Review: NARS Cheyenne Eyeshadow Duo

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Unlike many, I have a hit and miss relationship with many NARS product, so it was a big gamble for me to pick up the NARS Cheyenne Eyeshadow Duo ($39) which is priced at an eye-popping $39 for 0.14oz of products. Cheyenne consists of two colors: a burnt orange/gold shade, and a rich shimmery plum purple. NARS eyeshadows are described as crease-resistent, and highly pigmented, two claims that I can say translated perfectly to application and wear.

P1090604 Review: NARS Cheyenne Eyeshadow Duo

I’ve heard that NARS eyeshadows can be a hit or miss; some are too sheer, and others have really awful texture that don’t translate to the lid well. This is the first eyeshadows I’ve tried from NARS and I am already very impressed to say the least. It was the rich plum color that really sealed the deal for me; that color that is hardly dupable and I have not seen a color similar to this in any other palette. Both shadows are intensely pigmented and easy to work with on the lids. The texture is silky smooth so this would be one of the few duos that are the “hits” in the entire collection.

P1090606 Review: NARS Cheyenne Eyeshadow Duo

The purple shade is a really unique color – it’s more complex than it looks. In some lights, it can appear more of a warm brown shade, and in others, it can look more purple. Either ways, it is my favourite crease color! I haven’t had much use out of the gold shade because it is far too cool-toned for my skin, and doesn’t look as nice. I believe this is a discontinued shade (I haven’t been able to find it on sephora.com) which is a really big disappointment.

The eyeshadows are encased in a rubber-like case that NARS is well-known for, along with a mirror. The packaging is the same size as the blushes.

Although this is a discontinued shade, it was a great start to NARS makeup line; I’m definitely thinking about picking up more of these duos in the future.

Where to buy: Sephora ($39)

Have you tried NARS’ eyeshadow duos?

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Review: MAC Harmony Blush

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P1100006 Review: MAC Harmony Blush

Selecting the right shade of contour color can be so tricky! You want to stay away from anything shimmery, too orange, or too red, or anything that could draw attention to the obvious line under your cheekbone. With these “restrictions” in mind, my hunt for the perfect bronzer led me to a MAC counter where I spend time admiring the wide array of blushes. One color that immediately drew my attention was a muddy, matte brown shade, MAC Harmony Blush ($24). This was labeled as a blush, so skeptically, I swatched it on the back of my hand, and saw a perfectly matte, muddy-brown shade that was not too orange or red, or shimmer whatsoever.

P1100014 Review: MAC Harmony Blush

Excitedly, I asked my favourite MAC makeup artist, Drew, to show me what it would look on my face. What I saw was the perfect contouring blush/shade on a NC25-30, light-medium skin tone. This shade does not make my face look dirty or show a very obvious orange shade. I played around a little bit with this blush and applied it on my cheeks as a blush. It gives the most beautiful sculpted, contoured, Victoria Beckham-esque cheekbones. Granted, this will not show any sort of “glow” or flush on the cheeks whatsoever.

P1100007 Review: MAC Harmony Blush

This blush is definitely one of the most underrated products that delivers a punch from MAC. I’ve purchased a backup of it because I love it that much! I highly recommend this for anyone who’s looking for a contouring color, especially for medium-darker skin tone ladies. It’s a very universal color and would work on lighter skin tones as long as it is applied sparingly.

Where to buy: MAC Cosmetics ($24)

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May Wishlist.

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Sephora is set to make a lot of money from this summer considering what my May wishlist is currently looking like. I’m trying to hold back and wait until the next VIB sale (the most value-conscious way, and the only I can ever justify spending this much money on makeup and skincare) to do this haul. I’ve been trying to be a good girl, and not step into Sephora even though they are having all sorts of Mother’s Day special and points perks designed to lure “special”-loving people like me.

maywish zpsd3d36933 1 May Wishlist.

Lorac Pro Palette $56 – I bought this during the November 2012 VIB Sale, and I have sold every other palette in my collection because this is the only one I’ll ever need. Do you ever feel that way about a specific beauty or skincare product? I honestly did not feel any remorse, or sadness when I put my Urban Decay Naked Palette and theBalm Nude’Tude palette into the blog sale pile.

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation $55 – For some reason, I always pick the wrong shade when I went in to buy this foundation. I seriously think that Sephora SA should know better when doing shade matching. I’ve bought Sand Beige and Bamboo Beige ($110 + tax!) and they’re both way too dark for my skin tone. I have a sample of a shade which I believe is in the ivory family that matches me perfectly (There’s hope!) and I definitely to pick up my correct shade soon!

Smashbox Studio Skin Foundation $55 – I got a sample of this a long time ago, and when I was going through my sample stash, I found this gem which has been my go to in the last couple of weeks! With this, I don’t even need concealer or setting powder! So. Worth. It!

Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Foundation $41 – Continuing with the foundation lust wishlist, this one is one I’ve heard tons of raves about, particularly due to its amazing heavy duty and coverage!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder $53 – Every blogger I follow have talked about this in their review or favourites post, and it’s a universally agreed upon amazing, beautiful, skin-perfecting, but oh-so-expensive beauty powder.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow $19 – I’m slowly finishing my favourite brow pencil from MAC, and since it is a limited edition pencil, I have been thinking hard about trying to find a dupe/replacement. This one comes to mind easily as it is a super pigmented, and long-lasting product that will make the $19 so worth it!

NUDE You Are More Beautiful Nude Natural Radiance Set $59 – I’ve been really into skincare products lately, and this brand is one I’ve heard tons of great things about. Tons of UK-based bloggers I follow swear by this, so it is definitely high up there in terms of “wants”

Givenchy Le Rouge Summer Collection $45 – Two summer shades just popped up on the Sephora website, a bright fuchsia and coral. I hardly need more lipsticks, but who can say no to this gorgeously packaged, deliciously bright accessory?

Bioderma Sensibio H20 $33 – The only non-Sephora “want” is the cult-favourite Sensibio makeup remover. I don’t actually need it, but it doesn’t hurt to have it here, to be honest icon smile May Wishlist.

Givenchy Le Rouge Lipstick $38 – With 12 shades available, this lipstick leaves many shades on the the must-have list. With the summer quickly approaching, I can see a shade or two of this lipstick finding its way to my Sephora cart.

Are there any “must-haves” that you are currently dreaming a lot about?

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Review: Givenchy Noir Couture Waterproof Mascara

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Recently, the Givenchy Noir Couture Waterproof Mascara ($35) became available at Sephora in Canada. It was like the Gods of Mascara have answered my prayers for a waterproof version of my all-time favourite Noir Couture mascara which I reviewed earlier. A mascara ranks highly on my must-have, and must-wear makeup product when I leave the house. It doesn’t help that my pin straight eye lashes does not compliment my features without a good coating of mascara. For a value-conscious (not cheap, but value-smart, and frugal!) buyer like myself, the math of a high-end mascara never really made much sense to me, especially when the product has to be discarded within 3 months or less. However, if a mascara like this on can impress me so much, I would be more than willing to shell out the bucks.

P1120629 zpsb1aad1a7 Review: Givenchy Noir Couture Waterproof Mascara

Presentation

The packaging of this mascara is super sleek and the weight of the tube feels like a million bucks. I like to have this mascara out for display purposes on my vanity just because it exudes luxury. It is my achilles heel of all makeup because dinner table manners be damned when I have this in my handbag, ready to make an impression on other diners.

P1120638 zpsaf059a95 Review: Givenchy Noir Couture Waterproof Mascara

Wear, and Application

Like its sister, the mascara delivers an amazing result with just one coat. My pin-straight lashes immediately appear longer, and fuller, making my eyes look more awake and brighter. With this mascara, I look like I have fake lashes on, even though I hate applying falsies. The mascara does an amazing job at holding the curl for a whole day, which I can attest to given my 12-hour on campus schedule. I can be running around from class to meetings in any weather, and the mascara stayed put. The formula is even better than the non-waterproof version as it holds the curl without weighing it down for much longer. One coat of mascara is usually what I need, but when I’m trying to achieve a very dramatic look, I’ll apply two coats of the mascara. I try not to overdo it because my lashes will start clumping and appear spider-like.

P1120728 zpsad746747 Review: Givenchy Noir Couture Waterproof Mascara

Exactly like the non-waterproof version, the mascara wand has three sphere “bristles” which takes a while of getting used to. I highly recommend playing around with it for some time before making your judgment about the mascara. I find that I needed to try different techniques/methods for some time before it became second-nature in application. Coating your lashes with this mascara is not the simple up/down technique you may be used to with the typical mascara wand. The shape of the brush allows you to use different angles to get all the hairs and this technique really helps getting to all the hairs, including the baby lashes and making the product more effective.

P1120726 zps80f6a450 Review: Givenchy Noir Couture Waterproof Mascara

I am very happy with this mascara and definitely will repurchase both the non-waterproof and waterproof version when needed. It is a reliable backup that I can always count on in delivering a dramatic look without a fuss. The brush helps get the product on all the hairs, including the baby hairs that tend to get missed. This is a mascara that I use sparingly, and I instantly feel so much more glamorous with this mascara.

Product in Action

This is a look that I did with one coat of this mascara (Sorry if my hair is in the way):

P1120689 zpsf567e505 Review: Givenchy Noir Couture Waterproof Mascara

eotd4 zpsb0f5ae5c Review: Givenchy Noir Couture Waterproof Mascara

Where to Buy: Sephora ($35)

Disclaimer:

This product was provided by PR and I greatly thank LVMH Canada for their consideration. Although I received this product for free from the company, all opinions are honest, and were not influenced in any way by the company. I did not receive any form of compensations to write this review
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