& Other Stories Canvas Taupe and NARS Douceur Blush Comparison

The & Other Stories store in London is a lovely set-up, I like how the beauty section is laid out so that you feel invited to come and have a play with all the products (and having a large sink close at hand to wash off when you run out of skin to swatch on is a nice touch). About a month ago I was browsing beauty, having quite the swatching session going on and I came across this little blush in the shade Canvas Taupe and immediately my mind sprang to my beloved NARS Douceur blush, as it has that similar dusty rose tone. I always get a lot of use out of these sort of shades so off I went to the checkout.

I was curious to see how Canvas Taupe measured up to NARS Douceur, as this has probably got to be one of my all time favourite blushes, it's just one of those shades that you don't need to think about as it goes with just about any makeup look.

Side by side they look incredibly similar, Douceur appears ever so slightly warmer (as you can see I have made quite a dent), but it's only when swatched you can see more of a difference.

Top - & Other Stories Canvas Taupe, Bottom - NARS Douceur

Top - & Other Stories Canvas Taupe, Bottom - NARS Douceur

On the top is the & Other Stories Canvas Taupe which on the skin shows up as a little paler and pinker in tone. Douceur below is slightly deeper and warmer which works better on my skin tone as it shows up more where as Canvas Taupe is a touch pale, although as it blends in nicely I do still use it.

Texture wise both are nice and smooth (although I think as my Douceur has been used a lot the texture has gone a bit drier now then when it was new). Wear wise the NARS wins hands-down as it lasts longer and fades evenly where as Canvas Taupe goes a little patchy.

Despite the wear I do like Canvas Taupe and there are a couple of other shades I would quite like to get, and Douceur, no doubt requires a repurchase!

www.stories.com

www.narscosmetics.co.uk

NARS Sheer Glow in Barcelona

My first post back is a review of a much loved product - NARS Sheer Glow foundation. This initially came onto my radar years ago when Lollipop26 (now Buy Now Blog Later) raved about it on her blog/youtube channel.

I have been using this for a while now (I've just finished my bottle) and have to say that for me this foundation has definitely lived up to the hype.

I had this applied on counter - Sheer Glow on one side and Sheer Matte on other and went away to see how they both looked later on that day. At first I preferred how Sheer Matte looked, but it was actually the Sheer Glow that wore better as the day progressed so a while later I purchased this in Barcelona.

I find Barcelona to be a perfect shade as it's got a good yellow tone that's really great for evening out the skin and toning down any redness (which I have from old acne marks).

The texture is a runny liquid, so for a me a foundation brush is the best method of applying; my favourite brushes to use with this are Lancome's foundation brush, Ruby and Millie foundation brush, Louise Young LY34 and the MAC 159 (a fab brush for a more airbrushed look).

Application is smooth, and blends into a natural finish that's not matte but has a very tiny amount of radiance. The coverage is medium (not sheer as the name may suggest) and buildable which I like as I prefer better coverage. Even though it's not quite full coverage (as some of my darker marks show through a little), it's one of those bases where I don't feel the need to use a concealer afterwards, so often I skip it, and sometimes I skip the powder too.

Another thing I like is that the better coverage doesn't make the finish look flat; if you've used something like Makeup Forever HD or Laura Mercier Silk Creme (both of which I quite liked), they do not enliven the skin as much so I compensate by using more radiance powders and bronzers to lift the finish.

Bare-faced on the left (just moisturiser), Sheer Glow applied on the right.

This definitely is my go-to when I want a more flawless look that doesn't oxidise (I hate it when bases turn orange) and I've worn it day-to-day, going out and is my default base for special occasions.

Overall a great, fail-safe option, which I'm now missing since finishing about a week ago.

narscosmetics.co.uk

My Favourite Highlighting & Glowy Eyeshadows

I have quite a few eyeshadows that I like to reach for when highlighting and creating more glowy makeup looks so thought I'd share some of my favourites.

