NARS • Ninotchka • Blush

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BohemianMartini on 11/15/2011 12:34:00 AM more reviews by BohemianMartini

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

Wow. I'm so out of the loop - I had no idea that this was discontinued. But good news I've found a pretty close - not close enough to call a dupe - but close enough to mention on here blush. For reference - I'm a MUFE F&B 34. I love this blush. It's a wonderful matte shade that can do double duty for contour/blush. I mentioned in a palette review that this shade definitely reminds me of MAC Harmony. I decided to swatch it just now on my hands and they are definitely in the same family in terms of hue and shade. When heavily color swatched on my hand, Harmony is more plum. I decided to try them on my cheeks - the true test - and they looked pretty darn similar. Unless you're really going to pack it on, Harmony may be pretty decent substitute for someone lemming this blush.

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*TOP REVIEWER* GimpyPoop on 11/23/2010 8:45:00 PM more reviews by GimpyPoop

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Oh drat, this NARS blush has been discontinued! RIP dear friend! Fortunately I have years to go until I hit pan and I can say that I actually do use this blush every now and then. I alternate this blush with Zen as contour colors. I suppose Laguna and Casino bronzer would be suitable as well for such purposes, but I do recall those two have a slight bit of shimmer, so I’ve never explored them personally.
Ninotchka is similar to Zen in that’s it’s one of the darker shades, about the same dark tan-ish color as Zen. It’s definitely more mauve-y than Zen, less orange – I can envision this being a nice natural blush for darker skin tones. This definitely translates as more of a bronzer suitable product for me, even though I have only used it to contour in the hollows of my cheeks, my temples, and jaw line.
This is definitely a moderately pigmented monster, so I do use a thin stippling brush and tap off excess before buffing it into those recessed areas.
I can’t say I’ll be devastated should I ever shatter this product (I’ll NEVER use it up!) because it’s not especially unique, but it does have that legendary NARS staying power and silkiness. Swap for it, if you care to try it, but no need to drive yourself nuts tracking it down on eBay.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Sayoko on 4/3/2010 2:26:00 AM more reviews by Sayoko

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Dark, Neutral   Hair: Black, Relaxed, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I was lucky to pick this up from the NARS website(available for a limited time only), as this is discontinued, I love using this for a no make-up, make-up look. On me this is a slight rosy brown colour, very subtle(NC50 for reference) I would buy this again if needed.

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*TOP REVIEWER* makeupaddict76 on 3/9/2010 1:33:00 AM more reviews by makeupaddict76

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I got this from NARS website, it's very dark brown matte blush. I haven't used it as blush since I'm pale during winter but it's great for contouring!

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*TOP REVIEWER* MoiBelle on 4/14/2009 10:14:00 AM more reviews by MoiBelle

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Dry   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I like this blush a lot, pretty matte (no shimmer) brown color with a hint of peach. since it is matte then it is perfect for contouring the face. When applied lightly on my NC37 skin tone it gives a pretty sunkissed look and contours my face nicely, if I wanted it to look more peach then a heavy hand is needed. quite a versatile color. Great blush and bronzer in one.

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ilynne on 3/15/2009 5:19:00 PM more reviews by ilynne

Age: 44-55   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Green    

I love this blush. Very natural rosy brown, not orange. Sadly discontinued, but I'm sure mine will last the rest of my life. For a similar shade, try BB Clay.

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stinkpot on 10/7/2008 10:44:00 AM more reviews by stinkpot

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I abobsolutely love this blush. I was using Bobbi Brown Brown Berry but thought it looked too bright. Ninotchka looks completely natural, is a pretty color, and really accents my cheekbones Highly recommended!

UPDATE: I took a lippie off because this is just a little too brown and muddy looking.

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MakeupManifesto on 1/25/2008 8:34:00 PM more reviews by MakeupManifesto

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

I love this blush!! I am so disappointed NARS does not carry this anymore. This blush is slightly complex and hard to describe. I agree with reviewers below that it's a great contour blush, sort of between a blush and a bronzer. It's a dark dusty rose w/the tiniest hint of taupe brown. It's truly gorgeous and I love wearing this in the winter with my pale foundation it gives that late 80's/early 90's pale matte face with a streak of tawny blush on the sides. That's what this reminds of, it's kinda cool though and very pretty.

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ailusorio on 2/1/2007 6:23:00 PM more reviews by ailusorio

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

great for contour or use in the summer as a cross between bronzer and blush. Lasts all day, doesn't irritate my skin, comes off easily. Will repurchase.

