a couple of weekends ago, during the (at the time) seemingly eternal melbourne heatwave, i had the wedding of my darling friend B.
this particular saturday was around the 35 degree market, and since the wedding ceremony setting was going to be outdoors (on the picturesque deck of a charming and scenic winery), i was particularly concerned about the staying power of my makeup (we don't have air con at my house so the application is already tricky in the humidity) since i had to be ready by 2pm and last until past midnight (let me just remind you, 35 degree heat).
with a couple of minutes up my sleeve before i was due for my blow wave appointment (at Joey Scandizzo Salon, toorak road south yarra), i quickly stuck my head in to my never-fail-pit-stop aka favourite beauty destination Mecca Cosmetica south yarra, to see if my go-to-girl for advice, K (have referred to her in previous posts also), was working. luckily for me, she was!
i explained to K my makeup related anxiety, and she straight away lead me over to the lovely bright white wall shelving where the Nars skin care range sat in all it's stark white glory. she launched straight into raving about the range and explaining that Nars had created the line as they couldn't find a skin care range that faultlessly complimented their makeup by creating the ideal base/canvas, for the runway models when Nars was responsible for having the girls (and sometimes guys) looking absolutely perfect and sporting envy worthy complexions. Francois Nars is a visionary make up artist and highly regarded photographer, and knows that the best skin is that which reflects light; so he made it his mission to create a product which could achieve this for women everywhere.
with this, i was intrigued; and of course wanted to know more, and better yet, to try it out for myself!
K explained the benefits of each of the products in the range, and how the products are designed to create a luminous and radiant complexion for your makeup to then be applied with ease and achieves seamless blending (into well hydrated skin). to demonstrate, she picked up the total replenishing eye cream and applied it over one hand. she then grabbed one of the shades of Nars concealers, which is gives a thick, creamy coverage (a stick concealer), and applied a line of it to each hand. the hand with the eye cream went on smooth and perfect and much lighter in texture when transferred to the skin, the other however (without the eye cream) looked quite thick and heavy (even a little cakey). i was so impressed.
i want!!!
with unrestrained excitement, i applied the serum aka optimal brightening concentrate, which K said was the other "star product" of the range, to my hand, with the result of glistening illuminated surface area. i'm fairly certain "oooooohh! i love!" was my immediate response.
with that i was hooked, at the very least, i wanted to take both of these home with me.
with this in mind, K kindly showed me the two travel sets (each rrp: $200.00), as there is a full size product of both the total eye replenishing cream 15ml rrp: $88.00 and the optimal brightening concentrate 30ml rrp: $115.00. now, not sure if you just calculated that in your head, but the two full size products together come to $203.00. yes, that is $3.00 more than the cost of the travel set, which also comes with a small sized (but larger than a mere sample) cleanser, toner, moisturiser and cute little white shiny cosmetic bag to keep it all in. winning!
first is the luminous moisture travel set for normal/dry or seasonally dry skin, the second being the luminous aqua travel set for normal/combination or seasonally combination skin. mine isn't really dry, the condition is referred to as dehydration (lack of water in skin, dry is lack of oil). however, in this instance where i am choosing from dry or combination, i would always choose dry. obviously the luminous moisture travel set would be the way to go for me, which contains gentle cream cleanser 30ml (full size rrp: $48.00, 125ml), multi-action hydrating toner 50ml (full size rrp: $52.00, 200ml), luminous moisture cream 15ml (full size rrp: $99.00, 50ml); and of course the aforementioned concentrate/serum and eye cream.
K said with the full range applied prior to my makeup application, she could practically guarantee that it would stay put and perfect all day/night. one of the things i respect most about K, and keeps me coming back to her, is that she doesn't sell me products just to get a sale. she really listens to what i want and gives me advice and products based on that, and so far, i've nothing less than loved every product she's recommended for me.
so i handed over the plastic card and walked out with a spring in my step (off to the salon, perhaps now a few minutes late after all that) and an air of confidence, that the day was going to be perfect!
after i got my hair did and arrived home, i had exactly 32 minutes to be out the door and off to the wedding. so, without wasting a minute (i did waste a few seconds though, to take the picture below) i unpacked my goodie bag and straight to the bathroom i went!
after reading the instructions for each product, i (carefully, as to not ruin my hair) splashed water onto my face, and put a small amount of the lovely pearly white (alcohol/oil/synthetic fragrance free) cream cleanser onto my wet hands, and gently rubbed them together to produce a slight lather. i then patted the lathered cream onto my face and then once evenly applied, when over my face in gentle circular motions, to ensure the skin was extra clean. i then removed the cleanser with my trusty face washer and some warm (not hot!!) water (hot water causes dehydration and worse - burst capillaries). after easily removing the cleanser, my skin felt clean and clear (free from the perspiration caused by the sweat box which is my house) but not in the least bit tight, which is the desired result for dehydrated skin like mine. the soft feel of my skin's surface is owed to the cream's infusion of monoi oil, wild rose extract and chamomile.
