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Hello, all! Today we are doing a really brief overview and swatch party of a new NARS release. The product in question is the NARSISSIST Unfiltered Cheek Palette. I got my hands on the Unfiltered II palette during the Sephora sale.

There are two NARSISSIST Unfiltered Cheek palettes currently available at Sephora (and, I noticed, at Sephora inside J.C. Penny). Unfiltered I has some beautiful warm shades that seem to be geared more towards deeper skin tones (thought anyone can rock them, really!) Unfiltered II has cooler-toned shades that include:

Conquest (pastel peach matte)
Undefeated (pale pink shimmer)
Power Play (vivid pink matte)
Hot Sand (peach champagne sheen)
Fame (pink amber sheen)
Candid (mauve raspberry shimmer)

Each pan contains .12 oz of product, compared to the .16 oz in the standards NARS blush pan. It is also important to note that these are of the traditional NARS formula, not the dual intensity, which I also love. All but one of the shades (Hot Sand) are limited edition, as is the palette as a whole.

SWATCHES

The NARSISSIST Unfiltered Cheek Palette is very sturdy and luxurious-feeling, which is a nice change of pace as far as LE items go. Here are the swatches!

As you can see, these one-finger-swipe swatches are pigmented and beautiful. There is a nice variety in color that would lend itself to being used year-round.

So what do you think? Do you need to pick this up? Or, do you have swatches of Unfiltered I that you want to share? Tell us below!

Or, check out some other NARS favorites:

Dual Intensity Blush Palette
Pool Shark Eyeshadow

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Surreal Light

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Oh hey there, class! Are you overwhelmed yet by the astonishing number of holiday makeup releases? (side note – can we talk about the fact that now “holiday” releases happen starting in September? Like.. really?) One product that I was convinced I would never get, but did get anyway, is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit. Based on the theme of “Surreal Light,” the five pans in this palette sit in a case of marble. Well, marble-colored plastic. Let’s take a look!

As stated on Sephora:

This palette contains:
– 0.14 oz/ 4 g in Ambient Lighting Powder in Surreal Light (sheer nude)
– 0.04 oz/ 1.4 g in Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Surreal Bronze Light (neutral tan with Surreal Light)
– 2 x 0.04 oz/ 1.4 g Ambient Lighting Blush in Surreal Glow (pale peony pink with Surreal Light), Surreal Effect (cool, pink rose with soft, warm peach)
– 0.04 oz/ 1.4 g in Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Surreal Strobe Light (glimmering peach)

I believe these are all new and limited edition shades. That being said, it wouldn’t surprise me if one or two made their way into Hourglass’ permanent lineup.

Overall, the powders are soft and blendable. As in the past, I had a little trouble doing decent swatches on my arm (as I am a ghost) but here’s what I have for you:

top to bottom: Surreal Strobe Light, Surreal Bronze Light, Surreal Glow, Surreal Effect, Surreal Light

At $80, the Ambient Lighting Edit is not a crazy good deal, but it is a nice collection if you could see yourself using these peachy-toned colors. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!

more from Hourglass:

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Hello, all! Today I bring you some photos of the NARS Dual-Intensity Blush Palette. This is a limited edition item available on NARS’ website. This palette features four dual intensity blushes, meaning they can be used wet or dry.

I was really interested in this palette because I adore the two dual intensity duos that I have. It is a formula that needs to be applied with a light hand and/or very fluffy blush.

The NARS Dual-Intensity Blush Palette features four shades:
– Soft Tulle – a linen white
– Damask with Gold Sheen – a golden copper
– Peony – a muted raspberry
– Titian – a midtone bronze

I find all four shades to apply and blend out easily. A huge benefit of this palette is that in case be used for contouring, highlighting, bronzing and blush.

My only qualm with this palette is that I expected the pan sizes to be the same as those in the duos. They are not. At .32 oz total, each pan is .025 oz less than the pans in the duos.

Overall, this is a great palette if you are in need of a variety of blush shades. I would love you hear your thoughts if you’ve tried it!

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So it seems that MAC has been doing this thing where they release two or more collections right on top of each other. Maybe it’s because they want all of our money. I don’t know- just a theory.

