Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Syrah, Madeira, Honey Berry, Rhubarb, and Violet

Bite Beauty has been getting a lot of attention in the past six months or so, despite launching over three years ago in Toronto (yay Canadian beauty brands!). Bite Beauty is exclusive to Sephora and the brand's own Lip Lab in NYC, but you'll notice that it's available at nearly all Sephora locations now. This might have to do with the fact that they were acquired by Kendo last year (who also has Marc Jacobs Beauty, Kat Von D, and Ole Henriksen under its umbrella), so they now have the means of distributing to a much wider audience. The brand specializes in lip products that are "high performance and healthy enough to eat," which seems a little gimmicky to me, but I suppose those who are concerned with using natural products will be drawn to this aspect as Bite Beauty claims all their products to be made with "natural food grade" ingredients. Nevertheless, I took the opportunity to pick up several shades of their much-buzzed-about High Pigment Pencil during Sephora's VIB sale a couple months ago. It is described as "a long-lasting, matte lip pencil made with a double-dose of premium micronized pigments" that "delivers super antioxidant resveratrol, which fights free radicals with potent long-term anti-aging benefits." They have a very mild fruity scent and taste. Each High Pigment Pencil comes in a black rubberized mechanical crayon barrel, contains 2.52 grams of product, and retails for $28.

Syrah, Madeira, Honey Berry, Rhubarb, and Violet
Syrah, Madeira, Honey Berry, Rhubarb, and Violet

Syrah is a light warm peach-beige in a satin finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker than MAC Pure Zen, lighter and brighter than MAC Peach Blossom, lighter and more peach than NARS Raquel, lighter than NARS Barbara, lighter and more peach than Too Faced Nude Beach, and more peach than NYX Pumpkin Pie.

Madeira is a light warm pink-beige in a satin finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more beige than Bite Beauty Bouquet, lighter and more pink than Bite Beauty Amaretto, lighter and less pink than Bite Beauty Léche, more beige than MAC Creme Cup, more pink than MAC Viva Glam II, and similar to Too Faced Marshmallow Bunny.

Honey Berry is a light-medium brown-beige in a satin finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more brown than Bite Beauty Amaretto, darker than MAC Honeylove, similar to MAC Yash, darker than Urban Decay Naked2, darker and more pigmented than Too Faced Naughty Nude, and more brown than Too Faced In The Buff.

Rhubarb is a medium-dark warm muted plummy brown in a satin finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more plum than Bite Beauty Chablis, more pink than MAC Twig, more brown than MAC Craving, darker and more brown than NARS Anna, more brown than Urban Decay Rapture, and more muted than NYX Doll. 

Violet is a medium-dark muted magenta purple in a satin finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Up The Amp, more purple than MAC Love Forever!, lighter and more muted than Too Faced Melted Violet, more purple than NYX Pink Lyric, lighter and more purple than YSL 16 Pourpre Preview, and more pink than NARS Dominique.

These are everything you could ask for in a jumbo lip pencil/lipstick hybrid, really. The formula is smooth, pigmented, creamy, hydrating, and comfortable to wear. They give off full colour pay-off in a single pass, and they wear an average of four to six hours. I wouldn't use these to replace a lip pencil, mind you, but they are great if you want precision without using a lip pencil. Bite Beauty describes these as having a "modern matte" finish, but they are definitely more of a satin with a soft sheen, so if you were looking for a true matte, then you'll probably want to skip these. Bite Beauty's High Pigment Pencils are somewhere in-between Clinique's Chubby Stick Intense and NARS' Velvet Matte Lip Pencils: they're creamier, more matte, and more precise than the former; shinier, more hydrating and more user-friendly (no need for a jumbo sharpener with these) than the latter. They have a solid range of shades to choose from as well. I don't know about the "long-term anti-aging benefits" or if having "natural food grade" ingredients are actually better for you, but these are definitely one of the best lip crayon formulas I've tried in terms of application and execution.

NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow in Himalia, Callisto, and Phoebe

A few months ago during Sephora's Friends & Family Sale, I finally got around to picking up three shades of the super-hyped, ultra-raved NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow. It is described as "a creaseless, eight-hour wear eyeshadow with a transformative texture for wet or dry application." The NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow formula has a "smooth, versatile texture that goes on dry for a sheer soft touch of sensual colour, or wet for a high-impact finish." Each eyeshadow is packaged in a magnetized slim square black mirrored compact, comes with a total of 1.5 grams of product, and retails for $33.

