Chisel your cheeks with the NARS Contour Blush!

NARS Contour Blush

Since I have been seeing a lot of NARS reviews on the blogsphere, I decided to have a go and give my take on the NARS Contouring Blush in the shade Olympia.

For those of you that are contemplating on getting a contour palette; the first thing you would need to consider is whether you would prefer a powder palette or a cream palette. 

This is based on preference of course so if you are going for a natural finish that is easy to blend, opt for a powder palette, however if you are looking for something that is more long lasting and pigmented, it is best to purchase a cream based one. 

NARS Contouring Palette in the color Olympia

So moving on to the NARS Contour Blush, it retails at RM135 at the NARS outlet at Pavilion and comes in three duo shades of Olympia, Paloma and Gienah. It lasts 24 months after opening.

Among the three colors, Olympia is the lightest shade of the collection so it wasn't a big surprise that the pigmentation was pretty light when I swatched it on my skin.

All three shades had a powdery consistency so you would definitely need to pack on the color at least three to four times for the intensity to really show. For those that have a yellow undertone like mine, I find that it is always best to stick to a more woody hue; so maybe the shade Paloma would have suited better. This goes the same for an olive and tan skin tone.

The two shades in the NARS Contour Blush

With regards to the packaging, I have to say that I absolutely loved the velvety case that the NARS Contour Blush came in. I could just go around holding it every day! Extremely light and fitted, it is very travel friendly and it is simple enough to slip it into your beauty pouch to take with you on the go.

Upon Application

Now here we go; swatching both colors of the Olympia Palette; the highlight and the contour blush.

Swatching the two colors

As you can see, the highlight is a beautiful shade of ivory where else the blush color (rose) is almost the shade of my own skin-tone. To be honest I was a little afraid the color would not show well on me.

Simple Contouring Guide

For those of you who are new to contouring, the simple contouring picture above should be able to help. With regards to highlighting the cheekbones and the nose bridge, it's all about how you play with the illusion of shadows. Blending the colors well together is also key.

How to Use:

1) Create definition using a Contour Brush: Starting at the temple, sweep the deeper shade along the hairline, under the cheekbone and along the jawline in the shape of the number three.

2) If desired, finish the look by applying the same shade along the sides of the nose.

3) To highlight, apply the lighter shade on top of the cheekbones, brow bones and down the center of the nose.

4) Blend with the brush to create a flawless finish.

Side View; The 1st Application and Blending

And here is the finish product. To be honest I was pretty surprised that the blush color showed off as well as it did. It gave me quite a rosy glow without so much of a harsh difference between my natural underlying skin tone.

However to achieve this I had to put on quite a bit of the product, packing it in three times until I got the soft rosy effect that I wanted.

Front View; Before and After Shot

I honestly would not say that my whole faced was immediately slimmer after using the contour blush palette but I would say that it did make my face more defined. A higher nose bridge could definitely be seen and my cheekbones had more emphasis. Natural looking dimension achieved.

I realize that this product only stays on for about 3-4 hours so it is best to apply a finish powder once you are done with your makeup for a longer-lasting flawless look. 

PROS:

Natural

Easy to Control

Formulated Without Parabens

Easy to blend

Travel Friendly

Hardy Packaging

CONS:

Expensive

Light Coverage

A lot of Product Usage

If you are looking for a more stronger and dramatic look, I would suggest going for more deeper color palette and sweeping the colors across your features at least twice for your desired effect. The NARS Contour Blush is a good product but seeing as NARS is pretty pricey, you can always go for The Ultimate Contour Kit from Sleek Cosmetics or even Face Contour Palette from Zoeva. It will give you a similar look and won't put so much as a dent in your pocket.

For more info on NARS Cosmetics:

NARS Cosmetics Official Facebook Page
NARS Store in Malaysia: Level-3, Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur

Xx!