next up, was a quick swipe of the toner on a cotton pad; to remove any impurities the cleanser may have missed, and to tighten/minimise my pores post cleanse. this alcohol free formula also lightly exfoliates the skins surface, and leaves the skin feeling cool, brighter and revitalised (bonus not only if this toner suitable for all skin types; but it is also synthetic fragrance free, paraben free and oil free).
next up, once the toner has absorbed and the skin feels touch dry, it's time for the...druuuuuuuum roll... optimal brightening concentrate!! the star product itself!! so "why is it a star?" i hear you ask. the concentrate is considered by Nars to be the essence of the entire skin care collection. after a little research, i am pleased to inform you that this is due to the radiance-boosting serum (which is suitable for all skin types) being infused with the Nars exclusive "light reflecting complex" (explained below) and has an instantly brightening effect on the skin, whilst revitalising the complexion. it also boasts potent vitamin c (to clarify and even skin tone while preventing further damage) and noni fruit extract (you may recognise this ingredient as the wonder fruit Miranda Kerr is always crediting to her health - inside and out) which boosts cellular energy. sounds like a dream - right?! it is! the lovely, light, non-sticky serum is instantly absorbed by the freshly cleansed skin, and leaves your skin with a wonderful pearl like illumination and translucency.
only two more steps to go! moisturise and eye cream.
now the order in which you apply each of these i think varies person to person. i prefer to put my moisturiser before my eye cream - that's just me though!
so, on goes the luminous moisture cream, which promises intense hydration and additional luminosity. not only does this product contain the light reflecting complex, but also the collagen production boosting ingredient beech bud extract and potent antioxidants, to ensure glowing healthy skin from the surface to the deeper layers. i found this cream had a luxuriously light feel and a sensation of immediate hydration was experienced, which was almost instantly absorbed by my skin, leaving it silky and soft and a perfectly prepared base for my makeup to follow. the luminous moisture cream, like the other products in the range, is alcohol, paraben and synthetic fragrance free.
last but definitely not least, it's time for my total replenishing eye cream. this little gem also contains the beech bud extract, so offers the same benefits as that of the luminous moisture cream; but also promises to reduce wrinkles, fine lines and the appearance of dark circles. the reduction of wrinkles/fine lines is achieved from the intense injection of moisture to the delicate (and almost always dehydrated) eye are, which results in plumping of the skin and reduced sagging or crinkling from expressions/facial movement and external/environmental damage. this ensures optimal condition of the area can be achieved, for smooth application of concealer/foundation. in terms of the reduction of dark circle, this is thanks to the light reflecting complex, which illuminates the area causing a lightening and brightening effect. i loved applying this stunning cream, a pea sized amount was all i needed and on dispensing the desired amount onto my finger tip, it looked like a little white pearl. so pretty! i carefully applied the cream to the lower and upper lids, one gentle swipe from the outer corner, to inner. the result? i looked bright, fresh and revitalised. i love the look, feel and result of this product; it really is lovely.
so with that done, only taking a couple of minutes, i can get myself made up and out the door. this photo was taken approximately three hours later, after the ceremony.
i must say that i noticed a huge difference in the staying power of my makeup, just as K had promised. it managed to with stand the heat of the car ride to the wedding, the outdoor ceremony in the sun, and much later in the evening.. a solid dance floor session. i left around 12am looking much the same as i did when i arrived, only fractionally worn and a little tired.
i am so glad i took K's advise, this is definitely a winner range, and especially impressive with your favourite makeup over the top. you are able to effortlessly achieve a "glow from within". love, love, love, love, love. clearly, i'm excited about this range, can not fault it! below is a picture from the next day, when i applied the set again the next morning. i though i better show you a picture of my skin after the application of the skin care, without makeup on top (in my rush to start my makeup before the wedding, i totally forgot to take a quick snap!). as you can see, my complexion appears bright, smooth and illuminated (no filter).
i would not hesitate (even for a second), to recommend these products to anyone would wants glowing, vibrant skin. if you are of normal/combination (or seasonally combination) i should think the aqua luminous oil-free moisturiser would offer the same results for you too.
i'm sure as a fellow beauty addict, you love and admire Nars as much as i do; i can assure you, this will not disappoint!
B xoxo