From left to right:

1st row: K by Beverley Knight 04, Barry M Dazzle Dust 39 Tan, Barry M Dazzle Dust 8 Silver Iridescent.
2nd row: Illamasqua Furore, MAC All That Glitters, MAC Shadestick Butternutty.
3rd row: NARS Nepal, NYX Champagne, Everyday Minerals On the Phone.
4th row: Rouge Bunny Rouge Firetailed Sunbird, Urban Decay Virgin & Sin from the Naked Palette, NYX Sahara.

K by Beverley Knight Eyeshadow - 04

Unfortunately this range is no longer available (although I have spotted a few bits reduced online).

This is a lovely peach shade that has a very smooth and nicely pigmented texture (unfortunately my pic doesn't quite do it justice). It has a satiny/slight shimmer sheen to the finish. A versatile shade that definitely gives a glowy feel to the lids.

Barry M Dazzle Dust - 39 Tan

A beautiful warm tan shade full of shimmer. I am a fan of the Dazzle Dusts and even though many of them are quite full-on, as the texture/shimmer pigment is fine I can blend them out or use with other shades for more wearable looks. I like using Tan mostly on the inner corner to add a nice glowy highlight or a sheer wash all over the lid.

Barry M Dazzle Dust - 8 Silver Iridescent

A silvery white shimmer shade that initially I thought would look a bit disco ball but I only use a very small amount on the inner corner and it adds a very pretty hint of pale shimmer. As this is not too densely packed I can get away with a sheer wash of colour.

Illamasqua Pure Pigment - Furore

I think this is one of Illamasqua's must-have pigments. In real life it looks similar to Barry M Tan but this is lighter and has a bit of depth that gives it quite a rich feel. Texture is very fine and wonderfully pigmented. Again this one looks more amazing in real life then in my swatch pic.

MAC Eyeshadow - All That Glitters

One of my favourite shadows by MAC. It's a warm and frosty golden tan shade that has a good level of pigment.

MAC Shadestick - Butternutty

This was a limited edition shade but I think this is being repromoted in one of the upcoming collections. This is a pale golden shade that I like to use to line the waterline and also in the inner corner.

NARS Eyeshadow - Nepal

This was my first NARS eyeshadow and is my favourite of theirs. It is an unusual warm tan with a slight dusky pink tone. If I'm in a hurry and not sure what to use, this is one I can quickly use all over the lid and it just adds a soft, natural glow to the lid. On my NC40/42ish colouring, and as my lids are a little bit darker then my face, this works as a subtle highlight on the inner corner. 

NYX Eyeshadow - Champagne

When I want something a little more refined then All That Glitters, I like reaching for this as it has a decent level of pigment and still gives a nice golden sheen to the lids. 

Everyday Minerals Eyeshadow - On the Phone

An unusual pale, dusky, mauvey sort of colour that has very fine shimmer that looks quite subtle when applied. I like the shimmer in mineral eyeshadows as they have a wonderful depth that is not glittery.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Long Lasting Eyeshadow - Fire-tailed Sunbird

I have reviewed this shade before here. It is one of the slightly more unique shades as it has an interesting and very pretty mix of pink and peach. As with all RBR's eyeshadows, it's beautifully soft and well pigmented.

Urban Decay Virgin & Sin from the Naked Palette

Virgin is quite a pale, cool toned shade that has a very subtle iridescent sheen to it. This one I use slightly on the inner corner or layered on top of other shades as I think it is a bit pale on it's own for my colouring. Sin is a slightly frosty pale pinky toned champagne sort of shade that is richly pigmented and smooth.

NYX Eyeshadow - Sahara

Sahara is a warm, creamy shade that has a satin matte finish. This is one I like to as a inner corner highlight.

L-R:

1- NYX Sahara, 2- NYX Champagne, 3- Everyday Minerals On the Phone, 4- MAC Butternutty, 5- RBR Firetailed Sunbird, 6- MAC All That Glitters, 7- Illamasqua Furore, 8- Barry M Tan, 9- Barry M Silver Iridescent, 10- UD Virgin, 11- UD Sin, 12- Beverley Knight 04.

Apologies for the long post, I couldn't quite narrow down the selection as I love them all!

