NARS Body Glow

If this was a single-phrase post, it would read: NARS Body Glow--run out and buy this product immediately!

An encounter with this liquid oil bronzer is sure to bring out your inner Brazilian beauty. This body bronzer may look like molten metal in the bottle, but it shows up on the skin as a subtly shimmery, sexy sheen. The tan-toned glow looks natural and healthy.

Although this product is oil-based, it doesn't leave an oily film, but absorbs beautifully, leaving skin softened and lightly moisturized.

The Monoi de Tahiti oil fragrance is so unreal it deserves its own paragraph. This intoxicating tropical sweet (but not too sweet) floral will transport you to paradise, with a few admirers in tow.

Resist the urge to totally bathe yourself in this product. You can still put it on head to toe, but use a very controlled amount, massage it in well and let it set for a few minutes before getting dressed.

Makeup Your Mind by Francois Nars

To witness a face transformed by makeup is a wonder I will never tire of.

Makeup Your Mind by Francois Nars is a book filled with amazing before and after shots. Each picture is covered with a transparency marking out the exact placement of each product and printed with the NARS product names, e.g. Orgasm, as well as a shade description.

The book contains 6 main sections: Eyes, Lips, Neutrals, Shimmer/Monochrome/Suntan, Pastels, and Color. At the end of each section, there is an even more detailed break-down of how to achieve each look, including which brush shapes to use.

For any makeup lover, this book is 208 pages of Heaven. With 63 before-and-after shots, this book is chock full of inspiration and information. Out of those 63 looks, there's only a few I won't attempt to replicate on myself.

NARS Blush in Madly and Taos

"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me NARS Duo Surabaya Eyeshadow. On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me NARS Madly Blush, NARS Taos Blush...."

Ok, so on Friday I told you about my wonderful early Christmas gift--some NARS! In addition to the Surabaya Duo, I received two blushes, Taos and Madly. True to form, NARS did not disappoint with these babies, either.

Madly is a nude shade bespeckled with gold, that's perfect for adding warmth and definition to the cheeks. Only NARS could pull off a beige blush so well--the high pigmentation keeps this light hue from disappearing on the cheeks. It looks amazing paired with plum eyeshadow or sexy as part of a monochromatic nude face.

At the other end of the spectrum is Taos, a fiery rose color, also laced with golden sparkles. This color is guaranteed to make you look energized and turn up the heat. This extra-hot blush will likely involve some additional buffing, but it's worth the elbow grease. Try wearing this vibrant hue with a soft matte brown eye and clear glossy lips.

For all of my NARS blushes, I lightly tap my brush into the powder, as opposed to swirling it across, in order not to overload my brush with pigment.

NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Surabaya

The other day, I let out a cry to the makeup gods, "Let there be a bounty of makeup this Christmas!" Well, they answered my plea early with a delivery of one NARS Duo Eyeshadow and two NARS Blushes!

The Surabaya eyeshadow duo (not the shades pictured) consists of a brow sugar and a chestnut shade, and Honey, it makes all other eyeshadows look like child's play. The pigments are so extremely rich and smooth, it's practically sinful.

Whether using the two shades together to create exotic warm smoky eyes, or separately as a crease color, the results are picture-perfect. Flecks of golden sparkle, interspersed through these otherwise matte shadows, dance on the eyelids, and are a nice alternative to straight-up shimmery shadow. The shadow stays vivid and true all day, and can also be used wet as a cake-eyeliner.

If on Christmas morning, my stocking is filled with nothing but NARS Duos, I wouldn't be complaining! Tune in Monday to get the low-down on the blushes!

NARS Lip Gloss/Lip Stain Duo

I've always had a thing for NARS, but after my latest encounter with their Lip Gloss/Lip Stain Duo, I think we should start going steady.

The duo provides two good-sized amount of a gloss on end and a stain on the other. I have the Turkish Delight/Sayonara combo, and it is to die for. The gloss is a milky pink and the stain is an ultra-flattering rose--two essential shades in my book.

The stain is actually somewhat creamy, but it sets to a beautiful matte the instant it's applied. Instead of coating your entire lips with the wand applicator, this stain looks best when just a small amount is dabbed on the lower lip, then quickly press the lips together and use a pinky finger to blend the stain up into the Cupid's bow. As for the gloss, I love that it doesn't get clumpy at all, as pale-hued cream glosses tend to get. Both the gloss and stain only have about medium staying power, but I'll take it. This also looks disastrous on dry lips, so conditioner your lips and pucker up for your date with NARS!

Nars Oasis Blush

Who doesn't love pink champagne? Nars blush in Oasis captures the hue of this bubbly beverage, and it's my Fall blush obsession. A flattering, muted brownish-pink color accented by tiny golden sparkles, this shade is sure to mesmerize.

It looks a little dark in the pan, but it goes on sheer, so you can control the intensity. Like all of the many Nars blushes I've tried, it has great pigmentation and doesn't streak or change color on your face.

Step aside Orgasm, there's a new O in town!