Himalia, Callisto, and Phoebe
Himalia, Callisto, and Phoebe

Himalia is a medium warm taupe-bronze in a metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. When used wet, the colour becomes more intense and the finish becomes more metallic. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is warmer than MAC Woodwinked, lighter than MAC Sable, darker and more bronze than Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, lighter than Urban Decay YDK, warmer than Make Up For Ever I550 Olive Gray, lighter and more brown than Makeup Geek Prom Night, and slightly more taupe than Makeup Geek Homecoming.

Callisto is a light cool-toned pinked silver in a metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. When used wet, the colour becomes more intense and the finish becomes more metallic. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more silver than MAC Pink Freeze, more silver than MAC Seedy Pearl, cooler and more silver than Urban Decay Sin, cooler and more pinked than Urban Decay Verve, more silver and more metallic than Make Up For Ever D914 Crystalline Mauve, more silver than Makeup Geek Bling, and more pink than Makeup Geek Rockstar.

Phoebe is a medium-dark warm amethyst purple in a metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. When used wet, the colour becomes more intense and the finish becomes more metallic. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is brighter and cooler than MAC Nocturnelle, brighter and warmer than MAC Satellite Dreams, warmer than Make Up For Ever D926 Blueberry, warmer and brighter than Urban Decay ACDC, more metallic than Urban Decay Psychedelic Sister, and darker and cooler than Makeup Geek Sensuous.

A lot of brands are now getting on board with these liquid-powder hybrid formulas, and for good reason. They feel finely-milled and ultra-silky, remain lightweight and dry to the touch like mineral shadows, but go on smooth and pigmented like creamier, more buttery shadows. You can use them wet if you wish, but I actually find that using these dry over an eye primer results in the same look as using them wet (e.g. more intense, more metallic). Indeed, they feel exactly like MAC's Extra Dimension or Estée Lauder's Pure Color Gelée Eyeshadows, both of which are limited edition formulas. The NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows are perhaps a touch more refined, but in general, they look and execute the same, and the great news is that these are permanent. The bad news is that they're also $33 a pop, making them more expensive than MAC, Make Up For Ever, Urban Decay, Bobbi Brown, and Laura Mercier. If you're willing to splurge on these (and it is a truly great formula), then I recommend getting shades that you'll wear more often (Himalia is a great shade for all skintones) or if there's a shade that's really unique to your collection. Otherwise, I would wait for MAC to launch their next set of Extra Dimension shadows, which come out at least once a year and are about $10 cheaper.

Sleek Makeup Blush By 3 in Pumpkin

Sleek Makeup is a UK drugstore cosmetics brand that, while available to purchase online with international shipping, has not yet arrived in stores in Canada. I've been intrigued by the brand for a while, so when I saw the opportunity to buy some of their products in person at IMATS last November, I selected several blushes, one of which is the Blush By 3 palette in Pumpkin. The Blush By 3 "is the ultimate blush palette offering three times the impact in one compact. With intense pigment, you can use these complementary shades individually or blend together for a unique shade. Layer for further intensity." Each Blush By 3 palette is packaged in a slim rectangular black mirrored compact, comes with a total of 20 grams of product, and retails for $14.99 USD.

Blush By 3 in Pumpkin
Lantern, Squash, and Pumpkin Pie

Lantern is a medium-dark warm vibrant orange-red with a soft shimmer-sheen. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is similar though more shimmery than MAC Devil (PRO), warmer and more orange than MAC Frankly Scarlet, slightly more muted and more shimmery than NARS Exhibit A, lighter and redder than NARS Liberté, darker and redder than Make Up For Ever S742 Tomato, and softer and less metallic than Make Up For Ever ME744 Poppy.

Squash is a medium cool vibrant bubblegum pink with a soft satin sheen. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and brighter than MAC Peony Petal, cooler than MAC Whole Lotta Love, darker than NARS Desire, brighter than NARS Angelika, slightly warmer than NYX Pinky, and warmer than TheBalm Lace.

Pumpkin Pie is a medium vibrant tangerine orange with a matte finish. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more yellow and more matte than MAC Modern Mandarin, brighter and more yellow than Illamasqua Excite, darker and less yellow than Make Up For Ever S732 Orange, less red and much more matte than NARS Taj Mahal, and darker and brighter than NYX Cinnamon.