NARS Desperado Nail Polish

With Flash. 3 coats

Natural Light (I nicked the finish a bit before it properly dried)

NARS Desperado is a rather unusual shade from the spring collection that to me is more a summer type shade. It is a bit deceptive - in the bottle it looks as though it may lean a bit green and the gold is slightly paler but on the nails it looks slightly different and takes on a more browny/bronzy-toned deep golden colour.

The pic is with 3 coats and it applies well without any streaks. In the pic the polish seems to contrast more with my skin when in reality I don't think it pops out that much.

I really like this teamed with deep blue accessories - I have a ring with has some lapis lazuli in it which seems to go quite nicely with this shade.

FOTD: Plummy Eyes & New Barry M Lip Paint 150 Pink Suede

Browsing the aisles in my local Superdrug, I came across some new shades of Lip Paint in Barry M in my favourite lip category of 'naturals'. Currently they are on offer so I got two shades for £6.99. 

Pink Suede (150) is not really a pink, it is a warm tan nude shade which is quite creamy and well pigmented with a silky matt texture.

I really like this as it leans warmer it doesn't look like too pale a nude shade.

Complete Look:

Face:
Diorskin Forever Compact powder -040 (around sides/forehead)
Everyday Minerals Peach Color Corrector (centre of face)
Ellis Faas Concealer - S205 (undereye)
MAC Sculpt & Shape Powder - Accentuate/Sculpt
NARS Blush - Sin
MUFE - HD Powder

Lips - Barry M Lip Paint - 150

Eyes
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Eden (I think this has made the colours look slightly paler as it is quite a pale, opaque base)
Fyrinnae - Daemon's Tail (all over lid)
Inika Mineral eyeshadow - Autumn Plum 20 (outer corner)
MAC Sculpt & Shape Powder - Accentuate (under brows)
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner - Oil Slick to line (top and slightly on bottom)
MAC Shadestick - Butternutty (waterline)
Korres Eyebrow pencil 01 
17 Wild Curls Mascara - black (on top & bottom lashes)

2010 Makeup Favourites

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday.


It's been a great year for beauty (when is it not?) and I am excited for 2011. Yet another favourites post, but it's good to acknowledge the products that have served me well the past year. It was kind of hard to not list a quazillion products but here is a selection of the items I found myself loving over 2010 (I am sure that I will have missed some out):

Urban Decay Naked Palette

One of the best things Urban Decay has ever made. Enough said.

2010 was the year I put MAC on the backseat a bit and got much more into NARS. The Sheer Glow Foundation is great when I don't want to faff about too much as it gives good coverage, feels light and natural like I am almost not wearing foundation. I use the shade Barcelona and think it's pretty spot-on in colour. There have been some really good drugstore foundations (Revlon Photoready, Maxfactor Second Skin & Bourjois Healthy Mix deserve a mention), but the colour matching in NARS pips it for me.

NARS Douceur Blush - great go-to natural shade that adds a hint of colour that suits lots of looks.
NARS Larger Than Life Lengthening Mascara - this is bordering on HG territory as it gives me lovely separated and defined lashes to help achieve an even 'fanned' look. Adds some volume too.

MUFE HD Powder

This really softens the look of pores which is something many primers fail to do while looking invisible on the skin. I really wish MUFE ups the availability of their products this year as I would love to check out more of the line.

2010 reignited my love of lipgloss and think I ended up adding a few more glosses rather then lipsticks to my collection. Rouge Bunny Rouge Gleaming Temptations Lipglosses, Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lipgloss in Ignite, and Becca Glossy Lip Tint in Amaretto were regular non-sticky favourites.

My love of MAC continues, but last year I was not tempted as much by new collections, however the Ripe Peach Blush, Accentuate/Sculpt Highlight/Contour Powder and the Penultimate liner were things I reached for often.

Korres Eyebrow Pencil

I need to look at Korres more as they have some absolute gems with this pencil being a staple product as it's a dark, ashy brown that blends well with my natural brows.

The ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer along with Bloom Eye Paint in Chocolate has been helping to keep my eyeshadows crease free and the Rouge Bunny Rouge Quartz Eyeliner in Anthracite Essence has helped me get perfectly lined eyes.