I have a few items from the Vibe Tribe collection to show you. This summer collection has gotten a lot of press, especially because some feel the tribal theme is offensive or culturally insensitive. I’m not going to get into that. Not my thing. Here’s what MAC says, specifically about the Vibe Tribe Colour collection:

Sound and self-expression converge in the vast canvas of the desert. Lose control and imagine yourself in lips painted reckless shades of red and coral, or a flash of gold. Let your eyes escape reality in teal, cobalt, mandarin and charcoal, as free-spirited nails glisten in succulent tangerine and the perfect, buttery nude. Abandon control in online-exclusives Rio Grande Romance and Painted Canyon. Feel the vibe.

Now, back to reality. In addition to the “reckless shades of red and coral” this collection also has some very wearable colors. Let’s take a look.

Lipstick

My picks are the shades Tanarama, Arrowhead and Hot Chocolate. Tanarama is a frost finish that is pale beige with a golden shimmer. Arrowhead is a matte bare nude and Hot Chocolate is a satin finish dirty plum.

I’m also going to throw in the Patentpolish lip pencil in the shade Desert Evening. While this pencil looks blue, it swatches as the most beautiful pearly gloss.

Blush and Powder

Adobe Brick is the most unique powder blush shade offered, but still wearable when blended well.

The Gleamtones powder is described as “A bronzing and highlighting powder with a colour block of four shades in one pan.”

Overall, I think the MAC Vibe Tribe collection offers a great deal of variety and certainly more wearable options than the recent Chris Chang collaboration.

If you have any swatches of recent products, please share in the comments!

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Hello, class! I was surprised to see this product in Sephora without having seen any Instagram posts about its release. I am talking about the Hourglass Illume Sheer Color Trio, a three-pan palette containing cream bronzer, blush and highlighter.

According to Sephora:

This versatile trio provides everything you need for sheer definition and color. This multitasking palette gives you all the essentials to define, brighten, and highlight your face. The improved cream formulas provide a more even application, making it highly blendable and mistake-proof for a soft, natural look.

Create a subtle tan with the neutral Bronzer, subtly bronzing and defining the face. Bring soft and universally flattering color to the cheeks with the sheer rose Blush. The champagne Highlighter formula provides a luminous glow without heavy glitter or shimmer. All three sheer formulas can be blended together to achieve custom shades and are buildable in color without feeling heavy on the skin. They’re encased in a sleek, signature Hourglass compact that’s portable for touch ups on the go.

As you can see, it is a beautiful palette:

swatches

The cream products are incredibly easy to apply and blend. I would say that the shades, especially the bronzer, may be a bit dark for the most fair tones.

Overall, I think this palette is perfect for a beachy summer look. Have you tried the Hourglass Illume Sheer Color Trio?

more Hourglass favorites:

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I mean, it snowed on Monday, but that’s fine…
Let’s talk about some of my favorite spring blush options for the [ever-so-slightly] warmer weather!

For the springtime I really enjoy a pink or coral hue for the cheeks. One of the sheerer options I like is the MAC Mineralize Blush in Petal Power. This coral pink blush has a subtle shimmer that eliminates the need for any extra highlight.

The other spring blush from MAC I’d like to recommend is from their recent Flamingo Park collection. The shades is called Let’s Be Friends and is part of their normal powder blush line. If you like a good blue-toned hot pink cheek, get on this before it’s gone!

Speaking of hot pink, the left side of the NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in Panic is the most perfect bright pink. It can also be combined with the orange shade on the right for a more coral hue. Or the orange can be worn alone (though, I prefer this in summer). So many options.

Finally, an old favorite is Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush. The rose pink is swirled with a champagne highlight, creating a beautiful color and luminosity on the cheekbones.

swatches

indoor light

top to bottom: MAC Let’s Be Friends, Hourglass Luminous Flush, NARS Panic (right), NARS Panic (left), MAC Petal Power

indirect sunlight

Of course, there are many other options out there for spring blush. I hope you will share some of your favorites in the comments! And if you are looking for some lipstick recommendations for the spring, click here!

Blushes I want to try:

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