nars Archives » Alina Avery

Power Lip – The Best Long-wearing Lip Colors

November 8, 2017 by Alina Avery Leave a Comment

My makeup routine lately has been pretty simple and straightforward. Base, brows, lashes, lips and I’m out the door. I’ll do a bit more bronzing, concealing, or contouring here and there, but overall it’s a streamlined process. Since I’m using fewer products however, I am a bit more focused on getting the most out of them. When it comes to lip color, I like to put it on in the morning and forget about it until maybe after lunch, so a long-wearing lip is a must and these three formulas have been my go-to. They’re all kiss proof, highly pigmented, and quick and easy to apply.

NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in Slow Ride — The formula here is super thin, so it’s easy to apply a thin layer and it feels like you aren’t wearing anything. It doesn’t dry out lips and the applicator is perfect for a precise lip line. The shade is a terracotta brownish pink, which is very on trend at the moment and perfect for Fall/Winter. It’s warm toned and bold but still neutral.
YSL Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip Stain in 8 – Black Red Code — This is a more dramatic color and formula. It’s matte but it almost dries metallic. I find this one the most drying on my lips, but it’s still comfortable to wear all day. The shade is a deep red and I wore it to a seafood dinner and it didn’t budge ONE BIT. It also has an angled applicator which makes it easy to both line and fill in the lips.
NUDESTIX Magnetic Matte Lip Color in Blossom — This one is a bit heavier and stickier and it feels the most like you have a lip product on, but it’s 100% transfer proof. Seriously, kiss away without any worries. I don’t usually opt for lighter pinks or nudes since they tend to wash me out, but this shade is perfect for a dramatically pale nude lip. It’s like a Kim K nude on my skin tone and looks great with a heavier eye and contour. This is the easiest to apply since it’s a pencil and I’m pretty obsessed.

Swatches, left to right: NARS Powermatte in Slow Ride, YSL Tatouage in 8, NUDESTIX Magnetic Matte in Blossom:

NARS x Steven Klein – Killer Heels (Sephora Exclusive)

October 27, 2015 by Alina Avery Leave a Comment

The NARS x Steven Klein collection launched with a bang. The suggestive images on the packaging along with the value and novelty of new holiday sets put the beauty world into a bit of a frenzy. The collection is massive and not all of it appealed to me, but when I saw this adorable lipstick set in Sephora I knew I had to have it.

The Killer Heels Lipstick Coffret shades are mostly classics from the NARS lipstick range, but in mini sizes. There are 5 included in the set, and it retails for $49, making each mini lipstick about $10 for 0.05 oz. A full-size lipstick is $27 for .12 oz, so a slightly better value by volume, and of course you get the color variety instead of five instead of one.

The set includes a sheer, neutral nude, a sheer medium plum pink, and three variations of red.

The nude shade, Little Darling, was the scariest for me. Light lipsticks don’t always work with my coloring, but this one is sheer enough that it can be layered over a liner or another lipstick to tone it down without completely muting out your lips.

Mayflower is the kind of shade I tend to buy over and over again in every finish from every brand. It’s a my-lips-but-better shade that’s completely wearable for all occasions.

Joyous Red is a warm, muted, pink-red. It has a semi-matte finish that makes it, again, very wearable. This would look amazing with a metallic eye.

If you’re looking for a slightly brighter shade, Jungle Red might be it. It’s similarly semi-sheer and semi-matte, but a more true, brighter red.

And finally, Fire Down Below is a deep wash of plummy red.

I actually prefer that these shades are sheer. It makes them easier to apply and to wear more casually. The texture is soft and velvety and non-drying. And the tiny sizes are perfect for throwing in your clutch or pocket.

I think these will be my go-to lip shades this winter!