Nars Orgasm Illuminator : 2 Reviews – You Decide

I’m going to start with the guest review that got me all hot under the collar and raring to get the Nars Orgasm Illuminator. I did get it and I’ve been using it and my thoughts will follow below 😉 Warning: This is long so grab a coffee and settle back for a read! 🙂

LeGeeque Reviews Nars Orgasm Illuminator

At first glance, it’s nothing fascinating. I mean, Nars Orgasm has been done to death! Blush, gloss, nail polish and I’m sure there are other items I’ve missed out.

What made me plonk down AUD$69.00 for this was this weather we were in. At the time, Melbourne was facing one of the coldest winters in the past 10 years and temperatures have been hovering around single digits by noon. This results in an extremely pale (note that I say pale and not fair) Geek. I do get the occasional rosy cheeks when I’ve made a dash for the train or if the heater has been cranked up high. But for most part of the day, I’m just your regular wintry pale person.

I first heard of this product when a good friend returned from his Asia backpacking trip. He was in Hong Kong when he first saw it. He’s the typical Aussie male who knows nothing about makeup and the mere mention of Orgasm sends him into fits of laughter. So, over a couple of beers and travel stories, he impressed me with a wealth of knowledge on this product.

If Nars can get your regular testosterone-charged male curious about this product, I couldn’t wait to swipe my plastic on this baby!

Texture:
Runny liquid. Similar in texture to gel liquid foundations.

Scent:
None that I could detect

Shimmer:
Only the slightest hint

Packaging:
Transparent squeezy tube with a screw cap.

Colour:
Uncanny likeness to Nars Orgasm the blush but not as pigmented. If you’re pale/fair enough, this works as a very sheer liquid blush. I’ve attempted this by piling it on and applying the product in a concentrated area. It works!

The multiple ways of using this:

1. Mixed equal parts with liquid foundation and applied all over the face. This warms my face up and gives me a hint of the sun-kissed look without looking burnt or orange. It looked like I’d spent a week in the Hamilton Islands by the beach rather than a month in the dreary Melbourne winter. I then dust on Nars Orgasm the blush (or a dupe). I can’t skip on my Meteorites so I dusted that on too. Using the Meteorites gives me a very “finished” look good for work or even an interview. I would probably go without it on a weekend for a more relaxed and laidback look.

2. Used bare all over the face
As the above, I look a little warmer with the sunkissed look. This time, I dusted Nars Sin the blush over my cheeks. This look is a little more suitable for evenings, surprisingly. Perhaps it’s because of the colour of the blush.

3. Used as a highlighter
Squeezed a tiny bit out and swiped against the apple of my cheeks, down along the bridge of my nose and my chin. And regular makeup as usual.

The great thing about this is that you cannot go overboard with it because of how sheer the product is. The effects is hardly discernable but once you’re done with your makeup and take a step back, you’ll see how warm your entire face is.

The downside to this is that it highlights the different tones in your face and neck which is a huge taboo to me. My neck will be lily white and my face will be a hint warmer. So, I cheat and wear a turtleneck 😛

So, the burning question is, is it worth the A$69? I’d say, probably not if you get the tanned healthy look easily. I’d say yes if you want to take things up a notch and do something different. You can always replicate that with a light-handed sweep using the bronzer.

I understand many Asians fear the dirt-streaked look from bronzers but I think it’s quite safe to say the Nars Orgasm Illuminator will not give you such looks because of how sheer it is. As with trying out new products, start with a small amount and build up from there.

I’m told that NARS is not stocked in Malaysia so I’m unable to find out how much this will cost. Knowing makeup and exchange rate, you’re better off purchasing this from the US than in Australia.

Paris B Reviews Nars Orgasm Illuminator

LeGeeque has described the texture perfectly. I will only add that when I apply it to my skin, there is a cool feeling on the skin which isn’t unpleasant. I do however have no love for this product, unlike LeGeeque.

The Orgasm Illuminator is very very sheer. Its easy to apply, think you see nothing and layer away. Bad idea. You might end up looking too flushed. They don’t call it “Orgasm” for nothing 😛 So layer a little but I find the colour develops a little over the day so try it for a few days before you go crazy layering your colour.

The problem I found is that the colour (when you get colour) is very warm. And sadly, I don’t do warm tones very well. In fact, used as a blush I found it made me look a bit “dirty”. Not “dirty” in a good way either, the product name considered 😛 The dreaded “Bronzer makes my skin look dirty” phenomenon rears its ugly head and I could not quite get this one to work for me. I tried mixing it with foundation but it turned me a shade too dark and my skin just looked “dirty” 🙁

Its strange you know, because Orgasm, the blush, works on my skin. It appears on my skin more pink than peach and if I do it right, gives me a lovely blush. Comparing the product side by side, I realized that the Orgasm Illuminator had more warm brown tones, while the Orgasm blush has more pink tones – it might explain why the blush worked for me and the Illuminator did not.

Here are the swatches compared – you can see that the blush has a slightly pinker tone while the illuminator is a bit browner.

I’d say that the Orgasm Illuminator works best for someone who has very light, warm skintone. It gives a lovely warmed up look without sparkly shimmer. If you are medium toned or darker, my advise would be to skip this, because you will see nothing on your skin. It does not even illuminate (or highlight) very well. For that, I’d recommend Eyeko Cream Extra Glow. Cheaper and does the job of illuminating much better.

I personally would not recommend you purchase this sight unseen, because this is definitely one of those products you MUST try yourself to see if its for you. Or you could take my word and get it only if you are fair/pale with warm undertones.

So there you have it. 2 quite differing views of the same product. Its not a bad product, just did not quite suit me. Needless to say, mine will probably soon take up residence in Australia 🙂

If you have tried this one and want to tell us what you think about it, we’re all ears! 😀

Paris B

NARS Orgasm Illuminator retails at US$29 or AU$69. NARS Cosmetics is not available in Malaysia at time of writing. You can purchase it and other NARS products at www.kissandmakeupny.com where mine came from.