Quick Fix: NARS Fall 2011

** Saturday, July 16: Updated with much better images, as well as swatches of Outremer.

In case it's not obvious by now, I'm the type of girl who goes to counters on the first day a new collection arrives. In fact, I get a nervous buzz and become hyperactive when I don't know the exact dates coveted collections get put on display. You would think I'm hyperbolizing all this, but I really am not.

Anyway, here are some quick swatches I took of the NARS Fall 2011 collection. Whack me on the head because I just realized I forgot to swatch Outremer. Outremer could, would, and should have been The Blue That Ended All Blues, but it turned out to be such a heartbreaking disappointment. It applies patchy, dismally sheer, and when used wet it does not reflect the vibrant International Klein Blue-ness that sits in the pan.

L-R: One layer of Outremer, two layers of Outremer, applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion

I was appalled! Out of desperation I tried using it over a primer potion. The swatch on the most right was made over UDPP using the NARS smudge brush when a regular eyeshadow brush failed. I had to "push" the color into the skin, and only after a few layers did I manage to get that swatch. Even then, it wasn't as vibrant as the color you see in the pan. I firmly believe that one shouldn't have to make a product work for you, especially not at $23 a pop.

The rest of the collection fared way, way better:

1st row L-R: Larger Than Life Longwear Eyeliners, Oasis lipgloss
2nd row L-R: Delphes Trio, Train Bleu Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, Mascate Bay and Montego Bay Pure Matte Lipstick
3rd row L-R: Grand Palais Duo, Pago Pago Lipstick

I had a full makeover done with one of their international makeup artists, Julio Sandino. The man is a wiz with skin! I'm now tempted to get the Sheer Glow Foundation even though I need it like I need another My Lips But Better lipstick (not at all).

As mentioned, Julio applied the Sheer Glow Foundation on me. He then contoured/highlighted/produced natural flushes with my new loves, the Multiples in St Barts, Luxor, and Maui.

I asked Julio to do a look with the Delphes Trio, and he decided that a light wash would be more appropriate for daytime. He used the light green as an all-over wash on my lids, blended the gray along my crease, then used the peach as a highlight under the brows. He lined my eyes with the charcoal gray Larger Than Life Longwear Eyeliner and applied a thin coat of mascara on my lashes.

I'm wearing the new Pago Pago lipstick layered with Oasis lipgloss on my lips.

The perils of swatching. You forget you have color all over your hands.

I picked up the Multiples, the Grand Palais Duo, the charcoal gray liner, and Train Bleu Velvet Matte Lip Pencil for today. Looking at the pictures now, I'm not sure why I decided to forgo the trio. At the time I thought the colors were too sheer for my liking, but in retrospect, the light wash is kind of amazing.

One of the best things about NARS is they don't play the scramble for the limited edition game. I know if I change my mind in the next couple of months, the trio will still be there.