October 12, 2017

NARS Zambeze Photogloss Lip Lacquer Review & Swatches

PR Sample / Affiliate
This was provided to me by a brand for review and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post but all opinions are my own.

NARS Zambeze Photogloss Lip Lacquer ($26) is one of four, limited edition lipgloss shades that launched with the NARS Man Ray Holiday 2017 Collection. P.S. You should know there’s a shade called Muse too. Ahem, possibly named after me.

Not really, only in my dreams.

But in all seriousness, NARS Zambeze Photogloss Lip Lacquer is one of the wearable nudes that goes great with a smoky eye. You know, nude lipstick and lipgloss is a weird thing for me. I’ve always avoided the shade like the plague because it gave me such a bad case of zombie lips. Fast forward to a few years ago and I started slowly getting into nudes more and more. Suddenly, it’s like a can of Pringles, once you pop you can’t stop. I’m literally addicted to constantly trying and adding new nude shades to my stash. It’s become an odd obsession of mine to find the perfect nude and even when I do I still enjoy the hunt to find the next great one that will look good with my complexion.

Granted, there are plenty of zombie lip shades out there that I’ve come across in my travels but there are plenty of really flattering nudes too. And guess what?

NARS Zambeze Photogloss Lip Lacquer is one!

The NARS Photogloss Lip Lacquer is one of the brand’s thicker lipglosses although, calling this lipgloss might be a stretch. The hybrid texture has the shine of a gloss but the texture of a thicker, creamier liquid lipstick and the pigmentation of one as well. The formula is super pigmentation on a single application with opaque coverage and a nice hint of shine with a lightly moisturizing feel and a vanilla flavor and fragrance that disappeared fairly fast after applying. There’s a bit of tackiness here but overall, nothing uncomfortable and although quite thick I still felt very comfortable wearing this product without issues of migration, feathering, or heaviness. I got about four hours of wear and during that time color remained very strong without fading or sinking into my natural lip lines. Although, during the initial application there was some streaking so, I had to swipe the sponge across my lips a few times to get smooth, even coverage.

I was concerned the color was a bit too brown for me aka zombie lips. You get it right? But the warm orange-y caramel undertone ended up working quite great with my light medium skin and thankfully I wasn’t looking like living dead girl after application. It’s a very easy to wear nude that should work across a variety of skin tone!

All in all, a great shade and formula from NARS well worth exploring. The shade is available for a limited time so if it does work for you, you might want to grab a back up because we all know how hard it is finding that perfect shade of nude lipgloss or lipstick.

NARS Zambeze Photogloss Lip Lacquer is available now at narcosmetics.com and will be available soon at nordstrom.com, sephora.com, and ulta.com.

Are you planning on picking it up?

PR Sample / Affiliate
This was provided to me by a brand for review and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post but all opinions are my own.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Mylinda

    It almost looks peachy in the picture (where you are wearing it). I’m with the pink/peach/beige club so I like the way this looks on you. When you say zombie lips though, you mean too light? Like concealer? Or too dark? I can’t wear the dark browns, especially matte ones! But with a lot of colors, whether too light or too dark, I find that if it’s super glossy, it’s more palatable. Just my two cents.

    • Isabella Muse

      I guess it depends on your lip color. It does go a little dusky peach on me. Too light, sometimes too gray, or beige. The undertones sometimes just don’t work for me with certain nude, some are too pastel and milky which give that chalky dead look. I’m not good with dark browns either. I’m cool with lighter peaches or dusky ones. Or even ones with a touch of rose. Nudes are TOUGH to find sometimes. I agree, glossiness goes a LONG way at making nudes look good!

  • Melissa

    I want it just for the name! I feel like i need to wear it and then share the name with a bunch of people that could care less about my lip gloss collection. Sadly I have to pass, it’s a color i have a million dupes. BUT I do want a couple things from this collection I think.

  • Emily

    Have you tried Jane Iredale’s White Tea lip gloss? It’s my most perfect nude, and a delight to wear. I always get compliments when I wear it.

  • Amber G.

    Looks great on you! I sure hope we see a review of Muse….cause you gotta get it, RIGHT?!?