The Christmas Gift Guide: NARS Promiscuous Lip Set

 What better Christmas Gift for a beauty lover, than a set of five miniature Nars Lip Pencils? 

Nars have really done well with their Christmas Collection this year, there's a really good selection and they are great value for money too. These pencils retail for £17.50 full size, so to get all of these, plus a makeup bag for £30 is a pretty good deal.

In the set are four Velvet Matte Pencils and one one Velvet Gloss.

New Lover is the only Velvet Gloss pencil of the bunch. It's a pretty light pink colour, the bullet looks slightly shimmery, but that doesn't translate on the lips. It's a great everyday colour, that kinda goes with everything, I particularly love it with this blush (Chanel Creme Blush in Revelation). 

Sex Machine is a lot lighter a pick than I would usually go for, and it's the mattest of the bunch. I exfoliated my lips and put on balm before putting this on and it still made my lips look dry and cracked, so I think it would probably need a balm or gloss on top. However, I do quite like the colour, more than I thought I would. I'll probably wear this a lot more in the spring!

Never Say Never is another colour I wouldn't normally choose, it's a barbie-esque blue toned pink, but again I really like this. This one didn't feel anywhere near as matte as Sex Machine, it didn't tug on the lips when I applied it, and it felt smooth. The wear time of the matte pencils is amazing, I got nearly eight hours wear out of this before I topped it up.

Dolce Vita is a weird one, in the bullet it looks like a terracotta sort of colour, but on the lips it's more of a dark peach pink, it's quite subtle and could almost be classed as a nude. I've been wearing this a tonne the last few weeks, and I really like it. 

Ahhh matte red lips. This is what I will be sporting for 99% of the Christmas season. Cruella is a true red, brighter than MAC's Ruby Woo, comparable in colour to M.A.C Red, but with a matte finish. This to me is the perfect holiday lip colour, the wear time is incredible, and whilst it's matte, it's not in any way drying. 

Nars did a really good job when picking what colours to include, each of these pencils is really wearable, and there's something for everyone. This is a great little gift set, for a fellow beauty lover, or a treat for yourself! I love the makeup bag too, it's perfect for keeping all my beauty bits together in my handbag.

After trying all these, I've started a bit of a love affair with Nars Lip Pencils, and I'll definitely be stopping by the counter to have a look at a few more...

Have you tried any Nars Lip Pencils? Which of these is your favourite?

NARS X Guy Bourdin One Night Stand Palette

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August Favourites

 Another month has been and gone, and I'm starting to feel old. Where is my life going?!

I haven't done much this month as I've basically been working the entire time. But I still managed to rustle up a few favourites to share with you.

First up was a purchase I made back in July, the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. I used this years ago and decided to buy another one since everyone seems to rave about it. Anyway, it's definitely worth the hype, it's super creamy, feels lovely on your skin and gets makeup off a treat. 

I also finally bit the bullet and bought Grease Lightening, after picking up sample after sample and still being on the fence about it. I've come to the decision that I do really like it, it's a great spot treatment, it dries them out and gets rid of them super fast. Winner in my book.

The last skincare item is the Origins Ginzing Moisturiser. I'm not gonna say too much about this since I'll be doing a full review of this Wednesday, so come back then to see that! 

Two bases made the cut this month, the Diorskin Nude BB Creme for days when I want a little less coverage, and Max Factor Facefinity when I was at work or going out. I'm obsessed with the Dior BB Creme, it's the best BB Creme I've ever tried by far, with decent coverage but natural looking. Facefinity is my favourite high coverage foundation, it stays put all day and gives a gorgeous, flawless matte finish.

Two lip products that I bought this month and have been obsessed with, are the Baby Lips in Cherry Me and the Bourjois Colour Boost in Red Sunrise. I just love these!

Since I bought my NARS And God Created the Woman palette, my Isolde Duo has been neglected, but I've been loving wearing this a lot this month, paired with a flick of gel black eyeliner. 

Last up, on my nails has been Essie's Watermelon. I love the colour but I think there's something wrong with the formula since it's always really gritty. Strange.

What products have you been loving this month?

Rose Gold Love

By now, it should be no surprise to any of you that I am a massive fan of Sleek blushes. With the quality I would expect from a high end brand, a gorgeous colour range, and the less-than-a-fiver price tag, it's no wonder I have built up quite a collection. However, since this blush love affair began, there has been one blush that has sadly, eluded my grasp, the Rose Gold. Considered the closest dupe for the Legendary NARS Orgasm Blush (insert pause for sniggering) the beautiful peachy toned pigment has been on my hit list for a while now. And as with all good dupes, it's been sold out everywhere all the time.

I don't know if you've noticed in the past few weeks since I've been back in Bournemouth, but I've ignited a love affair with the Bournemouth Superdrug store so strong, that any London offering only pales by comparison. The flame was burning bright but when I found a Rose Gold lurking in the 'Life's a Peach" (more on that one later) section, I could have sought out the manager and kissed him. And what's even better, I had enough Beauty Points, so it was free!

Now enough dramatics and on to the product itself. I feel like I needn't say anything about the formula by now, you know the drill, it's super pigmented, buttery soft and long lasting. It's the colour that I'm interested in. Unlike a lot of cheaper blushes, the gold shimmer is not just stamped on the top of the pan, it runs all the way through the product, serving only to highlight the beautiful coral colour. It's quite hard to photograph on the face, so you shall have to cope with some hand swatches, it looks very different depending on how the light hits it? This is definitely a summer blush, it's a lot more shimmery than my usual go tos, but with a little sun on my face, this will be perfect.

All in all, despite the fact I adore NARS products, this dupe is for me, and it's love.

What do you think of Sleek blushes?

THAT NARS Palette.

I know. I know. I shouldn't have bought it. BUT IT'S JUST SO PRETTY. When it sold out everywhere, I accepted that it wasn't meant to be. But then I went into Space NK in Bournemouth yesterday, about to happily leave with nothing more than a new Laguna bronzer (more on that another day) and I mentioned that I liked it and she told me they had a few left just not on display. So clearly it was fate...

It's pretty good value for money really. Six high quality shadows, the eye primer and a brush for £40.50. And the shadows really are high quality, buttery and smooth, long lasting and incredibly well pigmented. Metallic Rose Mist looks beautiful swatched across the lid, or used as a highlighter on the inner eyes or browbone. Matte Grey Brown is light enough to wear on the lid during the day, but dark enough to blend into the crease. Gold Confection is pretty much just a slightly darker version of Metallic Rose Mist, and is my favourite for a base colour! Bitter Chocolate Infused with Gold is just beyond beautiful, and I like to smudge it into the crease of my eyes lightly in the day! Deep Taupe Brown infused with Gold is lovely too, in the palette it doesn't look particularly sparkly, but it has just a hint of shimmer! The last shade is  Black with Gold Pearl, and it's probably the only shadow I won't use on a daily basis, but it's a gorgeous nighttime shade for a smoky eye, it's a little like my MAC Gilt By Association, but with a little less shimmer.

Either way, this is a great little palette, PERFECT for carrying around in your handbag! I regret nothing!

 The Eye Shader Brush is super soft and great for applying a full sweep of colour across your lid. And the primer is great, these shadows are pretty long wearing anyway, but this just makes it stay freshly-applied looking all day.

What do you think of this palette?

 Metallic Rose Mist, Matte Grey Brown and Gold Confection.

Bitter Chocolate Infused with Gold, Deep Taupe Brown Infused with Gold and Black with Gold Pearl.