My Nars Blush Collection Review, Photos and Swatches!

 Nars Powder Blush Overview

For a while, I was pretty obsessed with Nars blushes. Nars is one of my top favorite brands, and it's always a brand I like going to when I want to treat myself to something I'll really love and enjoy. The products ooze quality with the ease of application as well as the very rich pigmentation.

Nars has a good variety of blush shades - not as excessive as MAC, but they have all of the basic shades. There are currently 23 in total - Sex Appeal, Amour, Angelika, Deep Throat, Dolce Vita, Douceur, Exhibit A, Gilda, Gina, Lovejoy, Luster, Madly, Mata Hari, Nico, Oasis, Orgasm, Silvana, Sin, Super Orgasm, Taj Mahal, Taos, Torrid and Zen.

I remember when I first discovered Nars blushes (I was 18 or 19) and couldn't get over the fact that they were bold enough to name a blush Deep Throat and Orgasm. Okay, Orgasm isn't that bad, but Deep Throat? I mean, I'm not offended - but if someone was to ask me in public what blush I was wearing.. I would totally act like I didn't know the shade. What if they never heard of Nars and thought you were making fun of them? "I love your shade of lipstick, what is it!?" "Money Shot." "Oh. K.. Thanks?" "What about your blush?" "Doggy Style."

Nars Blushes are a bit expensive at $27 per .16 oz. Typically brands have higher costs due to expensive packaging, but there's really nothing special - or expensive about the packaging of the blushes. The good - They are very thin, lightweight and have a mirror. The bad - the rubber material gets incredibly dirty (not aesthetically pleasing one bit) and it's a little flimsy. Some of my mirrors have become a little loose. Also, if you're not a fan of shimmer, you may want to look elsewhere because most of Nars blushes contain a little bit of shimmer. Although none of them are really frosty - lots of them have fine shimmery sheens. A great thing though about Nars blushes is the uniqueness of the shades and the high pigmentation. Yes, they are expensive - but I can't imagine ever finishing one Nars blush in a year.. with the exception of Orgasm because it's slightly sheerer than the rest.

I've accumulated nine in the past few years and several of them don't get enough use because the particular shades I own aren't practical for every day. My favorites, which are used often are Madly and Lovejoy. I also have my eyes on Douceur, Taj Mahal, Desire and Gina. (You can view swatches of all shades on KarlaSugar by clicking here.)

 Angelika & Super Orgasm

ANGELIKA is a cool toned bubblegum pink with what seems to be a mixture of two different sized shimmers - the larger shimmers are silver and the smaller shimmers are gold. It is very pigmented, so a little goes a long way. The color looks much more glittery in the pan than it does on the cheeks. You may spot a few flecks here and there, but it's not overly glittery. What's nice about this blush is that it's cool undertone isn't so strong, so it is wearable on warm skin tones. Because of my yellow undertones, Angelika pulls pink-coral on my cheeks.
SUPER ORGASM is a pink with a peachy gold pearl and large flecks of gold glitter. I've never actually seen a blush with more obnoxious glitter than Super Orgasm - but it's really pretty to look at. The glitter is so large in fact that once the blush makes it to you cheeks, most of the glitter will fall off, especially if you're applying it over powder. There will still be a little on your cheeks, but nothing like the pan. It's a lot like Orgasm, but the color is a bit more vibrant.

 Crazed & Outlaw

CRAZED (discontinued) is a vibrant raspberry with fine golden flecks. It's immensely pigmented and soft in texture so you only need to tap the blush with the tip of your blush brush for your cheeks. You can easily go overboard with Crazed, but when applied lightly, it gives such a natural flush of color. A bit like the color your cheeks would turn after a jog.
OUTLAW (discontinued) is a vibrant red-rose shade with fine gold shimmer, very similar to Crazed but with a stronger red tone. It's actually most of the time difficult to tell the blushes apart unless I bring them both into the sunlight. Even though it's red - it's not very warm. For example, it's nothing like Lovejoy - which can turn a cinnamon shade on the cheeks. Outlaw is much more neutral and doesn't pull brown. Like Crazed, this should also be used with a light hand and gives a nice flush of color to the cheeks.

 Madly & Luster

MADLY is a dusty, seashell pink with warm undertones and very fine shimmer. It doesn't look like much in the pan, but when applied to the cheeks, the color warms up a lot to your skin tone. It's like a blushed tan on my cheeks that's very wearable for every day. It's a very versatile color and can be worn with just about any lipstick or eye combo. It's actually my favorite Nars blush!
LUSTER is a golden apricot with golden shimmer. In the pan it looks like more of a golden tan, but once applied to the cheeks, the color instantly pops into that apricot shade - a blushed peach with golden tones. If I apply too much, it does redden a bit - but applied lightly, it gives a nice warm glow. I have to say though, I was disappointed with Luster - I was really hoping it would be the same color in the pan.

 Lovejoy & Albatross

LOVEJOY is a bronzed rose with fine golden shimmer. It's very warm, and applies on the cheeks the same way it looks in the pan (more subtle, of course). It's a gorgeous, sultry shade for those with warm undertones and looks great paired with golds and browns on the eyes! Lovejoy is right behind Madly in my favorites list.
ALBATROSS is a sheer white base with a fine golden sheen. Once applied, the white blends out and all is left is a gold-yellow sheen that isn't overly frosty. Albatross looks lovely when lightly applied to the cheekbones for a highlight or swirled into your favorite blush to add a warm glow.

 Orgasm

ORGASM is a peached pink that is great for your "every day" pink blush. On my particular skintone, Orgasm pulls a bit of a coral-pink, similar to MAC Springsheen. Orgasm is the most popular of all Nars blushes, and it was my very first Nars purchase back in 2008. Currently, Orgasm has over 4,100 reviews on makeupalley and is rated a 4/5. I'm personally not too crazy about the shade and haven't reached for it more than twice in the past couple of years. Since it's launch and popularity, there have been so many duplicates or very similar shades. It is a great color though and is very flattering on most skintones.

I apologize my swatches didn't come out all that great. I used Q-tips instead of sponge applicators, so they came out a little streaky. None of them really apply that way when used with a blush brush on the cheeks.

What are some of your favorite Nars blushes? Do you love them or think they are overrated?