nars

NARS Taos Blush ($27) belongs to an elite battalion of blushes in my beauty brigade called the One Swipers, a group of blushes able to deliver all-day color from a single swipe across the pan.

What makes it special?

These One Swipers pack a lot of pigment, so a little goes a long way — which is great when they’re as expensive as a NARS blush. Taos, here, should last until forever, or at least until Bella and Edward break up (whichever comes first).

A platoon leader in the NARS permanent collection, Taos is one of those vibrant colors that I always notice when I walk by an open pan. A bright rosy red with golden shimmer and a wisp of coral, it’s like NARS Torrid’s darker red doppelganger.

I’ll wear it year-round, typically with neutral eyes and lips, but I find myself reaching for it more often around the holidays because of how much I like the way it looks with red lips.

When darker divas ask for blush recommendations, Taos is one of the first blushes that comes to mind, and I think it looks fan-freakin’-tastic on dark complexions, on both warm- and cool-toned babes.

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It’s holiday party time! — but if you’re a busy gal with too many emails to answer and a to-do list longer than your arm, getting ready to party may be the last thing on your mind. If it is, perhaps NARS Night Star Eyeshadow can help.

Now, you know me when it comes to wearing color on my eyes — I love it! But I also like the versatility of neutral shades, and that’s the side of me that $23 Night Star excites. An eyeshadow single in the NARS permanent line, it’s a sheer peach with a golden glitter kick — a perfect pick for office parties this time of year.

When I want to brighten my lids and give a golden sparkle to my eyes, this is the color I grab.

I realize that it’s not easy to gauge how the glitter captures the light in the pics (I tried!), but I think the shade is much more sparkly in person than it appears here. This is one of NARS’ quieter colors, and because of that it probably won’t appeal to everyone, but if you have a thing for sheer neutrals with flecks of mid-volume golden glitter, give NARS Night Star a try.

I’ve heard from some makeup lovers who have issues with fallout while wearing Night Star, and I’ve experienced it, too. I get my best results with it when I wear it atop a very sticky primer, like a MAC Paint Pot (Soft Ochre’s my fave to wear with this shade), and apply it by patting the shadow on my lids with a finger, instead of a brush.
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