Oh, my gosh!!! I’ve been painstakingly growing out my bangs for the last… How long’s it been? A month and a half? But now I’m this close to throwing in the proverbial hair towel and chopping them off because of Charlotte Gainsbourg.
I’ve been looking at pictures of her and listening to her music all day long because, hello — gotta set the mood for the new NARS Charlotte Gainsbourg Collection, and this woman works some fierce bangs action. Charlotte, girl, you’re giving me so much hair inspo right meow. 🙂
And makeup inspiration, too! Charlotte’s new collab with NARS is kind of incredible. It completely contravenes the whole more-is-more thing happening in makeup, like an anti-Instagram/heavy contouring/blinding highlight kryptonite, with sheer coverage, sheer skin, sheer cheeks, sheer lips and barely-there color on the eyes.
It’s fresh, easy, approachable, and very evocative of Charlotte’s makeup style (and mine right now).
In most of the pictures I’ve seen of her, Charlotte’s skin looks real! She’s wearing very minimal coverage (most of the time, it doesn’t look like she’s wearing any foundation or concealer at all, but I think she probably is), maybe with a pink or dark lip, barely-there color on her cheeks, and lashes and liner. Or she’ll do a subtle smoky eye with neutral lips, which seems like a very French aesthetic to me.
Charlotte is half French, half English and the daughter of two famous people, English singer Jane Birkin and French actor/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, and she’s starred in more than three dozen movies, many of them in the UK and France. Her experience with movie and stage makeup inspired this launch.
The collection encompasses 18 LE pieces and arrives on April 15th with lots of exciting new formulas, including things we’ve never seen from NARS before, like the Hydrating Glow Tints, Lip Tints and Velvet Duo Eyeshadows.
There are also three new shades of the Multiple Tints (which are still relatively new) and the snazzy Au Poil Brush Roll, which is — wait for it — $175 (!).
SAY WHAT?! Yeah.
There are also some shade extensions of products from the existing line, three new limited edition Kohliners and two LE Velvet Matte Lip Crayons.
My first impressions so far…
NARS Hydrating Glow Tint ($36 each, available in Fair, Light, Medium and Medium Dark)
These have a super sheer, fluffy, cream-like formula that feels lighter than a butterfly kiss. They even out your skin tone with the faintest hint of a tint and a subtle sheen.
They don’t really cover anything up, to be honest. You can still see my freckles in these pics, and my cheeks aren’t completely even toned, so it’s a VERY natural look.
I wear the shade called Medium, and after applying and blending it with my fingers, my skin looks…freshly washed. That’s the best way I can describe it. It’s the look of freshly washed skin.
I like it. It’s makeup-caliber interesting.
NARS Lip Tints ($26 each, available in ruby red Double Decker, antique rose Ephelide and reddish plum Promise)
These moderately pigmented pretties feel thin on my pout and barely there. They aren’t sticky at all, and they’re also unflavored and unscented.
Am I wearing gloss at all?
With these, based on how light they feel, it’s hard to tell.
NARS Velvet Duo Eyeshadow ($36 each, available in a golden champagne with a deep slate teal called Old Church Street, and a shimmering frost with a deep forest green called Rue Allent)
A completely new formula! When I run my finger across the pans, oh, my jelly beans… SO soft. SO schmexy.
The shadows sheer out quickly, which I think is very in tune with the whole sheer vibe.
NARS Multiple Tint ($39 each, available in poppy red Alice, light pink Jo and sheer berry Jeanette)
The Multiple Tints first launched with the NARS Pop Goes the Easel collection, so they’re still pretty new. These add a little bit of sheer color to my cheeks and have a dewy finish. When I’m wearing them, it doesn’t look like I’m wearing a lot, so again, the whole effortless makeup thing. Diggin’ it.
NARS Au Poil Brush Roll ($175)
The Au Poil Brush Roll comes with an Eye Blending Brush, Concealer Brush, Eyeshadow Brush, Face Highlighting Brush and a Face Brush for a staggering $175.
I know.
Notice the different brush handles? I gotta say, I really like the small brush heads, especially for the eye brushes, because my eyes are slightly hooded, and these fit my crease perfectly.
