nars

Odes and sonnets couldn’t capture the wonder that is NARS Laguna Bronzer. A sky writing note that reads, “NARS Laguna is the mutha truckin’ shizz!”, might come close, but I dunno. It’s pretty epic. 🙂

I love that golden brown Laguna doesn’t appear orange on me because so many bronzers do, and I use it almost every day to contour my cheeks and give myself a subtle golden bronze glow.

I’ve been wearing Laguna for years, and like some people are with their America Express cards, I never leave home without it. Intentionally. Once on a trip to Hawaii, I realized on the plane ride over that I’d left Laguna at home. Before I regained my composure, it actually crossed my mind to ask the pilot to turn the plane around.

When I heard that NARS was doing a Laguna-inspired collection for summer, I lost my composure again! Only this time for all the right reasons. The three limited edition items in the new NARS Portrait of Paradise collection (available now online) were each inspired by the shade.

Orgasm, Albatross and Laguna Blush/Bronzer Trio, $55
This trio teams Laguna with two classic NARS blushes in a stylish fabric, zippered case for a portable island glow. I apply Orgasm (a shimmery peachy golden pink) on the apples of my cheeks for color, then Albatross on my upper cheekbones to highlight, and then Laguna below my cheeks to contour. LOVE this look, but I do wish the pan of Albatross was wider. It’s such a thin strip that sweeping my regular blush brush across it also picks up color from the adjacent pans. I still think it’s a good value, though, as purchasing the three products separately would run a steep $87. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A-

Laguna Multiple, $39
Freak out! I had conniptions looking forward to this piece. It’s the one I was looking forward to the most. I’m addicted to NARS Mutiples (creamy stick highlighters with a thin consistency), and to my knowledge this marks the first time NARS has ever released one inspired by Laguna. This shimmery golden bronze also highlights and contours. Pricey, yes, but I can already see it becoming a summer staple. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

Here they are beside an iPhone for scale…

Orgasm, Albatross and the Laguna Blush/Bronzer Trio
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When I look at the colors in the new NARS Summer 2011 collection, every cell in my body wants me to do this:

I wonder what prompted this 11-piece release. I can imagine François Nars, all tan and relaxed from a kick-ass beach vacay, dreaming up these playful colors because the teal, coral, citrus and cantaloupe fit the tropics to a (surf) T.

But there’s much more to the collection than that. An opaque white nail polish and warm, shimmery gold and silver metallics join the punchy, vibrant hues. By all appearances, someone had a blast this time around.

While the NARS Spring 2011 and Holiday 2010 collections reminded me of cocktail dresses, dainty heels and white wine spritzers at a bar in the Financial District downtown, this collection reminds me of a girl on vacation in Hawaii. She’s cruising around the island in a rented jeep with her surfboard in back. After catching a few waves, she stops by a beach bar, tucks a hibiscus behind her ear, and charms the bartender, who serves her free umbrella drinks all night long. 🙂

NARS Summer 2011 includes a mix of limited edition colors and items to be added to the NARS permanent line.

The Full Collection

Cap Ferrat Trio Eyeshadow (limited edition), $45
If I were a mermaid, I’d swim laps for this trio of sea blue powder eyeshadows. They draw inspiration from the Alpes-Maritimes region of Southeast France.

Dogon Duo Eyeshadow (limited edition), $33
Named after the people of Mali’s central plateau, this duo includes a metallic taupe with a green sheen and charcoal black eyeshadows. Oh, bending the shades together gives the charcoal a greenish cast.

Exotic Dance Duo Eyeshadow (limited edition), $33
This eyeshadow duo was a pretty piece of mixed metal jewelry in a past life. The metallic gold, and metallic white with a silvery sheen, contrast with the bright blues and greens.

Queen Soft Touch Shadow Pencil (limited edition), $24
This creamy, citrusy pencil contains flecks of golden glitter. It does triple duty as a liner, a highlighter and/or a base for powder shadows.
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Well get my plaid shirt, hoop earrings and clunky Timberland boots, because the second I slipped on the new NARS 413 Bleecker Street Pure Matte Lipstick ($25), I felt like I’d just stepped out of a hot tub time machine set for 1995.

It was the Clueless decade, when Alicia Silverstone, Sugar Ray and little black backpacks were En Vogue (just like the group!). Colors like this matte rosy brown were all the rage. I remember wearing a similar shade to countless (boring) college lectures on organic chemistry and physics.

This new NARS shade (I’m trying to find out if it’s permanent or limited edition) was created exclusively for the recent opening of the company’s first flagship store in the West Village at 413 Bleecker Street in New York City, and, at least for now, the store is the only place you can get it.

But if you’re nowhere near the Big Apple, you can still get your paws on a tube without having to haul your cookies to NYC. One of the store’s makeup artists (Hey, Marco!) tells me they can take credit card orders over the phone. U.S. shipping will set you back $8 and takes between 5-7 business days. The store also ships internationally, but those fees will vary. Marco suggests stocking up on other products while you’re at it, you know, to get more bang out of the cost of shipping.

If you’re interested, the number to call is (646) 459-2323.
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Truth: sometimes I view fruit solely as a vehicle for the delivery of Nutella — a Nutella delivery system, if you will, with the final destination being my belly.

And, in a way, the new multi-purpose NARS Illuminators in Super Orgasm, Copacabana and Laguna ($29 each) are just like that. The liquid (like fruit) serves as the vehicle to deliver the glitter/pearl (the Nutella) to the skin.

Okay, I could have used a better analogy…but I think you know where I’m going with this. The stuff is basically shimmer suspended in a very sheer tinted liquid.

The newly released shades follow up on last year’s shimmery, multi-purpose Orgasm Illuminator, and, like Orgasm, they’re also designed to work as blushes, bronzers and/or highlighters.

NARS Illuminators from the left: Laguna, Super Orgasm and Copacabana

If the colors sound familiar, congrats! — you’re an official beauty nerd. 🙂 Yep, NARS drew from their permanent line for inspiration here, basing the new products on some of their most iconic shades. I’ve really been looking forward to giving these a try because, like Michael Corleone, I keep my friends close, and my NARS (Blushes, Bronzers and Multiples) closer.

The first thing I realized using these was just how much shimmer they contain. It’s A LOT. Even a wee dot, like around the diameter of a pea, is enough to noticeably illuminate my cheeks, the bridge of my nose, my temples, chin AND my shoulders and decollete. And the fluid is really easy to blend into the skin, too, taking mere seconds to apply.

Illuminating tips from NARS National Artist Janice Daoud…

How do you use the Illuminators as a blush?
With your fingertips, pat a small amount of Super Orgasm onto the cheek bones, and bring it downward for a radiant, healthy glow.
 
What’s your favorite way to wear them?
I like to mix Laguna Illuminator with my foundation. It adds instant warmth. I follow with Copacabana along the cheek bones and the center of the face for a refreshed look.

In addition to my face, where else can I apply them?
Don’t forget your shoulders, neck and decollate for a sexy, chic look. All of these [colors] look amazing, and they’re universally flattering on all skin shades.

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