Sneaky Peak: NARS Summer Collection 2011 (including swatches!)

If this weekend’s fabulous sunshine didn’t manage to get you in the mood for summer, then a sneaky peak at the new NARS summer collection certainly will!

The collection comprises of a good mix of colours from the boldest of brights to pretty neutrals, I really think there will be at least one must-have item in this line up for everyone!

Eyeshadow Duo in Dogon (Above left, £23.50) “Named for the Mali-Based culture, this metallic taupe (with icy green sheen) and charcoal black duo eyeshadow delivers an unexpected twist on an otherwise neutral colour combo”

This duo has to be my top pick from the collection. It’s not the product that initially caught my eye but is definitely the item I would pick for not only being the most wearable, but the most subtly pretty too. The taupe shade is simply gorgeous. If MAC’s Satin Taupe and Club (two of my all time favourite eyeshadows) had a baby, this would be it! It has a very subtle green shimmer to it which looks stunning all over the lid. Add a little matte black to the lashline to add drama, or a little more to create the perfect smokey eye. This is definitely my must have product from the collection.

Eyeshadow Duo in Exotic Dance (Above right, £23.50) “A well coreographed pairing of metallic white with silver sheen and metallic gold, creates a dazzling duo eyeshadow”

This duo on the other hand did catch my eye in the pan, but once swatched, it wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for. While the gold is stunning and a lovely smooth consistency, the white is chunky and difficult to work with (think MAC lustres!)

Eyeshadow Trio in Cap Ferrat (Above, £33.50) “Inspired by the Alpes-Maritimes fegion in southeastern France, this trio eyeshadow of sea blues – icy sea foam, silver green and icy turquoise – delivers a cool wash of colour to the lids”

The first thing I noticed about this trio is that the three eyeshadows are all separate, something I believe is a first from NARS (love it!) The colours are gorgeous, especially for the summer. While the bright shades aren’t for everyone, they are more wearable than you would think (see the swatches below!) and would look beautiful on darker skin tones or with a tan. They are all soft and easy to apply and blend as I’ve learnt to expect from NARS eyeshadows… a lovely little trio!

Highlighting Blush in New Order (Above, £20.50) “A soft pink blush with gold and silver shimmer, highlights cheeks with the softest hint of radiant colour”

I wanted to love this blush so badly. It is absolutely stunning in the pan, a pale lilac-pink with silver shimmer. As with many of the NARS blushes, the problem is that the so called ‘shimmer’ is actually glitter, making it very hard to pull off on a day-to-day basis. Although this is undeniably a gorgeous colour, I was disappointed that I couldn’t wear this all day, every day. Definitely more of a night time shade!

Top: New Order Blush

Bottom (l-r): Dogon, Exotic Dance, Cap Ferrat


Soft Touch Eyeshadow Pencil in Queen (Above, £16.50) “Regal, easy, portable and long-wearing. This smooth and creamy soft touch shadow pencil, in a majestic and modern citrus gold glitter can be swiped on lids and blended with a fingertip”


This is easily my least favourite from the collection. The colour isn’t what I’d normally go for anyway but the pigmentation of this pencil is very sheer with chunky glitter. Everything about this pencil seems cheap to me… the colour, consistency and glitter content is something I would expect from Barry M, not NARS!

Lipgloss in Wonder (Above left, £17.50) “This shiny, sheer manadrin orange lipgloss is laced with pink and gold shimmer for a pop of citrusy colour”

This bright orange shade looks scary in the tube, but having learnt from my experience with the gorgeous ‘Nana’ lipgloss from NARS’ Spring collection this year, I made sure to swatch this before I passed judgement (a good move!). It’s actually a very pretty, sheer orange gloss that looks great layered over the Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil. The consistency is smoother than the other NARS lipglosses I’ve tried too, not sticky at all.

Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero (Above right, £17.50) “This pink canteloupe, velvet matte lip pencil is as subtly suggestive as the seductive, slow-tempo latin music after which it’s named.”


I keep seeing this pale pinky-coral shade in upcoming collections. Be it in the form of nail polish, lip products, blush or eyeshadow, it’s definitely going to be an ‘in’ colour for summer! It looks scary at first, but applied with a good lipbalm underneath (I’d recommend Lanolips) I think it looks gorgeous.

Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage (Above left, £18.50) “Named for the string of cities that line the gulf of Tunis, this matte, hot pink hue saturates lips with ruch, bold colour.”

Definitely not one for the faint hearted! This pink is bright but definitely beautiful. Being matte makes it a little harder to pull off, but if there is any time to wear this shade, it’s in the sunshine!

Lipstick in Mayflower (Above right, £17.50) “This nourishing sheer raspberry lipstick delivers subtle colour with a shimmery finish”

This really is the perfect ‘your lips but better’ lipstick for me. A sheer, natural pink with a glossy finish that leaves your lips feeling soft and moisturised. I’m a big fan of this one, I can see it becoming my everyday summer lip colour.

l-r: Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero, Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage,

Lipstick in Mayflower, Lipgloss in Wonder

Nail Polishes in Ecume (Above left, £13.50) “An opaque white nail enamel that is at once vintage-inspired and avant-garde in sensibility”


White is a gorgeous colour for summer nails, but I wouldn’t splash out and buy one from NARS… save your pennies for the rest of this collection!

Nail Polish in Kismet (Above right, £13.50) “Fate, Destiny, a predetermined course of events. This metallic sunflower nail polish was simply meant to be.”


This colour is absolutely stunning and quite unique. As I said above, I don’t like spending a lot of money on polishes that can be easily duped for a few pounds. Unique colours however, are definitely worth the more hefty price tag! (and this would look fabulous on tanned toes!)

On the whole, I was really impressed by this collection. I think the choice of colours offered something for everyone, while still managing to offer bright, fun colours for summertime.

The collection will be available in May.


My Quick Summary!

Must Haves:

Mayflower Lipstick, Dogon Eyeshadow Duo

Worth A Look:

Cap Ferrat Eyeshadow Duo, Wonder Lipgloss, Bolero Lip Pencil,

Carthage Lipstick, New Order Blush, Kismet Nail Polish

Give it a Miss:

Queen Eye Pencil, Exotic Dance Eyeshadow Duo, Ecume Nail Polish