Nars Spring 2012 collection is at once fresh and fierce, featuring a mix of bright and playful colors and saturated, rich hues for eyes, cheeks and lips. I love the lip pencil and blush, they’re so bright and pretty, aren’t they? The nail polish looks interesting too. What about you? Do you see anything you like below?

EYESHADOW TRIO ($45.00)
Douce France: shimmery icy pink, shimmery rose-petal pink, matte deep rose

EYESHADOW DUO ($34.00)
Paramaribo: metallic shades of brass and bronze

EYESHADOW ($24.00)
Lhasa: shimmery lavender-gray

SOFT TOUCH SHADOW PENCIL ($24.00)
Dark Rite: navy blue

BLUSH ($28.00)
Gaiety: bright candy-pink

LIPSTICK ($24.00)
Bilbao: shimmering topaz

PURE MATTE LIPSTICK ($25.00)
Valparaiso: rich raspberry

VELVET GLOSS LIP PENCIL ($24.00)
Mexican Rose: hot pink

NAIL POLISH ($18.00)
Diamond Life: metallic violet

The collection is already available on narscosmetics.com.

Hello everyone,

for the holidays, Nars has just released a collection, called Modern Kabuki, of specially designed gifts inspired by François Nars’ travels throughout Japan, his deep interest in Japanese culture, and his fascination with Kabuki makeup. The collection captures the exquisite artistry of Japan’s Kabuki theater. Every detail is a vibrant, modern, iconic interpretation of the centuries-old dramatic form. Here’s what the collection, already available at narscosmetics.com, includes:

HANAMICHI KABUKI-INSPIRED EYESHADOW PALETTE ($65.00)
This is definitely my favourite item in this collection, it is just gorgeous. This eyeshadow palette has a beautiful flower pattern while the colors are evocative of those found in the Kabuki theatre: an icy white, a rich and shimmering deep rose, a matte black, and gold.

MIE KABUKI MINI SOFT TOUCH SHADOW PENCIL COFFRET ($55.00)
The shades included are: Tall Tale (deep metallic purple), Magic Moon (deep metallic navy blue), Ballets Russes (silver), Aigle Noir (black infused with gold shimmer), Palladium (turquoise with silver glitter) and Skorpios (copper).

KUDOKI KABUKI MINI LIP COFFRET ($125.00)
Named for an element of Kabuki dance, the set features three intense, LE shades poured into custom ceramic cups and a Kabuki Lip Brush. The shades included are Ougi (deep red), Takebue (neutral) and Botan (deep pink).

KUROKO KABUKI MINI NAIL POLISH COFFRET ($35.00)
This set includes 4 shades traditionally used in Kabuki theatre: Yoshiwara (red), Shiro-Nuri (white), Kata (black) and Senryou (gold).

NAGAUTA KABUKI BRUSH SET ($225.00, Barneys Exclusive)
Named for the principal musical forms in Kabuki theater, it includes Kabuki Eye Brush, Botan Brush, Ita Brush, Yachiyo Brush and Kabuki Lip.

What do you think of the collection?

Nars Holiday 2011 collection features rich and dramatic black eye shades infused with gunmetal, red, and purple pearls, paired with bold lip colors in both luminuous and matte finishes, while the blushes give cheeks a subtle flush and glow. The overall result is a very beautiful, decadent look. Here are more details:

EYESHADOW TRIO ($45.00)
Arabian Nights: black with gunmetal shimmer, black with purple pearls, black with red pearls

EYESHADOW DUO ($23.00)
Manchourie: golden-infused denim and rich navy

CREAM EYESHADOW ($23.00)
Ponderosa: mink brown

LARGER THAN LIFE LONG-WEAR EYELINER ($23.00)
Campo de Fiori: antique brass
St. Mark’s Place: bright violet

BLUSH ($27.00)
Miss Liberty: soft, shimmery peach highlighting blush

THE MULTIPLE ($39.00)
G-Spot: rich, gold-infused rose tone

LIPSTICK ($24.00)
Joyous Red: amber red with a semi-matte finish

LIPGLOSS ($24.00)
Albatross: luminous glow

NAIL LACQUER ($17.00)
Endless Night: black-grape
Space Odyssey: metallic aluminum

The collection is available at narscosmetics.com. What do you think of it?

I have tried Nars Lipglosses in the past and I wasn’t too impressed. I think the colors are pretty but the quality is only average and not worth the high price tag imo. So, even though I lust over the promo photos whenever a new shade is realised, I haven’t bothered to buy one in ages. But the new range of Nars glosses, called Larger Than Life, is really tempting me. They come in nine shades and promise to plump up the lips and add shine, but what really intrigues me is the brush.

