I can't imagine the makeup world without brushes. Having the right makeup tools is essential to achieving the right makeup look. With that in mind, I absolutely agree that it's important to invest in high quality makeup tools for applying makeup. In my experience, the best premium brushes came from NARS. A few months ago, NARS introduced new line of exquisite makeup brushes designed with the finest quality hairs. This 16 piece comprehensive Artistry Brush Collection features iconic design - the matte black finish with sharp debossed logo and signature pop of red - it's stunning, sexy, and seductive!

These brushes are perfect for achieving a full look:

Bronzing Powder Brush #11 - $58
- a natural, soft bronzing powder brush.
An essential for controlled application, this bronzing powder brush has a dense concentration of high-quality goat hair that holds and applies product evenly for an allover glow.  

Contour Brush #21 - $47
- an angled brush ideal for contouring.
Expertly angled for sculpting and contouring the cheekbones, this brush is an essential for highlighting. High-quality, premium goat bristles blend and define for controlled product application. 

Eye Shadow Brush #40 - $36
-a versatile brush ideal for application of eye color.
An essential for a masterful sweep of allover shadow, this brush is made of high-quality sable hair. It picks up and deposits the perfect amount of pigment to create a polished look.  

Precision Contour Brush #44 (for eyes) - $32
The firm, flexible hair design of this brush is ideal for applying concentrated color. A must for creating a smoky eye, it deposits color perfectly in the eye crease.

These brushes are beautiful. I have them on display in my bathroom and it's been such a pleasure using them everyday. Overall, they rate very well on both Sephora.com and other channels. I would highly recommend most of NARS brushes as they are so well designed. If the price wasn't a factor, I would get all 16!

Value: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Performance: 5/5
Design: 5/5
Price: $$$$$

Overall: 4/5 

Would I use it again? YES!

I am so excited for these new additions to the NARS family - the Matte Multiple, Contour Blush, plus an array of amazing quality brushes. As a fan of NARS for many years, I've been using their infamous blushes and illuminators for quite a while and overall, the products have always been a good investment

Just in time for its 20th year anniversary, NARS introduces the new multi-use Matte Multiple (blushes & bronzers) - the product can be used wet or dry for a versatile cheek or lip application. Plus, it comes in gorgeous colours and shades!

Available in seven shades from ginger pink to golden bronze, the Matte Multiple features a creamy, lightweight formula that delivers buildable, long-lasting, hydrating colour for lips and cheeks. This innovative formula can be applied dry for a soft yet vibrant matte effect or wet for a rich and vivid finish that melts into skin. 

Products Include:

ANGUILLA, Ginger pink 

EXUMAS, Pink apricot 

SIAM, Poppy red 

LAOS, Rose coral 

ALTAI, Rose bronze 

VIENTIANE, Copper bronze 

CAPPADOCE, Golden bronze 

Price: $46 

Available April 14th at select NARS retailers (including Sephora, Hudson’s Bay, Holt Renfrew and MURALE) and www.narscosmetics.ca

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But that's not all...NARS also launched Contour Blushes, the ultimate essential in makeup artistry to create natural-looking definition with a luminous finish.

Now available at select NARS retailers (including Sephora, Hudson’s Bay, Holt Renfrew and Murale) and www.narscosmetics.ca - The beautifully balanced duos feature a lighter shade to illuminate the highpoints of the face and a deeper shade to enhance definition. Ultra-smooth, lightweight texture lends itself to a luminous finish and the specially designed contouring formula adds visual depth and dimension in a single swipe. 

To create the perfect contour on cheeks, apply the deeper shade of the Contour Blush to the hollows of the cheeks and along the hairline; sweep the light shade across the cheekbones toward the temples to soften and highlight. Finish the look with a pop of your favorite blush shade on the apples of the cheek. 

Products Include:

OLYMPIA, Ivory/Rose 

PALOMA, Pink beige/Deep rose 

GIENAH, Honey/Amber 

Price: $46 

Last but not least, NARS also launches a comprehensive 16 piece Artistry Brushes collection featuring  an exquisite design conceived by Founder and Creative Director François Nars and Fabien Baron, of New York design firm Baron & Baron. 

 Each brush is designed with the finest quality hairs and delicately weighted to provide the necessary balance for a professional and precise makeup application. The custom brush and packaging feature the iconic matte black finish with sharp debossed logo and signature pop of red.

“You cannot achieve good makeup without good tools.” – François Nars 

FACE CATEGORY Refine. Blend. Conceal.

Powder Brush #10, $58 

Blends, buffs, and diffuses loose powder for a lustrous finish. Double domed with layers of full, soft hair to pick up and deposit powder evenly. 

Bronzing Powder Brush #11, $58 

An artist essential for controlled application. The dense concentration of soft, natural hair holds and applies product for an even, all-over glow. 

Cream Blending Brush #12, $32 

A versatile, multi-use brush for face and eyes. Designed for gentle application of concealer around the eyes and effortless blending of cream textures. 

Precision Blending Brush #13, $30 

For precision application of concealer. Ideal for focused use on spots, pigmented areas, or around the eyes and nose. 

CHEEK CATEGORY Sculpt. Contour. Highlight.

Blush Brush #20, $47 

Professional domed shape deposits blush pigments perfectly. Diffuses as it blends for smooth, effortless application. 

