Nars Douceur blush

My lovely friends at work bought me Nars Douceur blush for my birthday recently, after hearing me banging out about it for long enough I expect! I don't normally fall into new product hype / obsession - guess this is what happens if you are immersed in the world of beauty blogging and twittering for long enough! - but this is I think an obsession-worthy blush.

It's not an easy colour to describe - my boyfriend's opinion was that it looks terracotta. I see where he's coming from as it has kind of a baked, clayish look about it - I think I'm going to opt for baked rosy brick! I definitely see pink, as opposed to orange, tones, and I think I would also class this as a warm blush.

This is quite a matt blush but perhaps a little chalkier than some other Nars blushes - as such application is not quite so soft and smooth as my beloved Amour (blogged about here) or Mata Hari. I don't find it quite as easy to apply as these blushes either, and it may be my imagination but I don't think it's quite as long lasting. When I tried to swatch this on my wrist, I couldn't get it to show up without swatching quite heavily - nor could I capture it on film easily without layering it on a bit - so perhaps not quite as pigmented as some Nars blushes and perhaps not a great one for darker ladies.

Douceur heavily swatched on wrist

However my criticism ends there.This gives a pretty, flushed look to my skin - almost sun-baked, but could also pass for windswept (albeit a desert wind!). In fact I think I'm going to call it "windbaked" (I hereby trademark that term!). The only blush I own that gives a similar effect to this is Laura Mercier Face Tint in Filtered Brown. Although the Laura Mercier blush is darker and more brick-coloured than Douceur, the effect is quite similar, if that makes sense.

Douceur applied

So, I'm liking this blush so far. I think it could become a staple this winter... and time will tell if it reaches elusive HG status! I haven't experimented with it too much as yet, so if anyone owns this and would like to suggest any eye-lip combos that work particularly well, I'd appreciate your suggestions. I'm thinking it will look nice over my Becca cream blush in Turkish Rose, and also that it will look nice with a smoky eye and medium pink lip.

And for those who haven't yet read it elsewhere (or don't speak French), Douceur means 'sweetness' in French.

Have you been tempted by Douceur?