Wednesday, August 31, 2016

NARS Fall 2016 Audacious Collection: Review and Swatches

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and the products featured were provided for review.
In addition to the core Fall 2016 Collection, NARS is also introducing an Audacious Collection for fall featuring some new products and new shades of the beloved Audacious Lipsticks. Today I have a selection of the collection to share with you. To see some swatches, click.......
NARS Brow Defining Cream
NARS Brow Defining Cream ($29 CAD):
A cream eyebrow color, the Brow Defining Cream is available in four different shades: Sonoran (blonde), El Djouf (light brown), Tanami (auburn), and Danakil (dark brown). The product comes in a cute glass jar and you get 2.9 grams in each jar. I have here El Djouf, a dark taupe brown, and Danakil, a very deep grey-brown that can work for those with black hair. The cream has a rich and pigmented formulation; they are quite intense so do be careful not to load too much onto your angled brow brush.
NARS Brow Defining Cream in "El Djouf" & "Danakil"
The formulation sets quite quickly to a matte finish but the wear is not good on my oily skin. After only a couple hours, the is noticeable creasing and transfer as the formulation cannot withstand sebum-production. It then becomes quite prone to smudging, not great if you want to keep your brows intact for the whole day. It's possible to get a longer wear by topping the cream with a brow powder; but because the formulation is already super pigmented, adding a powder might make the colors too intense.
NARS Brow Defining Cream in "El Djouf" & "Danakil"
NARS Unrestricted Matte Eyeliner Stylo
NARS Unrestricted Matte Eyeliner Stylo ($34 CAD):
This is a liquid eyeliner pen packaged in your classic NARS matte black finish. The applicator is a flexible elongated felt-tip which I quite like; it glides nicely on the lids without being scratchy or abrasive. However, the formulation is quite problematic. It swatches absolutely fine on the back of my hands but on my lids, it was very difficult to work with. Although it indeed dries matte, the liner ink is strangely "watery" so it takes seemingly forever to dry, especially if you are just doing a simple cat-eye on bare lids.
NARS Unrestricted Matte Eyeliner Stylo
The pigmentation is super sheer and patchy as well (see swatches below) so you really need to layer the product on. However, because the ink takes so long to dry, it's very difficult to apply multiple strokes. Even at the two-minute mark, the liner will transfer off in chunks when I gently touch my lids with my finger tip. Needless to say, the wear is no good. The formulation is not waterproof so it will smudge. I will say that the product fares much better if you wear it over powder shadows but overall I am quite disappointed because I actually really like the felt tip.
NARS Unrestricted Matte Eyeliner Stylo
NARS Audacious Lipsticks
NARS Audacious Lipstick ($39 CAD):
If you are a beauty fiend, then you'd know that the Audacious Lipsticks from NARS are very well received in the beauty community. I've never tried these before but I can now see why these get so much love! For this Fall 2016 Audacious Collection, NARS is introducing five brand new shades and I have two reds to share with you today.
NARS Audacious Lipsticks in "Shirley" & "Mona"
Mona is a unique and subdued brown red while Shirley is an intense crimson red. Both colors are incredibly pigmented. The formulation is super lightweight yet it is so silky and cushioning on the lips. The wear is decent and the formulation just feels so comfortable and hydrating on the lips. These two colors in particular are beautiful for fall and winter and after trying them, I am definitely going to explore the other colors from the original range.
NARS Audacious Lipsticks in "Mona" & "Shirley"
NARS Audacious Lipsticks in "Mona"
NARS Audacious Lipsticks in "Shirley"
Availability: 
The NARS Fall 2016 Audacious Collection is available September 1st at all NARS retailers (Sephora, Hudson’s Bay, Holt Renfrew, Nordstrom, and Murale) and www.narscosmetics.com.
Share:
© 2013-2024 The Happy Sloths | Artwork by Jasmine Li