Happy Valentine's Day from NARS Spring! (A month late because I have lost control of my life.)

WHEW! Oh my goodness you guys, I've been so busy! Work has been nuts. School has been…well…let's be honest, school always sucks. Anyway, thanks to those of you who have kept me sane via Twitter. It's been nice to gab about makeup even though I haven't had time to blog. 

Anyways, I've had these photos just going to waste on my computer so I figured it was finally time to post about my latest (from a month ago…this was supposed to be a VALENTINE'S post...) NARS purchases. I can't truly call this a "spring collection" post, as I did buy one permanent item, but I will show you the two things from NARS Spring that I couldn't live without.

 

NARS Single Eyeshadow in Lhasa

First up is NARS Single Eyeshadow in Lhasa. It's a silvery lavender taupe, and I can honestly say it's unique in my collection. I was expecting it to be a bit more purple, but it turns out it's a very wearable everyday shade. Even though this is quite silvery, it does have a slight edge of brown, which makes it wearable across skin tones. It's a bit sheer, but in a good way. This is a gorgeous color to swipe across your lids when you want a fool-proof look, but also pairs beautifully with other shadows. 

NARS Single Eyeshadow in Lhasa

NARS Larger than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte

 Next is the NARS Larger than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte. I purchased this as an answer to those darn MAC Chromagraphic pencils people rave about. With a full-time job and being a full-time student, there's never enough time for sleep. This little pencil has become my go-to trick for faking that bright-eyed look I covet.

NARS Larger than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte

The pencil is a twist-up with a sharpener in the bottom. I don't particularly like twist-up pencils, but this makes it much more friendly for on-the-go touch-ups. I've been tossing it in my bag to refresh my eyes mid-afternoon. As for the wear time? I have no complaints, but my standards are very realistic. I usually have a bit left on my waterline after 6-7 hours, which is excellent for me. I have a really difficult time getting products to stay put on my allergy-prone eyes. To further endorse this, I will tell you that I fell asleep with a swatch on my hand and it was still perfectly intact the next morning. I'd love to try out more shades of these in the future. 

NARS Velvet Gloss Pencil in Mexican Rose

The last little ditty I purchased is the NARS Velvet Gloss Pencil in Mexican Rose. This is my first Velvet Gloss pencil. I was leery about purchasing this because it's not a twist-up pencil. I was afraid that having to sharpen such a soft product could be a messy affair, but the gorgeous color and the assurances of many that it could easily be sharpened after chilling in the freezer for awhile, convinced me to purchase this. I've used it a few times and I don't regret this at all. It's a beautiful bright raspberry pink with a glossy finish. 

NARS Velvet Gloss Pencil in Mexican Rose

I've found that on my lips this behaves as a stain, as the color sticks around long after the glossiness has worn off.  I don't find it terribly drying if I make sure to properly prep my lips (exfoliation and balm) and it sticks around through a meal with just a little touch-up necessary. On my lips, it starts off rather sheer but then transforms into a deeper pink. The more touch-ups I do, the deeper the color gets. In the swatch below it looks a tad sheer. I believe you can sheer this out enough to get a bit of color, but those of you who have known me for awhile won't be surprised to hear that I like my lip products as bright as possible.

Left to Right: NARS Lhasa, Rue Bonaparte, Mexican Rose

 I wore all three of these products for the first time on Valentine's Day (See! I told you. I'm so behind on posting!). If I had had a hot date planned I probably would have gone for a more dramatic look with my eyes, but I had work and school, so I couldn't be too over-the-top. A bright pink lip was a fun nod to Valentine's Day without looking crazy. The photos below were taken in bright natural light (it was overcast but I was able to catch a good reflection off of the snow…Ohhhh Wisconsin…), so I'm not sure why Mexican Rose looks so red. This was after about 3 applications throughout the day though, so the color had deepened considerably from the first application. Unfortunately I was a bad blogger and can't remember which face products I used…sorry!

Here you can see Rue Bonaparte on my waterline. Be gone, red and irritated waterlines!

I used Lhasa on my eyes, on top of MAC Painterly Paint Pot. I applied Lhasa sheerly over the mobile lid and then darker in the crease. I used Guerlain Noir G mascara as well. (Sorry about my messy brows. Thank goodness they only looked that terrible close up!) 

Overall I'm really pleased with these products. Lhasa is quickly becoming a favorite everyday shadow, Mexican Rose is a gorgeous option for a bolder lip, and I've used Rue Bonaparte every single day since I purchased it. 

Did you pick anything up from NARS Spring? Did you wear anything special for Valentine's Day? (a month ago…xD)