17 are rivalling some of the high-end mascaras with some excellent offerings. The Va Va Voom Volume (not pictured) is a better dupe of Diorshow and the Wild Curls Mascara is great for getting lift and definition. I don't need to curl my lashes with this and I can emphasise my outer lashes well to get a more elongated look.


There were a lot more exciting offerings from the drugstore and the Accessorize Illusion Eyeshadows and myface Blingtones were some of the standouts for me.

I cannot believe I didn't make my first Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow Abyssinian Catbird, as the shade is so beautiful, definitely a must have shade from them.


Roll on 2011!

Accessorize Makeup: The Eyeshadows and a Little EOTD

Accessorize makeup landed in my local Superdrug recently and as I wasn't sure when this was going to be available I was very excited to see it in real life as from glimpses from other blogs it looked like a promising range. On the face of it, it looks like how I would expect Accessorize makeup to look as it has quite pretty embellishment on product packaging which has the whole feel of the brand. I was pleasantly surprised at the price as I expected the items to cost a bit more but a lot of the products are around the £4/£5 mark.

The items that really grabbed my attention are the eyeshadows and the nail polishes as there are quite a good selection of interesting looking shades. The baked blushes/bronzes also looked lovely but on this occasion I didn't get any of those.

Illusion and Icon Eyeshadows

I am very impressed with these - they are a good size at 2.5g each and the quality is smooth (slightly buttery), well pigmented and there is a beautiful array of colours of available.
At £4 each I think these are very good value for money and I certainly would love to get some more of these.

Illusion Eyeshadow: 18 Olive

Icon Eyeshadow: 12 Rich Earth

Illusion Eyeshadow: 15 Vintage Rose

Swatched:

L-R: Rich Earth, Olive, Vintage Rose

L-R: Rich Earth, Olive, Vintage Rose

Merged Eyeshadows

These are similar to something like MAC's mineralize eyeshadows but personally I think these are nicer as there are no chunky bits of glitter. They are a bit deceptive in that when you feel them in the pan they don't feel as smooth or buttery, but when applied to the skin the pay-off is very good - one swipe gives a good level of colour.
These are £4.50 for 3g.
 

Shade 6 Cocoa

Shade 1 Gunmetal

Swatched:

Top: Cocoa, Bottom: Gunmetal

Top: Cocoa, Bottom: Gunmetal

I did a quick look with Rich Earth on outer half of lid, then Vintage Rose on inner part of lid (mascara is NARS Larger Than Life Lengthening):

The wear on these is good as even on my oily lids there was only a little creasing at the end of the day.

Overall I am very impressed with these, next on the list to review is the nail polish so hopefully the post for that will go up later in the week.


Disclaimer: Purchased by me

NARS Downtown Lipgloss Look

I am slowly getting more and more into NARS, and with their new collection I bought my first lipgloss from them In Downtown.
I was immediately drawn to this when I tested in out on counter - it's quite an unusual soft purple shade with lilacy pink fine shimmer, unlike anything I have at present.

The light picks up the pink tones in the gloss

This lipgloss is slightly sticky which I don't mind so much (I just slap on some Lanolips 101 underneath - love:) but it does hold well on lips and lasts quite well.

For me this shade sits well in my 'comfort zone' as it's not so bright and only a little bolder then my natural lip colour.

I've done a look which uses the lilac tones as inspiration for the eyes:

Products used:
MAC Studio Sculpt concealer NW35 slightly as base and a little under eyes
NARS Nepal eyeshadow all over lid
NARS Mekong eyeshadow as the thicker line along lid
NARS Pearl Beach cream eyeshadow pressed ontop of the Mekong and Nepal to give a lilac tone to the eye
Rouge Bunny Rouge Devotion Ink Quartz Eyeliner in Anthracite Essence to finely line lash line
No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara (used more on outer corner to give a more winged look) and only on upper lashes.

