One of the best things about Summer, is the profusion of bright, tropical colors that make you feel as though you’re in Hawaii, or maybe, Tahiti, even though you’re just at in your neighborhood. Another thing that’s always great abut a new season, is a new collection of makeup, by Founder and Creative Director François Nars, for NARS Cosmetics. This Summer’s collection is a modern take on 70’s glamour. Looking at the photo above of the NARS “face,” Stella Tennant, I’m immediately flashing back to David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust days.
what I like so much about this bright and bold collection is that you can focus on just one aspect of your makeup, such as your eyes, or your lips, or nails, or just a face that looks sun-kissed, and not have to “do” an entire look. However, if you want to play with color, you can use it all and make a fashion statement. What follows is my personal take on the trio of tempting makeup treats I personally tried, and a rundown of the others, best I can describe them. And, I’ve included a behind the scenes video so you can see how to get the look, yourself. One thing you can be sure of, is that NARS never disappoints. The colors will be trendy but terrifically wear-able. You’ll see!
HERE’S THE RUNDOWN ON THE COLLECTION:
Duo Eyeshadow ($34.00)
- Fashion Rebel Dandelion and African frost makes the most exciting eye shadow duo! I can almost hear Bowie singing “Rebel Rebel” as I look at the bright, matte, bright, dandelion-yellow and intense, matte, violet shadows in this stunning shadow palette. You can wear them as dramatic as a glam rock queen ala Stella Tenant, or wear just one, or use the yellow as a lid color and line with the purple. I used yellow on my lids almost up to the brow line, then wet my brush and lined top and bottom lashes in the purple. It looked trendy but strangely compelling. . People did notice, and the yellow got good reviews. Even better, the color lasting without creasing or fading, literally, for an entire day and evening. These colors are fun to play with and build-able, so don’t be afraid!
Single Eyeshadow ($24.00)
- Euphrate is a frosted mint steel
Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner ($24.00)
- Barrow Street is seafoam green
Multiple ($39.00)
- Puerto Vallarta is a softly shimmery tangerine. When it comes to NARS multiples, you know you can wear them on lips, cheeks, even eyes. This one is a sheer, shimmery peachy orange that blends imperceptibly into skin to give it a glow, not an orange one, either. It is kind of a hybrid between NARS’s most famous “orgasm” blend, and a bronzer. You can make it anything you want, from just a blush-y sheer, to an edgy color that showscases the tangerine. I was initially nervous about it, but I dotted it on lightly, blended it out, and then added a little bit more. No matter how you wear it, you’re going to love it!
Lipstick ($24.00)
- Tolede is a pink rose, I didn’t try it personally, but it looks to be the kind of color that is universally flattering. This looks to be a good bet if you’re hoping for a pretty lipstick and you want something that isn’t overly trendy, but you’re not going for the same old, same old!
Velvet Matte Lip Pencil ($25.00) (Limited Edition)
- Tender Night is an iridescent lilac
Larger Than Life Lipgloss ($26.00)
- Paris Follies is a bright, flamingo pink (from the photo, I didn’t try it). Most of NARS lip glosses are sheer enough to layer. This one looks like it would add shine to the Tolede lipstick, or look good, alone.
Nail Polish ($19.00) (Limited Edition)
- Madness – electric orange. This is the orange to wear when you want to rock the orange trend so hot (no pun intended) this Summer. It’s sheer, so you can add a thin coat of color and feel like you’ve faced your worries about wearing such a bright color. But if you are patient and add a few coats, you will find yourself with a perfect set of show-stopping, bold, orange tips. Nail polish is one of those places where you can flaunt a bit of color, even in a conservative office, and get away with it, so free yourself from boredom, and go for it! \with Barrow Street though because it’s amazing.
This amazing NARS collection had us literally salivating, and somehow we felt the need to get a tropical drink and sit in the sun, even though we were still wearing heavy coats! The collection just launched mid-April, so you still have time to get and experiment with your favorites before the sun is really beating down on you, for real. Visit your favorite NARS makeup counter, or http://www.narscosmetics.com
BEAUTY BONUS – VIDEO get a behind-the-scenes look at the Summer 2013 campaign shoot with Founder and Creative Director François Nars and model Stella Tennant
