This, is my NARS Starter Kit. I am posting the items in my NARS Kit that I believe are good 'introductory' items to the brand. Everything is selected with individuals with fair to light skin in mind. Later, I may post recommendations for darker skin tones, but for now I am starting with what I know. Also, I am posting items in 4 categories: eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, and primers. I tried to pick some every-day products, as well as some that are more fun and probably more appropriate to a night out than a day at the office. So, with that all being said, here we go!
Primers
Clockwise: NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, Makeup Primer SPF 20, NARS Multiple in Copacobana, NARS Blush in Nico
Why These Items?
I have picked these two primers as in my experience with them, they do exactly what they are suppose to. Both products come with directions, and it is a good idea to give them a quick read before putting the products to use. The Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base lasts a good 5 to 6 hours for me, before my shadow creases. The Makeup Primer is long-lasting too - and has about the same lifespan when applied. The Multiple in Copacobana is probably one of the more versatile Multiples you can buy. You can use it as a brow bone, inner-corner, or under-eye highlighter, or as an eyeshadow base, or illuminator. The Blush in Nico is what I use as an undereye highlighter; it's a very faint light pink, and it manages to help hide under-eye circles quite well. You can also use it as a 'barely there' blush on days you want to look polished without looking like you're wearing too much makeup.
Bronzer
NARS Bronzer in Irresistiblement
Why This Item?
This is the only bronzer in the NARS range of products that has almost no shimmer. Laguna and Casino are both incredibly shimmery, where Irresistiblement is more matte. This shade also has more of a terra-cotta base, but is not hideously orange. It's build-able color, and is more user friendly for us ladies who are so fair that more brown-based bronzers make our skin look muddy. If you have oily skin, this bronzer may also work better for you than Laguna or Casino since the shimmer is minimal, and will not highlight oily skin.
Blush
Left: Madly
Right: Deep Throat
Bottom: Desire
Why These Items?
In case you don't already know, NARS is very well known for their extremely pigmented, universally flattering blush shades. I own quite a few, and it was a little difficult to just pick a few to recommend.
Madly is a light salmon pink, with minimal shimmer. This is a very pretty everyday shade, and works well if you want to be more dramatic with your eye makeup or lipstick.
Deep Throat is the big sister to Orgasm (which is touted as the best blush for any skin tone), and in my book Deep Throat is superior to it, too. Deep Throat is a darker peach/pink, with high shimmer (very finely milled). This is a great color to use if you want look like you actually have some color on your cheeks; it gives you a nice healthy glow.
Desire is one of NARS's 'scary' blushes. It is a matte bright hot pink - and my photo doesn't truly do it justice. If you grew up in the 80s or 90s when neon hues were all the rage, think of neon pink. This blush is exactly that color. You do not need much product to give you a good flush of color. The shade is very pretty on very fair, alabaster/ivory skinned women.
Eyeshadow - Singles
Left to Right: Mekong, Ondine, Abyssinia
Why These Items?
NARS does not have many single eyeshadows. And, most of the shades can be found in duo's. These three above are three of the most versatile shades, and have also shown up in several of NARS Limited Edition palettes.
Mekong is a dark, dark, brown (almost a black-brown) that I use mostly as a powder eyeliner, or an outer-v shade. It's very pretty!
Ondine is a gorgeous smokey-purple plum color. You can use this as an all-over lid color, or as an outer-v shade. It goes very well with Ashes to Ashes (not featured here) and any grey-based colors.
Abyssinia is what I consider to be the best eyeshadow single for your money. You can use it for everything: all over lid, brown bown highlight, inner corner highlight, under eye highlight....it's my favorite. It is a very light pearlescent pink, with a white base. It makes gives you that 'wide awake' look, and is another great thing to use when you want to wear makeup but don't want to look 'made up'.
Eyeshadow - Duos
All About Eve
Why This Duo?
As I mentioned in my last blog post, I use All About Eve pretty much every day. The shades are two skin-tone colors with shimmer, and they work well as great bases/highlighters to other eye makeup.
Bellissima
Why This Duo?
The left side of Bellissima is a shimmery Ivory color, and the left is a muted taupe-grey with a bit of shimmer. This duo is nice to use for an understated eye. It's very pretty on its own, or with black eyeliner.
Alhambra
Why This Duo?
This duo sounds magical to me - Alhambra sounds to much like 'Abra Cadabra'. The left side of this duo is a high-shimmer baby pink, and the left side is a high-shimmer gold. I like to use this duo with the gold side on the lid, and the pink side as the highlight near the upper lash line. You can use either color to highlight the lower lash line, and also as an inner-corner highlight. When I can't make up my mind about what makeup to wear, Alhambra is the one I pull out.
Charade
Why This Duo?
Charade is probably my most used duo, next to All About Eve. The left side is a deep salmon pink with a pearlescent shine (it is not shimmery/glittery), and the left side is a deep lilac with pearlescent shine (again, not shimmery/glittery). Both colors are extremely versatile, and I wear them on their own, or with Mekong as a liner, or together with the deep salmon pink as a lid color and the deep lilac as the highlight. This is a duo I use at least once a week.
Egea
Why This Duo?
Egea is a lot like Habanera (below), but is the more toned-down version. The left side is a high-shimmer sage green, and the right side is a high-shimmer lilac. They work great on their own as an all over lid color, but they are equally as pretty with the sage green color as the all-over lid color, and the lilac shade as the highlight near the upper lash line. This is a more fun and colorful selection for makeup that is work-appropriate.
Habanera
Why this Duo?
Habanera is one of the 'oddball' shades in the NARS ranger of eyeshadow duos that makes you think 'Seriously? How do those two colors go together?'...but when you actually see the two colors together? Pure gorgeousness. The left side is a highly pigmented mint green shimmer, and the right shade is an intense charcoal plum with mint green and burgundy shimmer. This is one of the colors that is more suited to an event that allows you to be more playful with your makeup. If you're not sure about it, I would suggest going to a makeup counter to try it out/see it for yourself before purchase.
Eurydice
Why This Duo?
Aah, Eurydice. This is probably the prettiest NARS duo in the pan. The left side is a pink with blue undertone with shimmer, and the right side is a smokey dark charcoal with multicolor pearl shimmers. What drew me to this duo was the pink - it looks soooo pretty! When applied, the pink actually turns into a dark magenta - and the blue undertone really comes out. This duo is best when the dark charcoal shade is used as an outer-v shade, and an eyeliner. This is another duo that I would say is more 'fun' and isn't necessarily work appropriate if you use it with a heavy hand.
Now that you've seen my Starter Kit, you're probably wondering why I didn't bother mentioning things like foundation, concealers, lipstick, eyeliner, etc.
For me, it all boils down to value for money. I do not want to shell out a lot of cash for a product I will have to either re-purchase or throw-out in one month to a year. I would rather spend my money on something that will last longer, and I will get much more use out of. For lipstick, lip gloss, mascara, and foundation - I am a drugstore girl, all the way!
I hope you have found this NARS Stater Kit helpful. If you're not sure about a shade I've mentioned, feel free to ask me any questions. I have found that doing google searches on NARS shades has helped too - as there are usually tons of pictures out on the net for you to reference if you are not sure about something!
As always, if you're interested in any of the NARS products I've mentioned here, check out the NARS website here. If you're Canadian though, you will not be able to order from that site; you're either going to hit up Sephora or see if there's a counter at your nearest Holt Renfrew store or at The Bay.
