Nars Haul!

I'm not sure if I have mentioned this or not but I decided it was time to quit my retail job and get a proper grown up job. I'm still working up until the end of August when Blake and I are heading to New Zealand for a snow trip but after that I will hopefully have a new job.

My resignation was a long time coming and I decided I deserved a little treat once I had finally done it. The treat was in the form of some products from my favourite beauty brand Nars. 

I have had my eye on these products for a while now and now they are finally apart of my collection :)

Nars Eyeshadow Primer ($24USD from Kiss&Makeup, $39AUD from Mecca)

I've heard a lot about this primer recently and as I am almost out of my mini primer potions I thought I would give this a whirl. My first impression is that it definitely feels more siliconey than the urban decay primer potion, time will tell how it works. I will be sure to do a review for you once I have used it a bit more.

Nars Eyeshadow Duo in Cordura ($34USD from Kiss&Makeup, $55AUD from Mecca)

I've seen a few swatches of this online and it was always one that I thought looked super pretty. When I received it I was surprised that the darker colour is actually a dark brown and not a black like I had seen in some swatch photos. Never the less it is still a gorgeous duo which I can't wait to experiment with. Looks like it'll make the perfect brown smokey eye.

Nars Lipstick in Schiap ($24USD from Kiss&Makeup, $39AUD from Mecca)

This is a cult favourite and I can see why. It's a gorgeous super bright barbie pink colour, which I cannot wait to wear! I was surprised at how little the Nars lipstick tubes are they are so tiny and cute.

This is a colour that I seem to be very attracted to as I seem to have amassed a few of them....

Here it is next to some of the other similar shades I own. From the left; Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie, Rimmel's Moisture Renew Lipstick in Funtime Fuchsia, MAC's lipstick in Girl About Town and Nars Shiap. It's a little lighter than the rest and more of a true barbie pink colour. 

Nars Blush in Gaiety ($26USD from Kiss&Makeup, $45AUD from Mecca)

Ever since I saw this little baby in Mecca earlier in the year I knew I had to have it. I am on the hunt for the perfect light pink blue based blush and have a feeling this could be it. 

Isn't it super pretty!! Love it. It reminds me a lot of another of my Nars blushes, Desire. Here they are side by side. As you can see Desire is a lot darker and slightly more reddish pink whereas Gaiety is definitely on the more blue-toned side. If Desire scares you too much then Gaiety is a more subtle option with a similar effect.

What's your favourite beauty brand? Have you hauled anything exciting recently??

Hannah xox

Nars Porn! A Nars Haul...beware lots of photos!

Let me begin this post by saying that I love Nars. There is something about seeing a Nars product that makes me go a bit weak at the knees. They are gorgeous and they better be as they cost a small fortune. I recently placed another order at my online shop of choice when it comes to Nars, Kiss and Makeup.

Nars may be my favourite makeup brand but there is just no way I am paying the ridiculous prices it is sold at here in Oz. 

Now you may have seen these products on a lot of blogs and that's precisely why I bought them. I had seen so many rave reviews I just had to see them for myself.

The first thing on my list was the Nars Eyeshadow Duo in Dogon (RRP $33USD).

This is a gorgeous eyeshadow duo that comes with a shimmery taupey cream colour that has a green tinge and a matte dark navy (almost black) colour. The shades complement each other really well and mix to make a beautiful taupe grey with green undertones. I'm super excited to experiment with this duo.

Of course I had to get my hands on the eyeshadow Outremer (RRP $23USD). I was mesmerised by this when it came out a little while ago. It is a gorgeous cobalt blue shade which actually matches my newly purchased bridesmaid dress (my mum is getting married in May next year!) perfectly. I was thinking a hint of this colour on my eyes for the wedding could be a nice touch, although I will have to play with it a bit first to see if it looks right. 

I was a bit disappointed by how this applied when swatched, its a little on the sheerer side. Although I had heard that when I was reading reviews and it hadn't affected the bloggers love of this shade so I will play around and report back soon!

