NARS Dominique Audacious Lipstick Review

After my hit and miss experience with the NARS Audacious line – I went about and bought a couple of more shades from the line, not because I came around to the texture, but more because I liked the specific shades, and had to give them a shot. I picked Audrey, Jane, Anna and Dominique. All of them except Dominique have already been reviewed. Today, I review Dominique, probably the most unique shade in the line or even outside the line.

Product Description:
Color with the power to transform your lips, your look, your attitude.  Modern lipstick so shamelessly seductive in touch and texture the sensation is audacious. Unadulterated luxury glides on like satin across skin with single-stroke coverage. A spectrum of 40 shades for unstoppable impact.

• One-stroke, full-coverage creamy wear.
• Luxurious texture and enriched with ingredients to smooth and nourish lips.
• Long lasting.

Available in 40 shades.

Tips:
Apply Audacious Lipstick directly to the center of the mouth blending outward for full, creamy coverage of high impact color. For a more controlled application, apply using the Precision Lip Brush #30. Finish with a hint of Lip Gloss on the center of the lips to add dimension and create the illusion of fuller lips. –Sada Ito, International Makeup Stylist.  Mix and layer Audacious Lipstick shades with each other or with other Lip products to add dimension and texture to a bold lip look. –Jenny Smith, Lead Makeup Stylist.

Price:
$32 in US plus taxes.

Packaging:
The lipstick packaging of the NARS Audacious line is way up on the original line. No more rubbery texture. These bullets are encased in a matte black metal case with NARS etched on them. They have a nice understated elegance about them. The best part of course is the magnetic closure. These are packaged in the usual cardboard box.

My Experience with NARS Dominique Audacious Lipstick:

Color:  When the NARS Audacious line had launched, in keeping with my habit, I had gravitated towards the bright happy colors.  So, my first picks from the line were Lana and Grace. Second time around, when I wanted to try the range, my mindset was obviously different. Currently, I see my self gravitating more towards neutrals (not necessarily n*de) and shades which are different like MAC Stone and NARS Dominique.

So, here it is – NARS Dominique – described by NARS as “pink lilac” is actually a muted medium purple with slight pink and slight grey undertones. The grey in it and the muted-ness of the purple make it a unique shade. The hint of pink makes this a wearable colour. Even when I had bought it, I had been wondering if this was going to be too difficult to pull off. However, though the shade is quite unique and not everyone’s cup of tea – I do believe its quite wearable; could work well even for office goers.

But this one, I will definitely advise you to try before you buy. It may/may not work for your coloring or taste. Like I said, its not everyone’s cup of tea.

Texture:  The texture of these lipsticks is extremely lightweight, gel like, and glides ever so smoothly – has a bit of slip. It did not bleed or feather nor did it accentuate the fine lines. Considering how thin the consistency is, exfoliation of lips prior to wear would be advisable. The finish is satin and fairly comfortable to wear.

Pigmentation:  Excellent pigmentation, 100% color deposit in a single swipe. It’s amazing how thin the layer is and still how opaque it is. Refer to the swatch for how pigmented this shade is – gorgeous, full-on saturated colour.

Lasting Power:  Like I have said with my review of Grace and Lana, the color transfers extremely easily. You will find it easily migrating to cups, straws, spoons, etc. However, the save in this case is that the shade itself is not too bright, like the previous ones reviewed by me, so it’s still workable. It does not survive a meal and does not leave any stain behind. You will need re-application with this one too.

To sum this up for you:

Pros of NARS Dominique Audacious Lipstick:

• An interesting unique muted shade of purple.
• Insane pigmentation.
• Easy to apply from the tube.
• Does not settle into the fine lines of the lips.
• Not hydrating but not drying either.
• The colour hugs the lips nicely – no feathering or bleeding.
• Hides lip pigmentation well.
• Luxe and classy feel to the tube and case!
• No fragrance.
• No taste.

Cons of NARS Dominique Audacious Lipstick:

• Transfers way too easily.
• Doesn’t last much long – 3-3.5 hours wear time.
• Does not leave a stain.
• Ease of availability.

IMBB Rating:

4/5

I have now tried a hand full of shades from this line and love how lightweight and pigmented these colours are and the absolute amazing array of colours these come in. All the shades that I have tried have been consistent, which means, the highs have been the consistent and so have been the lows. They do migrate very easily and do not leave a stain, but I have finally wrapped my head around the fact that this is the way the line is – take it or leave it. So, I see myself using the neutrals more easily than the bright ones in this range because transference of neutral shades I can live with because it’s less obvious. However, migration of bright colours is just a no-no.

Having said that, I would definitely recommend you to try the range – its has 40 colours to chose from. You are bound to find “mere wala pink or red or brown.” And I am still praying that maybe NARS will release a limited color edition to this line – with one of them named “Kulpreet”….Ah..well…a girl can dream 😛 😉

NARS Grace Audacious Lipstick
NARS Audacious Lana Lipstick
NARS Anita, Audrey, Olivia Audacious Lipstick
NARS Fanny Audacious Lipstick
NARS Audacious Lipstick Collection, Raquel, Brigitte, Anna, Jane & Fanny Preview
NARS Vera, Janet Audacious Lipstick
NARS Audacious Lipstick Jeanne, Michiyo, Leslie, Natalie
NARS Kelly Audacious Lipstick
NARS Geraldine Audacious Lipstick
NARS Juliette Audacious Lipstick