I got in trouble today, ladies. 🙁 The principal called me into his office and said, “Karen, you are no longer my favorite trouble maker.”
Wha!?
“The new NARS Trouble Maker set is, and you’re just going to have to learn to live with it… You may go back to class now.”
The $60 limited edition kit was designed to help your eyes raise hell. To that end, it comes with a Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara, an Eyeliner Stylo and a bottle of Eye Makeup Remover.
NARS Trouble Maker: What You Get
- Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara: A black thickening mascara that delivers stellar curl lift and hold. Its thickening prowess doesn’t quite match YSL Faux Cils’, but it makes up for it in speed and flexibility, resisting smudges and smears. Two coats is my sweet spot. Any more than that and it starts to clump (unless I swipe the brush head first). One more knock against it? It takes forever and a day to remove.
- Eyeliner Stylo in Nuits Blanches: NARS should have called this shiny black liquid liner Patience, because it takes A LOT to get smooth, solid black lines with it. The stiff felt tip isn’t as easy to maneuver as the tip on my go-to liquid liner, LORAC Front of the Line Pro.
- Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base: A colorless eyeshadow primer and by far my favorite thing in the kit. It’s easy to blend, grips shadows with Herculean determination (maybe even a little better than Urban Decay Eden Primer Potion), and a little goes a long way, keeping most shadows from fading or creasing for a full eight hours. LOVE THIS!
- Eye Makeup Remover: Like the name implies, this stuff takes it all off, even long-wearing waterproof eye makeup, but, unfortunately, it leaves behind a thick oily film (boo!).
I’m happy to hang out with this Trouble Maker. It comes with some really nice pieces, like the eye primer. That one’s the frickin’ bomb dizzle!
The mascara and makeup remover are above average, too, while I think the liquid liner’s just good (not great). In a nutshell, it’s a pretty sweet kit for the money and a good value from NARS. Purchasing the products separately would cost $89 (the Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base alone costs $24), so $60 isn’t too bad.
One could always get the set with stockings in mind, keeping the primer (seriously, it’s amazing!) and the mascara or makeup remover, and giving the remaining items away. I’m just sayin’…
PRICE: $60 ($89 value)
AVAILABILITY: At Sephora stores and online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+
Post-Halloween/Monday Confessions
- I couldn’t bring myself to stab and gut my mini-pumpkin after I named him Peanut. The lesson: do not name your mini-pumpkins if you intend to destroy/consume them.
- I’ve eaten five snack-size 100 Grand Bars over the past five hours.
- I can’t stop thinking about the coming zombie apocalypse (we watched AMC’s The Walking Dead twice, back to back), and I wonder, when it happens, should I free Tabs, trusting in his feline instinct to survive, or bring him with us in his cat carrier when we flee to the deep woods?
Do you have any post-Halloween confessions? It’s okay. You’ll feel better after you get them off your chest. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Speaking of trouble, it’s my favorite Britney Spears song.
ugh, looks great! i want this! and i love 100 grand lol
Hi Hazel,
You’re so funny… I say the same exact thing when I see a pair of hot, expensive shoes.
Anywho, are you already a NARS fan?
And er, I just ate another 100 Grand Bar. I can’t believe I’ve never been obsessed with these before!
ahh i don’t own any nars products but i’m always swatchin when i’m at sephora! i’m really lovin strawberry fields though!
Oh wow…this kit look so so nice!!!!! I want it! My NARS collection is getting pretty darn huge.
At least your makeup looks fierce, right?!
What are your NARS faves?
Hmmm….Torrid, Gilda, Amour and Taj Mahal Blushes, Key Largo, Kalahari (I thank you for that, I read the review and RAAAAAANNNNN to my local Sephora), Habanera and Cordura eyeshadow duos and Galapagos eyeshadows.
Nice look Karen! I am loving the gloss more than anything 🙂 What’s on your lips?
Hi Appu,
That’s NARS Sweet Revenge. 🙂
Karen I have to say I like the look of this kit! I don’t get Nars as often as I’d like just because of how much it costs, but I could see this being on my christmas list to Santa! ~ Most of the things on here grab my attention but…. That being said, I ADORE my 209 mac brush with mixed urban decay/Pureluxe powder, I’m not sure I am ready to change in the eyeliner department!
