NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes


As you may be aware NARS decided to honour Guy Bourdin for their 2013 holiday/Christmas collection which pretty much laughs in the face of typical festive offerings with lots of bright colours for the lips, eyes, cheeks and of course nails. I'm not quite brave enough to wear bright eyeshadow but bold lipsticks and blushes...gimme, gimme, gimme! Let me share my thoughts on the three blushes that have been launched as part of the NARS Guy Bourdin collection.

NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes
NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes

The packaging is what we've all come to expect from NARS - a slim and chic black rubberised casing with the NARS signature logo stamped on the front. Inside you will find a large mirror which is always a blessing when on the go. If you are familiar with the typical NARS packaging then you will know how frustrating the rubberised finish can be - I kid you not nothing and I mean nothing collects dirt and fingerprints quite like it. 
However along the way I have learnt that if you wipe the compacts down with a wet wipe or even a wet soapy flannel then somewhat polish with a dry towel the fingerprints et al will disappear. Voilà. For those with curious minds the rubberised finish is meant to act as a shock absorber meaning that should you drop your blush or any other powder product the risk of it shattering is minimised - I can't really vouch for this factor. 

NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes

So let's get on to the three shades that are currently available as part of the Guy Bourdin collection are:

NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes
NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes
NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes
NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes

NARS Couer Battant Blush (nope no idea how to pronounce that either) - A super bright blue based pink that is so bright I guess it could be described as a shocking pink. Yes it is a little scary in pan form and uber pigmented but with a soft brush and light hand this actually garners really flattering results. In my opinion it gives a rosy glow akin to a brisk walk in the cool winter air effect but without the need of braving the chill. As it is super pigmented even the deepest complexion can wear this blush without worrying about it appearing ashen - I do warn that the lighter the skin tone the softer the approach you should take to avoid looking like coco the clown. To sum up a super flattering matte pink blush that will suit nearly all that does not settle into the pores or fine lines and wears up to 9 hours on my oily skin. Get it while you can as it is limited edition. 

NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes
NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes
NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes
NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes

NARS Daydream Blush - Another limited edition offering and probably the shade that most will gravitate towards as it is more muted and as a result better suited to everyday wear. Having shade that and keeping in mind that I am a huge coral fan be it blush or lipstick I do find NARS Daydream to be a little too safe and not at all anything new - I find it to be a slightly deeper and more orange toned version of NARS Deepthroat. In my opinion this shade is better suited to light-medium complexions as a blush and as a highlighter for deeper skin tones. The formula of NARS Daydream is slightly drier than the matte blushes in this line but it is not lacking in pigmentation. I do have to warn that my enlarged pores did not enjoy the shimmer particles as much as I would have hoped but other than that it is a great everyday muted coral blush that wears well.

NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes
NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes
NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes
NARS Guy Bourdin Blushes

NARS Exhibit A Blush (the only non limited edition blush in the trio) - Oh how this orange tinged red blush has taunted me for years, I have admired it from a far yet never had the nerve to purchase it. Well my friends that day has finally came and I am so glad I have finally succumbed. NARS Exhibit A is a bright and again almost shocking offering but rather than being a true red this has a strong orange undertone and much like NARS Couer Battant is applied with a light hand and a soft brush the results can be surprisingly natural. Those looking for a true red blush may want to skip as when applied with a less is more approach I have found the end result to be a bright coral effect that begs for a tan and some summer sunshine. Once more this is beautifully pigmented and although it does have a warm undertone it is some what universally flattering. Being a matte NARS blush this wore close to 9 (with some wiggle room for longer) on my oily skin.

You can find NARS Couer Battant and Daydream via Space.NK for £21.50 each - link and NARS Exhibit A again via Space.NK for the same price here - link. The latter shade can also be found on ASOS with 25% off at the moment - link.

This post contains both press samples and products which I personally purchased.