Happy 1st of November! Today I’m excited to share with you the third and final installment of the NARS Holiday Collection* on the blog with swatches of positively everything! There are over 30 limited edition pieces to this collection. In addition to several sets made perfect for gifting, there are also individual pieces that are exclusive to specific retailers. The collection is inspired heavily by the iconic punk era of the 1970’s with a range of shades and formulas that evoke 1970’s tough street fashion. It comes complete with graphic packaging that is edgy and truly next level. It took me a while to play with, test, and swatch everything and today we will finally be diving into all the pieces I received from the collection.
Featured today:
High Voltage Highlighter Palette, $42 NARS Exclusive
Orgasm Infatuation Cheek Palette, $42 Sephora Exclusive
Heartbreaker Blush Palette, $42 Ulta Exclusive
Provocateur Eyeshadow Palette, $49 NARS Exclusive
Spiked Audacious Lipstick in Siouxsie, $34 Sephora Exclusive
Spiked Audacious Lipstick in Sheena, $34 Nordstrom Exclusive
Spiked Audacious Lipstick in Nancy, $34 NARS Exclusive
Defiant Lip Gloss Set, $35 NARS Exclusive
Powermatte Lip Luster, $26 each
Ransom Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Set,$45
Manic Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Set, $45
Little Fetishes Mini Audacious Lipstick, $24
Little Fetishes Mini Highlighting Powder & Bronzer, $24
First up is the NARS Hot Tryst Cheek Palette It features all new shades; four blushes and two highlighting powders to highlight and contour. The blush powders are formulated with silky, superfine, micronized powder pigments while the highlighting powders are described as a blend of sheer micro-spherical powders and pearls that help to create a second skin luster.
The powders are silky to the touch and remind me of the Dual Intensity blushes, previously reviewed here, except they are a bit softer in texture. I find that they are easy to work with and accommodated many of my blush brushes. They can be applied sheer, yet layered for more intensity if desired. They are beautifully pigmented and I love the radiance and luminosity they impart. Each shade is beautiful on its own, yet can be mixed and layered to create your own custom flush. The end result is a healthy looking, luminous flush that is long lasting. I achieved 8 hours of wear with this palette formula.
I always get excited when it comes to the release of new NARS blush and face palettes, so next up is a series of swoon-worthy blush & highlighting palettes from the collection. Each piece is exclusive to select retailers. They are lightweight, yet sturdy to take on-the-go. The stunning geometric packaging is so pretty to behold and comes in hues of red, rose gold, and gunmetal black; giving me serious holiday rock vibes.
The High Voltage Highlighter Palette is a a trio of their highlighting powders. From left to right we have 1977, an opalescent pink, Fort De France, a champagne shade, and Queen, a rose copper. The powders are silky to the touch and there is a lot to love and play with here. Fort de France is one of my favorite highlighting powders from NARS, previously reviewed here. They provide a soft, beautiful sheen that is subtle and not over the top. Think natural radiance and luminosity for the skin. Next up is the NARS Orgasm Infatuation palette. It’s a trio of the cult favorite Orgasm shade, plus Laguna Bronzing Powder, and a new Orgasm highlighting blush with the most beautiful peachy-pink glow. This was one item I purchased during the Sephora VIB Bonus. I’ve fallen in love with the Orgasm highlighting blush. This shade is perfect to use as a blush topper! It layers beautifully without looking over the top or cakey. Finally, the palette is housed in a rose gold, spiked compact. Who could resist? Last but not least, the Heartbreaker Blush Palette is my favorite of the three, mainly because it houses three of my favorite blushes from NARS. You get three lustworthy shades: Luster, a sheer golden apricot, Orgasm, a peachy pink with golden shimmer, and Amour, a matte rose pink. I adore the shades contained within, they work well on my medium gold complexion and are true to the iconic NARS blush formula–exceptionally pigmented and long lasting. All the face palettes in this collection contain a complementary mix of shades that are so versatile to play with. They would also make great holiday gifts for any beauty lover. Swatches to follow below.
For the eyes, NARS released their Provocateur Eyeshadow Palette which is a NARS Boutique & NARS online exclusive. At first glance, I wasn’t entirely drawn to the shades in this palette and that’s because I’m partial to warmer, toasty hues. It was not until I swatched the palette that I realized how workable these shades are, especially for a smoldering smoky eye. They are buttery, smooth and richly pigmented. There is some shimmer to the shadows that add some serious sparkle.
Shade Descriptions:
Vinyl: iridescent light peach
Screech: gold with silver shimmer
Endless Party: burnt mauve
Smash it Up: shimmering black
Exploit: dusty rose with iridescent shimmer
Not for Sale: shimmering aubergine
The NARS Holiday Collection lip offerings this year are a aplenty! There is something for every lip lover, whether you like the traditional lipstick or lip gloss. First up is three new limited edition shades of NARS’ Spiked Audacious Lipsticks, more images here. Each shade is exclusive to a particular retailer. Details next to each shade name and description will follow.
Sheena-Burnt Coral Nude (Exclusive to Nordstrom)
Siouxsie-Burgundy (Exclusive to Sephora)
Nancy-Deep Plum (Exclusive to Narscosmetics.com)
The formula is on par with the Audacious formula I’ve come to love–incredibly smooth, ultra lush with a comfortable opaque finish.
Next is a trio of glosses from the NARS Defiant Lip Gloss Set. It contains three limited edition shades in a formula that yields a high shine and lustrous finish.They are non sticky and come with a doe foot applicator for easy and precise application.
Shade names:
BIG TROUBLE-crème coral
BITE- shimmering burnt copper
There are a total of three Velvet Matte Lip Pencil sets and today I have two to share with you: Manic and Ransom. My first ever Velvet Lip pencil was in the color Damned, it was my jam every Fall and the formula of these pencils are quite incredible. They glide on smoothly and easily and you get even coverage that is comfortable and long lasting.
Shade Descriptions for Manic:
Last but certainly not least are two Little Fetishes sets that would make perfect stocking stuffers. Each set contains a duo of mini size favorites. Pictured left is the Little Fetishes Mini Audacious Lipsticks in RITA, a scarlet shade and Mona, a beautiful Mahogany. To the right is the Mini Highlighting Powder & Mini Bronzing Powder duo in cult favorite shades Fort de France and the Laguna Bronzing Powder. I love that it comes in a keepsake tin that can be re-purposed to store jewelry or small items. 
That sums up my NARS Holiday 2018 Collection Review! The offerings are aplenty and the Holidays will be here before you know it. My top picks for the collection are the NARS Hot Tryst Cheek Palette, Heartbreaker Blush Palette, and Audacious Spiked Lipsticks in Sheena and Siouxie along with the Defiant Lip Gloss Trio. Since there are so many options to choose from, it really all comes down to your preference. I hope this post was helpful. Keep in mind that there are over 30 limited edition pieces, some of which are online only exclusives, so make sure to search online for the others that may have piqued your interest.
The NARS Holiday Collection is now available at all major retailers including Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, and Narscosmetics.com
What do you have your sights on? Do tell.
*Press samples were provided for review and consideration. The NARS Infatuation Palette was purchased by me. Some links are affiliated. Please read my full disclosure on my home page for more details.