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QrLogon07 on 10/15/2006 1:06:00 PM more reviews by QrLogon07

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

The perfect blush for medium-tan skin for men and women. On men, very little blush it works well for shading in cheecks, nose, and under chin to give you that nice model face structure. I love how it doesnt make us men look feminized. For women, works well for giving cheecks that natural glow. This is a real good product.

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makeup_pixie on 10/11/2006 6:46:00 PM more reviews by makeup_pixie

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Dark   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I use this blush for contouring my cheek bones. It's the perfect shade, not too dark, but not gray on ashy on my skintone. very easy to apply, smooth and velvety on my face.

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ladydog on 5/14/2006 9:21:00 PM more reviews by ladydog

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

Didn't work for me. I'm fair with a pink undertone. I was hoping that this would be a pinky-brown on me. Instead, it was just brown, a brown that looked like dirt on my face. I like Nars blushes and have had good luck with Lovejoy and Orgasm but I won't be using this one.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ruby_tea_roses on 3/25/2006 11:01:00 PM more reviews by ruby_tea_roses

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Ninotchka is a soft neutral brown in the pan, but when dusted VERY LIGHTLY on my light PPP skin, it gives a pretty "glow" of healthy skin. It is not as "bronzey" as a bronzer, instead it is much more soft and gentle. If applied too heavily Ninotchka will look very brown/dirty on my skin, but if applied *VERY* lightly across the tops of my cheeks (where the sun would naturally hit my skin) it creates a beautiful soft and healthy glow that brightens up my whole face ... like I was just outside all afternoon and picked up a hint of color from the sun. It creates the soft color of "health". Very pretty!

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Pieced on 1/26/2006 11:45:00 AM more reviews by Pieced

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

In love this blush, it gives a great conture for my face, and it's perfect for my skin, and it's long lasting. I get many compliment when I have this blush. Great product, and not that expensive.

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fme143 on 1/19/2006 4:06:00 PM more reviews by fme143

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I first tried Ninotchka in the Skin Deep Palette and liked it so much I decided to buy the full sized blush. For some reason the full-sized blush appears somewhat darker than the pan in the palette. Either way, it is a very nice neutral blush to wear with more colorful/dramatic eyes and lips. It looks like a scary muddy medium brown in the pan but on the skin gives a lovely matte suntan finish... it really accentuates cheekbones and plays down any redness in the cheeks. I am an NC30 and I have to be careful and apply it lightly because too much can make cheeks look dirty. I wish they would come out with a similar color with shimmer because sometimes Ninotchka can look dull, especially when paired with neutral eyes and lips.
EDIT: Taking off 2 lippies because I realized this was oxidizing/turning orange on me by the end of the day. Too bad because the texture and lasting power is great.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ravenlocks on 11/28/2005 6:58:00 AM more reviews by ravenlocks

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Dry   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

My HG blush. I am as pale as they get with red/brown hair. This has to be applied with a light hand or I look like I just ran a marathon. The color looks kind of muddy in the pan, but has a rosy, tawny glow on me. It also really helps with emphasizing the cheekbones! I love the fact that there are no sparkles (matte) and it stays put all day loing! My fave blush of all time!

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*TOP REVIEWER* escebola on 7/14/2005 7:35:00 AM more reviews by escebola

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I got this in my Rapture Palette. It's a tan shade that's really versatile: I like to apply a light layer for a classy polished look. I also use it to contour my face and I use this as well as a bronzer (it's darker than Laguna, and has no shimmer, so it's great fo everyday use, especially for oily T-zone girls who, like me, tend to stay away from too much shimmer).

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av0105 on 5/26/2005 9:59:00 PM more reviews by av0105

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I have gone through 2 these blushes and I just adore it. It adds warmth to my light complextion. It looks deeper than it actually appears on the skin. The texture is smooth and very easy to apply. Price is a little high but again it is worth it. Better for winter and fall.

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AMSD on 3/14/2005 2:43:00 PM more reviews by AMSD

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This used to be my regular color but I think since I stopped frying my skin in the sun (that is, now I'm pale!) the color started to look heavy and orange on my beige skin (I'm half Asian). Love Nars blushes, though, because they're so layerable - fantastic quality. Just not my color any more.

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*TOP REVIEWER* sana_j on 2/28/2005 5:18:00 AM more reviews by sana_j

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

If I could, I'd give this a 3.5. This blush appears to be a brown-rose on me. Actually it reminds me of my HG matte blush- PRISM by MAC. In the pan it appears to be a beige-brown shade, but on my cheeks it's almost a dull rose, and not muddy or brown at all. I still prefer the texture of Prism, but this is a good substitute. I'm a GGG c40-nc42. LSF 7 or 8 and NARS St. Tropez.

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