I had never seen such a tiny brush before. Apparently, the shorter bristles are meant to make application more precise, but I fear it will make it more time-consuming too. Surely it’ll take longer for such a small brush to apply color all over the lips, but I guess that’s part of what makes application more precise. Still, I’d love to try it. Oh, and don’t you think it is ironic that a gloss with such a tiny blush is called Larger Than Life? That probably refers to its volumizing action but it still makes me laugh a little. The gloss is available in the following shades:

Place Vendôme: strawberry pink
Norma: cherry red
Pirée: rosy pink
Como: shimmering berry
Tiber: cool beige
Odalisque: cantaloupe
Spring Break: sheer nude pink
Gold Digger: sparkling peach shimmer
Cœur Sucré: shimmering bright pink

The glosses retail at $26.00 each (ouch!) and are available at Sephora.com.

What do you think of this glosses? Are you interested in trying them?

Nars Spring 2011 collection is finally here and it is beautiful. I love how the metallic earth tones are mixed with some bright pops of vivid blue and parrot green, which remind us of the hues of nature in spring. And while we’re waiting for spring to start, we can create some fresh, sophisticated looks with a hint of color and fun with this collection.

Let’s start with the eyes. The Eyeshadow Duos($32.00 each) are available in Bateau Ivre, featuring a sky blue and a denim blue, and Nouveau Monde featuring a metallic silver and a gold. An odd combination, but it works. The Trio Eyeshadow in Calanque ($32.00) is perfect for natural lovers: it includes a platinum gold with silver flecks, light matte caramel and antique goldish bronze shades.

The Soft Touch Pencils ($24.00) come in Hollywoodland (a pale gold) and Celebrate (parrot green). They are beautiful but from what I heard they are prone to creasing. Sadly, there are no blushes in this collection, but your nails will get everyone’s attention with the Nail Polish in Desparado ($16.00), an antique brass gold with a metallic finish. Not very springy but beautiful nonetheless.

Finally, the lips. The Lipglosses ($24.00 each) are available in Nana, a deep black grape which I think should be quite sheer, Angelika, a very pretty candy pink with silver and gold flecks, and Super Orgasm, a glittery peachy pink. Lipstick gals will be able to choose between Tzigane ($24.00), a sheer and subtle brandy pink that looks very natural on or the Pure Matte Lipstick in Madere ($25.00) a rich nude shade that feels comfortable on and lasts long.

What do you think of this collection?

Nars Holiday 2010 Collection features a selection of both colorful and natural looking shades. The emphasis is on the eyes with the new Eyeshadow Trio in Okinawa ($45.00), featuring silver, deep cobalt blue and black onyx shades to create dark, sultry looks. If blue’s not your thing you can choose between the Single Eyeshadow in Etrusque ($23.00), a beautiful antique gold perfect for the holiday season and the Duo Eyeshadow in Melusine ($32.00), featuring a pale lilac and a bright purple.

For the lips, Nars has released two beautiful lipsticks ($24.00 each). Little Darling, a sheer and classic nude beige suitable for any occasions, and Petite Monstre, a rich berry with a satin finish. If you prefer glosses, there are two new lip gloss shades ($24.00 each) to choose from: Bougainville, a sheer pomegranate, and Downtown, a pretty metallic pink lavender.

Add some color to your cheeks with the blush in Sex Appeal ($26.00), a soft peach that looks natural on. Finally, the nail polishes ($16.00 each). Pokerface, my favourite item from the collection, is a beautiful and bright lilac, while Bad Influence is a smokey taupe.

What do you think of this collection?

Giorgio Armani Night Queen

The latest Armani makeup collection was inspired by the beautiful and dark night sky. The collection includes deep shades of blue, purple, berry balanced by soft pink shades to transform you into a stunning night queen. I think all the items are very appealing, but being a fan of pinks and purple shades, the one I’m most drawn to is the new Eyes To Kill Palette in Twilight Hues. At the center, it has a heart of satin-finish mauve, in the middle we find an ink black shade with a satin finish as well, while the outer circle is a beautiful metallic aubergine.

The other eyeshadow palette in this collection is beautiful too. It is called Night Queen Eyeshadow palette and features intense blue, dark cocoa, light brown and light silver shades perfect to create evening looks. I’m also lemming the Cheek Color Blush Duo, which contains two pretty pink shades, one lighter than the other. What can I say? I’m a sucker for pink blushes.

Time to focus on the lips. The Night Queen Lipgloss is available in 4 colors - black purple, lavish red, sharp pink and nude rose -, while the Night Queen Lipstick in 3 (deep ruby, soft pink and black purple). I’m gonna close with another favourite of mine, the nail polish. I’m not sure what the shade is called but it is a stunning dark and intense blue, just the kind of color I like for my nails.

Nars Fall 2010

Wow, isn’t Nars Fall collection gorgeous? I’ve always been a fan of Nars and liked their past offerings, but this time I’m truly impressed by everything. The collection features sexy, daring and decadent shades that capture the old-Hollywood meets futuristic look. That’s not an easy task but I think Nars has accomplished it beautifully.

