NARS Fall 2016 Color Collection

I know you're probably thinking, "Fall? It's barely Summer!" Well I live in the part of the Bay Area that's enclosed in fog for the month of July so it's really no different for me. I don't mind it really because I can drive twenty, hell sometimes ten, minutes away from my house and I'll be in sunshine.

Okay enough of me and my ranting of another summer in the fog. Here's what you really tuned in for:

According to the press release, provided by the NARS PR team, "cheeks are sculpted to new heights by complexion-enhancing hues from light caramel to espresso. Lids shimmer with shade of iridescent white, rose gold, and deep indigo, while lips go matte in saturated tones of garnet and bordeaux. New Velvet Eyeliners add rich dimension with pigments that glide on smooth and blend evenly, creating the perfect base for smoky lids or a fine line for a bold look."

To be honest, I'm a little disappointed by the lack of blushes in this Fall collection. Also, where are the glosses and what, no eyeshadow duos? Because I am a fan, I'm willing to give this collection a chance. Luckily, I am also a pencil hoarder so I will definitely check out these new eyeliners. The Velvet Matte Lip Pencils are the reason why I wear matte lipsticks again so I can't wait to swatch these rich colors.

This collection will come to a counter near you at a NARS boutique or online on their site on July 15. Expect the collection to show up at Sephora, department, and specialty stores on August 1.

Here's another image I'd like to share just to pique your interest, just a bit more:

I may have to check out the sculpting duo so I can try to achieve this flawless look!

Where the hell have I been and just where do I think I'm going?

You know sometimes when you think you're just going to take a small time out for some "me time" or in my case...have another baby?

Well that small break turned into a year off. I guess I needed it with what was going on in my world - baby girl #2 and a job in Silicon Valley that didn't quite pan out.

Like my now 10 month old girl that is taking delicate baby steps and preparing herself to run amok in our un-baby proofed home, this is my attempt to reconnect again in the blogging hemisphere.

Maybe I lost all my readers (not like I had a lot to begin with) but I know I had a few. Here's hoping this works out and I gain a whole new set of readers.

Will I discuss makeup? Well duh, yeah that's what brought me here (and hopefully you) in the first place. I will say having two little girls and living in one of the most expensive places in the US (Bay Area, CA) my spending habits have become modest but luckily I still have access to free samples (NARS, I am your devoted, faithful fan for life). Will shoes and booze still be involved? Well I am still breathing, aren't I?

I am rethinking what I would like to write about:
Makeup tips for the busy mom.....How not to look like a hot mess at the drop off line of your kids school....Finding your sexy again when you have that random date night at The Elephant Bar?

Please bear with me as it took a good 14 months just to get me to write this passage. I have been toying of turning this beauty blog into a general peek into my mind and what projects I may get myself into. I have also worked as a freelance makeup artist assisting other fabulous hair/makeup artists. I've had a blast working weddings and doing looks for stage.

I also just turned 41 in September and not really caring about labeling anything right now.

But to keep on topic here's a relevant photo:

Just three things that reminded me why I became obsessed with beauty products. 

Diptyque Baies candle - Blackcurrant and roses. How fabulous is that? It's their top selling scent for a reason. You can dress up a card table and folding chair with this beautiful glass candle. The one featured is the mini (2.4 oz) - I have since upgraded to the 6.5 oz number. And if I were a Real Housewife of (Insert City here) you bet your ass I would have the largest candles (that burns 220 hours and is over $200) littered all over my estate. I am a full fledge addict. I also have Santal and Roses. 

Kat von D's Interstellar palette came out some time last Winter and it's my first palette. Okay confession time - I was a fan of Kat's in the early days of Miami Ink and then on her own spin-off LA Ink. But along the way, I felt that she became too LA Industry and mix in her relationship with Jesse James...well the girl just lost me. I didn't want anything to do with her, regardless how successful her makeup line was. It wasn't till one of my friends, ahem Christina, called me out on my judgmental ways and I gave it a chance. Low and behold, I was smitten. I also let Kat back into my life by then purchasing her Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette. I'm even wearing it as I type. The colors are soft and easily blendable without being chalky and on top of a good shadow base (NARS Smudgeproof Eye Shadow Base) I get a full 8 hours of wear. 

