NARS highlighter for super pale skin?!

[sugarspice]

Hello everyone, I'm a newbie on here just as I am a newbie on makeup in general. I've had my eyes set on NARS Albatross as a highlighter for a while now, ever since gossmakeupartist used it in one of his videos. According to him and many others, it is wonderful as a highlighter and I would love to try it, the only problem is...

My skin is light. Very light. As in, when I bought a concealer from MAC while in Stockholm, their lightest shade (NC15 I believe, and yes, I have a warm/yellow undertone) was one shade too dark for me. That makes me NC10, right?

So anyway, I'm scared that once it arrives and I'm about to take it out, it'll turn out that it's basically the same as my skin tone. I can't just go to a store and try it out because NARS products aren't sold here in Sweden, so I'll have to order it from overseas. I know colors may look different on the computer screen compared to real life, and when I look at it on Sephora's website, it looks like it's almost the same as my natural skin tone. I know I could just order it at a venture, but I have a lot products I would love to order since they aren't sold in Sweden and I don't have any income besides my student grant (it's about 1050 kr ≈ $156) so I'd be very grateful if someone could help me out with this.

Also, I've read through another thread on here about NARS blushes and Sex Appeal and Deep Throat both seem like blushes I might like to order. Are there any other blushes, or any other products such as lipstick, lip gloss, eyeshadow or anything else, that you guys think would look nice with my super pale, milky skin tone? Like mentioned above, I'm new with makeup and I would be forever grateful for some advice from people with more experience.

Thank you so much to anyone who replies! <3

xox

 

[MarieMary]

Welcome!

I'm about as pale as you are, and a huge NARS fan, so I hope I can help you a bit.

I would definitely recommend Sex Appeal for someone with very pale skin and starting to use make-up. It has the huge benefit of not looking clownish if you happen to use a bit too much (and going overboard on blush on super pale skin shows up immediately).
If you can use a light hand, or have a blush brush that does not pick up too much color at once and diffuse it delicately, you can try the regular NARS blushes. I adore Amour. Deep Throat is great too.
I can confirm that Albatross looks nice on very pale skin too. I'd add that even if Albatross is the same color as your skin, it still is shimmery enough to add light to you face, and that's just the purpose of an illuminator, right? ^^ The thing is too use it very sparingly. If you use too much, you would have a streak of golden white color on your cheeks, and highlighter is supposed to be barely perceptible. Furthermore, colors on Sephora websites are inaccurate.
If you want an idea of what it looks like, look at Planet Marth's look using Albatross and Lovejoy:
http://planetmartha.blogspot.fr/2010/07/nars-blush-week-lovejoy-fotd.html (she would be NW15, I think).

Basically, with blush and illuminator, the point is that it looks natural and enhances your natural beauty. So use a light hand, go twice if necessary (instead of using too much the first time). It's all about trial and error!

As for lipsticks, it's bit of a more "complicated" issue. Have you ever tried different sorts of colors on your lips? Is there any in particular that you think looks more flattering on you? NARS offers a nice range of colors. I think Dolce Vita is a universally flattering color, and on the sheer side.

Same goes with eyeshadows. Eye color is an important factor in deciding what would make your eye color pop. Also your eye shape, and whether or not you use glasses. Also, using deeply pigmented colors if you're starting using make-up is a bit of a challenge: any mistake in application and blending would be noticeable. I'd say start with colors that are more forgiving in case of mistakes. Vent Glacé Eyeshadow Duo comes to mind.

I don't know from which site you intend to buy, but I've seen that shipping costs to Sweden from Sephora France and Narscosmetics.eu are about the same (21€ to 25€). If you'd like, I can try to find a discount code for Sephora France (usually 20% off), so you can save some money.

Hope this helps!

 

[sugarspice]

Thank you so much!! All of your advices were wonderful and I'm super excited to make my orders now ^-^ I know I'll be back to look at your response in the future because you've given me a lot of great tips Thank you so very very much!! <3

About the discount code it's very nice of you, but I have a friend in the US who can help me get my stuff from their website since it's so cheap compared to French Sephora and have a greater range of products and brands. It was a super sweet offer though, thank you!!

I never thought I'd receive such an informative answer, thank you so much!

Thank you thank you thank you!!! <3<3<3

xox

 

[shellygrrl]

I'm super-fair (NARS Siberia) and can vouch for Sex Appeal being a fab blush on pale skin. (I've been reaching for it quite a bit lately!) Can't help out much more, but MarieMary has been a massive help already, from what I can tell!