I doubt you'd find a blush palette anywhere for a better value than Sleek's Blush By 3. And I don't just mean value in terms of quantity vs. price (seriously, though, you get a whopping 20 grams of product). I mean in terms of quality, too. All three of these shades are super-smooth and finely-milled, producing even application with full colour pay-off that is easy to layer and easy to blend out. They are richly pigmented and you can get true-to-pan colour effortlessly, but they're soft and silky so that they're not hard or daunting to use. The vibrancy and depth of the shades work extremely well on dark skintones, but they also blend out well to leave just a soft flush of colour, which bodes well for those who are fairer and don't want to rock the clown-cheek look. Bonus: the slim compact makes it fantastic for travel. It's really a damn shame that Sleek isn't available in stores here, because I really, truly believe that they can out-perform a lot of other drugstore or "high street" brands. But for now, we can order online for a reasonable shipping cost. After being so impressed with Pumpkin, you can be sure that, as a true blush fiend and hoarder, I will be looking into the other palette offerings.

Instagram: Winter 2014/2015 — Food Edition

I haven't put up any food posts recently, so I thought I'd share some photos of the awesome noms that I've had the pleasure of eating and posted on Instagram over the past couple months. I don't always bring my camera with me when I go out to eat but I tend to Instagram all those meals that I don't blog about here. For those who do follow me on Instagram, I apologize for the re-post here... but, hey, you can never get enough of food porn.

Dinner with Cynthia at Shiso Tree Cafe: Potato cream soup, shrimp okonomiyaki spaghetti, wagu seafood spaghetti, and mango mousse cake
Dim sum (part 1) with Viv and Dan at Casa Victoria: Pan-fried turnip patties, steamed pork dumplings (siu mai), deep-fried octopus tentacles, and shrimp steamed rice rolls
Dim sum (part 2) with Viv and Dan at Casa Victoria: Steamed scallop dumplings, deep-fried taro dumplings, milk custard tarts, and steamed shrimp dumplings (har gow)
Korean BBQ with Viv, Suzie, Helen, and Thax at Chako Barbeque Izakaya
Dinner with Liz at Annona: Crab cakes with avocado salsa and aged balsamic reduction
Dinner with Liz at Annona: "Surf & Turf" — Grilled beef medallion, shrimp and scallop, peppercorn jus, red pepper beurre blanc, lobster mash, and spring vegetables
Dinner with Liz at Annona: Strawberry gateau rhubarb basque with vanilla ice cream, spiced strawberry syrup, and strawberry rhubarb compote
Dinner with Cynthia at Tikka Tikka Indian Delight: Samosas and pakoras, coriander and tamarind sauces, butter chicken and lamb korma, and butter naan
Brunch with Viv at Cora's: "Raspberry 4 Lucie" — Crêpe filled with raspberries and cream cheese with raspberry coulis, honey, and English cream
Shabu shabu with Viv and Dan at Rolling Pot
Dinner with Hannan at The Pickle Barrel: P. B. House Burger
Dinner with Ronsee and Viv at Planeta Mexico: Guacamole, beef chimichanga, chicken gorditas, and steak enchiladas
Brunch with my brother at Cora's: "Breakfast poutine" — Roasted potatoes, cheese curds, frankfurters, bacon, caramelized onions and red peppers, topped with an egg and hollandaise sauce
Dinner with my brother at The Keg: Mushrooms Neptune
Dinner with my brother at The Keg: New York striploin steak with garlic mash
Christmas pot luck dinner with the fam: Assorted maki rolls
Christmas pot luck dinner with the fam: Toro sashimi
Christmas pot luck dinner with the fam: Assorted sashimi and sushi (including uni!)
Dinner with my brother and my mom at JOEY Markville: Pesto shrimp flatbread, ahi tuna burger, herb crush salmon, and rotisserie chicken
Dinner with Viv, Suzie, Helen, and Thax at Touro Churrascaria: Cheese popovers, yucca fries, and deep-fried plantains; "salad" plate; all-you-can-eat meat!; and grilled cinnamon pineapple
Dinner with Viv and Dan at Asian Legend: Steamed pork soup dumplings, Peking duck (!), green onion pancake rolled with sliced beef, and shredded duck lettuce wraps
Dinner with Austin at Milestones: Pesto chicken penne asiago
I've been avoiding the scale.