Okay my Tom Ford glasses are not technically a beauty product, but I they do make me feel pretty and I can see. 

Plus, TOM FORD!!!

I really hope this wasn't too painful to read. Maybe this was the writing exercise I needed. Maybe I'll get around to reviewing the wonderful NARS palettes I created with the awesome voucher the PR folks gifted me. Maybe I'll write about how I'm desperately trying to not be THAT MOM. Or maybe I'll just write once a week or twice a month to let you know what has been in my beauty rotation, sneakers I've acquired or wine I can't stop drinking.

Maybe....

NARS Celebrates 20 years of Audacious Beauty

I am so excited for virtual calendar to read September 1st, however, I do miss hearing the sound of paper tearing as you welcome the new month. Luckily the news I'll be blasting will help me get over that.

As some of you know, I am a huge NARS fan girl. I always dream of meeting Monsieur Francois Nars to thank him personally for changing the way I embrace makeup and his intense colors just celebrate women of all skin tones. But mostly for creating a lipstick line that for once didn't dry out my lips or make them itch and feel raw the next morning.

He one upped himself. How, you ask? By paying tribute of the introduction of his namesake brand, launching a collection of 12 unforgettable lipsticks, by launching a new lipstick collection of course!

The Audacious Lipstick Collection.

The innovative, pigment-rich formula delivers and intesnse, full-coverage finish in a single stroke, while nutrient rich ingredients are known to smooth, moisturize and volumize. The 40-shade collection features a full range of provocative hues from neutral nudes to striking reds and bold pinks. I dug in a little deeper about the formula and finish. I was told that the formula is a cross between a satin and the cinematic finish lipstick from the holiday/Guy Bourdin collection. I adored that collection because not only was the lipstick was emollient but the pigment was intense. I can't wait to receive my sample!

We didn't even talk about packaging. As you also know, I am quite the packaging whore and really not ashamed to admit it. I just wish I could keep my bathroom/bedroom clean at all times so I can invite my girlfriends and sisters to just look at some of the amazing stuff I have accumulated because I thought the packaging was just so cool or adorable!

The Audacious Lipsticks are housed in a modern, matte-black metallic case with a magnetic closure, the specially designed sculpted bullet is embossed with the NARS logo. I really love the original simple matte black finish with the white NARS text square lipstick tube. They are just so chic, cool and because of the rubber matte finish feel of the tube, it's also a little punk. I really can't wait to get this in my hands!

Didn't I say that already? Yes, that's how excited I am!

The colors really run the gamut to sultry wines, burgundy, hot pink, romantic rose pink, seductive reds to even wearable, office safe reds to corals and of course my favorite - nudes! You'll have no excuse of not being able to find a shade to suit your needs and moods. To incite just that more obsessive behavior, 10 shades of the collection are exclusive only to Barneys New York stores.

The face of the collection is also something to talk about. It's no other than the renowned actress Charlotte Rampling. Celebrated for her work in films like, "Farewell My Lovely," "Swimming Pool," "Angel Heart," "Stardust Memories," but she is probably best known for the controversial film, "The Night Porter." Just do a online search and a certain film still will pop up and you'll see why. Actually, the same image will probably pop-up when you enter her name in any search engine.

Because of her bold choices and independent spirit, Charlotte has created fascinating characters on-screen. Charlotte's individual, daring style and natural elegance on and off the camera made her the perfect fit to embody the Audacious Lipstick Collection.


The Audacious Lipstick Collection will debut September 1, 2014 at NARS boutiques and narscosmetics.com. Retailer exclusive shades available September 1, 2014 at Barneys New York.