 

[Nastka]

I'm very fair; Nars Siberia is too dark for me unless its in the Firming Foundation Formula. I currently wear Graftobians Ingenue / Graceful Swan and MUFEs Pan Stick Foundation in Ivory. Here are my thoughts:

- I'm sure a lot of people are going to disagree with me on this, but I wouldn't go for Albatross as a highlighter unless you have strong yellow undertones. It has a very strong, golden sheen, so I can't see it work without it looking unnatural; or at least that's my personal experience with it. My skin tone is rather neutral, and it looked very 'off' on me; it's the only NARS product I had and swapped away. If you're looking for a great highlighter that hasn't too much colour in its base, try Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl or MUFE's Shine on Powder in... can't actually tell because it doesn't say it on my pot. If you insist on sticking to NARS, perhaps try their Multiple or Illuminator in Copacabana.

- I own Sex Appeal and it's one of those things you cannot possibly go wrong with; it's a lovely blush. Two of my favourites, however, are Angelika and Oasis. Angelika has to be applied with a light touch, whilst Oasis is pretty much foolproof. Both have micro-glitter which might cause issues on darker skintones, but it isn't evident on lighter ones. If you own a stippling brush or a fan brush, I suggest that you perhaps try some of the more pigmented shades, such as Crazed, Mounia, or Outlaw. Exhibit A is another one, but I don't own it (yet!) so I can't comment. Also; Luster is a lovely blush / bronzer for pale skin tones, I really love this one in summer.

- I absolutely adore NARS eyeshadows. Some basic shades that are rather neutral and flattering regardless of eye colour are Abyssinia, Kalahari, All About Eve, Tzarine, Underworld, Cordura, Dogon, Mandchourie, Rajastan and Belissima.

TL;DR: These are my workhorses in no particular order:

Highlighter: Sorry, none. Try the Copacabana Illumiantor, perhaps?
Blush: Oasis (neutral rose-mauve), Sex Appeal (peachy-pink), Luster (bronzed apricot with the slightest pink undertones).
Eye Shadow: Kalahari (bronze / chocolate duo, great in crease or as a wash), Abyssinia (satin highlighter), All About Eve (tad deeper than Abyssinia), Coconut Grove (great liner, crease colour or brow powder(!)), Ondine (warm taupe).

Hope this helps!

 

[Shadowy Lady]

I'm not as pale as you but both me and my sister (who's super fair, about NW10) are huge Nars fans and she tells me she loves Sex Appeal and Nice from Nars. Give them a shout Also I adore Copacabana illuminator. It's a gorgeous pinky silver highlighter and gorgeous on everyone pretty much.

For eyeshadows, I don't think it's really about your skintone but more your eye and hair colour. Nars makes amazing eyeshadow duos. Some of my faves are:

- Jolie Poupee (gorgeous purples)
- Pandora (awesome black and white)
- Cheyenne (I have hazel eyes and this is my go-to)
- Cordura (great basic browns)
- Dogon (just coz it's so unique)

For lipsticks, Nars makes all textures you can think of. I'm a fan of his matte velvet pencil and matte lipsticks but I just love that texture. His sheer lipsticks are also surprisingly pigmented. Some of my fave Nars lip products:

- Damned matte velvet pencil
- Sex Machine matte velvet pencil
- Dragon Girl matte velvet pencil
- Niagara l/s
- Afghan Red l/s

HTH

 

[katred]

I don't have Sex Appeal (so to speak), but it's definitely on my list of things to get as a pale gal. I do think that Deep Throat is a nicer shade for paler skin tones than Orgasm (although if you're warmer toned, Orgasm might work better for you than it does for me). But one of my personal favourite subtle highlighters is Nico blush. It's really neutral enough to be used all over- it's just a shade deeper than my skin (NC15/ Nars Mont Blanc or Siberia), but gives a glorious, healthy sheen that's perfectly daytime appropriate, unlike a lot of more shimmery highlighters.

For other products, it depends entirely on what sort of look you enjoy. I'm a fan of dark, dramatic lips, but not a lot of fair girls are, so it's a matter of personal preference. Nars has a lot of lipstick colours and their formulas are excellent all-around, so it's really a matter of just choosing something that appeals to you. If you want something natural, Dolce Vita is a popular choice, Mayflower is one that I constantly fall back on and Pago Pago seems to just light up my whole face somehow.

 

[sugarspice]

Thank you all so much! You've all been such a great help for me Like I said, I'm new in the makeup world but I'm so excited to get started!

My complexion has a warm undertone, but I don't think it's super evident, and that is the main reason why I was anxious about starting out using Albatross. I couldn't find Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector on Sephora's website, but I did find the MUFE-powders. They did look lovely, but I'm afraid they don't quite match my skin tone, and because I'm so light the warm undertone sort of 'shines through' even more and I think it would look even more evident on my skin if the powder doesn't match... Still though, great advices, thank you loads!

I happened to come across MUFE's Star Powder and Diamond Powder, do you have any thoughts about them that you may be willing to share with me?

