Nars | Girl Gloss

Five Top Holiday Beauty Gifts

Here are my top five holiday lip items that are great either as gifts or for yourself!

(1) Sephora Favorites Lip Service Deluxe Sampler ($119 Value) Lip Service Deluxe Sampler: Sephora Favorites are a great way to try a number of products at a great price. Sephora does a nice job at putting these together with quality items, and they make a great gift or a good personal sampler.

(2) Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment SPF 15 : Fresh Sugar Rose is delightful, but a bit on the expensive side. That is why it is a great gift or personal splurge item.

(3) MAC Lip Kit : MAC Cosmetics always put out a nice set of lip kits for the holidays.

(4) NARS ‘D. Lovely’ Lip Gloss Duo Set: Nars put out this great lip gloss selection for the holidays.

(5) Juicy Loves Sephora Bowler Lip Gloss Charm Crystal (light pink): This Juicy Couture lip gloss charm, sold exclusively at Sephora is so darn cute!

Popularity: 5% [?]

High End Product Substitution: Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon

It is no secret that I love the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil. But I realize that it is out of some reader’s price range. For a very similar item, take a look at the Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon, which is almost a dead ringer for the Nars pencil. The Crayon was part of the new Spring 2008 collection and runs at around $7.

Below is a swatch of the Nars Dolce Velvet Matte Pencil and a Sonia Kashuk Lip Crayon in Velvety Nude. As you can see, the shades are very similar. Nars is on the left and Sonia Kashuk is on the right:

The Sonia Kashuk pencil goes on creamy and thick. Like the Nars pencil, it can be used both to color and to line, but I find it most effective as an all over color that is followed by lipstick and/or gloss.

Sonia Kashuk also has a great Lipstick and Gloss duo (Read Review). The products can be found in the land of the bullseye (aka Target).

Popularity: 8% [?]

Nars Dolce Vita Lipstick and Pencil

Not long ago, I commented that I wanted to try the new NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita. For those unfamiliar with the Dolce Vita shade, it is a cult classic shade that is often referenced as being universally flattering. I can’t speak for everyone, but I am quite fond of the shade. Well, now I got my chance to try the pencil and it is quite nice.

This really is a lip crayon instead of a lip pencil. The tip is thick and it is very soft. Yes, you can line your lips with it, but you can use it to fully color in your lips as well. The color is good enough that it can be worn alone, or with lipstick or gloss over the top.

Below is a swatch of the pencil with a swipe of matching NARS Sheer Lipstick in Dolce Vita:

As you can see, the pencil is not as sheer and the sheer lipstick formulation. For good color and long wear, use the pencil first and then apply the lipstick over it.

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Popularity: 7% [?]

Nars 2008 Summer Collection: Dolce Vita Lip Pencil!

I got excited when I saw the Dolce Vita Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, in the Nars Summer Collection. Nars Dolce Vita is one of my favorite lipsticks (read review), so I am excited to give this pencil a try.

The collection also adds a Roman Holiday pink lip pencil, a sheer brandy color lipstick, and two pretty lip glosses: Misbehave is a sheer cherry red with gold shimmer, and Supervixen is a sheer sparkling mauve.

The collection is available now at the Nars website in the link above.

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Popularity: 8% [?]

Nars Color Wash for Cheeks and Lips

NARS Color Wash For Lips and Cheeks reminds me quite a bit of Benefit Benetint. Except if you get it in the shade that I linked to, it has this funky purple/violet undertone to it!

I tried it out at a store and kind of liked it as a lip stain with some shimmery pink gloss over it. The cool undertones with the pink made for a very nice lip color.

Anyway, if you come across it at a store, it is definitely fun to play with. If you want a nice standard rose shade, go with the Benetint! The Nars product also comes in a couple of other shades, but those seem to often be sold out online.

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