NARS Orgasm will forever and ever be the most embarrassing blush to say in front of your grandma. Or your kid! Gee, I wonder how that conversation’s gonna go. (Connor: “Mama, what does orgasm mean? Is it a color?” Me: “Ummm…”)
Chances are you’ve heard about NARS Orgasm… Yeah, I figured. It’s iconic. This golden peachy pink gets written about all the time and described as “universally flattering,” and it’s one of the cornerstones of the NARS color collection. Every year NARS does a few limited edition items with different iterations of the product, and this year there are three pieces in The Orgasm 2018 Collection — an LE oversized Orgasm blush for $38 (if you can’t get enough of it!), a loose highlighting powder ($28) and a darling lip balm in rose gold packaging ($28).
Oversized Orgasm Blush ($38)
My relationship with Orgasm blush runs hot and cold. I’ve worn it, but not much lately. Sometimes I feel like it’s too shimmery for me, like whenever I’m wearing a good amount of base makeup, ’cause then all I see are PORES, PORES, PORES!
But lately, since I’ve been doing the whole minimal base/no base thing, which is what I did over the Memorial Day weekend, I have a greater appreciation for Orgasm. It’s fabulous on bare skin or on top of a minimal base, like a tinted moisturizer.
All weekend long I wore under-eye concealer and really nothing else on the rest of my face to even out my skin, and with this blush, I find that the less you’re wearing under it, the better, because when the shimmer isn’t sitting on top of foundation or concealer or powder, it doesn’t highlight pores as much it does otherwise, so what you mostly see is the peachy pink color, which just looks so fresh and youthful.
It looks exactly like my cheeks after I finish a HIIT workout — flushed and healthy and a little bit dewy — and maybe even 5 years younger? (Keep tellin’ yourself that, Karen, LOL!) And that’s when I totally get the magic of NARS Orgasm. So, yeah, I’m feeling the oversized blush a lot this year — but only on bare skin! If you’re a makeup minimalist, you’ll like it.
By the way, if you have this blush sitting around but don’t wear it often because you feel like it’s too shimmery, try buffing it down like CRAZY with a clean blush brush after you apply it. A powder blush works too, as does a skunk brush. Any big face brush with a fluffy head should work. The buffing disperses most of the golden shimmer, so all that gets left behind is the peachy pink (just be mindful of not buffing away your foundation and concealer, if you’re wearing them).
❤️❤️❤️❤️ 4 out of 5 hearts.
Orgasm Illuminating Loose Powder ($28)
The loose highlighter caters to the “more is more makeup crowd” that likes a lot of bling. I’m not into a frosty highlight, so it’s too shimmery for my taste, but you might like it if you love highly reflective cheek bones.
And even though I feel like the 0.09-oz. jar is small for $28, on the plus side, you don’t need to use a lot…and the powder grains are very fine.
❤️❤️ 2 out of 5 hearts.
Orgasm Afterglow Lip Balm ($28)
The balm is shiny, smooth and pretty moisturizing (although, if my lips were extra flaky, I’d reach for my tube of Hourglass Lip Oil in a heartbeat instead), and it doesn’t taste or smell like anything. My lips are pigmented, and it looks more peach than gold on me. It also looks much more intense right after I apply it than it does a little later.
It’s about half as intense after five minutes, by which time I’m able to see a lot of my natural lip color, along with lots of shine, but I think that’s the point — it’s a balm, after all.
I like it enough to have kept it in my purse all weekend long, and I couldn’t help but reapply it over and over again, because it feels so darned good.
It’s a little overpriced…but I can see myself using every last drop.
Approved, but only for the minimalists who like a little color.
❤️❤️❤️ 3 out of 5 hearts.
The blush has been around f-o-r-e-v-e-r, so I’m guessing you’ve tried it at least once. What do you think of it? Do you like Orgasm, or do you think it’s all hype?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
sarahc says
June 1st, 2018 at 5:20 amPretty color, but is it overhyped. You betcha! Too bad the lip balm loses intensity so fast. That ruins it smh.
Kim says
June 1st, 2018 at 10:02 amI’m sure I have more than one pan of Orgasm at home. It was my every day before I fell in love with Malice and just cast it aside. 🙂 I’ve only worn it over a BB cream so I’ve always liked the look, particularly in the summer when a little sparkle is kind of nice. It does seem like NARS does a lot of Orgasm and Laguna but I think they’re the kind of colors that flatter most people. Though, I’ve become more of a Malice and Hoola fan over the years.
Karen says
June 1st, 2018 at 10:07 amHoola is good! Old school but solid. Do you wear it with Malice or on its own?
TGIF!
Kim says
June 4th, 2018 at 8:15 amI use it to contour on the rare occasions that I do that, so I just do the “3” (brow bone, to under the cheek bone, to under the jaw bone – it’s my only contouring technique)
with Hoola and then my apples with Malice. 🙂
Lelde says
June 1st, 2018 at 12:56 pmYes, Orgasm is something I’m wearing exactly these days. I have to say, that I completely agree with you about having base beneath orgasm blush – it stays best and looks most natural on bare skin. I prefer liquid orgasm blush that was released last year with or without powder orgasm at the moment, as we’re here in North EU experiencing real summer heat. Honestly, I find the powder orgasm is not actually that pigmented as it’s been glorified by the beauty bloggers. For me I’t a bit too sheer, need more peachiness…
But anyways – it’s a great. good quality product. NARS still is one of my favourite brands.
Tatiana says
June 1st, 2018 at 2:24 pmI only have a little mini pan of Orgasm that was a gift with purchase thing. I never wear it. I keep thinking I should try. But I do and I hate the glitter so I wash it off. My favorite NARS blush is Doucer which of course has been discontinued. I just don’t like myself in peachy colors.
Diana says
June 2nd, 2018 at 12:40 pmI’m really loving the Orgasm lip balm… and haven’t had the same experience with it losing intensity, on me. (I’m really fair/light, though, so maybe it just stands out more in contrast on me coloring..? :))
Kristy says
June 4th, 2018 at 3:40 pmUgh. I love NARS, but Orgasm just does not look good on me. I get so tired of it being touted as the “universal” blush color in every magazine. I have a very green-leaning, light olive skintone and Orgasm just sits on top of my skin – the orange pops out on me and it actually clashes. That being said, NARS Sin is my HG blush. It looks totally natural on me, like it belongs on my face. Cool toned girls, try Sin if you haven’t already.