NARS Spring 2012 Swatches & Review: Paramaribo, Mexican Rose, Gaiety

Paramaribo eyeshadow duo, Gaiety blush
Mexican Rose Velvet Gloss lip pencil





I have some of the products from the new NARS Spring 2012 collection. I have even used them during a dinner party, and I really liked the combination of these products. This collection is a marriage of bright, playful hues balanced by rich, toned-down shades. Here are some swatches and my thoughts on the products that I have.

Gaiety Blush:


Gaeity blush









Gaiety blush is a very spring-y matte bubblegum pink blush. The name does describe itself- the blushing pink shade is reminiscent of the flush on one's cheeks after a happy, blissful walk in cold weather. I also like that it doesn't have shimmer but more of just a simple, matte look. This reminds me of Angelika blush but without the shimmer. I like that it applied well on the cheeks with a soft, slightly tapered oval blush. No splotchy patches seen, which is great. (Will post a photo tonight wearing Gaiety.)

All in all, I can't see anybody going wrong with this blush. I have warm skintones and I thought that this would look weird on me, but the blush didn't translate too cool on my skin. This is great for winter, but it would be a lovely blush for spring and summer, as well.  Performance is typical NARS: really pigmented, great finish and texture, and lasted a full 6-8 hours on my cheeks.

Paramaribo Eye Shadow Duo











This eye shadow duo called Paramaribo is named after the capital of Surinam, a tropical state in South America. It bespeaks of the lush tropical forests as depicted by its brass and bronze hues with strong green tones. The first time I saw this, I quickly fell in love with it. I did a look with it combined with a sparkly black and NARS' All About Eve eye shadow duo as highlighter, and I was not disappointed:


Using Paramaribo eye shadow duo


Love how the shades complement my brown eyes!



I even use this duo for work and it gives an usual shade on the lids, but still keeps the entire look neutral and office-friendly. Love this duo, I'm pretty sure this will be used often.


Mexican Rose Velvet Gloss lip pencil













Mexican Rose was a pleasant surprise.  I'd thought that it would be just your regular chubby lip pencil, but I'm surprised that it is amazingly pigmented and it has a nice shine to it, kind of a combination of the pigmentation of a lipstick and the shine of a gloss.  It is not sticky though, unlike a lipgloss.  It has shimmer, but not the tacky kind.  Mexican Rose is a nice cherry red that is so pretty on the lips. I was amazed that it was really pigmented:


Wearing Mexican Rose, Paramaribo eye shadow duo and Gaiety blush

The only downside however is that this can stain your lips.  Otherwise, it is really pigmented and this could be your lipliner, lipstick and lip gloss in one.  Talk about a multi-tasking product!

All in all, I am a liking the NARS Spring 2012 collection pieces that I have.  There are certainly bright hues like Mexican Rose, but the shades are not garish and definitely wearable.  The richness of the eye shadow duo gives depth and beautiful color to the lid, and I really like the brass and greens in Paramaribo.  Lastly, Gaiety blush is a must for those who crave a girly-girl flush- a pretty bubblegum pink that can be worn any time of the year.  The best part for me is that it is matte, so you can also wear it any time of the day or night.  The ones I have are my favorite shades from the collection and I am impressed with the performance as well.

The Shades Of U Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Available: January 15, 2012 at www.narscosmetics.com

Note: Media sample was provided by a representative of the company for consideration.  All opinions are completely mine.