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil ($27 each, available in soft rose London Clinic and burgundy Blindfold)
Same-o, same-o potent pigments, and a nice counterpoint to all the sheerness.
NARS Kohliner ($26 each and available in deep mossy green Cours Du Soir, deep navy Nuit D’Encre and slate gray Zinc)
These stick well to my upper water and lash lines, but for the life of me I can’t get them to stick to my lower water lines. Plus, when I smudge them along my lower lash lines, they end up looking choppy. So there’s that.
My least favorite things in this launch…
And those are my first impressions! I have grand plans to play with these products a ton over the next couple weeks, but so far, so good. I’m loving the whole sheer thing.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Adia says
April 4th, 2017 at 6:59 pmHm…I was soo excited for the sheer hydrating tints but now I’m wondering if Medium-Dark will work for me? The eyeshadow duo in Old Church Street looks beautiful on you, as do the glosses!
Karen says
April 4th, 2017 at 8:58 pmI wish I could tell you for sure, but I didn’t get to swatch it. I’m guessing it’ll work because they’re so sheer, though, so you should have a lot of leeway.
Janet Shepherd says
April 4th, 2017 at 11:42 pmOoh soo pretty! I love this kind of soft sheer look.
breyerchic04 says
April 4th, 2017 at 7:00 pmLondon Clinic is the prettiest color of matte pencil!
Karen says
April 4th, 2017 at 8:59 pmAgreed! It’s the one I wanted to get on my lips first. 🙂 LOVE those soft pinks.
Leelee B says
April 4th, 2017 at 7:10 pmI would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see you use the London Clinic again (and again!) in future looks. Would be cool one day to see you were London Clinic in a look with casual hair, or a bare/natural kind of look. It looks so ladylike and proper here, but I bet it would go so well with glow skin & a beach vibe!
Also thought Rue Allent and the Jo cheek product were so lovely on you. Could we ever see Rue Allent used again, please, maybe with a black eyeliner since you didn’t like the Nars ones from this collection. Thanks as always!
Karen says
April 4th, 2017 at 9:02 pmHi Leelee,
It’s like you read my mind! I was thinking of doing a look with Rue Allent on top of a black base with lots of glossy black liner on the waterlines. And yes, a beachy look with London Clinic sounds lovely. I think it would be really pretty with a something creamy/glossy on the lids (maybe MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl?) and LOTS of lashes.
Chris25 says
April 4th, 2017 at 7:15 pmI like Blindfold.
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Amy says
April 4th, 2017 at 7:35 pmthat skin tint has such a polishing effect. Reaaaally pretty. Old Church street is gorgeous and a bit unusual.
I never include links in my posts, but I saw a pic in a newspaper media gallery of a MAN CARRYING HIS CAT IN A BACKPACK WITH A BUILT IN KITTY WINDOW. Had to send it, obviously!!
Amy says
April 4th, 2017 at 7:37 pmHmm link didn’t show up…?! Here it is: http://m.csmonitor.com/Photo-Galleries/Photos-of-the-Day/2017/Photos-of-the-day-04-04/(photo)/1034595
Karen says
April 4th, 2017 at 9:04 pmTHAT MAN IS LIVING THE DREAM. I would love to walk around with Tabs in a backpack, but something tells me he won’t be down with that, LOL! He’s a mellow cat but not that mellow. I wonder how he even got kitty in the pack? Tabs would claw my eyes out.
Eesha says
April 4th, 2017 at 9:33 pmLondon Clinic such a pretty soft pink for harsh summers <3
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LindaLibraLoca says
April 4th, 2017 at 10:33 pmI know it is the trend, but I want a little more from my makeup. The sheer sheer trend is just not doing it for me. It looks amazing on her, but I feel like my pale face needs something to give it structure.
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Eleni says
April 5th, 2017 at 4:43 amThis is a big collection! Is it my impression or is it one of the biggest collections Nars has done recently? Anyway, I have to say not everything speaks to me apart from Old Church Street which I have to make sure I grab fast! The glosses are also nice, especially the pink one. I love that Nars suggests intensity in the eyes and sheer eveything else this summer. I’m assuming that even if you can sheer those eyeshadows out, they still look pretty instense! No bronze there which is fab!!
