Fables in Fashion

I’ve already reviewed the Arabian Trio Eye shadow from the same collection a while back. Since then I’ve decided that if I do buy several products from the same collection that I’m just going to lump them all into one post. Saves me time and hopefully makes it more interesting for you guys

Aside from the Arabian Trio Eye shadow, I also managed to snag the lipstick in Joyous Red and the lip gloss in Albatross. Honestly I probably didn’t need the lipstick, but I had to have the gloss. I love the powder version of Albatross, which is a beautiful shimmery highlighter with yellow / gold undertones.

Generally I am a fan of NARS’ Lip Glosses, they aren’t what I’d call the perfect lip gloss because they do tend to run a tad sticky, but generally I love them They have no offensive smells and apply beautifully.

However I am not a fan of this lipstick, and you can tell from the photo that it is a pretty matte lipstick. Which was disappointing since NARS actually have a range of lipsticks specifically dedicate to matte finishes, so I wasn’t sure why this particular lipstick that doesn’t state matte anywhere on it had to be matte as well :/

To be honest though, despite appearances the texture over time didn’t feel drying. It certainly wasn’t moisturising, but it didn’t cause my lips to crack or chap either. None the less, I think unless I manage to swatch the lipstick at a counter before hand (which almost never happens given how far away I work from makeup counters now *sad face*) or read some raving review, I will probably be avoiding NARS Lipsticks.

For me, I love NARS for almost everything else in their range, but their lipsticks constantly seem to disappoint me

You guys know I love NARS, their eye primer is my absolute HG, and I would recommend it to everyone I possibly could. However I don’t love this palette. And here’s why.

It’s essentially a trio palette with three black shades infused with different coloured glitter / shimmer that don’t show up very well when worn. It looks lovely in the pan as they all have good contrast. I knew from the get go this wouldn’t be a heavily used palette given how dark the colours are. Unfortunately once the colours were swatched, they tell a very different story.

To me, only the pinker shade on the far left actually shows some sort of colour, whilst the other two are almost identical minus the glitter. Quality wise, I found that with most dark colours, you need to use a very light hand and build it up, else you’ll find your under eyes littered with lots of fall out (unless that’s your thing!)

As you can see, I tried to use all three shades on my eyes and they all pretty much look the same once worn. At $89AU from Mecca Cosmetica or $45US from NARS Cosmetics, I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. I don’t think the shades when worn are unique enough, nor is the quality high enough to justify the price. But that’s just my personal opinion, I can’t see myself reaching this much because I like it, but more because I’d want to use it up (can’t bear to throw NARS out)

Pros:

• High quality shadows
• Very pigmented, smooth and buttery
• Comes with a mirror

Cons:

• Can produce fall out if not careful

Price: $72AU / $33US

Rating:

Where: Mecca Cosmetica and Kiss and Makeup.

Generally speaking, NARS’ Duo Eye Shadows are pretty amazing in terms of quality, they are soft, buttery and very pigmented. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a brand such as NARS. I’ve reviewed a couple of these palettes already and have found the quality to be pretty consistent! *big plus*

There are subtle differences in the quality of each pan, which I highlight in each of my reviews. This particular product contains a semi-matte golden shade, it is slightly darker than the gold shade found in the Bysance palette, and the finish is quite a bit more matte. The pigmentation though is still just as good.

The next is an apple green shade with a satin finish, which means the finish for the green is not the same as the gold, a trend I’ve noticed when it comes to NARS duo eye shadows.

This is a good quality palette, no doubts there! And the name is so very NARS~ Whether you consider purchasing this palette completely comes down to whether you think the colours suit you. I’d say that since the shades are on the more on the muted side, they can be worn to work, especially when worn lightly.

Pros:

• High quality shadows
• Very pigmented, smooth and buttery
• Comes with a mirror

Cons:

• Can produce fall out if not careful

Price: $72AU / $33US

Rating:

Where: Mecca Cosmetica and Kiss and Makeup.

Earlier this month I blogged about NARS’ Duo Eye Shadow in Hula Hula, and today I’m bringing you Bysance. Quality wise, I found the two to be pretty much the same. Buttery, smooth, pigmented and generally a solid high quality powder.

