It’s summer! And NARS is on top of the game with several enticing launches to get us through the hottest months of the year.
The collections have been steadily making their way to the counters, and by now everything i’m reviewing will already be in stores. As the current trend, i’m a little late, but hope this review and swatches will be helpful nonetheless!
The collections for summer 2017
Floral Redux Collection (June)
2 Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Sets in Tribulation & Mustang (SGD90 each)
Fox Dancer Mini Multiples Coffret (SGD70)
Angel Pride Cheek Palette (SGD110)
Highlighting & Bronzing Collection (July)
Bord De Plage Palette (SGD90)
3 Velvet Shadow Sticks in shades, Corfu, Nepal & Dark Angel (SGD45 each)
Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer Collection (June)
4 shades – Seaside, Laguna, Casino & Falaises
Kicking off with the hottest item from summer… the highlighter/bronzer palette Bord de Plage that’s practically on everyones wish list!
This palette comes with 4 gorgeous highlighters and two bronzers.
Rivage is a ivory with a silver opalescence, Crique is a pale gold, Corniche is an oyster pink with cool silver opalescence and Galet is a warm coppery gold. On my tan medium complexion the colours that work best are Corniche & Crique. Don’t think i’d be dipping into Galet much often as I noticed the base colour shows up way too gold and dark on my skin.
These new highlighters come in a new water activated formula, where a wet brush would transform it to a molten metallic look that’s absolutely mind blowing. If you prefer your highlighters more discrete, wearing this dry with a very light hand would be my recommendation, although overall, I still find this to be quite intense even applied dry (as seen in the swatches).
The bronzers included in here make for a good travelling, however for daily use i’d still prefer a full sized pans as these strips don’t accommodate my regular bronzing brushes without sneaking into the highlighter pans. The formula is a soft matte, that bronzes the skin with a very natural finish. The powder is harder pressed but I find they are undetectable on the skin and never look powdery or artificial.
Along with the palette there’s three new shades of Velvet Shadow Sticks launching as well. I have two to share with you today.
Nepal which is a satin warm pink and Corfu, a shimmering taupe.
I find this particular cream shadow great as a base/primer for powder eyeshadows. They are easy to apply, set quickly and hold makeup in place for hours!
Worn on their own, I always see some creasing, and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone with oily lids unless you plan on setting with a translucent powder. It’s a matter of taking precautions to ensure longevity.
Between the two shades, Nepal’s too close to my skin tone to show up on my lids. I do enjoy the warmth this gives the eyes but most likely wouldn’t purchase this for myself. I’d go for Corfu instead, which is a great everyday shade with just enough shimmer to keep the eyes interesting and elegant.
Next up, the mini multiples of the Fox Dancer coffret.
If a full sized multiple is something you’d never use up, this cute limited edition set of minis is the perfect solution!
The kit comes with 4 shades ranging from a pink champagne to a striking raspberry red to warm terracotta .
The colours blend beautifully onto the skin for a natural dewy glow that’s ideal for summer. Skin looks fresh, glowy & youthful.
I love that the mix of colours make it wearable for all skin tones. Although on their own, a majority of the shades work better for paler skin types. This is when you get creative and mix your own colours and i’ve been loving Remember Me and Fox Dance as a duo. It also helps blend the more ‘scary’ shades better for a wearable day time look.
My preferred method of application is just patting and blending with the fingertips though with Fox Dancer I use a foundation buffing brush (with synthetic bristles) better suited for a soft diffused look.
Here’s one more look at this stunning coffret.
Last but not least, the Mustang Velvet Lip Pencil kit.
A set of 4 matte lippies in a red colour scheme that’s got you covered no matter what your red lipstick mood might be.
As seen below, everything comes neatly packed in a pretty vinyl pouch which makes for easy storage and also doubles up as a summer makeup bag.
Here’s a closer look at the pretty shades!
Left to right there’s Lesbos, a warm bright red, Bonifacio a deeper berry red, Rouge Immortel a muted coral red and Rouge Palatin a carnation pink.
If you are a long term reader of BubblyMichelle you’d know the NARS Velvet Lip Pencils are one of my all time favourite formulas. They are ultra comfortable on the lips and very long lasting. The pigmentation is always superb too and apply smoothly for a matte formula.
Within the set, I have found a new favourite, Lesbos which will be my go-to summer red!
On to some swatches!
Lastly a look I created with this collection!
The whole focus is on the bright lip (Lesbos) and limited work on the eyes.
For highlight i’ve used Crique mixed in with a little bit of Rivage. It’s lightly dusted on the top of my cheekbones and bridge of my nose.
Bottom Line
The palettes and value sets are my top recommendation. Specially the mini Multiples which I believe will be absolutely well loved this summer.
Bord de Plage is also an excellent buy if you don’t already own Blanc de Sable from a few months back.
Do you think you’ll be picking up anything from the collection? Do share your favourites in the comments below!
