little white truths

Above is the pan in direct sunlight and below in natural light. You can see that it does look purple and has a light shimmer, which isn't as pronounced as many others in the Nars range.

Now for face shots. I've built it up in the first few so you can really see it, and below that I've just applied a little, as I would normally wear it (and when it's softer, it does start to look less purple and more red).

Wearing a heavy application, natural light:

Verdict

While this is a good product and I understand why people go nuts for Nars blushes, my feelings on the product are influenced by how it looks on me. 

The lass who sold me the blush said it was her favourite from Nars, and that she'd seen it look different on everyone. In store it looked more plum on me, which is what I wanted. Unfortunately when I got home, I saw that it looked a lot more red and more shimmery than I'd first thought.

The shimmer isn't over-the-top (unlike eg Lustre or Orgasm), but do be aware that it's definitely there and it's worth testing the product in different lights, just to check you're ok with it.

Indeed, one of my gripes with Nars blushes and eyeshadows is that not enough matte options are available. They do exist, but Nars is a shimmer-heavy range and that doesn't appeal to everyone.

One thing that surprised me about Nars powders - both the blushes and the eyeshadows - is that most of them are quite hard and sheer, which wasn't what I was expecting from a high-end brand. If I compare this to eg my HG blushes from Becca, Hourglass and Kevyn Aucoin, this doesn't feel as luxe in texture because it's not as soft and creamy as the others, and I do prefer my powder products to feel more creamy (but of course that's all personal preference).

Do note that it does get a little softer in texture once you've used the top layer, but it's still on the hard side and that took a bit of getting used to. Despite this, it's finely milled and I have no complaints in terms of how it applies.

The blush blends and wears well, and I do like that it's a little on the sheer side so you can build the colour as desired and you're less prone to make mistakes because the pigment isn't so strong that you have to be careful.

The shimmer is a little too pronounced for my personal tastes, and it can look frosty once you start building the colour, which means that it can emphasise pores a bit so that's something to be aware of.

In swatches it looks more cool-toned, but when applied to the face (at least on me) it looks more warm. That may be in part due to the gold shimmer, but it's mostly because it looks red on my face for most of the year.

When I'm tanned and apply it with a heavier hand, it looks more plum (as I'd hoped), but I don't wear my blush that heavily so the colour isn't quite what I wanted and it's one I rarely reach for. I should say that I don't like how most reds look on me - whether worn on my cheeks or lips - and I tend to go for things that are more orange, coral, peach or purple in tone.

In sum, I do think this is a good product and I understand why many people love Nars blushes (they do apply and last well), but this isn't love for me unfortunately because the blush doesn't look how I expected it to on my cheeks.

What's your favourite Nars blush? I'd love to hear : )

Before my low buy turned into a spending ban in January this year, I bought this lipstick because it was half-price at Chemist Warehouse and I'd just finished a couple of lip products off.

I'm so glad I did! I love it and I think it's the best lipstick I've ever tried from the chemist (drugstore, to those in the US). I'd seen a few bloggers and youtubers rave about these products and they're bang on: it's a beautifully nourishing formula that wears well and feels much better quality than the pricetag and packaging would suggest. 

Now that's eight dollars well spent.

There's the lipstick bullet above, photographed in sunlight. It's a beautiful nude brown that has enough orange and pink so it doesn't look flat or ghostly.

There's a swatch in direct sunlight, lighter on the left and heavier on the right:

I can't rave about this product enough - it reminds me in so many ways of one of my favourite lip products of all time, the Becca Sheer Tint Lip Colours (sadly discontinued, I've reviewed one here).

What's similar about them is that they're both beautifully nourishing and creamy; they both last longer on the lips than you would expect a creamy product to do; they both offer a good amount of pigment that can be softened or built up; the luxurious texture and feel on the lips is similar; and they both have a vanilla caramel scent that's not too strong or offensive.

The Becca products cost a lot more and come in much nicer packaging, but otherwise the products are very close, in my opinion (and I've been comparing this to a Becca one as I've been testing it).

'Totally Toffee' is a great nude that's not too brown or flat. In some lights it looks paler, in some darker and in others more pink or even orange, but it's always flattering (my skintone is medium) and it's a perfect everyday shade that looks classy and understated, plus it goes with just about any look and can be worn in any season.

My favourite thing about this lipstick is the texture. It feels so luxurious and hydrating that you'd be forgiven for thinking it's from a high-end brand. I've never come across a budget lipstick that's this good, and once I've finished off a few more lip products and lifted my spending ban, I'll definitely be buying more shades.

Believe it or not, I'd go as far as to say that I prefer this formula over my HG Shanghai Suzy and Sportsgirl lipsticks, purely because it feels so luxe and wonderful on the lips. I still recommend those as great budget options, but I think this might be even better.

Another great thing about it is that it lasts a lot longer than I thought it would, given how creamy it is, and my lips never get dry or flaky if I've been wearing it for a few days straight, as they do with many lesser lipsticks - high end or budget.

Indeed, the only thing I don't love about the product is the packaging. It's functional, but it ain't pretty. Hardly important, but worth mentioning all the same because many of us are swayed by packaging and I still do like to keep a few pretty products in my collection, just because they make me feel good.

Otherwise I can't fault this product and totally recommend it. LOVE.