Since its conception in 1999, the Nars blush has been smashed and smeared across magazine pages, endured the chaos backstage at Fashion Week, and traveled across the globe in the handbags of beauty lovers. It has earned its share of accolades, including seven Allure Best of Beauty Awards (no easy feat) and Hall of Fame status.
After 25 years, Nars decided it was time for a change. The brand has relaunched its blush collection with a new formula, feel, and compact. Allure editors dove deep into how it compares to the blush we know and love.
- Overview: Nars blush
- About the ingredients
- How I tested it
- More Allure reviews
- Pricing and value
- Where to buy it
Overview: Nars blush
The reformulation of the blush started in 2018, says Nars vice president of global product development, Lucrecia Jovel. “We originally went into this process to obtain clinical testing data,” she says, explaining that the Nars team was looking to back up claims of “how long-lasting the blush was.” From there, the brand decided to make some changes. You’ll still find 12 of the collection’s best sellers (like Taj Mahal, Dolce Vita, and Orgasm), but Nars has introduced eight new shades that the team “felt were missing pieces from the original blush collection,” says Jovel.
You’ll also see brand-new iterations of Orgasm: Orgasm Edge (a matte peach-pink shade) and Orgasm Rush (a deep warm red with gold shimmer). “The Orgasm shade wasn’t always the best fit for every skin tone and we wanted to reassess this,” says Jovel. “With that, we had our eyes set on creating an Orgasm collection that allows for all to wear the beloved hue, but in a way that’s suitable to their personal skin tone. Not every shade is for everyone, but we wanted to make sure that Orgasm could be.”
The powders are now encased in sturdier, rectangular compacts that allow you to replace the tin once you’ve emptied it. (You might need a safety pin to pop it out of the magnetic base.) Jovel continues, “It was imperative that with any changes, we took into consideration added value and did the formula justice.” Which brings us to…
About the ingredients
The Nars blush contains new pigments meant to enhance its “blendability, seamlessness, and blurring effects on skin,” says Jovel. Cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos attributes the blendability to octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate, an emollient that helps pigments spread easily on the skin. She adds that its “ultrafine pigments can have some blurring properties and bismuth oxychloride has a very soft, pearlescent effect.”
The most notable change in the formulation is the omission of talc, a filler used to add body and texture to a powder. Dobos says that many makeup manufacturers are doing this because of concerns about “potential trace contamination of asbestos in talc.” Nars did not confirm that this is why it removed the ingredient, but while "most manufacturers process and test talcs used in cosmetics to confirm the absence of asbestos, there are negative [public] perceptions causing many [brands] to remove talc,” says Dobos. Nars has swapped the ingredient for a combination of synthetic and natural mica.
How I tested it
There are a million ways to wear blush. (TikTok is churning out more as we speak.) Makeup artist Joseph Carrillo suggests the following for this particular formula: For a faint cheek stain, use the rounded end of a damp Beautyblender to pick up the powder and tap it along your cheeks. If you’re going for a soft-focus finish, sweep the blush on with a small to medium-size makeup brush. His preferred brush for this is the Make Up For Ever 160 Blush Brush, which has a tapered point that makes it easy to pick up the powder. For a more vivid result, use a stippling brush to tap and swirl the powder onto your cheeks. “It all depends on the payoff you’re looking for,” Carrillo says.
I prefer a diffused look, so I reached for my Charlotte Tilbury Powder and Sculpt Brush, which is small and tapered. I swept it back and forth along the newly reformulated Orgasm blush before feathering it across my cheekbones, temples, and brow bones. The powder felt silky and quickly deposited the peachy-pink pigment and gold glitter. It took very little effort to blend and buff it out.
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As a decade-long fan of Nars blush, I didn’t immediately notice a difference in application. That’s a good thing; It’s the blush’s easily blendable texture that made me fall in love with it in the first place. I noticed slight differences once I put the original and updated blushes head to head, with one on each cheek. The new formula feels ever-so-slightly more velvety and deposits more color with each swipe. The vividness also seems to last longer and Carrillo agrees: “Blush is the first thing to fade or diffuse and this is giving long-wear,” he says.
More Allure reviews
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“Nars blush and I go way, way back. I have limited-edition shades that I’ve kept in my kit for way too long (a beauty editor faux pas). I loved the original formula for the bright shade range and cheeky names. That same energy is coming in the reformulation. I immediately noticed that this pigment packs a punch at first swipe — so much so that I had to dust off the brush to avoid looking like a bad '80s music video. Light dabs on this one, folks!”
“The saying, If it's not broken, don't fix it, was what I first thought when I heard Nars had reformulated my favorite powder blush. But after trying it, I have only good news to report back. I opted for the shade Dominant, a gorgeous bubblegum pink, applying it with a powder brush on top of my cream blush (as I typically would). I didn’t notice a difference in how it felt on my skin, which was a huge relief.
“What did stand out was how pigmented this reformulation is. I only needed one gentle sweep across my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose with plenty of pigment to go around. My tip? Make sure to dust off any extra product on your brush. These blushes are full of pigment, meaning you'll get your money's worth.”
“My Nars blush of choice is Foreplay, a shimmery mauve purple that is as mesmerizing in the pan as it is on your cheeks. Before applying it, I laid down a base of a cream blush (the Makeup by Mario Blush Veil in Berry Punch) the way I would with any of my other powder blushes. Then I used a fluffy brush to pick up Foreplay and sweep it along my cheekbones and temples. I love the metallic sheen it gave my cheeks."
“Nars makes what I would consider the Royal Family of blush — a time-honored flight of shades with some standout cult favorites (Hi, Orgasm!). When I was given a new formulation to test, I had reservations. Thankfully, the reigning champs of blush didn't let me down. My go-to is Deep Throat, a soft, true pink with a whisper of shimmer. I'm a blush lover — a.k.a., a blush snob — and am pleased to report Deep Throat 2.0 is somehow finer-milled than the original, making blending foolproof. I like a higher blush placement, so my application is a gentle sweep above the cheekbone, which I then blend toward the apple of my cheek to enhance my skin's natural flush.”
Pricing and value
Nars's new and improved blush costs $34 for 0.17 ounces, which is $2 more than it was. Before you roll your eyes, hear us out: This is for the compact and the tin containing the blush. When you hit pan, you can purchase a refill for $24. For fans of the powder who also take care of their compacts, this can ultimately save you money.
Where to buy it
The Nars blush is available now in stores at Sephora and online at Sephora.com.