London Grammar: Live at Sound Academy — Nightcall

Here's the video I took of London Grammar at Sound Academy last night, performing their cover of Kavinsky's "Nightcall" (one of my favourite songs, ever). Hannah Reid has amazing voice control that makes her range incredibly impressive. Though nothing will ever surpass the original song in my eyes (my ears?), London Grammar interpreted the song beautifully and made it their own — haunting, ethereal, and powerful at the same time.

London Grammar: Live at Sound Academy

Went to see London Grammar tonight with my friend Austin at Sound Academy, so I thought I'd share a few snapshots.


Indeed, they sound majestic live.

MAC Viva Glam Miley Cyrus: Lipstick and Lipglass

For those who don't already know about MAC's Viva Glam program, every cent of the entire selling price of every Viva Glam product sold goes to the MAC AIDS Fund. Every year, MAC appoints a celebrity to be their Viva Glam ambassador to help raise HIV/AIDS awareness. Every Viva Glam lip product that has been launched after Fergie's Viva Glam VI Special Edition in 2009 has been named after the celebrity ambassador of the year, with Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper in 2010, Lady Gaga again in 2011, Nicki Minaj and Ricky Martin in 2012, Nicki Minaj again in 2013, Rihanna for 2014, and now Miley Cyrus for 2015. To date, MAC's Viva Glam campaign has raised $350 million globally to help men, women, and children infected and affected by AIDS and HIV.
Viva Glam Miley Cyrus comes in both lipstick and lip gloss form, and will both launch in-stores this coming Thursday. Both are limited edition and will be available for one year (subject to change). As with all MAC lip products, they are vanilla-scented but taste-free. Each Viva Glam Miley Cyrus Lipstick comes in black packaging with the signature Viva Glam red metal casing and Miley's signature printed in black around it. Each Lipglass comes in a clear tube with Miley's signature printed in red around it. Each lipstick contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $19. Each Lipglass comes with a doe-foot applicator, contains 4.8 grams of product, and retails for $18. As they are for charity, none of the Viva Glam products are applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program.
Viva Glam Miley Cyrus Lipstick
Viva Glam Miley Cyrus Lipglass
Viva Glam Miley Cyrus Lipstick and Viva Glam Miley Cyrus Lipglass

Viva Glam Miley Cyrus Lipstick is a medium-dark vibrant slightly cool-toned fuchsia pink with a soft sheen in an Amplified finish. This is a new and limited edition shade, and will be available for one year going forward. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more muted and warmer than Pink Pigeon, lighter and warmer than Girl About Town, cooler than Fusion Pink, cooler and brighter than Speak Louder, and warmer than Lickable.

Viva Glam Miley Cyrus Lipglass is a medium vibrant cool-toned fuchsia pink with pink and teal iridescent sparkle. This is a new and limited edition shade, and will be available for one year going forward. It has a slightly tacky texture, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has low-medium pigmentation with sheer to semi-sheer colour pay-off. It is more pigmented and more iridescent than Extra Amps Dazzleglass, less purple than Funtabulous Dazzleglass, more sparkly and more iridescent than Flashmode Lustreglass, and cooler and brighter than Wonderstruck Lustreglass.

MAC has a knack for choosing controversial celebrities for their Viva Glam campaigns (e.g. RuPaul, Pamela Anderson, Lady Gaga, Cyndi Lauper, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, etc.), and this year is no different with Miley Cyrus. I'm sure many people have opinions about her, but in the end, if Miley can use her fame and popularity to sell a product that goes directly to charity rather than for profit, I'm all for it. I'm also really glad that they decided on such a universally flattering shade for Miley's Viva Glam — whether or not you're on the lookout for a fuchsia pink is another matter, but it will look good on everyone from fair to deep dark skintones, and pink to yellow complexions. Both the lipstick and the gloss are more dupeable than not, but they're fun and bright (such a great change in this dreary winter weather!), look stunning on the lips, and I think it will do well for the MAC AIDS Fund. I personally think it's the most widely flattering celebrity Viva Glam shade since the launch of Viva Glam Cyndi in 2010.
The MAC AIDS Fund is one of the most effective charities I have ever seen a cosmetics company identify with, and it still blows my mind that MAC helps this charity on a daily, on-going basis with their Viva Glam program. Not only that, but they don't just donate a portion or the proceeds to this cause — it's 100% of the selling price of any Viva Glam product. This is a really worthy cause, so if you're not personally a fan of these, it's worth checking out any of the other Viva Glam shades that may be more wearable or flattering on you.

