Don’t you hate being disappointed?

It wasn’t long ago that I eagerly anticipated the arrival of each NARS seasonal collection. I would make note of the exact release date and excitedly order several things from each new launch- batting 300. It was with their fall collection last year that I began to feel a bit let down. My excitement for their collections was rivaled only by my dismay with items that looked good in theory but ended up not working for me (I’m looking at you, Autumn Leaves- one of the worst NARS products I’ve ever tried). In fact I rarely touch anything I purchased from that collection. Then the Andy Warhol collection came out and absolutely nothing from that appealed to me. The same story was repeated when their spring collection was released. The colors were not was I was expecting- but not necessarily in a good way.

After months of being disheartened I was super excited to hear about the new Satin Lip Pencils AND the summer collection AND the Pierre Hardy blushes- all of which have not let me down. I’ll say this: NARS knows how to redeem themselves.

NARS Euphrate Eyeshadow

This appealed to me on several levels- the beautiful shimmer, the silvery-green color and the oh-so-buttery texture. This is a must have from the summer collection for me. Of course, I went through my stash to see if I had anything similar…

(excuse the goosebumps! The sun was out the day I did swatches but it was a few weeks ago when the weather was still fairly cold!)

L-R: Sunday Riley Fool’s Gold, Chanel Epatant, Chanel Ombres Perlees de Chanel green shade, NARS Euphrate, Lancome Erika F

Euphrate is significantly more icy/silver than the shades I had to compare it to. The formula is spot on and highly pigmented. It is a unique shade for certain.

NARS Barrow Street Larger Than Life Eyeliner

This is my very first NARS Eyeliner. No other shade has seemed unique enough to warrant a purchase and I don’t know that I ever really hear anyone rave about the formula. I enjoy it. It is highly pigmented and very smooth. This mint-y shade is so on trend right now…NARS describes it as seafoam. It leans more green than blue on my skin, but I think it’s a “your mileage may vary” kind of product depending on your undertone.

Swatches L-R: NARS Barrow Street, MAC Aqua, NARS Euphrate, NARS Habanera Duo Mint Shade

I didn’t really have much to compare Barrow Street to. The other three swatches are eyeshadows and none of them are as bright or as minty. I did, however, include the mint side of the NARS Habanera Duo to compare to Euphrate. It’s lighter still and even more icy. Euphrate is more olive in tone but if you already own Habanera you might not feel as pressed to rush out and buy Euphrate.

NARS Boys Don’t Cry Blush

Isn’t she a beauty?! The gold worried me until I found that it was a very thin overspray. The blush is matte and super, super pigmented. By far the most impressive NARS blush release in a long, long time. The pan is oversized, and quite a bit larger than regular NARS blushes. Fine by me as the color is stunning. However, if you keep your blushes in drawers it’s worth noting the size differential as it may or may not fit in your storage unit. I use the IKEA Alex drawers and it can sit upright in there with plenty of room to spare. Also, the price is quite a bit higher on this as a result of the increase in size. It retails for $41 USD, which is $12 more than a regular blush.

In the macro you can see just how thin the overspray is.

Swatches L-R: Tom Ford Flush, NARS Boys Don’t Cry, MAC Bite of an Apple, Tarte Achiote

I struggled to find a dupe for this. The pigmentation just blows the rest of the competition out of the water. I haven’t layered Boys Don’t Cry; you are looking at just one swipe. Bite of an Apple is closest in tone, but still not as smooth or as intense. Rotunde (the other shade released in the collection) is firmly on my wishlist.

NARS Lodhi Satin Lip Pencil

NARS Biscayne Park Satin Lip Pencil

I ordered two of the new Satin Lip Pencils in my standard, go-to shades. Biscayne Park is a lovely nude that isn’t too cool or too warm- it’s just right. Lodhi is a gorgeous coral-peach that’s perfectly ripe for spring and summer. I will be doing a separate review post with swatches and my full thoughts after I have used them more. For now, I’m pretty impressed with the colors and the staying power.

What started off as a brand being, well….. disenchanted has turned into a true Cinderella story. NARS fully redeemed themselves with their latest releases and I’m back to being excited again.