Good on you for eating candy and listening to those lovely cravings!! If I could eat chocolate I’d be scoffing it for every meal!
Hi Ithfifi,
The kit might be worth it alone for the primer, mascara and the makeup remover (trust me, the primer is AWESOME). You could always give the liner away to a friend!
I may have to get that. I’ve been wanting to try NARS’ eyeshadow primer for a while.
Hi Tiffany H.,
It’s really, REALLY good. You’ll love it!
I love NARS. Sigh.
I had supper and then scarfed down a treat size Kit Kat, Coffe Crisp, and Jersey Milk! Arrrrrgh!
I loved the Walking Dead premiere! It totally has the whole feel of the graphic novels.
The actors are superb! So well cast.
I’d bring Tabs with you-he might come in handy chasing down Zombies for you!
I felt so sorry for that horse…. 🙁
I couldn’t watch that last scene with the horse. 🙁
Er, I’m not sure if Tabs would protect me… I’d probably have to bribe him with treats and gravy!
What’s a Coffe Crisp? I’ve never heard of that candy before.
Sorry-I must have left out an e there–Coffee Crisp hahaha! Looks like I have trouble with e’s! 😉
Hi Tracy,
I’ve never heard of Coffee Crisp, either! It sounds like I’d probably like it though. Is it kinda like a coffee version of Nestle Crunch?
Thanks for reviewing this! I love the look of the black eyeliner, but I think I would prefer something easier to use. The primer sounds quite promising though. Right now I have eye shadow primers from Too Faced and Lorac, but I’m always up for trying others!
I ate two mini Nestle Crunch bars before dinner. 🙂
I think you should take Tabs with you. His feline instincts may provide advance warning of zombie attacks! 🙂
That would be awesome if he cared, LOL! I have a feeling he’d give me up for a few cans of Fancy Feast. Tabs is tricky that way.
1. I want this kit just for the name! In terms of products, I’ve got stuff that’s good enough that I don’t need to be spending the extra $$$!
2. Love, love LOVE 100 Grand bars! They were my favorite when I was a kid too!
3. When the zombie apocalypse happens, by all means, bring Tabs along in the carrier! That’s the kind of plot detail that will save your life and make Tabs a key character later in the story! 😉
So I just recently discovered the 100 Grand bars. I am so tardy to the party! 🙂
I would feel better about taking Tabs in the carrier if he was more “travel friendly.” I have to trick him into riding in it (I can’t really blame him… whenever he goes in he always pops out at the vet). Maybe he’ll feel differently when the zombies are running after us.
I love love love that NARS primer. I’ve been using it for the past month or so and it has tamed even my creasiest shadows.
Hi Steph,
YES. It’s epic-ally good! I think it’s in a league with LORAC Front of the Line Pro.
that little baby is in my sephora shopping cart at the moment. 😀
halloween confession:
1 – we didnt buy candy because kids dont trick or treat in our street — however we did buy a half gallon of bluebell butter crunch icecream (vanilla w/ butterfinger bits) — and its gone now. 😀
2 – my co worker plonked a 5 lb bag of candy in our dining room at work – and i had 2 mini twix bars for dessert.
😛
Hi Nina,
Twix is another weakness of mine. Gimme caramel any and every day of the week!
I’m sure you burned off all that ice cream while you were packing. 🙂 Are you guys done? When’s the official move-in date?
the move in date is friday 🙂
today im hauling over a HUGE suitcase and 2 boxes of donation stuff (more tomorrow!) …
im excited both for the move and the move madness to end! 😀
im currently eating a caramel rice pudding cup … so yum! 🙂
Whatever you do you gotta remember to unpack your boxes the minute you move in! Otherwise you’ll be stuck for months with unopened boxes in your dining room. Yes, I speak from experience.
That kit looks great, but I just bought Lorac’s Box Office Sensation and have put a freeze on my makeup purchases (at least until January :().
I also love the hat – you look too cute!
Hi Terri,
Ah, makeup lockdown. So not fun, but sometimes necessary.
How are you liking the kit? Found any gems inside yet?
I really like the kit – the shadows and blushes are lovely. I had only tried Lorac’s lip glosses before, so I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the other products.
