Swatches - NARS blushes

I don't have  a good reason for a post like this but a friend of mine is going blush shopping so I promised to swatch NARS blushes I have so she can see how they look and I decided to put swatches here because some of you might find it useful too.

I like NARS a lot. I like NARS blushes especially. They are long lasting and pigmented, blend well and look beautiful on. My taste in blush is weird  as I go from super neutral, everyday wearable colors that compliment my complexion to out there crazy colors because I like the look of them. My NARS collection of blushes reflects that. Only thing I don't like is packaging. It looks sleek and nice but it attracts all kinds of dirt and gunk like magnet. It is just not practical.

So here it goes my NARS blushes with swatches.

Top row: Deep Throat, Orgasm, Luster, Sin, Douceur
Second row: Coeur Battant (limited edition), Exhibit A, Boys don't Cry (limited edition)

From left to right: Deep Throat, Orgasm, Luster, Douceur, Sin, Boys don't Cry, Exhibit A (much redder in real life) and Coeur Battant

Deep Throat (some of the names are... I don't know if François Nars was making a wish list or a list of things he likes when naming some of those but.. yeah) is described as soft pink with golden sheen. I would describe it as soft peach. It is much less shimmery and less pink than Orgasm and ultimately more wearable. This is one of the universally most flattering blushes on so many skin tones. I guess everyone likes a Deep Throat ( I should stop, really). 

Orgasm is the iconic NARS blush shade, described as peachy pink with golden shimmer, and shimmer it does. For me, it is more pink than peachy.  Seems people either love this one or want to love this one but it does not look good on them (try Deep Throat in that case). I love it. 

Luster is described as sheer golden apricot. It has lovely golden sheen but no shimmer. I am of a firm belief that every pale girl should own this blush. It is such a flattering, wearable shade  for pale skin. It livens up the complexion beautifully. It is one of those weird blushes like Douceur that looks like nothing in the pan but once applied it is beautiful. 

Douceur is described as soft pink brown. A matte shade that is perfect neutral blush to pair with a strong lip. Pale girls could even contour with it. 

Sin is all that is gorgeous. My favorite autumn and winter time blush. It is described as cool berry with a golden sheen. Pale girls can wear it using a light hand and it looks beyond gorgeous on medium and deep skin tones. 

Boys don't Cry and Coeur Battant are both limited edition blushes but I've included them here to show the consistency of NARS's matte blush formula. These are smooth, very, very pigmented with great color payoff. If you are pale like me you can still wear them  but you must use supper light hand when applying or you will end up looking like a clown. Boys don't Cry is a grapefruit pink and Coeur Battant is a cool fuchsia. 

Exhibit A -is another matte blush but this is a permanent one. It is imaginatively descried as matte red blush, and that is what it is - a pure red blush. Looks scary as hell in the pan but can look beautiful on cheeks. Gives you that Snowhite look if you are pale like me, but for the love of God use a light hand a preferably a dual fiber blush brush. Pigmentation on this one is no joke. It looks marvelous on medium to deep skin tones. 

This is just a small fraction of colors NARS has on offer, literally any skin tone can find a flattering blush in their range.  NARS blushes in my opinion are gorgeous and although really costly I am not sorry that I bought them. 

Review - I'm from Ginseng Mask

First few times I tried this mask I was completely unimpressed. I was about to write it off when I finally read the instructions on the box. I was using it wrong!!!! It is not a standard wash off mask but a massage mask. So I decided to try it while actually following the instructions on the box and WOW!! The difference was evident. So I am starting this review with a cautionary tale. Don't be dumb like me and read the instructions. 

Usage directions I did not read because I am above it (dumb).

Mask comes in a brown cardboard box with ingredients list and instructions (READ THEM!) in both Korean and English. The mask itself comes in a glass jar with a seal. 

Much like the serum from the same line this mask contains a bunch of hanbang ingredients, most notable being Red Ginseng Extract (3.97%) and Panax Ginseng Seed Oil as well as one of my favorite herbal extracts Licorice Root Extract. It also contains various moisturizing agents and Ishohexadecane that softens and smooths skin without leaving a greasy residue(source: Beautiful with Brains blog). 

