Thursday, August 13, 2009

On a darker note...

So after much waiting and anticipation, the Fall 2009 NARS collection has finally arrived! I have received the new Makeup Cleansing Oil, which has a slight lemon scent and a soft, but not greasy texture. It is great for removing tricky eye makeup that likes to stick to your lids and lashes. I usually don't like oils around my eyes, but this one is gentle and doesn't pull at my delicate lashes. I also received a new single eyshadow; Mekong, a rich chocolate brown with golden sparkles. (see below)

Also new in stock are three duo eyeshadows; Brumes, a slightly shimmery navy and matte eggplant pair:
,
Indian Summer, an interesting pairing of a soft, eye-brightening gold and a matte deep yellow color:

and finally, Silk Road:

a set of soft, shimmering pinks. Silk Road is going to be a big winner this season because it really captures the softenss that a pink should have, especially on the eyes. I see way too many deep pinks and scarily enough, mauves (gasp!) on eyes, that do nothing but leave the wearer looking tired and sad. Silk Road has the most perfect, delicate ballet slippers pink with a touch of gold shimmer, and a darker pink with visible gold sparkles that is the perfect compliment to a soft green or muted brown. I also got in a new lipstick color;
Fast Ride, a gorgeous berry color that goes on sheer but builds into a flattering "just drank berry tea" look.

I was also excited to try the new NARS mascaras today. I have been a fan for a while of their original mascara in Black Orchid for its no-clump wand and no-run waterproof formula. However, I am always looking to find a new favorite! I was highly impressed with the new Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara because it is the first thickening mascara that I have ever used that actually made my lashes super full. I did one eye first and had to show somebody the unbelieveable difference between my newly full lash and my naturally thin one. It can incredible and I am so excited! I am testing it out tonight to see if it runs or flakes (it is raining here so it truly is the ultimate test...rain+humidity=racoon circles.) I will let you know how it goes and if if stand up to me thorough test! The other new mascara out by NARS is the Larger Than Life Lengthening Mascara. It has a rubber wand with little carefully placed rubberized bristles for seperating and obviously, lengthening! You can expect zero clumps with this one, and very long lashes. (I can't wait to use them together to reap both benefits for Twiggy-style lashes!) Another thing that I want to mention about these mascaras is their very cool packaging. A normal mascara tube has a very long wand and not a very long "mascara" area where the color sits. With these new mascaras however, the tube is slit in half, making the wand area half the size of a normal one, therefore making it a lot easier to reach and coat those itty-bitty lashes. You'll understand what I'm saying when you see it in person!
And lastly, I want to mention the new NARS nail polishes. This fall's colors seem to be dark, inky purples and mauves, which I love. It's a refreshing break from navy and black, which are fun but in my opinion, not very sophiscated. My favorite item from the has to be the new nail polish color NARS 2009 Fall Collection isTokaido Express.

It is a beautiful purple with flecks of gold. Imagine the darkest berry purple with a slight sheen and there you have it. At first glance you don't know that it's a purple at all, but upon closer examination you can see how beautiful it really is. I was honestly getting tired of all of the matte colors for nail this fall, but this renewed my faith in dark nail polish. I can wear this without feeling like I took a black sharpie to my nails! And the other nail polish color that I received today is M.Butterfly,

a deep berry rich in red and just dripping with sophiscation. Overall, I am impressed with the collection; I think that it has some serious potiental to sell well to both fashion-forward women and women who choose sophiscation as their first beauty priority. Enjoy the rich berries of fall while they still last!