The two things that bug are the cross contamination among products (the blushes seem a little powdery, so they tend to get into everything) and the packaging is a complete pain. It is shaped like a train case, with three layers of products. The first two layers (both eye shadows) swing out so you can get to the bottom layer. This system is far from ideal, but I’m enjoying the kit.
Want this.
Would be great if they sell this kit in Thailand 🙂
I love eye primer. It, by far, the most workable for me.
Hi Tukta,
The primer is great stuff. I’ve tried quite a few, and this by far is one of the best ones.
What are your favorite primers?
in theory this sounds like a perfect kit… maybe benefit will do something like this with bad gal, magic ink, lemon aid and their eye makeup remover…. THAT would be a sell.
Hi Mill,
That would be kinda cool!
Oh man that 100 Grand bar looks delicious. 🙁 You guys have so many good Hallowe’en candies!
Hi Advah,
I should take a pic of the inside. It’s like a mix of Nestle crunch with gooey caramel. SO GOOD!
What’s your fave candy?
Hmm I’ve got a soft spot for the Lion bars.. I used to love Twix but I don’t like the ‘new” recipe (changed when I was in high school, I did my research!). Love Mars bars but they’re so sweet they make my teeth hurt!
Twix changed their recipe? NOOO! I haven’t been an avid Twix snacker for the last few years, but why oh why did they mess with a good thing?!?
The primer is great – I think it’s my favorite!
Hi Bisbee,
How long have you been using it for?
I’m going to be all over that primer! I think the Lorac one is OK, but I’m not in love with it. I’m guessing from your review that NARS will be much better. 🙂
I’ve eaten 2 mini twix and a mini peanut butter cup since Sunday… and I don’t even really like chocolate. Darn Halloween!
Walking Dead is getting good reviews but I haven’t seen it yet. Oh, gosh, don’t put Tabs in his carrier – it’ll be like shooting fish in a barrel for those relentless undead!
Hi Kim,
This one is mind-blowingly great. Seriously! Next time you go to Sephora for “research” ask the gals to make you a sample.
And yeah… I definitely don’t want to make Tabs an hors d’oeuvres for the zombies, but if I put him on his leash I’m afraid he’ll try to run away (he’s got no loyalty that way).
I definitely will!
OMG, I seriously laughed at that mental picture. Tabs bolting like “you’re on your own, woman! I only have to outrun YOU!”. He knows he’s too pretty to be zombie fodder! 🙂
I have no doubt he would betray me in a hot second for a can of gravy. He’s shifty like that!
… but I still can’t help but love him. Our relationship will always be dysfunctional that way. 😀
In the immortal words of Gwen Stefani, “why do the good girls always want the bad boys?”. HAHAHAHA! Don’t tell Tabs I said that. 🙂
Ha! Okay, my lips are sealed. But if he ever finds out your ankles are in trouble!
I’m not a big pop fan but I definitely liked Britney spears better after she totally crossed over into a post-human media construction. I mean, someone was telling her to play the good girl when she first came out so she was a media construction then. But at this point she basically inaugurated the paparazi celebrity obsession culture and the futuristic dance beats of her songs since then are much better suited to her new media-text-rather-than-a-person incarnation.
Hi Knownever,
That is possibly one of the most in-depth analysis of Britney behavior I’ve ever read! Way to break it down, girl.
I’m totally late for commenting on this post but we LOVED the Walking Dead. So excited for the rest of it! My husband thought it was a good idea to turn off the lights for the show. It wasn’t. And now, thanks to your confession, I’m going to go work on our candy bowl.
Holy crap, wasn’t that last scene nuts? I felt so bad for the horse. 🙁
Ummmmm YEAH. The trade-off for having the lights off was that I got to yell at the t.v. So when he rounded that corner into the group, I was saying “I KNEW IT! I TOLD HIM!” and when he was crawling under the tank I was just sort of going “Ohmygoshohmygosh”- zombies are definitely the one of the scariest scary movie plots.
I LOVE the NARS eyeshadow primer. I got a couple of samples while I was in London and totally fell in love. Then again, the price did hold me back… I could get a NARS eyeshadow duo for that price so yeah… Easy choice on my part.
Maybe pick up the primer next time? It’s expensive, but you could easily use it every day.