Kylie Minogue and Blake Lively have it, but do you?  That is ‘Sex Appeal’ blush from NARS’ 2010 Holiday line. The tagline ‘You either have it, or…you can get it’ for this transparent peach blush is easily finding its way onto the red carpet. 

I am a big fan of NARS, from their SheerGlow foundations to their blushes, bronzers, and just the luxuriousness I feel when I apply their makeup. The quality and pigmentation from the products I have tried from them have always been superb. However, I can understand why some people may feel a bit frustrated with ‘Sex Appeal’. One of the biggest complaints about this blush is that it lacks pigmentation and doesn’t particularly do anything for anyone’s skin who is darker than NC15. While I can sympathize, I wanted to share my experience with this product so those of you have already purchased the product or on the fence about it can have a broader view of adding this blush to your collection.

The Basics:

• Retails for $26
• Soft Peach Color
• Not as intense as other NARS blushes like ‘Desire’
• Reminds me of MACs beauty powders in particular Tahitian Sand

With that said, I actually love this blush as part of my makeup collection. What I love most about it is that it’s not really a blusher but rather a contouring aid for those of us who want less of a contour. I’m definitely darker in NC15 and enjoy this product. Although you will need to ‘build’ the product or layer over a cream blush if you want the ‘blush’ effect, this product isn’t actually intended to be a blush which is why some may be slightly underwhelmed. If you have this product, try using it as a contour as opposed to a regular blush. Instead of applying to the ‘apples’ of your cheeks apply under your cheekbone and around the perimeter of your face as you would with a bronzer or contouring powder. This light peachy blush warms up your skin adds depth without heavy shimmer or too pink/orange color. It leaves you with a natural finish.

This is great for those with oily skin because it lacks heavy shimmer and won’t ‘muddy’ your face. If you want for color or dimension add your favorite NARS blush and/or highlight like Orgasm and Albatross. For those with dark skin, I would still recommend this product if you are looking to highlight. Because it’s more matte than shimmer, when over-applied it can look ‘ashy’ on darker skin. However when lightly applied to the tops of your cheekbones as well as with a quick dust of Albatross it creates a beautiful golden wash of color that highlights beautiful cheeks (similar to the look Gabrielle Union is sporting below).

Overall I would recommend this product for those of you who are looking for a soft peach color but also want a product that can contour without looking too dramatic. Obviously the fairest skins will seemingly get more color pay off but, even those with olive complexions and tan skin will benefit from this multitasking beauty product.