NARS – Limited Edition ‘Portrait of Paradise’ Collection (swatches & review)

Paradise, or as François Nars likes to refer to it: home. After first visiting Bora-Bora in French Polynesia in the late 1990’s, this incredibly artistic man and founder of NARS Cosmetics, bought the neighbouring island of Motu Tané and proceeded to carve out his own piece of paradise there, drawing inspiration to create this Summer’s Limited Edition ‘Portrait of Paradise’ Collection. Available for the first time all together in a portable zippered case, the trio is comprised of three cult favourites: Orgasm Blush, Albatross highlighter and Laguna Bronzing Powder. The other two limited edition products consist of a new Multiple in Laguna, as well as Laguna Body Illuminator.

You’re probably wondering why I would pick up this trio if I already owned two of the main products it holds, right? Well, I justified my purchase with the thought that having all three products in one case makes for ease of portability (think travel) and will therefore take up less room in a cosmetics bag…sounds pretty reasonable, no?! My initial thought upon viewing the trio was that the shades seemed somehow ‘off’ in the sense that they didn’t appear as I knew they should. Upon comparing the trio to the individual blush & bronzing powder, you can see at a glance that there is definitely a colour differential.

Carried in practically every makeup artist’s arsenal, ‘Laguna’ bronzing powder is the quintessential bronzing shade. Seemingly a little muddy looking in the pan, it bears a hint of reddish undertones which lends it an incredibly realistic warmth and the finest shimmer I’ve seen in a powder to date. One thing I’ve found through trial and error, is that you need a light hand when applying this bronzer; start by lightly dusting it over the hairline, temples, upper cheekbones and jawline, then wait about 15 minutes before applying more. It’s almost as though the bronzer “develops” into a deeper shade while waiting, making further application sometimes unnecessary. In the swatches above, the right side is from the trio compact and notice how much more dense and pigmented it appears to be, even though the base tone is the same.

Topping “best of beauty” lists across the board for several years now, NARS’ iconic blush in ‘Orgasm’ imparts that ultimate hedonistic glow. Neither too pink nor too peach, it is a perfect melding of the two colours, along with that ultra finely-milled powder that NARS blushes have become famous for. The golden shimmer it bears is fine enough to give the finished look the most amazing reflective glints. When I placed the two side by side to compare, I noticed that the blush in the trio looked a lot more orange-y and deeper in tone. Once again, the swatch on the right is from the trio and while it too is a lot more saturated in hue, I was pleased to note that the colour remains the same, although to my eye the shimmer seems slightly denser.

Joining the ranks of the ever popular NARS multiples, ‘Laguna’ is an incredibly smooth and easy to apply cream bronzer. Along the same hue as the powder, this multiple seems to have a slightly coppery lilt to it and while it looks quite opaque in the tube, it sheers out quite nicely, leaving a delicate shimmery glow behind. The beauty of this product is not only in how portable it is, but how buildable; the more you apply, the deeper the tone. I also love its versatility – it can easily double as a contouring shade, a quick swipe on the eyelids for a luminous look, or even over lips as a bronze-y sheen. I also use it layered under the matching ‘Laguna’ powder to give the whole effect more staying power and a more realistic three-dimensional feel.

In the photo above, you can see all 4 ‘Laguna’ shades: from left to right, Laguna Multiple, Laguna Multiple blended out, Laguna bronzing powder, Laguna bronzing powder from the trio.

On a recent visit to my local NARS counter, I hesitated on whether or not I should pick up either of the two Laguna Illuminators as I wasn’t sure how to properly use them. I came away with a sample of each to try and now it looks like I may be going back to that counter again real soon! In the photo above, the swatch on the left is the Laguna Illuminator for Body (Limited Edition with the Portrait of Paradise collection and available only this Summer), while the right hand swatch is of the Laguna Illuminator for face. Notice that while they both bear the same coppery hue as the Laguna Multiple, the Illuminator for body, which is made with exotic Monoï de Tahiti Oil, is not only thicker in consistency but slightly deeper in tone as well. The shimmer particles also appear to be somewhat larger and possibly more sparse than that of the Illuminator for the face, which has finer shimmer and is slightly more sheer. Once applied, the Illuminator for body imparts a “beautiful bronzed radiance” and I found that it dried well in about 15 minutes or so, making it transfer-safe once dry.

In the above article, well-known NARS makeup artist James Boehmer illustrates the way to properly apply the various NARS bronzing products in order to achieve that fabulous “faux glow”. I decided to follow his tips and was so pleased with the results! By applying a thin layer of the Laguna Illuminator for face prior to the powder, it gave me a beautiful sun-kissed look, giving the finished effect a “lit-from-within” look. The only thing I added was the barest dusting of the Orgasm blush (from the trio) to the apples of my cheeks for an added glow.

I’ve included an excerpt from the June 2011 issue of Elle Canada, which has a wonderful article on the famous NARS glow and the inspiration behind the collection…enjoy!

Final thoughts: I admit that I’m relatively new to “bronzing”, but how quickly that addiction has built! Having used NARS’ Laguna bronzing powder for about a year now, I am constantly amazed by this product; there’s nothing I don’t love about it, from the texture, the colour to the incredible lasting power. It seems to actually get even better with wear! Perhaps because of this testament, I feel confident in picking up the full sized versions of the Illuminators, as I know now that I will definitely be using them throughout the Summer, and even longer after that to prolong that beach-y glow. The Laguna Multiple has already earned a permanent spot in my makeup bag in the short time I’ve had it…something tells me I’ll be getting a backup!

I would love to hear about your “bronzing” adventures and experiences; any personal faves, tips or tricks you might care to pass along?!