The Makeup Box

NARS Trouble Maker Set Review and Overview

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Now you’ve heard me mention some of the deals on beflurt.com that I wanted to try, and one of these was the NARS Trouble Maker Eye Set, which contains about US$89 worth of NARS products and retails for $60.

On beflurt.com, this is going at $49.90 (don’t forget to use code MAKEUPBOX for an extra discount), and contains:

• Full-size Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (Lisa Eldridge used this on Kate Winslet for the Titanic 3D Launch)
• Full-size Eyeliner Stylo in black (marker-style liquid liner pen)
• Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara in black
• Travel-size (1.6oz, 50ml) Eye Makeup Remover (bi-facil oil-in-water style)

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Verdict (for those who can’t bother to read too much)

It’s definitely worth it if you intend to try some of NARS’ products but aren’t sure about shelling out full-price for individual items yet. This is a handy set filled with staples so you’re really not going to be wasting any product here.

The only “iff-y” item would be the liquid liner because not everyone needs or likes it in this format, but I have to say it’s quite well-designed for those who are klutzy with liquids, so this could be a worthwhile item to own.

It’s not cheap, and I’m definitely not suggesting that you drop all your drugstore products and run out to get this, but if you’re already in the market for higher-end eye products, then you are getting 4 NARS items (3 of which are full-size) for about $11-12 each, which is about 50% off the retail prices if you include the discount code.

Now on to the products themselves. If you’re shelling out good money for this, you wanna know one thing; How did each one perform?

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The Stand-outs

Smudge Proof Eye Shadow Primer: 

This has a thin, cloudy-white gel-like texture so it will not correct discolorations on your lids the way flesh colored primers do, but if this isn’t a concern for you and you’re covering everything up with shadow anyway, then this is a great primer. 

Unlike those with slightly slippery textures (MAC, Coastal Scents) this sets to an invisible film and then locks on. I’ve yet to do a vigorous scrub-test like I did with Lime Crime previously, but my shadow was definitely resistant to any light rubbing with fingers. 

One more bonus tip for this: The super-light texture and lack of color means you can wear it thinly below the eye area as a base for your under eye concealer.

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Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara

I hate it when I find a good mascara and it doesn’t come from the drugstore. 

I’m a fan of “wispy, feathery lashes”. I hate clumpy twig-like ones, hence my disappointment with most of the volumizing mascaras in the market today. I want each lash to be separate, and to curve up and be tapered to a razor-sharp point because that’s the only way it will look like you were “born with it”.

Now THIS mascara is probably the only one I have found that is able to both lengthen, volumize, AND look natural all at the same time. The first moment you apply it, it looks so subtle that you might wonder if it’s doing anything at all, but just keep going and you’ll start to see the difference.

I don’t know if it just happens to be the tube I got, but the formula is not very wet or very dry. I get zero-clumps (which is amazing in itself) and don’t need to use a spoolie to clean up after.

The other thing is the formula and brush are so good at lifting my lashes that my lash tips kept touching the skin under my brow bone and leaving black smudges there. If you don’t like curling your lashes, this is definitely one mascara that will give you great lift. If you do use a curler, don’t curl the base too much or you’ll end up with overly lifted lashes.

I don’t believe the formula is waterproof, but it lasted for a day, including crying my eyes out at a movie, without smudging or smearing on me, until I removed it later in the night.

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Not So Thrilled With…

Eyeliner Stylo:

This is a really well-made pen if you are a total novice at liquid liner. The pen tip is long but firm, so it gives you great control of your line but doesn’t bend all out of shape. The pen tip is also not exceedingly wet so you can get a razor-thin line and won’t end up with a glob of black when you set the tip down on your skin.

Again, I can’t tell if it’s just the tube I got but the dryness of the tip means I have to go over a line 2-3 times to make it jet black. (Liquid liners tend to pick up powder pigments on their tips if the pen nib or brush is not wet enough, so the first line you lay down won’t be jet-black, and this happened for me.) If you don’t wear shadow, then this liquid liner is fantastic.

Longevity-wise, you’ll be happy to know I tightlined (inner rim of upper lashes) with it and proceeded to bawl my eyes out when a doggy died in the aforementioned movie earlier, and everything was intact when I came out of the theater.

Image: Test-driving the full set (NARS Smudgeproof Primer, with Eyeliner Stylo and Larger Than Life Mascara)

Lazy Girl’s Guide to Easy Winged Liner (and Shadow) for Valentine’s!

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A winged eye and a demure kitten flick can give you really alluring eyes, but I got so many questions about how to do a good winged eye or flicked liner, so it I figured I’d do a more detailed tutorial on how to do it without requiring weeks of practice.

You will need:

• Black gel liner
• Flat, angled synthetic liner brush
• A sheet of paper or card (or tape)

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Winged Shadow:

Step 1: Apply your shadow to the lid but don’t wing it out yet.

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Step 2: Following the angle of the outermost part of your lower lid, hold a piece of paper (if you can’t get both eyes even, use a piece of tape on each side instead), and then use a firm shadow brush to sweep shadow from OUTSIDE inwards horizontally. The top of the wing should be flat and quite straight, like a table-top.

 The paper method is better if you’ve applied your base makeup and concealer already, as tape will remove your makeup.

When you lift the paper away, you’ll see a really sharp and defined wing. You can leave it like this if you want a very dramatic and geometrical eye, but for our Valentine’s Day Look, I’m softening it out.

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Step 3: Use a softer blending brush to smoke out the edges, including the bottom of the wing.

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Winged Liner

Step 4: Hold the paper to your eye again, lining it up with the angle of the shadow. Then use a flat angled brush to apply gel liner (you can use pencil as well, but liquid liner is a little harder to use in this way) once again from the OUTSIDE-STRAIGHT-IN to about the center of the lid.

If your liner or brush is a bit dry, the liner may “skip” over your skin, and leave you with some gaps/grooves in the liner. Just fill it in carefully by retracing the line after removing the paper.

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Step 5: Finish by extending the black liner to the inner corners of the eyes and applying mascara. It’s easier to apply a thin, precise line in the inner halves if you hold the tips of the angled brush to the base of your lashes and then just wiggle gently to “push” the liner onto your skin without lifting the brush. Then move on to the next section and repeat. Don’t drag the brush along your skin.

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For this look, I finished by adding:

• Beige Liner (Nars Larger Than Life Long-wear Eye Liner in Rue Bonaparte) along the waterline
• Pink Blush (NYX Pinky Blush) on the cheeks
• Soft Pink Matte Lips (MAC Please Me Lipstick)

Products used on the eyes in the tutorial:

• Urban Decay Deeper (15 Anniversary Palette) - use MAC Twinks or Urban Devay Twice Baked if you don’t have that
• Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Black

NARS Fall 2011 Collection

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It’s drool time.

[Pic source: http://www.footluxe.com]

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Wonderful as that electric blue shadow is, what stands out for me as a more worthwhile investment is that beautiful tri-color eye palette (Delphes, US$45) with the plum, olive-taupe and matte dove grey.

But I’m still in lust with the gorgeous slate grey limited edition nail enamel (Galion, $17).

These are paired with muted but wearable matte lipsticks and glosses.

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For a less price-y way to rock gorgeous grey nails, try ZOYA Caitlin (US$8).