Everything is most definitely coming up roses for Spring, if this capsule collection from NARS is anything to go by. Not to be confused with their Spring 2014 Collection, the 9 (and limited edition) pieces of the Final Cut Collection consists of 4 blushes, 4 Satin Lip Pencils (my post on ‘Torres del Paine‘ will be on the blog soon), and 1 Illuminator – all on a variation of this pink theme, with blush shades that can be effortlessly coordinated with the lip pencils, or mixed & matched at will. When I learned that this collection was exclusive to Holt Renfrew here in Canada (Nordstrom in the US), I raced over to check them out; after a few quick counter swatches, I simply could not resist this vibrant pink blush.

Yes, I have officially gone over to the pink side and there will be several posts coming up on the blog, that can more than confirm this. But I digress …

NARS New Attitude blush (CAN $33.00) – A peony pink hue that is warmed up by the reddish undertones in its base. This blush is very finely milled with no noticeable powdery residue, and while not intensely pigmented, neither does it fall on the subtle side. Easily blended along the skin for a fresh flush of colour, New Attitude can also be built up slightly for more depth. Staying power was quite good, lasting easily over 9 hours over foundation, less so on bare skin.

With my skin tone (light/medium with yellowish undertones), finding a pink shade that simulates that “I just took a brisk walk” look on my cheeks can be a challenge at best, but there’s enough warmth in New Attitude to work with me – powerfully feminine but still modern.

NARS – New Attitude (swatched heavily on the left, blended out at right – direct sunlight)

NARS – New Attitude (swatched heavily on the left, blended out at right – in natural light)

While I initially believed New Attitude to be similar to Gaiety, you can clearly see that they’re different branches of the pink family, with Gaiety sporting a much cooler tone due to its lavender undertones.

NARS – Gaiety (left), New Attitude (middle & right)

NARS – New Attitude (shown beside a few other contenders for comparison purposes – not swatched)

Maybe it’s because this has been such a dreary and miserably cold Winter, but I’m finding myself drawn more and more to anything pink – it somehow seems symbolic of Spring and the coming warmth to me. The NARS Final Cut Collection beautifully fills this craving with a small but perfectly curated selection of blushes, with enough variation in colour to suit most skin tones across the board. As these pieces are all limited edition, you might want to act fast. And think about backups, while you’re at it.

*Purchased product