Nars-Nail Polish Reviews

Here are three more shades from the upcoming nail collaboration between 3.1 Phillip Lim and NARS (official infohere). If you missed the first three, check this post. In general, I find NARS’ lacquer formula to be underrated–it’s really quite good, both in terms of color payoff, consistency, as well as with respect to wear. I usually get seven to ten days of wear with very minor tip wear out of this formula.

NARS Anarchy Nail Polish ($20.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as an “angora.” It’s a light, buttery beige with warm, yellow undertones and a cream finish. For this type of color, it applied quite well, but there was slight streakiness, even after two coats, though the color was opaque in general after two coats. The consistency leaned on the thicker side but didn’t pool along the edges of the nail. MAC Near Beth Experience (LE, $16.00) is yellower, brighter. Zoya Cho (P, $9.00) is less yellow. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

NARS Gold Viper Nail Polish ($20.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “champagne.” It’s a light-medium, muted tarnished gold with a metallic finish. It had very lightly visible brush strokes, but the wider brush helped apply them in a straight line, rather than have them look wobbly. The polish had good coverage and was opaque after one coat, but I applied two coats for swatches. The formula on this shade dried down fairly quickly. Revlon Gold Coin(P, $4.99) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler-toned. Illamasqua Swinger (P, $17.00) is cooler-toned, more shimmery. China Glaze Midnight Kiss (LE, $7.50) is more gold. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

NARS Insidious Nail Polish ($20.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “black bronze.” It’s a deep, dark olivebrown with murky gold and bronze pearl. It was intensely pigmented and was nearly opaque in one coat, though I applied two for swatches. The formula wasn’t too thick or too thin, so it applied beautifully and didn’t streak, bubble, or pool along the edge of the nails. I don’t think this looks like NARS Mash, which is much greener, less olive/brown, but it was a shade I had in mind initially. Chanel Mysterious (601) (P, $27.00) has no shimmer.Rescue Beauty Lounge Scrangie 2.0 (LE, $20.00) is more shimmery, lighter. Dior Czarina Gold (LE, $24.00) has larger shimmer. SpaRitual Lithophonic (LE, $10.00) is greener. China Glaze Midtown Magic (LE, $7.50) is browner.

40 NAIL POLISHES PERFECT FOR SUMMER

It's officially sandal season! So kickoff the summer with a mani-pedi in one of these beach-worthy hues.

 

 

 

Up-do hairstyles to try now

We love this pinned-up, loose 'do, as spotted backstage at Dolce & Gabbana. It'll work on all hair lengths, too.

For days off (or dress-down Fridays) this Valentino loose and low knot just oozes off-duty cool appeal.

Twist your locks back on either side of your head (without creating a parting) and secure into a bun at the nape of your neck...

Hair not long enough to create a style like this? Try adding a clip-in ponytail or even a ready-made braid to speed up styling.

This Gucci catwalk up-do transforms a simple low bun with a couple of sharply-cut loose strands, sprayed into place.

Side-part hair and pull back over the ears into a low bun to recreate this Valentino up-do.

Fresh Sugar Passion Tinted Lip Balm

It's one of summer's greatest beauty conundrums: There's no better time of year to show off a bright, fresh-looking pout, but regular lipstick is drying, a bit toodense, and the thought of sweaty smudges is just too much to handle. Entertinted lip balm, specifically Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment. The tiny tube packs a whole lot of moisture, a not-too-subtle yet not-too-substantial pop of color, and better yet, it touts an SPF of 15 (wonderful news, since sunburned lips are actuallythe worst).

Passion, the perfect marriage of red and rosy pink. "Beyond being soothing and nourishing and awesome for your lips, this hue has just the right amount of color," says editor Leah Chernikoff. "It's enough to make you look pulled together but it's not so drastic that you have to use a mirror to apply it." It has the same appeal for editorial assistant Victoria Hoff as well. "I always switch out my lipstick for tinted lip balm this time of year," she says. "There's something so unappealing about applying heavy lipstick when it's sweltering out. This guy doesn't skimp on color—the stain reminds me of eating too many red popsicles when I was little (in the best way possible)—but it's completely lightweight."

Senior news editor Sally Holmes concludes that it's all about the feel. "For the utilitarian, Chapstick lover in me, the texture is spot on: it's smooth enough to create softness and provides just the right amount of moisture without being too thick or sticky. It also gives you the perfect shine without any of the pitfalls of a gloss (see aforementioned stickiness, plus that overt, seventh-grade style sheen)."
After all, don't those hazy days of high summer tend to be sticky enough?