Once upon a time, Natalie and I had a tough week. This was last week, of course, and nothing seemed to go as planned. I had to cancel a much-needed camping trip with my boyfriend because of the weather, and Natalie fell victim to a migraine early in the week. The only thing getting us through the upcoming days was the promise of Friday and our planned makeovers with NARS makeup artists Jennifer and Mo at our local Sephora.
Read on to find out just how well Jennifer did at enhancing Natalie’s perfect pout.Â
Natalie: Following the Trends of NYFW, an Emphasis on the Lips
I spent the rest of the evening likening Natalie to a porcelain doll, and can you blame me? With an emphasis on her pouty lips and an angelic glow coming from her skin, it was hard not to.  Plus, she fit right in with the trends of New York Fashion Week – bold lips with very basic eyes.
Face: A Pearlescent Glow


Natalie’s skin was prepped with the NARS Skin Smoothing Face Prep ($30, amazon.com), which is designed to minimize uneven skin with its inclusion of silicones. The first ingredient is cyclopentasiloxane, a lighter silicone for normal to oily skin. It also includes the heavier dimethicone, which is helpful if you’re in need of a little hydration.
[RELATED: Ingredient Spotlight: Cyclopentasiloxane]
Jennifer then applied the NARS Pro-Primeâ„¢ Light Optimizing Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 15Â ($34, amazon.com), which contains octinoxate (5.9%), avobenzone (2.5%), and octocrylene (2%) to provide sun protection. These are chemical sunscreens that transform UV radiation into a different, non-harmful form of energy (Chemical Research in Toxicology).
Next, Jennifer applied the NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation ($38, amazon.com) in Sibera, followed by the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($28, amazon.com) in Chantilly to cover up any blemishes, and finished with the NARS Pressed Powder ($38, amazon.com) in Flesh and the NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder ($34, sephora.com).
Cheeks and Eyes: MinimalÂ
Cheeks involved the NARS Blush ($37.99/each, amazon.com) in Madly and in Outlaw, with the latter acting as a bronzer. Jennifer also used NARS The Multiple ($39, amazon.com) in Copacabana to illuminate her cheekbones. Eyes involved a simple swipe of NARS Single Eye Shadow in a pearlescent Abyssinia ($39.99, amazon.com), a bit of NARS Larger Than Life Long Wear Eyeliner ($24, amazon.com) in Rue De Rivoli, and NARS Larger Than Life Lengthening Mascara ($38, amazon.com).
Lips: A Well-Nourished, Perfect PoutÂ
Finally, on to the lips. To make Natalie’s lips appear plumper, Jennifer taught her a trick of the trade. By using a darker shade on the outside of the lip, like NARS Velvet Matte Pencil in Cruella ($25, amazon.com), and a lighter shade on the inside, like NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl, the slight difference in shades allowed the lighter shade to reflect more light, making them look plumper. Plus, the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils are enriched with tocopherol (vitamin E) and ascorbyl palmitate (vitamin C), both of which will help nourish your skin and protect against oxidative damage.
[RELATED: Infographic: How Vitamin C Works in Your Skin]
Bottom Line:
As you can see, Jennifer used a total of sixteen different NARS products on Natalie for a total cost of $468.97 for the whole look. While this might be a little ambitious for Natalie’s daytime look, this is definitely something she’d wear for a night out. Her skin was glowing, and her lips were attention-grabbing – she looked like a total babe. This was definitely a confidence-boosting exercise after a long week.
Stay tuned tomorrow for a description of my finished look, courtesy of NARS makeup artist Mo.
*Editor’s Note: This post contains affiliate links.Â