When first released, I wasn't sure if I would be picking up one of the NARS Matte Multiples. Cream blushes in a stick? Meh. I think I'll pass.
But when I saw that they had two bronzey-brown shades perfect for contouring (Altai and Vientiane) I wandered over to Sephora to plunk down 39 bucks in the name of science. I settled on Vientiane knowing I would be tanner later and cream contouring products tend to y'know, blend out. Altai would've been too light for me.
Apparently you can also use this on your lips. I won't be doing that, but I'm guessing that's a user guide for the brighter, blush-like colors. I also didn't know you could use it wet/dry (NARS way of saying their product is ultra pigmented and can be sheered out.)
Here are the ingredients if you're interested. Since it is a cream product, it would probably be wise to chuck by the 18M mark as suggested or store it in a cool place if you're not using it immediately. I hear that for the same price as their original Multiples you only get half the product.
DAFUQ NARS? WAI YOUR MAKEUPS SO GUD BUT EXPENSE?
Here it is. I noticed that both bronzer shades leaned red more so than orange for a natural look. You really don't get a whopping amount of product for the price, so if you're on a budget I would really recommend finding a drugstore stick foundation (like the Maybelline Fit Me stick) in a darker shade instead. I find that the smallest amount of product goes a long way.
Of course, the selling point of NARS version is that it's much more long-lasting on the skin, especially for a cream product. I found that my newly bronzed complexion held up throughout the course of an 8 hour day spent hiking up in Santa Cruz. I didn't set it with any powder bronzer either.
Cream products like these also have a tendency to show up much more pigmented than you think. I applied it to the hollows of my cheeks and temples, blended it out, didn't really see a difference, shrugged and moved on with my life. That is, until I asked my husband what he thought of my makeup and he said "too bronzed." So...use with caution and in good lighting, mmkay?
Here it is applied straight onto the face. I chose to place it just under my cheekbones, near my hairline, and on the sides of my nose.
Then, I took my Tarte Airbuki brush and blended everything out with a light hand. See how natural it looks? This is the more prominent cheekbone, so I can't accredit everything to the Matte Multiple. The picture below shows my doughy side, where the cream has created a fake cheekbone for me. Woohoo!
The texture is super smooth and I apply straight from the tube since the design is so fitting. There isn't drag and it blends seamlessly into the skin for an ultra-natural look. I did read around online and some people said that it could look streaky, but I don't have any textural issues with the skin on my cheeks.
Even after all of this praise, I won't be repurchasing simply due to the price. With the rate that I'm going at, I can't see this lasting longer than this summer. It's a very solid product with lots of great colors to choose from, but still a luxury product by definition. Those who want a multi-purpose color like the name suggests...you're gonna be out of product in a week. Serious.
Do you think you're gonna pick one up? I really enjoy using mine but can't imagine spending that much again. I'll probably get the Maybelline stick in a dark shade instead when this runs out.
xo Be
