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Monday 7 November 2011

30 Days of Lipstick, Day 6: NARS Sheer Lipstick in Dolce Vita

Hi, everyone! The lipstick I chose for this sunny Sunday is one that packs a big impact, despite its subtlety: NARS Sheer Lipstick in Dolce Vita. It comes in NARS' signature lipstick tube, which is compact and chic:
 
NARS Sheer Lipstick- love the logo on the packaging, but the matte finish on the tube leaves it prone to getting dirty!

I originally got Dolce Vita ($30 CAD at Sephora, Holt Renfrew, and The Bay, though I got mine in a makeup swap) because it has gained much cult status among makeup connoisseurs as being the perfect "my lips but better" shade. That is, its colour and finish are meant to mimic the tone and texture you'd love your lips to be naturally, with just a touch of oomph. Since I have fairly pale lips to start with (and am always on the quest for shades to enhance this pallor without looking too made up), this sounded like the perfect shade for me!
 Here is a picture of Dolce Vita in the tube:

 

NARS Sheer Lipstick in Dolce Vita


And swatched on my inner arm:


Dolce Vita swatched on my arm (MAC NC15 skin tone)- you can see that it's pretty sheer!


As you can see, Dolce Vita is a sheer, slightly warm muted rose shade. NARS describes it as a "sheer dusty rose", which is pretty accurate. The Sheer finish offers "sheer, long-lasting colour pigments [that] have been suspended in [a] translucent formula to provide a sophisticated shine" (as per NARS' description). Indeed, this lipstick is highly pigmented, but amazingly lightweight and breathable on the lips.  Here are a few pictures of me wearing it:


Me wearing NARS Dolce Vita Lipstick

In sunlight...


And yes, that is a cat with a bow tie on my sweater :)



The Verdict

Pros:
  • Comfortable, moisturizing formula
  • The perfect shade for that "my lips but better" effect
  • Extremely versatile colour- can work with many different makeup looks!
  • The texture and shade make lips look full, yet natural

Cons:
  • At $30, this is fairly pricey!
  • Although I love this shade, it would probably be fairly easy to find a drugstore version of this at a third of the price (though I'm yet to find one!)

In all, Dolce Vita is a shade I reach for often because it is so flattering and versatile. And until I find a less expensive dupe for this, it will be a mainstay in my collection :)

2 comments:

  1. Beautiful!

    I see myself heading to the Sephora sometime after Christmas to get this for me.

    By the by -- got the newest shade from Nars (Joyous Red) a couple of weeks ago and I love it. It dries out the lips a bit, but it's such a lovely and wearable red. Nice to hear that Dolce Vita is more moisturizing.

    (and I love your kitty sweater, and the fact that a certain someone showed up in the background of one of your previous post pictures)

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  2. You should check out Dolce Vita for sure! It's definitely a super wearable and universally flattering shade. Glad you're enjoying NARS Joyour Red so far :) And thanks for the kitty sweater compliment- and for appreciating the various cameos in my posts ;)

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