As you can see, the colours are very strong, but the finishes are not the same between the two. There is a medium purple matte shade that does need a bit more piling on to achieve a decent pigmentation, and then we have the satin like gold shade, which no surprise is my favourite of the two. The gold shade is just amazing, slightly better quality than the purple (easier application), but the finish is just stunning~ It is amazing on the lid

All in all, not a very every day wearable duo and so may be something you consider over looking given the price. But if you love these particular shades, then give it a go

I remember watching Sophie Ellis Bexter perform Murder on the Dance Floor on TV as a teenager and I was completely in awe of not only how amazing her voice was, but how pretty she was! I loved the chicness of her look and makeup, and over 10 years later here we are~ I tried to replicate the look to a degree, I even cut my hair to get the straight pony tail lol. All I did was try and replicate her makeup, I’m well aware I’ll never match up to the beauty that is Ms Bexter <3

MAC Prep + Prime – Skin Visage Base
Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect – 71
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer – Beige
NARS Bronzer – Laguna
Canmake Cream Cheek – 02
Canmake Highlighter – 01
e.l.f Eyelid Primer – Sheer
Savvy by DB Luxury Liner – Shimmering Slate
Coastal Scents Brow Tones
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil – Rocky Mountain Green
Coastal Scents 88 Mirage Palette
Coastal Scents Glitter Powder – Emerald Green
Maybelline Define-a-Brow – Clear
Face of Australia Liquid Eyeliner – Black *
DUO Eyelash Glue
Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue
Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara – Blackest Black
MAC Lip Pencil – Cherry
MAC Lip Glass – Clear
MAC Lipstick – Russian Red

Products marked with a * were sent for consideration

Pros:

• Give a unique matte finish
• Solid pigmentation
• Applies easily

Cons:

• Can be drying
• Doesn’t last very long

Price: $25US / $54AU

Rating:

Where: Mecca Cosmetica and Kiss and Makeup.

Yeah I know, I am late to the matte lipstick bandwagon~ But better late than never right?

When I first saw these lipsticks, I thought the concept was very interesting. A bit like matte nail polishes. Traditionally lipsticks give off at least a slight sheen, and if you wanted a matte finish then you’d need to just use a lip pencil, which can be very drying.

Unfortunately that’s kind of how I found this lipstick to be. It’s no where near as drying as a lip pencil, but generally speaking it doesn’t help if you already suffer from dry lips. Be sure to exfoliate and use lip balm before hand if you do have chapped lips.

Dryness aside, I loved the pigmentation on this lipstick, it’s solid, applies relatively creamy and looks very flattering I would imagine on most skin tones. These lipsticks come in a range of other shades, but Bangkok seems to be the most popular thanks to how wearable the colour is.

Give these a try at the counters if you can, I would see these as a try before you buy kind of product.

Pros:

• High quality shadows
• Very pigmented, smooth and buttery
• Comes with a mirror

Cons:

• Can produce fall out if not careful

Price: $72AU / $33US

Rating:

Where: Mecca Cosmetica and Kiss and Makeup.

There is something about NARS eye shadows that just keep drawing me in, and unfortunately causing me to build a bit of a shameful collection.

The formula here is amazing, buttery, soft, pigmented and glides on with very little effort. I find that the Duo eye shadows seem to be much higher quality than the Trio shadows NARS has been releasing seasonally. I’m very much addicted to these shadows.

These two particular shades in Hula Hula are very wearable colours, the brown shade does have some rather large gold flecks scattered throughout it, and so you may want to reserve this shade for the weekend if you’re more a subtle shimmer / matte sort of person at work.

The only real drawback for me is not so much the fallout comment I made above (that was more for people newer to makeup application) but that fact that you only get two shades. Generally when I apply my eye shadows, I use 3 shades, one for the lid, one for brow bone and one for crease. So as a result when I’m rushing to apply my makeup (which let’s face it, that’s all the time) I tend to reach for my palettes, as everything is right there in front of me.

As a result these babies don’t get as much love as they deserve from me, but maybe I’ll try and get up a bit earlier (when pigs fly) in the mornings to give these a bit more attention.