Nars Lip Gloss

Sticky and too opaque.

I received an Orgasm gift set which included this lip gloss and the Orgasm blush. The blush is fine so I use it occasionally, but the lip gloss always disappoints. The color is lovely on the wand, but on the lips it's too opaque and smears easily. Also, unlike others whose reviews appear here, I found this lip gloss one of the stickier ones I've ever tried. It's thicker and gloppier than L'Oreal's, Clinique's, Lancome's or Tarte's, and much thicker and sticker than my favorite lip glosses, such as Estee Lauder's. I kept it around for a year, trying it every month or so because the color was pretty in the container and my friend paid a lot of money for it, but I finally tossed it because it was so sticky on the lips and the gloppy opacity of it was so unflattering.

January 13, 2008

Nars Blush

Pleasant, but overpriced and overrated.

$25 is a ridiculous price to pay for this product. I was given it as a gift, and yes, it's a good product in a shade that applies evenly and isn't too intense or too orange. I like it, but it's not two to three times better than blushes I've paid less for. High-end eye shadows and blushes are better than cheap ones since the pigments are better ground and more subtle, it's true. But high-end blush just isn't that much better than the mid-range blushes like Clinique or even Sonia Kashuk blush from Target. Just avoid the really shimmery ones to get a soft glow like Nars' Orgasm blush. (And I think the name is tacky; I'd never have bought this for myself.)

January 13, 2008

Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara

No clumping, no flaking, just naturally pretty-looking lashes.

This has been my favorite mascara for ten years. I've tried dozens of cheaper mascaras, and various other expensive department store brands as well, but all the others either flake or clump. I'm a pale blonde, and black mascaras leave my eyes looking like I have dark circles under them halfway through the day, so I appreciate a brown mascara that looks more natural. I also love the way this mascara separates the lashes so neatly and prettily. It does wear away over the course of a day, as all mascaras do, and it doesn't define lashe dramatically by making them as thick or dark as most mascaras do, but the more natural, fresh look works much better on me.

November 29, 2007