Retail - $32/USD

Coming Soon: 3.1 Phillip Lim for NARS Nail Collection

Hey nail fanatics - great news. There's a new NARS collaboration and when I mean coming soon I mean 'tomorrow' soon! You can find this collection inspired by "colors that exist in the shadows" in NARS boutiques and online Tuesday, July 15. Or you can wait when they turn up at Sephora and Dept/Specialty boutiques on August 1, 2014. 

Since Fall 2007, NARS and Phillip Lim have collaborated for the the past 14 seasons on the 3.1 Phillip Lim runway show during NY Fashion Week. This collection celebrates their work blending Phillip's signature style with NARS' iconic bold style and daring beauty aesthetic. 

The nine limited editions shades include:

Anarchy: Angora

Wrong Turn: Graphite

Shutter: Black Sea Green

Other Side: Bitter Chocolate

Gold Viper: Champagne

Crossroads: African Violet

Hell-Bent: Lacquer Red

Dark Room: Blue Denim

Insidious: Black Bronze

I was lucky enough to receive Other Side and Insidious from the awesome PR folks at NARS. Let me tell you just how pleased I am. The only thing that I'm bummed about is that the colors I chose are suitable for crisp winter nights. Well it's a good thing that I love breaking beauty expectations and summer nights here in the Bay Area requires warm layers!

Not only are the colors something to chat about but so is the bottle and brush!

The original square handle could be a bit much for petite hands to handle but now the square top pops off and reveals a traditional brush handle. 

And check out the new brush:

vs. the old brush

As you can see the new brush is flatter and wider allowing to cover more surface area with fewer brush strokes. Also, the brush fits nicely along the cuticle. I can cover my nail with just three brush strokes: middle and sides. 

Here's Other Side on my nails:

The first application is a bit streaky but I applied the second coat a little thicker and got the opaque results I wanted. I found a nail to be a bit streaky after the second coat so I went ahead and applied a light third coat. That nail didn't look thick and matched the others. I did apply my favorite base and shiny top coat for extra shine. I love this dark chocolate shade even in the summer. Although it gets me anxious for the fall and I also get mad chocolate cravings! I get great wear time with NARS polishes: 3-4 days on my nails and a good 2 weeks on my toes.

Insidious on my toes:

 

A beautiful blackened bronze that can lead to a deep metallic olive or black brown. I really like this shade with black sandals or even nude peep toe shoes. 

The formula also has a new high gloss finish. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference since I never had a problem with the original formula and bottle packaging. But I can appreciate the new brush. However, I can see a possible problem with the bristles of this brush. If you jam the brush in the bottle quickly or incorrectly, you can splay the bristles and they won't lay flat and nice. I noticed a few bristles askew on my new brush and this was the first time using my bottle. I didn't experience this with my older NARS polishes. I will now have to be careful if I buy another NARS polish as the all the older shades will be phased out and repackaged in the new bottles over time. 

First improving the lip gloss formula and packaging and now this? 

Well played NARS...well played!

Nail polish - $20/USD 

Samples sent to me from the PR department at NARS Cosmetics for consideration. 

Why Fix It It Ain't Broke?

Now you are probably thinking that Lex likes to try everything just about once and is fearless of change. And you'd be wrong to think and assume that! I find that the older I am getting the more I cling on to things and fear change.

Why would you change something if everyone loves it and didn't have a problem with it in the first place? 

Like the Coke formula back in 1985? McDonald's apple pie - not sure about the year but it use to be deep fried and delicious and now it's baked and just tastes, I don't know - weird? I can also go on and on about systems used at my previous job. When you've been employed by a company for seven years, you see a lot of people come in and try to change the system and then go because not everyone was ready for change.

Now that was a change I did get behind.

How does this apply to cosmetics? I'm getting there.

A few short years back, like when I was on maternity leave, I discovered a lip gloss that didn't leave my lips dry and itchy the day after I wore it. It was by NARS and I discovered it by reading one of my favorite blogs. I remember Karen waxing on and on about her love for the shade Supervixen, a metallic mauve and I was just smitten by the name. This was a few weeks after the birth of my daughter. I was achy, tired, bloated, simply a mess.