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Jane says
April 5th, 2017 at 6:34 ambeing new to the NARS line, it always seems so cutting edge. The Old Church Street eye shadow duo is gorgeous, especially on you with the strand of pearls and earrings. That is so my “evening out” look these days. I would pass on the kohl liners, they always seem so messy to me, the face tint and lip pencils, but the glosses seem interesting to me. Could be a great summer look.
As always, be well!
Chelsea says
April 5th, 2017 at 7:05 amI love her aesthetic, and she was a contributing factor to getting the bangs I’ve grown out. I live the look, but they don’t suit me.
I’m very interested in the skin tint and the Multiple tints! I’ll have to check them out.
Erin says
April 5th, 2017 at 7:35 amMy wallet is crying, I need like 80% of this collection!
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Christina says
April 5th, 2017 at 10:17 amVery chic and elegant looking collection–an old Hollywood feel. You look great! I think I like the London lip pencil and maybe one of the eyeshadows.
PJ says
April 5th, 2017 at 10:44 am@Karen, are the multiple tints supposed to be the same as the formula from Spring 17 (sheer pop?)
I have multiple tints from years ago (Beverly Hills, Turks & Caicos and Cadaques) and they were all super weird feeling on the cheeks, almost damp/moist – like they never dried down.
I was so excited when I heard about this collab, but while I find it pretty, I think it might be *too* sheer for my taste. 🙁
Valentina Chirico says
April 5th, 2017 at 11:35 amThis collection is pure elegance and I couldn’t expect anything else/different from Charlotte Gainsbourg! In my opinion, the colour selection for lips is very chic while the eye duos are strong but not harsh. There’s a soft touch in all products!
I love how you’ve styled this collection and your make-up looks!
😉
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kellly says
April 5th, 2017 at 11:38 amI thought the promo said there would be an entirely new Nars product in this collection, but I’m not really seeing anything that’s entirely new.
? ? ?
Karen says
April 5th, 2017 at 11:59 amThere’s a bunch of new formulas — the Hydrating Glow Tint, the Lip Tints and Velvet Duo Eyeshadows. Far as I know these are are LE and new formulations to the line. 🙂
Tatiana says
April 5th, 2017 at 12:45 pmCurious. Will have to check this all out in person. It’s a very French look. Most of the women I saw in Paris didn’t seem to be wearing any foundation.
Then again, if I had better skin, I wouldn’t wear foundation either. I’ve been working with my derm but he keeps saying, just wear makeup. Ugh.
Astrid says
April 5th, 2017 at 1:05 pmI don’t know.. they all look pretty, but nothing wowed me so much somehow. I like the eyeshadows and velvet lip mattes… just not feeling compelled enough to get any, y’know?
Pulse Sco says
April 21st, 2017 at 10:05 pmI ended up on your blog lloking for swatches of this collection, and it looks superb on you, especially the smokey eyes. Your pictures are really good, too. Those close-up of lips look out of a magazine.
But now i still want 60% of this collection and that’s just not very reasonable .
I get that most of the make-up is good, but are the bushes any good, too, or isn’t not worth it giving the efty prices ?
Warm wishes
Karen says
April 22nd, 2017 at 5:56 pmHi Pulse Sco,
The brushes are good, but I think you’re mostly paying for the limited edition handles, the leather brush roll and the name. It’s one of those nice extra touches for the makeup lover who either has everything or has cash to burn. If your brush collection is already fleshed out you can pass. If you’re the ultimate Charlotte superfan and you’ve got a little extra clash to splash, they’re super nice to have. What pieces are you contemplating? Maybe I can help you narrow your list down.
Christina says
April 24th, 2017 at 4:36 pmDoes the hydrating glow tint have SPF in it? I’m prone to genetic sunspots (thanks, mom), so I’m diligent about SPF in my moisturizer and makeup. I tried on the tint at NARS today and it’s lovely, but I forgot to ask about the SPF. Have you tried the bare escentuals complexion rescue? If so, how does it compare? That’s been my HG for a few years now.