Sabrina /

nars chanel house of fraser

It’s probably my everyday basics that I get most excited about purchasing, there’s something really satisfying about starting a new bottle of foundation, even if it is no different to the one I just finished.

I mentioned in my Berlin Vlog that I left my Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua Foundation on the plane and I’ve been mourning it ever since. However in my most recent House Of Fraser order I had to order one and I’m so happy to have it back.  I also repurchased my Nars Creamy Concealer which I have been running low on.

I’ve spoken about both products before so this isn’t so much of a review but more of an update to let you know I still love both products.

I never thought that Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua Foundation would be for me as everyone says it’s a light coverage foundation so I was surprised by just how much coverage it actually offers. I do need a little bit of concealer with it but I find it’s a light-medium coverage that is perfect for spring/summer. It has a really lovely natural finish but I do have to moisturise quite a bit before hand as I do have drier skin.

On to Nars Creamy Concealer in Custard which has been a favourite since I first tried it two years ago. I really love this concealer for days where I’m in a bit of a rush as it offers quite a lot of coverage with little work and it doesn’t cake easily either. It also works great on days where I want a fuller coverage base although I sometime do team it with a colour corrector or a brightening concealer to add extra radiance to the skin. It’s a great staple concealer that I am never without!

Sabrina /

nars space NK

Tomorrow (Feb 2nd) sees the launch of the very exciting collaboration between favourite beauty brands NARS and Space NK on the Modern Minimalist Beauty Box (there is a box but it didn’t fit in my suitcase and I really wanted to photograph the products)!

Created by NARS Make-up Ambassador Andrew Gallimore the box contains all the essentials to create the perfect, minimalist SS16 make-up look.

The most exciting product has to be the new Velvet Matte Skin Tint(worth £30) which is also exclusive to Space NK, best part of all is that you can chose the shade before purchasing the box. Also in the box are five mini products, perfect if you haven’t tried much Nars, if you’re looking for a few products for your hand bag or if you travel a lot.

Inside the box you’ll also find the mini Audacious Mascara in Black, a mini blush in cult classic Orgasm, a mini Gloss, a Black Eyeliner and a Satin Lip Pencil. For £60 this is a really great beauty box, with amazing mini’s and products which are must-haves for any beauty addicts.

I haven’t had a chance to try the foundation for myself but I’ll report back once I do, I’ve read great things about it!

 

Sabrina /

I simply can’t pass Duty Free without at least picking up a MAC lipstick, this time I picked up two perfect for summer and a few other bits. I’ve shared my opinion on my MAC palette here of you missed that. Sadly I don’t have any other holidays planned but I am pretty much mentally planning my next World Duty Free haul, it’ll include a few more MAC lipsticks, of course! What’s your favourite thing to pick up at Duty Free?

Sabrina /

I’ve shared a few posts now about the Nars Dual Intensity Eyeshadows, although I think they’re great I think they are a little too much hard work for me but was still instantly interested in the Dual-Intensity blushers.

Similarly to the Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows the blushers can be used wet or dry, there is a range of six different palettes with a range of colours which can be used as blushers, contours, bronzers and highlights. Although instantly drawn to them I was also a little scared of them as I have never even thought of using a blusher wet (FYI- it’s not recommended unless the blush is designed to be wet)

My first choice was Jubilation which has two beautiful shades which I would use as highlighters; a gold and a peachy nude both of which are both quite warm. I think because they are both highlighters (although the one on the right could possibly be used as a blush) I was a little thrown off but once I got a few of the other shades it all made a little more sense.

My favourite of the ones I own is probably Frenzy (wearing a light dusting above) which has a much more standard blush/highlighter combo and I really love bright tangerine blush colour, especially on more tanned skin. One I haven’t had much of a chance to play with is Fervor which I have heard work particularly beautiful on dark skin and although at first glance they appear to be two blushers the darker shade can supposedly be used as a contour on medium-dark skin.

After having a bit of a play with them I am still both in love and terrified of them. Dry I find some of the colour to be really beautiful, silky and pigmented but also find that they shimmer particles don’t look as seamless as they do when wet. When using them wet I find that you get the most beautiful, almost water colour like finish, the shimmer turns the blush into an almost metallic shade but I find that it gets less pigmented and I struggle to apply it without moving my foundation.

I think this is a beautiful blusher to use dry but think it’s more tailored to makeup artists when wet, that said I’m actually looking forward to trying it on holiday when I’m more tanned, I’m using a lighter base and want a real glow to the skin.

Everyone has been raving about these so I am going to keep trying, I do see potential there.

The Nars Dual-Intensity Blushers, £30 are currently exclusive to Liberty’s but will be available on all NARS counters soon

Sabrina /

When NARS released their Dual Intensity Eyeshadow singles last year it created a huge buzz in the beauty world. The range, made up of 12 shades, can be applied both wet and dry allowing you decide wether you want a sheer wash of colour or an opaque, intense, reflective finish.

The shadows are particularly beautiful when wet, they are easy to work with, last all day and I loved that you can mix between the wet and dry formula. That said, I didn’t fall in love with them as I found there wasn’t the perfect colour for me and that using them dry didn’t give the colour pay off I like. These really shine when they are wet and I think are worth looking into if that’s something you want however I just felt I never had the time to apply them wet.

This year they have released a palette featuring eight of the shade making each shadow only £5.63 compared to the original £21 for a single and perfect for anyone that wanted to buy a few colours but found them a little pricey. 

If you are looking for a palette to use dry than I would probably skip this altogether but they are truly beautiful if you know you can make the effort of wetting the shadows. You do get the rewards from doing so, as you get beautiful depth in the colours. However I look for a palette I can apply easily and on the go but the need for water makes this difficult. With that in mind I do prefer the palette to the singles as I think it is easier to store, travel with and better value for money. 

NARS are also releasing Dual Intensity Blushers which although I haven’t tried I think sound very interesting.

Nars Narsissist Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette is £45 and available now from ASOS, Selfridges and Space Nk. You can usually get a discount at Asos to save a few pounds, so be sure to check first, this website usually has a ton of discounts you can use.