Best in Bow: July 2012 Products

I could go through a massive detailed description of the beauty products I'm loving... but instead, I'm dumping out the contents of my makeup bag and showing you exactly what I'm using at this very moment in time. I wouldn't be using them if they weren't products I didn't love, right?!

For July, I'm loving bronzed skin, strong brows, long black lashes, a la Kim Kardashian:

Simple, summery, and nearly natural... just better!

NARS Blush and Bronzing Duo

 I have two very different NARS Blush & Bronzing Duo palettes to review: Orgasm/Laguna (shown on the left) and Hungry Heart (on the right). Strangely enough, I ended up liking the product that I was more hesitant to purchase. I also wasn't a huge fan of a product that gets incredible reviews year after year.

NARS' Orgasm blush is described as a "peachy-pink shimmer" blush, and has been touted by many magazines and websites as a universally-flattering color. Laguna bronzer has also had rave reviews for being a very natural bronzer. Sadly, this just wasn't the case for me. I have light, slightly olive skin during the winter, and neither colors were particularly flattering for me. The blush just didn't look natural on me, despite applying it with numerous brushes. The color payoff was great on this one, but that doesn't really matter when it's a color that isn't so flattering. The Laguna bronzer is a bit more wearable, but you definitely need to use a light hand when applying it. It's a little dark for me right now, although I can see myself warming up to this product when I have a bit more color to my skin in the summer. I guess I'm going to have to wait and see!

NARS' Hungry Heart palette definitely isn't one of those products that looks like a "must-have" upon first glance. In fact, you're probably more likely to wonder where you would even wear this pale peachy product, as it looks more suited to a Vegas showgirl. It's barely visible when swatched on light skin, looking like a pan of pure junior high school shimmer. But then you put it on your cheekbones, and voila! Your skin looks glowy and pretty, with just a slight hint of finely milled shimmer. This product is just so beautiful and versatile, and goes beyond the use of a simple highlighter. I used it as a simple eye shadow as well, and it lasted the entire day. I wouldn't expect people who hate shimmer to love this product, but for those who love it or are indifferent to it, this is definitely a highlighter to check out. 

R to L: Hungry Heart with flash (close to true to life color) and without flash