My favourite item from the collection is undoubtedly the Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Palladium, ($24.00) a beautiful bright turquoise with silver glitter that reminds me of the ocean, followed by the Lip Gloss in Strawberry Fields ($24.00), a beautiful bright and pigmented strawberry pink. For the lips, there’s also a lipstick in Rouge Basque ($24.00), a creamy and deeply pigmented brick red shade.

In addition, the collection includes 3 new single eyeshadows ($23.00 each) and 2 duos ($32.00 each). The singles are available in Coconut Grove (deep taupe brown), Daphne (deep violet) and Mangrove (soft yellow-green, sheer and wearable). As for the duos, we have Rajasthan, featuring a metallic beige and a metallic black charcoal, and Tzarine, which includes a Platinum gold infused wit gold and silver reflections and steel grey. Finally, the cheeks. The Blush in Douceur ($26.00) is a soft pink-brown shade that imparts a honeyed brown flush to the face.

Do you see anything you like from these collections?

Hello everyone,

here’s a look I did a while ago using my Sleek Storm palette. This time, I decided to use the darker colors in the palette and with the Pixie Epoxy underneath, the result was even more dramatic so I left the rest of my face soft and natural. I decided to call this look Night On The Mountains because the brown and dark green remind me of the colors of the mountains, while the dark, shimmering blue on the lower lashline makes me think of the starry night sky. I hope you like it.

Products used:
– Senna Totally Transforming Eyeshadow Primer
– Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
– Sleek Storm palette (dark brown, dark green, dark blue and nude pale cream)
– Pupa True Eyes eyeliner pencil in black
– Collistar Infinito mascara
– YSL Teint Singulier Sheer Powdercreme Veil Foundation
– Max Factor Erace Concealer
– Milani Minerals Blush in Luminuous
– Senna Spot Lites Highlighting Pencil
– Nars Lipgloss in Orgasm

Directions:
– Apply an eyeshadow primer (I used Senna Totally Transforming Eyeshadow Primer) all over the lid to create a base for the shades to adhere to and last longer.
– Apply Fyrinnae’s Pixie Epoxy (if you don’t have, you can skip this step) on the lid to make the colors brighter.
– Apply a dark brown shade (I used the one in the Sleek Storm palette) on the lid.
– Darken the outer V with a dark green shade (I used the one in the Sleek Storm palette) and blend the color into the crease.
– Sweep a nude, pale cream shade (I used the one in the Sleek Storm palette) on the browbone to highlight.
– Apply a dark blue shade (I used the one in the Sleek Storm palette) on the lower lashline.
– Line your upper lashline with a black pencil eyeliner (I used – Pupa True Eyes eyeliner pencil in black) and apply mascara.
– On your face, apply concealer (I used Max Factor Erace Concealer) to cover dark circles and any other imperfection you may have, and then your usual foundation (I used YSL Teint Singulier Sheer Powdercreme Veil Foundation in no.5).
– Apply a pink blush with subtle peach undertones (I used Milani Minerals Blush in Luminuous) on the cheeks and highlight the cheekbones, middle of the nose and chin with a subtle white highlighter (I used Senna Spot Lites Highlighting Pencil).
– Apply a sheer pink lipgloss (I used Nars lipgloss in Orgasm) on the lips.

In other news, I did another swap with my friend Dao from My Makeup Blog. Dao has recently opened her own mineral makeup shop on Etsy called Formula D and, in exchange for some Italian makeup, I got to try some of her products. Full reviews coming soon but so far I’m liking everything. So much so that I made a purchase from her store so I’ll soon have more stuff to show you.

Dao sent me two blushes, some eyeshadows and a sample of her mineral powder. The eyeshadows are bright yet very wearable and perfect for those that want to try colorful shades but are scared of them. You can totally rock these even during the day and they blend so well! The blushes give a nice healthy and glowy flush to the skin, are soft, and it’s very hard to overdo them so application’s not a problem.

Finally, the Ultimate Vegan Powder can be used both as a setting powder and a primer. It evens out the skintone, keeps oil at bay for several hours and because it contains only an handful of ingredients and is free of parabens, silicones and Bismuth Oxychloride, it’s perfect for those with sensitive skin. And since Dao knows how hard it is for me to find a foundation that matches my fair skin, she also sent me a sample of a mineral foundation she mixed just for me. Isn’t that very nice and thoughtful? Plus, she also got me a lip balm from Yes to Carrots and some samples. Thanks hun.

If you’re interested in trying Formula D products, this is the time to do it. For each order of $10 or above (before shipping), you’ll receive a free bonus eyeshadow of your choice! Just let her know which shade you want in the comment section of your order when you check out. Offer is valid until 14th July. So, what you’re waiting for? Visit Formula D now!