My journey in the makeup world continues…..
This time, it’s about NARS cosmetics.
Warhole inspired
I’ve heard about it but never tried a single product. Is it really a good makeup brand or is it their considerable presence at beauty counters in a number of department stores worldwide that it appeals to numerous consumers?
Some friends of mine love NARS and suggested I should try it. Well, I’ve done some research: visited their website, read reviews and some blogs.
I’ve learned that NARS cosmetics was born because Francois’ became frustrated with cosmetic lines he considered limited in the early 90’s.
Having fascination with colour, purity and texture, he launched a lipstick collection on 1994. The overwhelming demand for his lip colours inspired Francois to create a full line of cosmetics.
Now this is just inspiring…. Perhaps I should divert my frustrations onto something that can be as lucrative. Food for my thoughts 🙂
Anyways, I visited their website and found some video clips (which I took snapshots of) from various designer fashion shows.
Here’s NARS makeup stylist team at 3.1 Phillip Lim runway show
with international makeup stylist Sada Ito
The LOOKS… the eyebrow
Marc Jacobs runway look
Bold Eyelashes for Honor runway show
created by James Boehmer, Nars Director of Global Artistry
Eyeshadow for Rodarte runway show
with James Kaliardos, the lead makeup artist of this show
Lips from Daryl K runway show
With makeup artist Uzo
And blush from Thakoon runway show
created by makeup artist Diane Kendal
I found a review at http://dernierscris.com . Her words made me want to “shop now” 🙂 Just read for yourselves…
“One of my favorite products this Summer has been the NARS Velvet Gloss lip pencil. The shade I wear is Mexican Rose which is a deep, vibrant reddish pink that’s suitable for all skin tones. I’m an olive-brown complexion, and right now with my summer tan, this really pops. It’s such a bold and feminine color that I really don’t need much more make-up, just a subtle bit of mascara and maybe a light blush on the cheeks and my look is set.
This particular shade turns into a satiny stain and then into a matte over the course of the day. Starting from about 20 minutes after application, nevertheless, its incredible staying power more than makes up for it. Plus, it contains Vitamin E and doesn’t dry out the lips. To get more wear out of it over time as it fades, you can dab a little gloss or a creamy lip balm on your lips and that works really nicely too. I literally apply once a day and it lasts all the way until I go to bed at night -really nice for a girl who doesn’t want to be bothered with having to reapply all the time!”
And then I read this review by Makeup Junkie about NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero.
“NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero: New for summer, Bolero is described as “pink cantaloupe”. The bright pink swatch on the website is deceiving. Do go to the counter and test this out. I’m featuring this not because I’m totally in love with it, but I think it’s an interesting shade for summer.
What I love:
- The matte texture is a nice alternative to the usual glossy lips for summer. When you wear shimmer on the eyes and face it’s important to keep one area non-shimmery. A matte lip is the perfect compliment.
- It accentuates your tan. This shade will look different on everyone. On paler skin, more of the pink undertones will come out. On bronzy skin, it will look edgy and you’ll look more golden. Reminds me of day glo lip balms with sunblock. Deeper skin tones should be wary though – it might make you look ashy.
What I hate:
- The matte texture. My lips can get extremely dry and chapped. The combination of this texture and shade just accentuated the dryness even more. But with a little lip balm, it wore pretty good but settled into my lines.
- You have to sharpen the pencil.”
They are two different types of lipstick, albeit both NARS, so…. hmmm…
In NARS website campaign it says…
“…makeup today is about having a million different looks. Don’t be so serious, its only makeup.”
which made me wonder… What did they really mean about this? Did this mean that we should not take makeup seriously? How would you interpret it?
As I browsed along the site, I realized, perhaps what Francois Nars meant by this was that we should be playful with colours, be daring and try different looks. As he beautifully put it
Afterall, NARS vision about beauty is this…
Still…… I can’t makeup my mind…. So… my exploration continues…
This one’s interesting: mermaid-ish, sexy and stunning blue shades.
These Ifugao inspired costumes, esp. the one with the long skirt, are simply beautiful .
Geelicious Passion 