NARS Duo Misfit eyeshadow, $34; Malin+Goetz Lime Bar soap, $10; Philosophy 3-in-1 body cleanser, $16; Argyle iPhone case, $10; Mulberry makeup travel bag, $140; Deborah Lippmann nail polish, $18; Clinique Redness Solutions, $19; Makeup eco-brushes; L’eau de Chloé fragrance, $65.
Imagine a moisturizer, complexion-perfecter and sun protection all rolled into one.
I’ve been imagining something like that for quite some time. And then, before you could say, “I need a cream that combines SPF, moisturizer and a blemish concealer,” it appeared as I was walking down Connecticut Avenue on the window display of Blue Mercury. Helloooo, B.B. cream.
It’s easy to want one, but it’s even harder to choose which one is the best fit for your skin type. Here are my favorites:
Dior Hydra Life BB Crème: Dior’s BB cream will hydrate your skin, correct skin’s pigment and holds an anti-aging serum. The cream was first created by a plastic surgeon as a post-surgical product to soothe skin. [Note to self: need to write that guy a thank you note.]
Dior Hydra Life BB Crème, $56. Dior.com & Sephora Exclusive
Estée Lauder Daywear Anti-Oxidant BB Crème: What I love about this cream is the light signature cucumber scent, which will leave your skin feeling cool and rejuvenated.
Estee Lauder BB Crème, $38, on counters and esteelauder.com.
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer: My go-to for illuminators now has their own Tinted Moisturizer? Ah, heaven. This bottle packs a whole lot of SPF, hydration for your skin and a sweet natural glow. Some of their ingredients derive from the French Polynesian lagoons. I’ve always wanted to resemble the little mermaid…
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30, $42, Nordstrom.com
Before going backstage at Joy Cioci, I have to admit, I was a little nervous. I’m a huge fan of NARS and I was thrilled to score an interview with Uzo, NARS international lead makeup stylist.
The chaos backstage is incredible. With all the makeup stylists, nail artists, hairstylists, media peeps, and models, all I could think was how in the world do they stay organized?!
The collection for Joy Cioci is posh and sophisticated (two words so many people use to describe Washington). “I wanted the makeup to mirror that vibe: sophisticated smoky taupe-y grey eyes with playful hints of sparkly nude-pink on the cheek and lips,” she says. The look was smoky with a fresh face.
The secret? Black liner wasn’t used. Yes, you read that right. “We didn’t want to make it too deep and mysterious, we wanted to keep it fun and flirty.”
Uzo also dished about NARS’ newest product (coming this fall!). “Now we have ‘Undress Me Multiple,’ a pinky-beige with flecks of silver, a must-have for the makeup wardrobe,” she notes.
And voila! The final look:
The ingredients:
For the skin- Copacabana Illuminator, Orgasm Illuminator and Undress Me Multiple (coming out this fall)
For the eyes- Corfu single eyeshadow, Portobello Duo Eyeshadow, Key Largo Duo Eyeshadow, Cordura Duo Eyeshadow, Madison Ave Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner
For the lips- Belle de Jour Sheer Lipstick, Madere Pure Matte Lipstick, Turkish Delight Lip Gloss
All NARS products are available here.
To achieve this look at home Uzo urges NARS girls to layer. “First and foremost, you need a cream shadow to place a powder shadow on top. Our eyeshadows are super easy to use when blending.”
Another new product for NARS, something I already know I need to get my hands on ASAP, is their Pure Radiant tinted moisturizer (think sun protection benefits, all natural ingredients derived from plants and island lagoons, sheer and soft to touch… OK, I could go on forever about this, so I’ll save that for a later post).