My last purchase was a bit of a random one. I had been eyeing off the Nars Multiple in Copacabana but when I swatched it in Mecca I wasn't all that impressed. I still wanted to get a multiple so randomly added the shade Maldives (RRP$39USD) to my cart. I'm pretty impressed with this so far. Its a gorgeous bronzey/pink shimmery colour perfect for a highlight!

Ooo and I also got a pencil sharpener. I know I know $6USD just to have Nars written on your pencil sharpener?? What can I say I'm a sucker for that black rubber and simple white lettering!

And here are the gorgeous swatches, enjoy!

L-R: Maldives multiple, Outremer Eyeshadow, Nars Dogon
light shade, dark shade and mixed together.

Do you guys love Nars as much as I do?? 

Hannah xox

My Favourite Cheek Highlights

I used to consider myself a blush girl, I loved it and it was my favourite makeup item to buy. Nowadays I am definitely more of a highlight girl. There is just something so beautiful about a perfectly highlighted cheek bone. 

I have collected quite a few highlighters lately and thought I would share my faves. First I will talk about my fave liquid highlighters.

Revlon Skinlights in 01 Natural Light (Discontinued)

This stuff is amazing, its a liquid illuminator that gives your cheeks a beautiful natural looking dewiness. It's also a great base for a powder highlight to make them last longer. This was discontinued a while back :( and my tube only has a little left so I am savouring every drop. On ebay this fetches about $100AUD!!

Nars Liquid Illuminator in Orgasm (RRP $29USD)

This illuminator has a thin consistency and is a pretty pinkish colour. However once blended out it's not too pink for a highlight. It is quite shimmery so I wouldn't recommend using a highlighter over the top or a shimmery blush. I have used this as my blush and highlight before and it looked quite pretty. 

 

MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque ($35AUD or $17.50USD)

I've had this paint pot for ages but never thought of using it as a cheek highlight until a few days ago. I never really loved it as an eyeshadow base as I found the consistency too thin and not pigmented enough, but this means it works great as a cheek highlight! If you own this give it a go.

Now onto the powder highlights...

Dior Amber Diamond ($51.50AUD on StrawberryNet)

Hands down my favourite highlighter. It's absolutely gorgeous. You can layer it lightly for a really pretty natural looking highlight or keep laying for a more dramatic obvious highlighted look. You can't really go wrong with this one.

Nars Albatross (RRP $27USD or $49AUD)

Albatross is a white highlighter with an obvious golden sheen. This is more of an obvious highlighter and I love using it for nights out. 

BYS Blusher in Peach Sundae (RRP $3.95AUD)

Yes this is a blush but its a really light apricot toned blush that is light enough for me to use as a highlighter. It gives a gorgeous sheen to the cheek bone and is another favourite of mine for a night out. Before I bought Amber Diamond this was my HG highlighter.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sin (RRP $17USD)

Another product which isn't marketed as a highlight I know but trust me this is insanely gorgeous on the cheeks. It is more obvious than your typical highlight so definitely use a light hand to apply but it gives you a beautiful pinky shimmery highlight. 

BYS Baked Bronzer in Golden Shimmer ($8.95AUD)

This is marketed as a bronzer but it is far too golden and shimmery for that. Instead I use this sparingly as a highlight when I am going for a bronze look and want to add a bit of golden shimmer to the tops of my cheeks.

Want to see swatches??

L-R: Revlon Skinlights, Nars Illuminator, MAC Paint Pot

L-R: Amber Diamond, Albatross, Peach Sundae, BYS bronzer, UD Sin

And what do I use to apply these highlighters??

T-B: Tapered Highlighter F35, Tapered Blending E40, Foundation F60.

For applying all my powder highlights I tend to use the Sigma Tapered Highlighting brush (F35) as it is the perfect size to just swipe on your highlight colour. If I want more precise application or I am using an eyeshadow I use the smaller Tapered Blending brush (E40) and if I am using a cream I tend to favour my foundation brush (F60).

What are your favourite highlighters?? Do you favour cream/liquid or powder products??


Hannah xox