Mask has the honey in summer consistency (liquidy) and it is amber in color like the serum. It applies easily with a silicone mask brush and goes on the face clear. It has a very strong floral scent, much like the serum, a scent which I personally don't like but it is not a deal breaker for me. I would prefer if it smelled like dirt in true ginseng fashion. I'm a bit weird, I know. Mask begins to warm up once you start to massage it. When I say warm up, I mean warm up, nothing unpleasant or burning like but definitely noticeable. The heat from the mask helps open up the pores and thus better remove dirt and sebum from it.  After massaging it you leave the mask on for some 10-15 min and the final result is very satisfying. My skin was soft and even, pores looked smaller and it felt well moisturized.

This mask was very quick and easy to use (once I properly read the instructions) and immediate results were really nice. I am really liking this mask. 

Little tip: I prefer removing my masks with a flannel face towel soaked in warm water. It removes it easily and completely, Just don't scrub your face with it like crazy. 

Review - The Ordinary Colors Coverage Foundation

The Ordinary is a skincare brand under the Abnormal Beauty Company umbrella. It provides functional no nonsense effective skin care for more than reasonable prices. So when they announced they will come out with base products, a Serum Foundation and a Coverage Foundation, I was super excited and ordered them immediately. However due to enormous demand I had to wait more than a month to get my products (still waiting on Serum Foundation) but let me tell you it was worth the wait.

Claims:
Coverage Foundations are full-coverage formulations available in a comprehensive shade range across 21 shades. These foundations contain higher pigment levels than our Serum Foundations but still offer a smooth finish that avoids the heavy makeup look that can make skin appear more aged. The texture is that of a lightweight, non-oily cream. 

The pigments used in these formulations are treated for a rich, highly-saturated effect. These pigments are suspended in our proprietary spreadability system that allows pigments to look natural on the skin, resist collecting within fine lines and stay on for longer. The foundations offer a semi-matte finish and are compatible with most primers and are designed to work exceptionally well with the primers offering from The Ordinary. 


Each foundation format is available in 21 shades. The shades are divided into three categories: 1 for fair to lighter tones, 2 for medium tones; and 3 for darker tones. Each category is then classified further by a second digit from 0 to 3 to indicate depth within each category. Finally, a letter is added to the shade code to identify the undertone: P (Pink) and R (Red) indicate cool undertones for lighter and darker shades respectively; N indicates a Neutral tone; Y indicates a Yellow undertone. 

I have two colors in the lightest range 1.1 N and 1.2N (my summer color). Currently I am wearing them mixed to get my perfect shade.  As with all the Ordinary products package design is very minimalist and clean, in fact making the product look far more expensive than it is. Outer packaging is thin cardboard with instructions for use and ingredients list.  

Foundation itself comes in 30 ml plastic bottle with a pump that has a lock system. Packaging is compact and travel friendly and pump is excellent as it allows for a perfect control in dispensing the product. Foundation colors are true to description provided on site. 

The Ordinary Coverage Foundation in 1.1N and in 1.2N (sorry for the ugliest swatches ever).

Application wise it goes on smooth and you can use a brush or a beauty blender to apply it but I found that I get the best results using my fingers. It does not oxidize but it is one of those foundations that looks better the longer it stays on the skin. After some 15-20 min after application it completely melds with the skin for flawless but natural appearance. It feels weightless on the face as well, like there is nothing there. Coverage is good medium but buildable without going cakey and it has velvety/semi-matte finish. It last on the face the entire day with minimal wear in the usual places, like chin and around the mouth. It does not collect in wrinkles and fine lines or around the nose, it does not emphasize pores. I found that I got the smoothest application and the best look and wear when using a silicone based primer underneath. All in all a 7 EUR foundation that behaves like an excellent 40 EUR foundation. Color me impressed.

You can try and order the foundation on DECIEM site (they have a backlog of orders) for 6.90 EUR. In my experience with The Ordinary and how popular and in demand their products are what works is just order the product or ask for e-mail notification to be sent when the product is in stock and than wait and wait. Trust me they are worth the wait. I am looking forward to my Serum Foundation arriving...eventually. 

Note: text in italics is taken from the DECIEM site