The complete look ( with the NARS Downtown lipgloss on lips)

 

What I've used on face:

NARS Sheer Glow foundation - Barcelona
MUFE HD powder
NARS Douceur Blush

Overall I am pleased with this purchase as it is a shade I would wear day-to-day as well as with more dramatic looks. It sort of reminds a little of a MAC 3D Glass I once had called Algorithm (although I think that was sheerer and didn't have shimmer).

Pretty in Pink: NARS Arabesque Nail Polish

My first forray into NARS nail polish and I am very much liking this glitter polish:

Please excuse the tip on the forefinger (I nicked it before it completely dried). The pic is with 3 coats.

Arabesque has an antique rose pink sheer base with the same tone of pink glitter. The glitter particles are bigger in this, but because they are suspended in the pink base, the overall effect is rather pretty and for me not too disco-ballesque. As you can see there is visible nail line although I think this was more to do with my application skills as I applied this in semi-darkness). Overall the coverage is quite good, not completely opaque, but not too sheer either.

I was in Selfridges yesterday and a sales advisor asked me what the colour was on my nails and grabbed a colleague to show her as well as she thought it was a more 'classy' pink glitter. Maybe, but all I know is that I love the shade. I had been looking for a pink glitter polish like this and just came across it one time while browsing at the counter.

This was £13 for 15ml.

Disclaimer: Purchased by me

NARS Fall 2010 - Tzarine Eyeshadow Duo & Douceur Blush

The latest NARS collection has some wonderful items and after checking these out at Space NK last week I picked up the Tzarine eyeshadow Duo and Douceur blush.

Seeing Douceur online it looked very pretty but I wasn't sure if it would show up on my NC40/42 skin, but testing this instore I was pleased at the nice, natural colour it gives which would go great with more dramatic eyes or lips. The colour is a neutral rosy nude sort of shade, and is very smooth with good pigmentation leaving a natural matt finish.

Douceur blush

I was convinced that I would go for the Rajasthan duo (I may go back and get that) but it was Tzarine that really got me excited. It is quite deceptive in the pan looking quite warm but swatched it actually is slightly more cooler then I'd anticipated. The left side is a pale icy gold where as the right is a deep blue/green with a slight silver undertone. These go on quite smooth, they are not as densely pigmented as other NARS eyeshadows like Mekong, but still have very good pay-off and blend well. The shimmer is fine and doesn't make the colour look too frosty.

Tzarine Eyeshadow Duo

Swatched - Tzarine on left, Douceur on right:

with flash

natural light

Here is a pic in context with the rest of my face. I have used the blue/green side about 2/3 into the lid and also 2/3 along the lower lash line then the pale gold on the inner corner and a little along lower lash line. The colours look a bit washed out in the pic, but you can still make out the hint of colour from the blush.

What I have used on the rest of my face:
Primer - NARS Makeup Primer (white tube)
Foundation - NARS Sheer Glow in Barcelona
Undereye Concealer - Guerlain Terracotta Touch in 02
Powder - MUFE HD
Lips - Rouge Bunny Rouge Long-lasting Lip Pencil in Amerigo (all over)
Lashes curled with Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler
Mascara - L'Oreal Double Extension Renewal Serum Inside (just the black end, I'm not keen on the white base end)

Close up of eye:

Overall I am really happy with these, the colours are very flattering and easy to work with.  The Tzarine duo is my favourite as I don't have any shades quite like these in my collection.

NARS have come up trumps with a gorgeous collection well worth a look.

Disclaimer: Purchased by me

Product Review: NARS Lipstick in Morocco

This is my first NARS lipstick that I purchased from John Lewis on a recent trip into London.

Morocco is a creamy, terracotta type shade which I find lifts my complexion because it has a subtle brightness to it. Being a bit red-lippie shy, this for me makes a good alternative to a bolder lip colour and would work well as a transitional autumn shade.

The texture is lovely and creamy, and wears down well to leave a slight stain on the lips. It is not the most moisturising formula I have come across, but it does not dry out my lips either.

The swatch on the NARS website looks pretty spot on, as when I was trying to photograph this applied to my lips it tended to look rather orange when in reality it is a bit more brown.





Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me