Friday Favorite: NARS Pigalle Lipstick
In this blog post I mentioned how I was looking for a “my lip color only better” lipstick and how I almost found it in NARS ‘Tolede’. Almost, but not quite. In the comments, reader Michele shared,
And that very day I purchased NARS ‘Pigalle’ and I have been wearing it almost every day since. Michele is right, it’s like a shade darker than my lips, it makes me look finished and polished yet I can swipe it on without a mirror, it’s a cool tone but works with the peachy blushes she and I both prefer with our fair skin.
I have NARS ‘Dolce Vita’ which many say is a universally flattering lipstick. It’s so flattering on me; it looks as though I haven’t put anything on. ‘Tolede’ isn’t that different in how dark it shows on my lips, but has a slightly warmer nude tone. ‘Pigalle’ is darker, and a tone between the two. I now wear it every day I don’t do a bold lip. Usually I wear it alone, sometimes for shine I add NARS ‘Viva’ gloss over it, sometimes I dab Vaseline Rosy Lips to give it a creamy feel. It’s matte enough to stick around through my morning coffee, but it doesn’t dry out my lips.
I have been a fan of NARS blushes for over a decade; I have purchased the “look for less” dupes for ‘Orgasm’ and other colors from the brand I like and they never compare. I am on my third compact of ‘Orgasm’ and I have used the blush almost daily for ten years – that’s a great cost per wear, far better than the drugstore blushes I have bought and ended up tossing after a month.
I’ve bought what people have claimed are dupes for popular NARS lipstick colors like Heat Wave or Schiap and they didn’t make the grade. Greasy, too strong, too muted, too matte, too blue, too orange. The cap won’t stay on and my purse ends up coated in red-orange smears, the bullet changes consistency halfway through and I have to toss or else make-do with a lip pencil. NARS cosmetics are worth their price. Their colors, their formulas, their understated packaging, NARS rarely disappoints (except their lip pencils, I don’t get the hype). I have ‘hit pan’ with NARS more than any other cosmetic I have ever purchased.
I believe that you can get amazing high-quality cosmetics at your local drugstore or big-box retailer, but sometimes I find it’s worth it to pay a bit more. I have tossed more lipsticks than I’d like to admit over the years, and many were splurge purchases when heading out to buy deodorant, diapers, or cough medicine. I’m trying to purchase less, which extends past my closet. If I can buy a lipstick that I will love enough to “hit pan” it’s worth the extra money and ‘Pigalle’ is looking to be that kind of lipstick.
Thanks Michele!
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I am absurdly entertained by the magnetic closure of NARS lipstick tubes! I just got a tube of Audacious in Audrey, which I love, but it’s more of a dramatic color than a neutral one. I will definitely have to check out Pigalle. Luckily, there’s a Bluemercury up the street from my office!
OMG, I discovered Pigalle last fall and it is absolutely my go-to, every day lipstick. It is amazing how it is subtle yet just makes me feel right.
The hinge on my L’Oreal blush compact broke this morning so I hear you on the NARS packaging and will probably go back!
Currently I use Vaseline Rosy Lips exclusively because I feel self-conscious applying lipstick with a mirror at my desk/in the office bathroom, and also because my lips are never really smooth enough for lipstick. Do you have a routine for exfoliating that works? If I had a better routine, lipstick would look better on me and I’d actually use the ones I own.
Every night I put Super E Ointment (http://amzn.to/1UIdiQ8 ) on my lips (and my hands and cuticles and elbows. In the morning I often use Sara Happ’s lip scrub (http://amzn.to/1ZQXUQO ) which I love because it tastes good and leaves my lips hydrated but not so much my lipstick slides off. I also take Fish Oil pills which help with moisture for my whole body, and I drink a ton ton ton of water and little else. At work I have Aquaphor and EOS for my lips. Vaseline Rosy Lips is pretty and convenient but not necessarily the best hydration for your lips in the long run because it’s not a humectant (provide moisture) but a barrier to prevent loss of moisture. Consider getting something more hardcore for evening – Aquaphor or Homeopasmine (get the French version, it’s way better than the US http://amzn.to/1RQmsD3) can really transform lips. And drink lots and lots of water! 🙂
Good to know, thank you!
Awww, thanks Allie! I’m glad you like Pigalle, it’s really one of my favorites! And it looks great on you!
I have to agree with you on the NARS lip pencils, the matte pencils are too drying and the satin pencils smear and bleed. I love NARS cosmetics and agree that they are worth the price for the quality, but the lip pencils do not work for me.
Thank you for your blog, I love your posts and that you like to add a little edge to your wardrobe. I’m 46 and work in a business casual setting but I like to mix it up and add interesting pieces. Like the silver Cole Haan wingtips I’m wearing today (black Friday online sale), thanks to your inspiration. They’re so versatile and always get positive comments, not too mention comfortable!
Have a great day!
I love NARS lip pencils (never tried the lipstick)! I got Rikugien and Cruella samples in my Sephora birthday gift last year and already used Rikugien down to the nub and repurchased it. I don’t really like lipstick, but I love the lip pencils to wear under Revlon Lip Butters – they really add to the staying power. If someone’s goal is getting a lipstick-like polish without the actual texture or smell of lipstick, the NARS lip pencils are a great alternative, IMO. Rikugien matches up to Revlon Sugar Plum or Berry Smoothie, and Cruella goes with Revlon Candy Apple. After getting the lip pencils, I stopped looking for anything else because I had my perfect nude and red covered.
I bought one because I kept reading reviews like yours and I loved the color but it bled so bad for me, smeared everywhere even more than a standard lipstick. I must have wonky lips because you and so many others swear by them! It’s so great when you find your perfect colors!
I got that NARS Sephora bday gift too and I love Cruella! And it has pretty decent staying power. I thought Rikugien was beautiful but mine smelled AWFUL. I tried wearing it a few time and the smell would linger, so I had to get rid of it. Maybe I got a bad one. 🙁
I love Nars, I have too many to list here. But I have been looking for that perfect pinky nude. I too feel like Dolce Vita is too much like my lips though I do prefer it in the pencil to the lipstick (shows up better & the two layered together are great). I obviously need to try this colour.