Makeup and Beauty Blog: Monday Poll, Vol. 356

This week's Monday Poll:

1. A famous person you'd like to sit next to on a plane? I think this goes without saying, but Ryan Gosling. (Obviously.) Not only is he really nice to look at, but if his interviews are anything to go by, I genuinely think he'd be an interesting person to talk to. You know, if I got in the habit of talking to the person beside me on the plane. But you can be sure that if I somehow found myself sitting next to Ryan Gosling on a plane, I would be trying to talk to him.


2. How's your poker face? If I'm really, really pissed off, you can tell on my face, but it's pretty good otherwise. I do, however, suffer from slight BRF.


3. There's a pimple on your chin. Do you pop it? Depends on how 'ripe' it is. If it's really ripe, like you can see that pus pulsating, then yeah, I totally do. I make sure I wash my face first so it's clean, then I squeeze the pimple until all the gunk comes out (pus, then blood, then that clear fluid), and then I put Oronine ointment on top so that it heals without scarring.


4. What are five things you're thankful for today? Sleep, coffee, Advil, Chicago Mix popcorn, and Good Mythical Morning.


5. What's one beauty trend you're completely over? Drag queen-inspired eyebrows. Also, Kylie Jenner's overdrawn lips.

Friday Five: Song Stuff

Last week's Friday Five:

1. What's a song that reminds you of your parents?
   
   
   
   
   
2. What's a song that makes you think of food?
   
   
   
   
   
3. What's a memorable song from a movie soundtrack?
   
   
   
   
   
4. What was your favourite song from 2014? It was tough to choose just one, but I think I'd ultimately go with "Yellow Flicker Beat" by Lorde. Catchy, edgy, well-written, and a good beat to move to.
   
   
   
   
   
5. What are your favourite songs for when you're behind the wheel? There are a lot, but this one is my ultimate:
   
   

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Charlotte, Bette, and Liv

Since launching last September, NARS' Audacious lipsticks have gotten so much hype that you'd have to be living under a beauty-banned rock to not have heard of them by now. There are a total of 40 permanent shades in this range, though some shades are exclusive to certain retailers. I believe Sephora carries about 20 - 24 shades in all stores, but 30 shades are available on their website. There are 10 shades that are exclusive to Barneys in the US, and Holt Renfrew carries these exclusives in Canada. All shades, however, are available through the NARS website. Audacious is described as a "modern lipstick so shamelessly seductive in touch and texture, the sensation is audacious." It is touted to be "long-lasting," and have "one-stroke, full-coverage creamy wear" and "luxurious texture and enriched with ingredients to smooth and nourish lips." They are scent- and taste-free. Each lipstick comes in a square black metal tubes with magnetized closures, contains a total of 4.2 grams of product, and retails for $32 USD or $37 CAD.

Charlotte, Bette, and Liv
Charlotte, Bette, and Liv

Charlotte is a medium-dark brightened cool-toned red in a satin finish. This is a permanent shade, and is available at all NARS retailers. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and redder than NARS Bette, darker and redder than NARS Audrey, darker and less matte than NARS Mascate, darker and less brown than MAC Viva Glam I, lighter than MAC Diva, darker than Bite Beauty Tannin, and lighter and more red than Urban Decay Shame.

Bette is a dark cool-toned burgundy wine red in a satin finish. This is a permanent shade, and is available at all NARS retailers. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter than NARS Ingrid, lighter and less purple than NARS Liv, lighter and warmer than NARS Volga, slightly redder than MAC Media, cooler than MAC Sin, darker than Bite Beauty Scarlet, and cooler than Urban Decay Shame.

Liv is a deep-dark cool-toned berry-purple in a satin finish. This is a permanent shade, and is available at all NARS retailers. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more purple than NARS Ingrid, darker and more purple than NARS Bette, darker and more purple than NARS Volga, more berry than MAC Cyber, similar to MAC Smoked Purple, more purple than Bite Beauty Truffle, and darker and more purple than Urban Decay Shame.

As someone who now owns 12 shades of this formula, I can safely say that Audacious is definitely one of my Top 3 favourite lipstick formulas of all time. It performs exactly the way NARS says it does: intense pigmentation and full colour pay-off in one stroke, smooth and even application, emollient texture that dries down to a satin finish. I like that these have a demi-matte finish because they stay smooth and lightly creamy but aren't shiny or slippery. They're not really hydrating nor are they touted to be, but they're never drying and lips stay comfortable during the entire duration of wear (which is about six hours). I would say Audacious is a slightly creamier version of MAC's Mattene, which was limited edition, or a more matte version of Urban Decay's Revolution. They're actually quite similar to YSL's Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks, but with a whole lot more colour selection. And to whoever decided to change the packaging of these to metallic cases instead of those dreaded "soft-touch" tubes: thank you!

