public, right?

Bottom is applied thickly, top is spread out as I would apply it on my lips - note the good pigmentation. They are pretty sticky, which a lot of people probably wouldn't like, but they are also long-lasting.

MLBMOT. My Lips But More On Trend.

Also on my face - MAC Cremeblend Blush in Ladyblush, & Other Stories Luminising Powder in "1", Clinique High Impact Extreme Mascara, a weirdly shiny forehead. 

Yes I'm in bed, no that's not a pyjama top. Final words on Black Cherry: you need to buy it.

& Other Stories

Now that I'm joining in the & Other Stories hype I'm an official beauty blog, right?

I went in to Stories for the first time last Thursday and, obviously, stopped by the makeup section straight away. I played with the blushes but didn't feel like any of them had a place in my makeup bag right now (weird, right) and then I saw a woman brazenly trying on highlighters using a fluffy brush from the display case, so I made my way over there, and that's when I saw Illuminating Powder 1, which looks to me like Benefit High Beam in powder form. 

I'll admit I'm currently going through a real cream phase, but after trying it out on my hand I simply couldn't leave the shop without it. It is silky and blendable, warm enough for my summer skin colour, but definitely not too dark for my winter skin colour. Plus, duh, the packaging is so sleek. The pan is quite large and shallow so there's a high risk of it shattering once I've used a lot of it, but I shouldn't have to worry about that for a while.

I do enjoy the subtle effect - I'm pretty sure that it's impossible to over-apply this stuff. However, I've worn it every day since I bought it and have found it's not particularly long-lasting on bare skin. I'm sure if I wore foundation the wear time would improve.

I don't care because I love applying this stuff. I'm sure it won't be long before I make another & Other Stories purchase, and here's what I'm liking:

Makeup: Lip gloss tube in Cordovan Wine, this has a sort of Dior Black Tie vibe, only slightly redder, therefore easier to wear. Lip colour in Ninon Pink would be a welcome addition to my lipstick wardrobe now that I've discovered that it's okay to wear pink. Eyebrow powder in 3, because I find brow powders easier to work with than brow pencils. Moroccan Tea Body Lotion because Moroccan tea smells just divine, plus it comes with a pump!

Clothing: I've never seen a boxier ribbed tank - awesome (one can never have too many grey vests). These socks are a cool pattern without being too hipster-tryhard. I often find that Swedish or French made dresses are too long for me, which would clearly not be a problem with this tiny red silk beauty. The whole lingerie section is to die for, but this is my personal favourite delicate bra.

I also purchased some Shu Uemura eyelash curlers - apparently they're supposed to be quite good or something (ha) - a copy of Wonderland magazine ...and some Céline sunglasses!

ILIA Beauty Illuminator in Polka Dots and Moonbeams

Cracked out the first one of my samples today. This highlighter is a warm champagne shade with quite a glowy finish that is very subtle on the cheeks - I could barely see it indoors. However, it did last a whole day on me (around 8 hours)

(Oh dear Lord, my nails. I am out of nail varnish remover.)

It really is a very subtle highlight. The following photo shows a very heavy swatch, I didn't put nearly that much on my face. I used my fingers to apply and, since my fingers warmed it up a little, it was very easy to blend.

Honestly there wasn't much point in uploading a face shot as it was so subtle. It's like "my lips but better" only "my cheekbones but better". It's pretty nice, and I love spending $$ on cosmetics, but unless the natural ingredients aspect of the product is a real selling point for you, I'd hold out for either something cheaper or something better. I'll be interested to see whether I prefer RMS Living Luminizer.

ILIA Beauty is an American brand but is stocked at the Conran Shop, beingcontent.com and Net-A-Porter. The highlighter is currently in stock in all of those places at £30, but you can get free delivery at beingcontent, whereas the Conran Shop's cheapest delivery charge is £5.95 and Net-A-Porter's is £10. I was surprised to see that it isn't stocked in Selfridges Beauty Rooms, which stock an amazing range of American and Japanese products.

Topshop Clueless Lip Crayon

About a year ago I decided I would branch out from red lips and dive straight in to the matte neon-pink that is Topshop's Clueless Lip Crayon. I wore it to the hairdresser who told me she liked my lipstick in the same tone she might have used to tell a small child they'd just painted a nice picture. Umm, thanks. I would occasionally put it on then decide not to wear it out, but this time I decided I ought to give it another go.

I depotted in in the most vicious manner out of frustration because it didn't fit my pencil sharpener (neither does NARS Dragon Girl but I couldn't bring myself to hurt that pencil). I won't show you a photo. But this is a product I'd definitely rather apply with a lip brush anyway. It requires proper exfoliation and careful application to ensure that the colour doesn't cling to the dry or flaky bits on your lips, making them much more neon than the rest of the lip. I applied it over MAC Prep + Prime Lip and it was slightly buildable and pretty easy to reach opacity. As my lips are pretty pigmented to begin with, I could have applied a tiny bit with my brush for a more subtle colour, but that's not how I roll. I tried sheer lip colours (Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter and Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain) and they weren't for me, though maybe when I grow up I'll learn to love them.

I look pretty tired. That's because I was. I'm doing as les Francaises do and applying a bright lip to distract from the state of my face.

I applied around 11:15, and at about 1:30 I had a frozen yoghurt (my obsession). Afterwards I took a really unsubtle selfie to check the state of my lips and I was impressed.

It's not quite as neon as it was before, but the fade was so far pretty even and my lips didn't feel overly dry. By 4pm it had faded more on my top lip than my bottom lip, and by around 5pm I would have reapplied, had I not left the stuff in Bristol and come home. If I wear matte lip pencils (so, Dragon Girl) for much longer than 6 or 7 hours it can take my lips a day or two to recover, so I try to avoid doing that. Therefore, I'm impressed with the wear time I got out of Clueless. It's £7 from Topshop.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Blush Wand Cheeks In Bloom in Titian

I have been in love with the Russian brand Rouge Bunny Rouge ever since I first read about them on Drivel about Frivol, but I had never really considered buying anything from there as they don't have any physical stores in the UK and, up until I bought this blush, I was quite wary of buying without swatching first. But when I was browsing Beauty Bay for cream blushes (side note: I had actually started out with the intention of buying Becca Beach Tint but they are currently not being sold anywhere in the UK. I hope this gets sorted out soon!) and I saw that Rouge Bunny Rouge made a blush stick I decided immediately that I needed one. I went for Titian, or Тициан as I like to say - pretentious? Moi? - as I wanted something quite subtle that I could wear on days where I don't feel like wearing anything too bright on my cheeks, but still need to wear something so I don't look like a corpse.

One minor thing - even though it quite clearly states that there is 4ml of product, I wasn't expecting something this small. If you wind it up, there's around 1.5cm of product in the stick.

This was such a challenge for me to photograph accurately as my photography skills leave plenty to be desired, so above L-R: Outdoors in direct sunlight, indoors in sunlight, indoors in sunlit room. Its a warm peach-apricot shade that sometimes turns a little more orange on me.

This is me wearing one layer of Titian blended along my cheekbone with a second layer blended into the apple of my cheek. Here is a rouge diagram, courtesy of Microsoft Paint:

It's not drying at all and lasts around 3 and a half hours on me. It costs £24 from Beauty Bay (or £26 from Zuneta...) Next I'd like to try Manet, which is a warm coral, and Vermeer, which is a slightly cooler rose colour.

Wearing OPI Gouda Gouda Two Shoes on my nails and Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara on my top lashes only.