Larger Than Life: The Lip Gloss

I apologize now if this turns out to be a half-assed assessment. I want to just give my initial thoughts about this Sephora exclusive gloss from NARS.

The color I went with is Place Vendome, named after a square in the 1st arrondissement in Paris; I am also proud to say that I did visit this area when I went to Paris for the first time four years ago. This gloss is a bright raspberry color that will carry you from late Summer into Fall. 

I do like that the packaging is more transparent and has a smooth feel (aside from traditional, rubbery top) - you can see the color of the gloss better vs. the original (almost) rubbery tube. Sometimes, I wish that the original tube wasn't as opaque and milky, as it can distort the true color in the tube. However, it's not the biggest issue for me because I own many NARS glosses, this is just me trying to nitpick anything I can about the packaging.

Here's a swatch on my (NC42) arm:

And with flash:

(Sorry if color is a bit off - you will see below that it leans on the bluish, cool side on my lips)

The one thing that concerned me was the lilliputian brush tip. I prefer the doe foot applicator instead but I'm willing to give this a fair shot. 

I like that the brush is a bit stiff. I feel like I'm lining my lips rather than just slopping gloss on them. You get a more precise application. I'm a bit concerned though that because of the small brush, I'll need to dip the wand back into the tube for more product. Will this cause me to go through my gloss quicker than the regular NARS glosses that have the doe foot applicator? 

The gloss is just a touch lighter in feel than the regular NARS glosses but if I were to compare this to the sheer pink Easy Lover gloss, it is way lighter. I still don't understand why that gloss along with Babe and Ophelia feel so thick on my lips (but even those feel lighter in comparison to the MAC Lipglasses). Larger Than Life gloss feels comfortable on my lips like a Dolce and Gabanna gloss but I still feel that the D&G gloss is superior in terms of pigment. Then again, as reviews are subjective, it all depends on the color you choose and how naturally pigmented your lips are. Mine have a natural brownish-pink tint. Place Vendome gives me a nice red-raspberry stain once the color settles. The gloss is also unscented, which is not a deal breaker for me. If anything, I get suspicious of scents - I will experience mini-hysteria fearing that the heavy scent is going to make my skin react in a very negative way.

I can't exactly comment on wear time for now but I can give you a sneak preview of how it looks on my lips:

(someone needs to exfoliate!)

It's a pretty color. It leans on the cool side for me, which isn't bad at all. It definitely brightens my face. I feel like I could wear this with a semi-smoky eye and still be daytime, work appropriate. 

My Final Assessment - I will report back after wearing for a full day. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they do not make my lips freak out. Also, not sure why this is $2 more than the regular glosses when it contains less than the original (.0.19 oz vs. 0.28oz) I have high hopes that it can live up to it's claim of long lasting power - it shoulders a large responsibility since I now consider the Larger Than Life Eye Liner my NOW go-to black eye liner.

Okay maybe I am placing too much responsibility on this product. After all, it's only lip gloss, right?

Bought by yours truly - Sephora online, $26USD/.019oz.