I have blonde hair naturally, though I have dyed it sort of bleach blonde but I'm not pleased with it and I think I'll dye it honey blonde again (I've toned it this color before) as soon as I get the chance. My eyes are a mixture of blue, gray and green, sort of like the ocean, and the shade of them shifts slightly between these colors depending on the light. When it comes to makeup I love the look of sweet, doll-like makeup styles with cute pink lips and eyeshadows in light colors such as baby pink, lilac to purple, winter blue and mint green. I'm very inspired my Japanese street fashion. ^.^

Also, I apologize if there are any of your advices that I've gotten wrong or anything and therefore end up writing in an overly bubbly manner, or if my English becomes weird... It's late and I'm not very good at makeup yet, sorry! >-<"

 

[shellygrrl]

Sephora France doesn't carry Becca. That's why. (It is available in the US.) You can order it direct from Becca's site. http://www.beccacosmetics.com/eu/ (click on "Complexion" and scroll through) Your English has been quite good so far. Nothing to worry about!

 

[sugarspice]

I'm sure it is a great product, but I'm afraid it is way out of my reach because of the price... That's the reason why I'm trying to get my stuff from Sephora US, because the prices on the French website are far too high for me ;;3;; Still though, thanks a bunch! :3

Ahaha thank you, my English is a few notches above the average English knowledge for my age here in Sweden, due to a couple of factors, but sometimes when I'm stressed out or just tired I type in a bubbly manner, so I was worried my post would end up being weirdly worded or something. ^-^"

 

[sugarspice]

I'm sure it is a great product, but I'm afraid it is way out of my reach because of the price... That's the reason why I'm trying to get my stuff from Sephora US, because the prices on the French website are far too high for me ;;3;; Still though, thanks a bunch! :3

Ahaha thank you, my English is a few notches above the average English knowledge for my age here in Sweden, due to a couple of factors, but sometimes when I'm stressed out or just tired I type in a bubbly manner, so I was worried my post would end up being weirdly worded or something. ^-^"

 

[sugarspice]

I'm sure it is a great product, but I'm afraid it is way out of my reach because of the price... That's the reason why I'm trying to get my stuff from Sephora US, because the prices on the French website are far too high for me ;;3;; Still though, thanks a bunch! :3

Ahaha thank you, my English is a few notches above the average English knowledge for my age here in Sweden, due to a couple of factors, but sometimes when I'm stressed out or just tired I type in a bubbly manner, so I was worried my post would end up being weirdly worded or something. ^-^"

 

[Dominique33]

Have you tried Copacabana ( highlighter in a tube ) ? Pretty good for fair skins.

 

[sugarspice]

I checked it on Sephora's website right now, it seems great. How/in what sort of motion do you apply it? And where in your makeup routine do you apply it? I was thinking since it's liquid/cream, and I've only looked up powder highlighters up until now. Thank you very much ^.^

 

[shellygrrl]

You'd apply it before your setting powder, I think.

 

[sugarspice]

But won't it smear out the texture you've already created applying your foundation? Or to you blend the two together somehow?

 

[Dominique33]

I checked it on Sephora's website right now, it seems great. How/in what sort of motion do you apply it? And where in your makeup routine do you apply it? I was thinking since it's liquid/cream, and I've only looked up powder highlighters up until now. Thank you very much ^.^

Actually I use Copacabana only during summer time. All over the face, and then I apply a blush ( Coralista for example or Espiègle from Chanel it depends ). The texture is smooth, not liquid at all. I must say it's a bit light for me as my skin is medium/fair but for fair complexions, well I really think it's ok. You can also use it on some parts of your face, it's a good highlighter long wearing formula too. Such highlighters are different from powders, if you prefer powders I would highly recommand M.A.C liquid powder but I don't know if it's the same word in Sweden or even in the US. The Liquid powder is great.
http://trendbloger.com/beauty-review-mac-magically-cool-liquid-powder

Source : Trendbloger

 

[Monsy]

how come no one mentioned Nico for light skin?

 

[sugarspice]

Actually I use Copacabana only during summer time. All over the face, and then I apply a blush ( Coralista for example or Espiègle from Chanel it depends ). The texture is smooth, not liquid at all. I must say it's a bit light for me as my skin is medium/fair but for fair complexions, well I really think it's ok. You can also use it on some parts of your face, it's a good highlighter long wearing formula too. Such highlighters are different from powders, if you prefer powders I would highly recommand M.A.C liquid powder but I don't know if it's the same word in Sweden or even in the US. The Liquid powder is great.
http://trendbloger.com/beauty-review-mac-magically-cool-liquid-powder

Source : Trendbloger

I was also afraid that the pink-ish tint it has would be super evident on me due to my pale skin tone, but do you think it could look good despite that?
I'm afraid the M.A.C powder is far too expensive for me.

Also, it seems Sex Appeal is out of stock at Sephora's website, and that was the only place where the price was reasonable enough for me... Am I doomed?

 

[Monsy]

sex appeal on light skin is more of a blush, not highlighter.