Drugstore Dupes: NARS "Laguna" Bronzer + "Orgasm" Blush

NARS "Laguna" Bronzer

 These are tough economic times and everyone is looking to save some money--especially when it comes to luxury beauty products. And so today I'm starting a new series dedicated to finding drugstores dupes or alternatives to some of my favorite high end products...and what better way to start than with cult favorites, NARS "Laguna" and "Orgasm". 

elf  Blush + Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia

 Whenever the conversation of dupes for "Laguna" or "Orgasm" begins, someone always recommends the elf Blush + Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia. And I can understand why. The packaging for both these brands is eerily similar. Although the NAR packaging is made of the black matte plastic that is a nightmare to clean while the elf packaging is simply traditional black plastic. But what about the product inside? 

NARS "Laguna" + "Orgasm" Vs. elf  Blush + Bronzing Powder in "St. Lucia"

elf  Blush + Bronzing Powder in "St. Lucia" Vs. NARS "Laguna"

 Here are the elf bronzer and NARS "Laguna" side by side. They are very similar but under close inspection, it becomes obvious that there are some subtle differences. First of all, the elf bronzer is a bit darker than "Laguna" and while "Laguna" does have a subtle hint of glitter the elf bronzer is practically packed to the max with glitter. 

elf  Blush + Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia Vs. NARS "Laguna"

 Once the colors are swatched on the hand the differences between the two products becomes even more noticeable. Surprisingly the elf bronzer is significantly darker and more opaque than NARS "Laguna" (which also appears to have more of a orange undertone). 

elf Blush + Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia Vs. NARS "Orgasm"

 Unlike the bronzers, it doesn't take long to recognize the differences between the blushes. The elf blush is a darker mauve pink with chunky golden glitter while NARS "Orgasm" is a lighter peachy pink with a golden sheen. 

elf  Blush + Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia Vs. NARS "Orgasm"

When swatched, the blushes look nothing alike and the differences are even more pronounced. The elf blush looks like a terracotta color and the "Orgasm" is the infamous pinky peach. It is hard to believe that anyone could believe that these two could possible pass as dupes for one another. 

In conclusion, the elf  Blush + Bronzing Powder in "St. Lucia" is not a dupe for NARS "Laguna" bronzer and "Orgasm" blush. I can see how some people could make the mistake (the elf packaging takes a lot of inspiration from NARS and the colors are fairly similar) but once you see the colors next to each other, the truth is very obvious. The bronzer is closer than the blush and would make a good alternative for people who find that "Laguna" is too light or too orange for their skin tone. The blush is a lovely shade but doesn't quite capture the "Orgasm" radiance we all know and love. So, I guess the search continues. If you would like more posts like this, leave a comment in the comments below! 

Twitter I Facebook I YouTube I Book Blog I Pictures From Places

Sephora Favorites "In The Glow" Set: Sneak Peak + Pictures

 As I wrote in my last blog post, Santa was very generous this year. I got the Sephora By OPI Cinderella Nail Polish Set--click here to see an entire blog post dedicated to that--and this AMAZING blush/bronzer/highlighter gift set. Now normally I'm not into gift sets from Sephora. I think that they're great for some people but they never seem to grab my attention. That is, until this one.

I am a complete blush/bronzer junkie and when I saw this gift set I couldn't contain my excitement. It comes with the nine face products pictured above and only cost $45! I know. I couldn't believe it.

NARS' Dolce Vita Lipstick

I'm a bit of a lipstick junkie--confession time. I like to experiment with different lip shades and textures and brands. For the past...I don't know, week I have been obsessed with NARS' lipstick in the color Dolce Vita. I recently got this in the store but when the lady suggested this color I was a little hesitant.

But don't let the darker color intimidate you! The NARS website describes this particular shade as a sheer lipstick. The consistancy makes this color extremely wearable. When I apply it in the morning it looks like a beautiful, rosy flush to my lips. It looks very natural. This lipstick is very glossy, very easy to apply. It glides onto the lips beautifully. If you don't want to carry around a lipstick AND a lipgloss all day, try this product. But I do warn that it comes off very easily whenever I drink or eat. The gloss also disappears throughout the day but the rose color stays. So if you want the dewy look to last then you'll have to reapply.

I'm extremely glad that I purchased this. Dolce Vita is the third NARS lipstick that I own but at the moment it is my favorite! Like all NARS products it is quite expensive. So I would not reccomend buying online only to recieve a product that you thought looked differently in a picture.

Don't forget to follow and check out my second blog.