Showing posts with label nars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nars. Show all posts

Sunday, 9 February 2014

Collective Haul!

Oops I did it again (my inner Britney tosses her hair) and I have been using most of them for the past month or so, so it will be first impressions as well (bonus track)!

Cherry culture haul



Nyx jumbo eye pencils in Iced Mocha Milk and Yogurt: since my lids are not especially oily I thought that I could use them alone but they do crease and fade...so, not very happy.  I used them as an eyeshadow base, they fade nonetheless.  For a couple of hours they will stay put though.


Nyx Felt Tip Liner in Jet Black and Liquid Crystal Liner in Crystal Hip

I hardly ever wear black liner (let alone a glitter one!) but I really wanted to try something outside of my comfort zone. The liner is ok but I feel that the tip will dry out in a few weeks and the glitter is transparent so I can use it on top of any eyeshadow, when I want something special (=sparkly).



Red and Taupe blushes: I've been wanting to try Taupe for contouring for the longest time and it really is excellent for this purpose if used with a light hand and thoroughly blended. It is a cool toned brown/grey, perfect for a night out, if you want sky high cheekbones. I also use it as an eyeshadow, on the crease or allover the lid.


Red blush was purchased on a whim and it is ideal for snow white cheeks. It does look scary in the pan but if used extremely lightly it is beautiful.


Another blush I got, this one from Asos, is the Illamasqua Zygomatic and it has a barely there, dusty pink color. It is ideal for smokey eyes or in general when I want my cheeks to be there but subdued.


Nyx Red, Taupe and Illamasqua Zygomatic


All Cosmetics Wholesale haul: Nars is a brand that I really like but I find them rather expensive, so when ACW had a 30% off sales items, I got these Multiples in Luxor (a pinky champaign shimmery highlight) and Laguna (a shimmery light bronze shade). I really like these but again I have to constrain myself or else I will glow but not in a good way (more like, I fell head over heels in a shimmer tub).



Dior Constellation palette: love. If you like smokey, fumée tones you'll definitely enjoy this one. 



Ebay haul: I wanted to try the Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturising Lotion for ages and I finally got the mini size.  It definitely feels emollient and when I put my moisturiser on top my skin feels supple and well fed, even when it's really cold or windy. I 'll probably purchase the full bottle.


Cure Natural Aqua Gel: this is a mild exfoliating gel/lotion and I had tried a couple of samples beforehand and I really liked it. It seems natural enough, no nasties from what I can tell and it will probably last me quite some time.


That's it for now, I hope you are all well and thriving!

Sunday, 24 February 2013

First ever Nars haul!

I 've been drooling over Nars stuff for ages, but I was always skeptical mainly because:

  • they 're quite expensive,
  • narscosmetics.eu charge 24€ for delivery (Nars, really???)
  • asos.com does not deliver Nars to Greece
  • they 're not available elsewhere, apart from hqhair.com, at least to my knowledge.
So, being pricy and not readily available online were the two reasons that turned me off from buying any Nars product.

That changed when they launched the The Happening" LE palette. As soon as I saw it I wanted it. Desperately. LOL!

So, I checked on narscosmetics.eu but there was no way I was going to pay 24€ shipping fee.

Instead, I just gave my email address in order to be included in their mailing list and waited for a free shipping code or something similar.

And, lo and behold, a couple days later I received an email about free shipping if the order was 50€ or more!

Also, there was a code for a free mini Orgasm illuminator for the first purchase.

It goes without saying that I decided not to wait any longer and rushed to the site to make my order.

While browsing the rest of the stuff, I noticed that the American Dream palette was still available (you can see it in my fall 2012 whishlist, here), and (against any reasonable thinking) I decided to fulfill my Nars appetite with this palette too!

Oh well, it's not a big deal to survive the remaining of the month on pasta and ketchup!!!

My experience on buying from Nars: the only really negative is their shipping fee, so, if you 're interested, make sure to be in their mailing list, this way you 'll receive notifications of new products, free shipping, etc.

The shipping itself took 7 working days, mainly because there was a delay in Italy due to weather conditions.

They also provide full tracking, meaning that you can check the status and the whereabouts of your order.

Packaging: very slim and tight (no bulky boxes), very well padded, everything safe and sound!

Enough said, let's move on tho the haul!
Orgasm mini illuminator:

This is a mini, 8ml deluxe sample. It can be used on the cheekbones etc as a highlighter or mixed with the foundation for a little "afterglow" result (insert naughty laughter).

Being on the pale side I'm a little afraid to use it in the middle of winter, although I think it will be ok mixed with my foundation.

If you have it, please let me know how you use it!

American Dream palette:

For 49€ you get 9 grams of product in 6 eyeshadows, that means almost 8€ for 1,5 grams per eyeshadow. In Mac terms it would cost 90€. Even in pan form, they cost 10€ each (if I'm not mistaken), so the total cost would be 60€. My point is that they 're not that expensive (at least in comparison to Mac eyeshadows).

Isn't it prrrreeeeettttyyyyy?

I think that apart from the lovely colors, this is a well thought of palette because you get your highlights, midtones and dark colors, as well as a matte, perfect for the crease. So, with this little tool you can accomplish quite a few different looks.

I love them all with Galapagos (the dark brown on the low left corner) being the most favorite, because of the gold shimmer.

There 's actually nothing not to like about them as far as pigmentation, blendability and texture are concerned.

The only issue I have is with Silk Road (the pink on the top right corner) because it has a few chunky particles, but it is a gorgeous color nonetheless.

The swatches are on bare skin, no primer underneath them.

Bellissima, Alhambra, Silk Road
Galapagos, Bali, Tzarine
The Happening Eyes and Cheeks palette:
It includes two iconic Nars products (Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer) and for this reason alone I think this is not an item for the Nars loyal fans, but, on the other hand I think this is the ideal introduction to a Nars "virgin", like myself!
 
Orgasm blush is a pretty peach/coral shade with a gorgeous gold shimmer duo chrome, better suited for spring and summer.
 
Laguna is a lovely bronzer with fine shimmer, ideal for fair and light skin tones.
 
It also includes four eyeshadows: Night Star, Gstaad, Kuala Lumpur and Coconut Grove. I don't find them to be unique or outstanding in any way, but they do compliment beautifully the color scheme of the palette.
 
I think that it is the perfect travel companion because of its small size, it fits perfectly even into my purse.

Swatches on bare hand (with no primer underneath).

Orgasm in comparison to Benefit's Bella Bamba, Mac's Flower Fantasy and Mac's Legendary
Laguna in comparison to Nude on Board, Lush-Light Bronze, Equillibrium and Pressed Amber (all by Mac).
Here are some photos to give you an idea of the size.
In comparison to a Mac palette
In comparison to UD Naked 2 palette
In comparison to an Inglot palette
Have you tried a Nars product? Any recommendations?
 
That's it for now, I hope you 're all well and thriving!
 

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