I’ve recently been trying a lot of new brands for the first time. This is really exciting!
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| We all want longer, thicker eyelashes, don’t we? |
How many of us ladies would want to have those beautiful, long, solid black, rich lashes? Truth is every woman would want to have captivating eyes. After all, our eyes say a lot more even when we don’t speak. Did you know that in ancient Rome, Roman women should have long and thick lashes as a sign of beauty? Not only do eyelashes signify beauty but it was also believed that “eyelashes fall out from excessive sex”; this meant that it was very important for women during those times to maintain beautiful, long and thick lashes to prove their chastity. That’s a lot of pressure to have nice lashes!
Luckily, we don’t have that kind of pressure now. But, of course, we still desire beautiful lashes. It just makes a lot of difference on how we look. To some, it boosts their confidence. We cannot do much on how big or small our eyes are but we can definitely ‘influence’ how our eyes look, especially the lashes.
In continuation of my journey into trying new things, this time around, I tried and tested a set of volumizing and lengthening mascaras from another new brand that I haven’t tried before…NARS!
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| NARS Mascaras for me! |
I was advised to use 2 mascaras together. First step is volumizing.
NARS Larger than Life Volumizing Mascara
RM95 for 0.21oz
Color – Black, Made in USA
This mascara comes in a nice, matte finish black tube. The applicator or wand is quite easy to use. The bristles are thick, which is good for volumizing effect. I like the look and feel of this tube, simple but chic. There’s just something about black packaging for cosmetics that give a posh appeal.
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| NARS Larger than Life Volumizing Mascara |
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| NARS Volumizing Mascara applicator/ wand |
The mascara itself has a nice texture, easy to apply and is not prone to smudge. Application is done evenly with the brush, convenient and fast to use. But if you do accidentally smear some on your eyelid, just quickly rub with your ring finger and it will easily blend with the eye shadow.
The name itself tells you what it does for your eyelashes: VOLUMIZE. This means thicker-looking lashes. Just what I need for my thin ones!
Second step is lengthening.
NARS Larger than Life Lengthening Mascara
RM95 for 0.21oz
Color – Black, Made in USA
Like a twin of the volumizing mascara, Larger than Life Lengthening Mascara also comes in the exact matte finish black tube. The wand consists of fine bristles meant to maximize lengthening effects of the product.
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| NARS Larger than Life Lengthening Mascara |
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| NARS Lengthening Mascara applicator/ wand |
The mascara has a good texture, not the type that makes your lashes feel heavy. One of the reasons why I’ve stopped using mascaras for years is that “heavy feeling” that stays with the eyes during the entire day. But this one is very light on the lashes, even with 2-3 layers.
I have “okay” lashes but I wouldn’t mind having the extra length. Oh, why do our lashes get shorter when we age? Nah, don’t answer that.
Before I applied these mascaras, I actually did a small test. Another concern that I have with mascaras is its resistance to water. I hate black smears from mascaras as the day wears on. Let’s see if this one passes…
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| NARS Mascaras under water resistance test |
I let water run through it and it didn’t budge or smear. In fact, I rubbed it afterwards and it still didn’t smudge. I used a makeup cleansing lotion then it finally came off. NARS Larger than Life Volumizing and Lengthening Mascaras passed the water test!
So I applied the 2 mascaras together. And voila! See the difference…
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| Before (left) and after (right) application of NARS Volumizing + Lengthening Mascaras |
My lashes do appear longer and thicker, although not really “larger than life”. But it still does make a difference on how my eyes appear. When you need to remove the mascara, be a bit more patient as it won’t wear off fast. What I do is I gently massage the makeup cleanser (mine is a lotion type) longer than my usual. Then I use another eye makeup remover on a cotton pad then place it on my eyelashes for several seconds to soak the mascara off.
So how was my first set of NARS products? It was good! The mascaras were comfortable to use and make a noticeable improvement on my lashes. They were waterproof so I don’t need to constantly check my eyes on the mirror. The mascaras don’t feel heavy at all even with several layers. NARS mascaras make a stylish final touch to my eye makeup!
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| The NARS effect on my lashes |
Where to buy NARS cosmetics?
NARS Cosmetics opened their first store in Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur last year, located at Level 3.
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| NARS Cosmetics store in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Level 3 |
About NARS Cosmetics (via www.wikipedia.org)
NARS Cosmetics is a Shiseido-owned cosmetics and skin care company founded by François Nars, make-up artist and photographer. The cosmetics line began with twelve lipsticks sold at Barneys New York. Since then, NARS have created various multi-use beauty products. The minimalist packaging was created by Fabien Baron and has been hailed as a modern design icon. In 1996, Nars started his first advertising campaign doing the photography for the ads himself.
Product shades carry provocative names like ‘Orgasm’, ‘Deep Throat’, ‘Striptease,’ and ‘Sex Machine’. NARS ‘Orgasm’ blush is one of their most top-selling products, being Best of Sephora’s Best Blush for 2006, 2007 and 2008. They have developed an entire “Orgasm Collection,” including blush, lipgloss, multiples, illuminators, and even nail polish. In addition, NARS product shades are also named after geographic locations such as ‘Iceland’, ‘Kalahari’, and ‘Kuala Lumpur’.
Some of the most popular NARS products are blushes, bronzers, lipsticks, and their world famous eye-shadow palettes. The shadows are highly pigmented and come in an array of beautiful colours. They have been known to release products inspired by artists such as Andy Warhol using colours from one of his famous paintings ‘Marilyn Monroe’. (for more info, log on to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NARS_Cosmetics)
Celeste de Jesus 