Contour Brush #21, $47 

Expertly angled for sculpting and highlighting the cheekbones. An artist essential to define and blend with controlled application. 

EYE CATEGORY Line. Define. Blend.

Eye Shadow Brush #40, $36 

Deposits the perfect amount of pigment for a masterful sweep of all-over shadow. 

Diffusing Brush #41, $37 

A must-have for blending and creating the smoky eye. Lush bristles softly apply shadow for a light veil of colour. 

Blending Eye Shadow Brush #42, $37 

Ideal tool for applying high-shimmer shadows and effortless blending for a soft-focus effect due to softer, longer hair design. 

Wide Contour Eye Shadow Brush #43, $37 

The go-to artist essential that does it all: tap, blend, or sweep shadow with ease. Angled shape allows for all-over or precise application. 

Precision Contour Brush #44, $32 

The firm, flexible hair design of this brush is ideal for applying concentrated colour in the eye crease. 

Smudge Brush #45, $32 

The smoky eye artist essential. Expertly deposits colour along the lash line and diffuses and softens eyeliner. 

Push Eyeliner #46, $32 

Transforms any cream or powder eye shadow into an eyeliner for a smooth, fine line at the base of the lashes. Use wet to apply powders for stronger colour impact. 

Angled Eyeliner Brush #47, $32 

Designed for impeccable glide when applying liquid and cream textures along the lash line. Perfect for use with NARS Eye Paint to create a variety of effects, from natural to dramatic. 

Brow Defining Brush #48, $30 

Define, shape and fill in sparse brows. Firm bristles provide control and deposit powder for a hair-like effect. 

LIP CATEGORY

Precision Lip Brush #30, $30 

Designed with a wide, flat surface to evenly apply lipstick with precision. 

Available April 3 at select NARS retailers (including Sephora, Hudson’s Bay, Holt Renfrew and Murale) and www.narscosmetics.ca

After years of using the perfect multi-functional NARS Yachiyo Brush I've finally decided to review it. Sadly, it looks like the infamous, highly rated brush is now out of stock at NARS.com and Sephora, although, I did find it available online by the Canadian retailer, The Bay, where I have originally purchased it for $73+!

So what's so good about it? The NARS Yachiyo brush's modern concept and function unites traditional Japanese culture, creating unique and versatile design. Featuring super black goat hair, known for its softness and strength, this Kabuki Artisan brush is designed for a variety of uses including color application, blending, contouring and highlighting. Super black goat hair is ideal for blending pigments.

PROS: 

• Easy to use
• Gorgeous packaging and design
• Well-made and well-crafted
• Multi-functional and versatile - it's great for contouring and highlighting
• Bendy and spring-like feel and diffusing pointy end designed for a perfect application
• Made for use with very pigmented powder blushes such as NARS Exhibit A
• Perfect for cheeks and face blush/bronzer application
• Made with very soft Pen Super Goat hairs, which are ideal for blending pigments
• The hand-spun black wisteria handle preserves its unique traditional character
• Rated 4.6 out of 5 by MakeupAlley.com members

CONS: 

• Very expensive
• Hard to find
• Slight hair fall out

Despite the price tag, I highly recommend investing in this brush. It lasted me many years, and it can do much more than a typical blush brush. Think of it as a 5-in-1 tool!

Value: 5/5
Quality: 4.5/5
Effectiveness: 5/5
Packaging: 5/5
Price: $$$$

Overall: 4/5  You gotta have it.

Would I use it again? Yes.

I have so many Everyday Minerals pigments that I decided to play with them just for fun - I was home and did not get to wear it out - but still enjoyed my time creating this look.

1. I cleaned and moisturized my face - with Clean & Clear Morning Burst Skin Brightening Facial Cleanser and Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer.

2. Used a silicone based Lise Watier Base Miracle primer for the face, and Spectrum Cosmetics primer for the eye lids.

Yes, this post is late, and yes, New Year's Eve is long gone, but I've been too busy and too lazy to put it together until now! :) It took me over 1.5 hours to accomplish this smoky eye look, and of course, my hair being so wavy took me over an hour to straighten. The majority of eye shadow is actually samples I've received from La Coquette Cosmetics. The quality is quite good, but the dark shadow needed quite a bit of shadow poxy / primer. Overall, I was quite happy with the result. The smoky eye look lasted for many hours, and took some 15-20 minutes to remove the makeup using the delicate eye remover Lancome Bi-Facil.

For full list of products see the rest of the post.

Today I've done a simple look using Maybelline Color Explosion in Caffeine Rush,
a natural/classic mini palette that retails for $10 or less depending on the store.

Take a look!

PRODUCT LIST:

• Moisturized skin with organic Rosehip Seed Oil / makes skin really smooth and helps with scars!
• Lise Watier Miracle Base / it's okay, but too pricy ($30)
• Everyday Minerals in Natural and Sparkle Beige / awesome coverage!
• Maybelline Color Explosion in Caffeine Rush / I used all 5 shades in the palette
• The Body Shop blush in Petal / It's very subtle!
• NARS lipgloss in Wonder / one of my favorite lip glosses
• Clinique mascara sampler

Yesterday I have created something that is more of an 80's look—bold lip and winged-out eyes!
Full product list at the end of the post.