Two From NARS. ~ Gemma Louise

NARS is my favourite beauty brand and I’m always trying to resist the temptation to spend all my money on their products, but sometimes you just gotta treat yo’self…

With the Black Friday bargains in full swing last week, it was inevitable that I was going to pick up at least one new product from my fave brand. I ended up grabbing two little gems that I had my eye on – I could have easily spent way more money but sometimes you need to have a little self control! I’m really happy with the two goodies I picked up, so here they are…

NARS Audaicious Lipstick in Charlotte // £26.00
I have a couple of lipsticks from NARS but I was yet to try one from the Audaicious range. I have one from the Sheer range & one from the Semi-Matte range which I love so I had high hopes for this one too! The packaging of this one is so much more luxe compared to my other two I must say though, it’s so sleek and it has a magnetic lid which I love. I do like all NARS packaging anyway, but this lipstick case is by far the best. The shade I went for was Charlotte which I felt was a very festive red, perfect for this time of year. Every Christmas I look for the perfect red or berry toned lipstick and after looking at swatches online, this is the one that caught my eye. It’s a lot deeper than Charlotte Tilbs Bond Girl which is the berry shade I picked up last year, but I am definitely feeling the deeper vampy shades this year.

The colour itself is absolutely gorgeous, it’s a deep red with a pink undertone and it’s so pigmented. Like most bold lipstick shades it’s quite high maintenance and it’s better applied with a lip pencil underneath. Having said that, the formula is super creamy and hydrating, not drying at all. This does mean that it isn’t as long lasting as a matte or liquid lipstick, but I personally love the satin finish. It lasts a lot longer if you use a lip pencil and blot it after application, but the longevity is pretty impressive for a satin lipstick. I find that because it’s such a pigmented shade, it leaves a tint on the lips even when it’s wearing off which helps it to wear off evenly. I’m absolutely obsessed with the new addition to my lipstick collection and I highly recommend it if you’re after a deep berry tone this winter that is creamy & non-drying.

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base // £19.50
If you’ve read my blog for a long time then you’ll know I’ve never used any other eyeshadow primer than the Urban Decay one that I swear by. They’ve changed the formula and the new one just doesn’t work as well on me as the old formula so I’ve decided to switch up what I use. I have no idea what will be my next holy grail eyeshadow primer, but for now I’m trying out the NARS one. I haven’t used it enough to say yet, but I love how it applies on my lids, it leaves them so soft and my eyeshadow applies like a dream! I’ve read mixed reviews online so I’m interested to see how it holds up as I have pretty oily lids. I’ve only worn it a couple of times so far and had no creasing so it’s looking pretty good!