My NARS Makeover.

Last week while I was in New York City, I got to visit the NARS Flagship store and have my makeup done.

Head Artist Cindy Rodriguez did my makeup for a video shoot that I was in town for and not only did I discover some great new NARS products, I learned so much. She was so personable and made me feel super special during the time she took with me.

Cindy was personally chosen by François Nars to be the Head Artist for NARS, and to lead the flagship store. She said she didn't hesitate when she got the offer. She regularly leads the NARS team backstage at Mercedes Benz New York Fashion and works on the faces of all the models like Jessica Stam. Wow! To have Cindy do my makeup was a thrill.

After preparing my face, Cindy applied Pore Refining Primer to my face.  This oil-free primer didn't have the "normal" silicone feel of a primer. It felt like a light moisturizer going on, and it seemed to melt into my skin. I loved how Cindy applied it, by pressing it into the skin. I quickly learned that she applied most facial products (liquid) onto the skin like this. It was a different method for me, but it works so well. I knew I had to have this primer, and seeing how my makeup stayed on all day through the intense heat that afternoon (it was 95 degrees with a ton of humidity) my decision to purchase was a wise one.

Cindy actually did my makeup in the same order that I do, which was nice for me to keep up with things and to know what to expect. So next she applied my foundation. She chose Sheer Glow Foundation for me. She mixed two shades for me, but also did something that I had never see before. She mixed one part foundation with one part of the NARS Brightening Serum. The serum has a mother of pearl look to it, and it sheered out the foundation a bit and added a more luminous glow to my look. Again, Cindy used her fingertips, all together, and pressed her foundation mixture into my skin. She started in the middle of my nose and then blended out.  She said that the different pressure she applied varies the coverage that I needed.  The look was my skin, just much better. It was even and simply stunning. Under my eyes, Cindy used the NARS Concealer (which is a stick form) in Custard. For my cheeks, Cindy chose Laguna Bronzing Powder, and it was perfect. It's no wonder this powder is one of the best selling bronzers of all time. She then applied a very light dusting of Powder Blush in Torrid ever so gently to the apples of my cheeks. To apply both of these, Cindy used this really amazing brush called the Yachiyo Kabuki Brush. She used it gently, and never really ran it as harsh as I do when applying powders, especially bronzer.  She also showed me how she used it to roll color into place, which was especially nice in the hollows of my cheekbones. Cindy finished my face with the tiniest amount of Pressed Powder all over my face. 

Next up were my eyes. She primed them with Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. She applied it with her fingers. It felts like nothing at all, but I can tell you that it made my eye makeup last and look beautiful 14 hours later. For my brows, she used a combination of Matte Eyeshadow in Bali and Blondie to make them match perfectly. Cindy used the phrase that "your brows are sisters, not twins", which is so important to remember. On my eyes, she used a myriad of brown shades that looked gorgeous on me and they really made my eyes look almost blue - and they are not! She applied El Dorado as the base shade, Alahambra on my lid and under my eye, Sophia on the bridge and crease and then used Bengali in the outer corners. She used Brush #3 to apply, but never really brushed the shadow onto my lids; she used the brush to press the shadows onto my skin. (I really like this new pressing method of applying makeup!) She then used a combination of Mambo Eyeliner Pencil and Via Appia Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner. She did a bit of a thicker line on the top and a more thin line on the bottom. She lined both my upper and lower waterlines. Cindy then curled my lashes with their Eyelash Curler. She told me to pump the curler instead of just holding it down. She also moved it a bit from the outer lash to inner. Then she finished my eye look with two coats of the Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara on the top, and just a very light coat on the lower lashes.

Finishing up my face, Cindy chose to line and fill in my lips first with Lip Liner Pencil in Papua, topped with Satin Lipstick in Niagara, then blotted them. Now she applied Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in Gold Digger on top of that. She said she uses that color on all her celebrity clients, which made me feel like one, even if for only a second.

My makeup looked beautiful and flawless, and it did so all day long. I felt confident and cannot thank Cindy or my friends at NARS for the opportunity.

When my shoot was over, I ran back to the store to buy the products that I knew that I could not live without. I went home with the Pro Primer, Sheer Glow Foundation and the Foundation Pump (which really is essential), Brightening Serum, Gold Digger Larger Than Life Lipgloss, and an extra product that Cindy didn't use on me, Orgasm Illuminator. I've decided that I really need the Yachiyo Brush and the Lip Liner Pencil in Papua and Niagara Lipstick that she used. I didn't have a long look in the mirror to notice how pretty they were together, but looking through the film later that day; my lips looked beautiful.

I wish I had a finished picture of my makeup to share, but I didn't get one. Not all day. Why I never thought to snap a quick photo is beyond me. I guess it just was a hectic day. :)  If I get a still from the shoot I did, I will update with one.

If you are in New York City, you really need to stop into the NARS Boutique.  It is located at 413 Bleecker Street. I promise your time won't be wasted. Don't be afraid to ask for help or advice. Everyone there is super helpful.

To see some of the tips in action, check out Cindy in a video she did with the Wall Street Journal. She helped to recreate Emma Stone's look in The Amazing Spiderman movie.