NARS Makeover at Holt Renfrew: Smokey Eye and Subtle Berry Lip

Hey, everybody! Last Friday I had the chance to attend a beauty event at the NARS counter at Holt Renfrew. NARS is one of my favourite brands, so I jumped at the opportunity! Who doesn't want a little pampering and beautification after a long week of work? :)

I didn't bring my camera to the event, but I was so happy with the end result that I snapped a bunch of shots after I got home:

The look that the makeup artist created for me was all about healthy, glowing skin, a smokey eye, and sheer berry lips. After treating my skin with a few of NARS' moisturizing, brightening skin care products (my face really felt heavenly! See full list of products used below), she started crafting a bold, yet wearable smokey eye look. 

The star of this look was the versatile Voulez Vous Cheek & Eye Palette (exclusive to Holt Renfrew, the Bay, and Nordstrom, I believe). It features 4 shades of eye shadow (Molokai, Antananarivo, Rangoun, and Lhasa) that coordinate perfectly for a not so typical shimmery, neutral smokey eye. She amped things up by applying Soft Touch Shaow Pencil in Aigle Noir along the upper lash line and in the crease and not being shy with the black eyeliner, both liquid and pencil. She finished things off with two coats of lengthening mascara and voila! A perfect subtle smokey eye.

Here's a close-up of the finished eye look:

To contrast the bolder eye, the makeup artist opted for fresh, glowy skin. She used Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville topped with pressed powder and warmed up with NARS' famous bronzer, Laguna. For blush, she swept Deep Throat (my favourite blush ever, also featured in the Voulez Vous palette) on the apples of my cheeks, blended upward and highlighted my cheekbones with the dreamy, ethereal Albatross Highlighting Blush.

For the lips, she pulled out the Baiser de Feu Lip Set, which contains three perfect rich, berry shades for fall. We decided to keep the texture sheer, so she applied Sheer Lipstick in Damage (a rosy raspberry shade that leaves a glaze of colour on the lips) and topped it with a shimmery, sheer mulberry gloss, Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in Como. Then the look was complete!

Here are a couple more shots of the final look, followed by a full breakdown of what the NARS makeup artist used to create it :

Skin Care
Makeup Removing Water
Multi-Action Hydrating Toner
Total Replenishing Eye Cream
Luminous Moisture Cream
Optimal Brightening Concentrate

Complexion
Oil-Free Pro Prime Pore Refining Primer
Sheer Glow in Deauville
Stick Concealer (unsure which shade)
Pressed Powder (unsure which shade)
Bronzing Powder in Laguna
Powder Blush in Deep Throat
Highlighting Blush in Albatross

Eyes
Brow Perfector in Salzbourg
Smudge-Proof Eye Shadow Base
Mix of Shadows from the Voulez Vous Palette
Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Aigle Noir
Eyeliner Stylo in Carpates
Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Via Veneto (waterlines)
Larger Than Life Lengthening Mascara in Black

Lips
Sheer Lipstick in Damage
Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in Como

Overall, I was super pleased with how my makeover turned out! Being a cosmetics fiend myself, I can be a bit of a control freak when it comes to other people doing my makeup. Although I always enjoy being pampered, chatting with the makeup artist, and trying out new goodies, I often find myself wincing, thinking "this isn't how I  would do it". But in this case, my inner control freak could totally relax. She did an incredible job! This is a look that I'm definitely going to emulate next time I have a night out :)

Have any of you been to fun makeup events lately? Favourite NARS products at the moment?

Thanks for reading! :)