REVIEW: NARS Taj Mahal Powder Blush ($28.00)

Finally I made the time to review this amazing NARS blush in Taj Mahal from (www.narscosmetics.com). I think it's name speaks perfectly and for itself.  It makes you think of India, India, India!!!  As you can see the colors in the spices, it is like NARS took them and mixed them together and out came the powder blush...minus the aromas.  It appears to be paprika, curry, cumin, and saffron as the predominant spices in the photo. You can even see the orange inspiration in the clothing and in the earth itself, the clay, the makeup that adorns the women. 

Spice market, Udaipur, India. Photo

Indian Wedding Ceremony Venue

So when you see this color in the photo below, you see the comparison in the hue. Below are swatches of Taj Mahal and it is super super pigmented so i'm giving you guys a warning proceed with caution when swiping the brush because a little dab in the product will go a long way.  You will feel the amazing quality of this one as it blends and buffs out beautifully and I find that it makes me radiate and glow and is a definitely perfect color for summer and can double as an eyeshadow. There is no glitter only a gorgeous shimmer and NARS describes it as a "Blazing burnt orange with golden shimmer," which is spot on. See the beauty below. I would rate this 4 out of 5 stars, as it is a beautifully crafted and constructed color and blends amazingly well, but it may not be wearable on all skin tones..if you are a woman of color, this blush is a definite must!

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YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/svetkey2/videos

XOXO-

REVIEW: NARS Powder Blusher in Mata Hari

NARS Mata Hari Powder Blusher ($28.00)

 

NARS is well known for it's high quality highly pigmented and superb quality of it's cosmetics.  Their blushes of all that I have tried I would say are one of the best in the business, with unsurpassed color trends.  No matter what hue, I am 99.9% sure that they have it....really...swatches below..

I am always ready to take on another color challenge as I'm not afraid of any color except red lipstick, which i have tried by the way on Halloween last year, and even bought it at the MAC Store-and it's  a no for me..it's a long story. 

The color I delved into this time was call Mata Hari, which sounds middle eastern and this is a peculiar name next to those overtly sexual names of other NARS products..so I thought until further research. I discovered that Mata Hari was the stage name of Margaretha Zelle, a Dutch exotic dancer/courtesan/spy who was executed with charges of espionage in France for Germany during WWI..of course it weens its name from somewhat naughty origins.

Mata Hari In Bra & Fine Jewelry 1906

Mata Hari Performing 1905

Mata Hari in 1910 in Head Jewelry

Statue of Mata Hari in Leeuwarden, Netherlands

There was the movie in 1931 starring Greta Garbo and then a Broadway musical in 1967 who was the reason Mata Hari is in our minds, but i think that you see her influence in films even to this day, just take a look at all of those classic James Bond films where you have the sexy spy who seduces the protagonist. Her legend also lives on in the Netherlands her birthplace as they raised a statue in her honor. There was also the book in 2007 "The Tear of Mata Hari" which focused on her role in WWI and the author, Tomas Ross concluded that she was innocent.

Now let's shift our focus from the past to the present...The Mata Hari Powder Blusher is as narscosmetics.com decribes it as a "pink with a race of crimson." I would say it is an accurate description but in the pan it does not appear as that to me at least.  Once it sets, it definitely wears true as they describe but not being applied.  On application, it appears chalky and powdery due to its soft nature..and within 10 seconds you will stop applying it, take a step back and admire the pink with a strong bright deep stroke of red, which I found to be quite flattering.  Don't be fooled or turned away from the chalky look in the pan it doesn't look this way on the cheek for those of color like me as it starts setting when you apply by  adhering to the oils of the skin. I rate this blush 4 out of 5 stars. I give it so high for applying like silk and being easily blendable but the color is just not as unique as I would like. It is just as they describe it but it doesn't look that way in the pan-maybe that's not the greatest feature...hmmm

Silly photo of me but you can see the cheek color

After a few hours natural wear and setting

After natural wear and setting

you can see it setting on the left part of the swatch

you can see it setting on the left part of the swatch

no sunlight

 Thank you for reading and please check out my YouTube Channel as well @: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/svetkey2/videos