NARS Exposed Collection Review + Swatches

The NARS Exposed Color Collection just launched with limited-edition shades for lips and cheeks. There’s an Exposed Cheek Palette ($59) and three Explicit Color Lip Duos ($22 each) with mini-sized Velvet Matte Lip Pencils and Lip Tints. Swatches of everything below. The collection is exclusive to Ulta Beauty and online at NARS Cosmetics.

The Exposed Cheek Palette has that unique cream to powder finish NARS has in their dual intensity blushes, but most of the colors are satiny and glowy in finish (versus frost). It has a similar texture and pigment level to their Holiday Hot Tryst Cheek Palette, but the colors aren’t as shimmery for spring. Colors have medium but buildable coverage. On my skin tone the two pinks look nearly identical, if you’re fairer I suspect you’ll see more of a difference. The exterior packaging is so pretty with the pink, orange and pearl swirls.

Colors include:

• Tell All is a shimmery champagne
• Now or Never is medium nude peach
• Give It Away is a soft brown rose
• Make You Mine is a perfect apricot peach
• Come Hither is a shimmery pink rose
• New Fling is a deeper shimmery rose

For lips they have three Explicit Color Lip Duos with a small miniature Velvet Lip Glide and a new formula called Lip Tint. The pencil and gloss match each color in color. I owned Sex Machine many years ago and it’s been a while since I looked into the pencils in general. The formula is on the dry side for my lips, color is sheerer for the lighter natural shades, but the reds and bolds have phenomenal coverage and color payoff. I wish the neutrals applied better alone for me. The Lip Tints are medium-sheer almost balmy like glosses. They have a very lightweight almost slip like feel. I love the effect when the pencil and gloss are layered. It feels comfortable and cushiony, but so much so it feels like it’s going to slide off my lips. Good news is the colors do stay put but they’re not transfer proof.

There are three options:

• Intriguing is a beige rose
• Sex Machine is a neutral mauve pink
• Dragon Girl is a red with pink tones

Colors layered together on bare lips:

Two makeup looks below wearing:

• NARS Radiant Longwear Foundation in Punjab + Vanuatu mixed (I’m in between shades)
• Armani Neo Nude Powder #4 to set
• Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
• NARS Exposed Cheek Palette with Tell All, Now or Never and Give it Away layered
• Left lips: NARS Explicit Lip Duo in Sex Machine
• Right lips: NARS Explicit Lip Duo in Dragon Girl

Overall fresh and pretty for spring! Colors are very wearable and I love that they aren’t overly frosted but still glowy. Love the concept of matching pencils and gloss to layer together. I’m not sure I would call any of these must-haves. Even though the palette is super wearable I feel like the colors have a similar vibe to previous NARS launches. I’m not the biggest fan of the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil formula but I really like the three colors for this launch. The Lip Tint has an interesting feel – it’s super lightweight and glossy. I would have preferred them in the Velvet Lip Glide formula instead for more impact but it’s still nice and fresh for a spring feel.

You can find the NARS Exposed Collection out now. Exclusive to Ulta Beauty and NARS Cosmetics. Have you checked out anything yet? What did you think?

NARS Exposed Collection provided for review.