Monday, February 20, 2012

NARS Wicked Attraction Set

I recently went to Sephora to pick up a few things, and this set caught my eye.  It's the NARS Wicked Attraction set, and it retails for $49.


The set contains several items that I have been interested in trying for quite some time, so I couldn't help myself.  Yes, I admit it, it's an impulse purchase.  It gave me an opportunity to finally try the iconic Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer without spending a lot of money on full-size products.  I can't stand buying a product that is supposedly "OMG best thing ever" and it doesn't work for me and I'm out the money.  So, this was a good chance to try them out and see if they work for me.


This set includes a lip gloss, blush/bronzer duo, a full size single eyeshadow, and a sample eyeshadow primer.  From Sephora's website:
  • 0.07 oz eyeshadow in Fathom
  • 2 x 0.08 oz Blush/Bronzer Duo in Orgasm/ Laguna
  • 0.05 oz Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base  
  • 0.11 oz Larger Than Life lip gloss in Spring Break
I thought I'd go over each product individually, since I likely won't purchase this exact set again - just the full-sized products that I like.


Blush/Bronzer Duo in Orgasm/Laguna


These two iconic shades have been tempting me for a year now.  I look at them every time I walk into a Sephora.  I've added them to my shopping cart and removed them several times.  The full size of Laguna is $34, and Orgasm blush is normally $28.  I just can't justify that price if I don't absolutely love the products.  So, this was the perfect option for me, and packaged together for convenience.

My thoughts
These colors are very pigmented, but not so much that I cannot wear them.  Laguna is a lot lighter and more versatile than I feared.  I use it for contouring, and to add a teeny bit of subtle glow around the perimeter of my face near the hairline.  The blush is more pigmented, but applying a light amount of product is easy.  I use my Sigma F40 brush for blush application, and my tapered blush brush from Bare Escentuals for bronzer.  I don't mind shimmery shades as long as they're not too glittery, and I feel like these two colors can be worn day or night.

I'm fair, and it turns out, both of these colors work fairly decently on me.  Granted, I use a light hand for  application, but they're both lovely.  Laguna is a brown shade with gold shimmer, so it's warm without being super dark.  Orgasm is a "peachy pink with gold shimmer," so it's also a warm shade with some shimmer (which is why some people don't love it).  Because it's a darker shade, I don't feel like it really brightens my face.  I naturally have a lot of redness in my skin, so I like cooler toned blushes to sort of counter-balance the redness.  With a fuller coverage foundation, this blush works better on me.  I really enjoy Laguna and will probably purchase again.

Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in Spring Break

I've never been a HUGE fan of NARS lip gloss because they tend to be pretty sticky/tacky and I don't like that feeling on my lips.  A very nice girl at the MAC counter in Macy's suggested that I wear a lip conditioner underneath lip glosses that are thicker/stickier so that the color applies and stays smooth on the lips.  Her advice has worked wonders for me, so I can finally wear my stickier glosses with confidence!


My thoughts
Spring Break is a nice, nude color that is very sheer.  The applicator isn't your typical doe-foot sponge applicator - instead, it looks like a nail polish applicator with shorter bristles.  My gloss's bristles are quite splayed, which hinders application a bit.  It's not too bad, but the full price of this gloss is $26, which I don't think is worth it for me.  A similar color is NYC's Nude York City, which has a better applicator and isn't sticky all... plus it costs significantly less.

Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base


This is just a sample of NARS' eyeshadow primer.  


My thoughts
It's remarkably similar to Urban Decay's primer potion (original), just slightly more expensive (at $24).  I have only used this twice, and I think it works nicely, but it does not replace my all-time favorite, Too Faced Shadow Insurance.  This base has no color, and applies with a sponge-tip doe-foot applicator.


Eyeshadow in Fathom

Last but not least, the set includes a full-sized eyeshadow in the color Fathom.  As the picture shows, this a pale pink with shimmer.  

My thoughts
It reminds me a lot of Urban Decay's SWF eyeshadow, but a little cooler in tone.  It is a little on the sheer size, but it's nice to brighten the eyes.  I haven't tried this as a highlighter, but I'm thinking that's the best use for it, especially around the eyes as a little feminine touch of light and shimmer.

Overall, this is a nice set for the money.  I am glad I got the opportunity to finally try Laguna and Orgasm.  I think Laguna is a bronzer I will be keeping around a long time.  The lipgloss is a nice nude to keep in my collection, but it must be paired with a lip conditioning product of some kind.  The eyeshadow is beautiful and I think it'll make a pretty and flattering highlighting shade.

If you've tried these products, what did you think?  Any eyeshadow shades you would recommend?  I hear their duos are great, but I've never tried them.  How about you?

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