I needed something called Supervixen on my puffy face! 

Five years later the love has been quite strong. I found the one shade I always had to have a backup for, Sweet Revenge, a sheer grapefruit that blended beautifully on top of any nude pink shade I had. It was my security blanket and I could go from feeling demure to well...smoky eye bad girl depending on my eye look. 

When NARS announced a new formula to their lip glosses, my interest piqued and I was also a bit fearful.

What if I don't like it? What if the unscented gloss now had some weird scent that will nauseate me? What if...god forbid...it made my lips, dry and itchy? Ugh, the suspense was killing me. 

Until I found a goodie package on my doorstep today.

Introducing NARS Lip Gloss 2.0...
(left to right - Sweet Revenge, Tasmania, and Easy Lover)

And here's the stylized promo shot (courtesy of the PR team at NARS):

So what changed?

Now the glosses contain even more nourishing ingredients that help smooth fine lines and keeps the lips supple, while sea lavender helps against signs of aging. Sounds great, right? What helps even more...all 23 original colors have been revamped including 7 new shades. That's right 30 shades of nourishing love for your pucker!

My thoughts? Well for one I am very happy about the packaging. The clear tube allows you to see a true representation of the shade versus the frosty tube of the original formula. You couldn't really tell what the color was:

So back to Sweet Revenge. It's the perfect pink nude for me. It's described as a pink grapefruit so you'd expects some coral or orange. Not on me...it's all pink beige with a super subtle shimmer.

Top is the old formula and bottom is the new formula. I apologize if you can't see but the newer version feels a bit more pink on me. That's not a bad thing. What I love most is that it's a bit thinner than the original. It goes on easily but because I feel like it's thinner and a bit more sheer, I need at least three coats to make somewhat of an impact on me and it's not by much either. I definitely need to wear this on top of lip liner or lipstick. I do like to wear this solo if I'm taking my daughter to school on a day off and I haven't gotten ready for the day yet or I'm on the train to work in my gym gear before I've showered and made myself up for the day. When worn by itself, it does enhance my natural lips a bit but since I have some discoloration on my lips I would have loved more opaqueness but I'm starting to get over that. The shimmer is very subtle so don't let the color swatch on the site scare you!

Here's Sweet Revenge on top of Whirl lip pencil (from MAC):

The other shade I tried is new to the collection, Tasmania (pink cantaloupe):

It looks like a pink coral in the tube - perfect for Spring/Summer naturally. On my lips, it's super sheer and would need a boost from a pink nude or coral to amplify the color. I still like this shade regardless. Also, it's named after the island state of Australia. Sorry, but when I see the word, Tasmania, I am thinking of that adorable spastic animated character from Looney Tunes and I believe he was like a rat brown color and the real Tasmanian devil are black. I just appreciate the ease of this shade - perfect gloss to throw into your bag in case of an emergency!

Here's a swatch:

Lastly, Easy Lover (sheer, hot pink):

I love this shade on top of fuchsia for extra shine but surprisingly I get a lovely look when this tops off a pink nude shade.

This is the only decent picture I was able to take of Easy Lover on my lips - as you can see, it's a VERY sheer hot pink.

So again, I'm very pleased with this new formula. I love that it's thinner and it comes out of the tube - not a gloppy mess. Also, the doe foot applicator feels great on the lips. There's no scent so hyper sensitive noses can rejoice! It may be a drawback for some that it goes on so thin, you may need three extra coats or ten extra minutes to layer to get some type of color on the lips, well from these light shades. I have yet to test the darker, brighter colors.

You can find these new glosses at department and specialty shops that carry the NARS brands. And as always you can go to the site, www.narscosmetics.com and order to your heart's content.

NARS Lip Gloss - $26/USD

Glosses were sent to me for consideration by the PR team at NARS Cosmetics.