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Raquel, Anita, and Anna

Since launching last September, NARS' Audacious lipsticks have gotten so much hype that you'd have to be living under a beauty-banned rock to not have heard of them by now. There are a total of 40 permanent shades in this range, though some shades are exclusive to certain retailers. I believe Sephora carries about 20 - 24 shades in all stores, but 30 shades are available on their website. There are 10 shades that are exclusive to Barneys in the US, and Holt Renfrew carries these exclusives in Canada. All shades, however, are available through the NARS website. Audacious is described as a "modern lipstick so shamelessly seductive in touch and texture, the sensation is audacious." It is touted to be "long-lasting," and have "one-stroke, full-coverage creamy wear" and "luxurious texture and enriched with ingredients to smooth and nourish lips." They are scent- and taste-free. Each lipstick comes in a square black metal tubes with magnetized closures, contains a total of 4.2 grams of product, and retails for $32 USD or $37 CAD.

Raquel, Anita, and Anna
Raquel, Anita, and Anna

Raquel is a light-medium peachy-pink beige in a satin finish. This is a permanent shade, and is available at all NARS retailers. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and warmer than NARS Barbara, lighter and more peach than NARS Anita, less peach than MAC Kinda Sexy, more peach than MAC Honeylove, lighter and less brown than YSL #5 Beige Etrusque Rouge Pur Couture, and more peach than Urban Decay Naked2.

Anita is a medium warm muted peachy pink in a satin finish. This is a permanent shade, and is available at all NARS retailers. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more pink than NARS Barbara, more peach than NARS Vanessa, slightly darker and more peach than MAC Faux, darker than Kinda Sexy, warmer than Urban Decay Rush, and more peach than Urban Decay Liar.

Anna is a medium cool-toned muted mauve-pink in a satin finish. This is a permanent shade, and is available at all NARS retailers. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is cooler than NARS Vanessa, slightly darker and cooler than NARS Anita, lighter and less brown than MAC Twig, darker than MAC Brave, lighter and more brown than Urban Decay Rapture, and darker and more pink than Urban Decay Rush.

There are definitely some similarities in the shades within the NARS Audacious range: Anna is the cooler version of Vanessa, Anita is the pinker version of Barbara, and Raquel is the lighter version of Barbara. If you don't want to splurge on so many shades, you can definitely mix them (for example, Anna layered with Barbara would give you a dupe for Anita). Obviously, at $37 a pop, not everyone's gonna go as crazy as I am with hoarding these. I'm just one of those people who like to be extra, and I guess as a make-up artist, I can also appreciate the more subtle nuances between shades. Raquel is a great nude for light to medium-dark skintones, though will probably be a little too concealer-like for darker complexions. Anita is a great MLBB shade for almost all skintones, and a nice warm nude for dark skintones. Anna, which is gaining notoriety as a dupe for the "Kylie Jenner lip" and is therefore constantly sold out in stores, is probably one of the most universally flattering shades in the range, suiting fair to deep dark complexions. I personally don't mind spending more on shades that are more "everyday" or more widely flattering like these ones, versus bolder shades that I will wear far less often. Especially if they're in this formula, I just want more, more, more. Like in Pokémon, I gotta catch 'em all.

As someone who now owns 12 shades of this formula, I can safely say that Audacious is definitely one of my Top 3 favourite lipstick formulas of all time. It performs exactly the way NARS says it does: intense pigmentation and full colour pay-off in one stroke, smooth and even application, emollient texture that dries down to a satin finish. I like that these have a demi-matte finish because they stay smooth and lightly creamy but aren't shiny or slippery. They're not really hydrating nor are they touted to be, but they're never drying and lips stay comfortable during the entire duration of wear (which is about six hours). I would say Audacious is a slightly creamier version of MAC's Mattene, which was limited edition, or a more matte version of Urban Decay's Revolution. They're actually quite similar to YSL's Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks, but with a whole lot more colour selection. And to whoever decided to change the packaging of these to metallic cases instead of those dreaded "soft-touch" tubes: thank you!