May 18, 2018

NARS Orgasm Afterglow Lip Balm Too Expensive for Sheer Nothingness

I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

NARS Orgasm Afterglow Lip Balm ($28) is a new hydrating lip balm that contains a hint of that golden pink tint we love so much in Orgasm Blush. I am and forever will be a strong supporter of NARS Orgasm Blush. Some people find it way too sparkly and shimmery but it is my ideal shade of peach and it’s a shade I wear quite often!

Every so often NARS appeases the rapid Orgasm fans by releasing other items tinted with the shade. Over the years there has been NARS Orgasm Nail Polish, lipgloss, and lipstick. When Summer rolls around the brand seems to embrace Orgasm even more and release smaller collections featuring a few Orgasm shaded items which always excites me.

This Summer, we get not one but two Orgasm products that we’ve never seen before one of which is the Orgasm Afterglow Lip Balm and another is a loose illuminating powder which I’m eager to get my hands on. I was quite happy to see something new for lips in this shade since I was quite disappointed with the lipstick NARS put out last year. However, when I heard it was a lip balm I went into the purchase knowing I’d come out of it disappointed. It’s like a toxic romance. You know he’s bad for you but go in deep anyway and end up hurt. NARS Orgasm Afterglow Lip Balm is sadly a waste of nearly $30 and don’t let anyone tell you differently. As a fan of the Orgasm shade I can honestly say to you, don’t spend $28 on this. It’s too sheer and not moisturizing enough to warrant this kind of money.

NARS Orgasm Afterglow Lip Balm comes housed in a rose gold metallic square barrel that holds 0.1 oz of lip balm. I do wish that the rest of the collection had the same packaging as I’d die if they released Orgasm Blush in a rose gold compact. Yes, please! They did however, extend the pretty packaging to the Orgasm Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer that’s launching soon at Sephora as it has a pretty rose gold cap!

NARS doesn’t over promote this to death so what you see is what you get. The call it a hydrating lip balm with a subtle hint of Orgasm color and a radiant finish and that’s a pretty fair and accurate description of the formula. Although hydration might be a little farfetched as I only felt it offered the lightest of moisture. The hydration apparently comes from NARS’ own Monoï Hydrating Complex. A quick glance at the ingredients reveals some of the moisture comes from coconut and jojoba oil as well as skin softening hydrogenated polyisobutene. It’s actually not a super hydrating lip balm at all so don’t expect it to cure your dry lips but it will give you a bit of moisture, a hint of shine, and a very subtle tint that wasn’t as Orgasm-like as I was hoping for. In reality it looked like I applied a color changing lip balm on my lips but that could stem from the fact it is sheer and my lips are already pigmented. Someone with paler lips might see better color pay off. It is a very pretty golden pink with refined golden sparkly flecks that don’t quite translate once applied. I didn’t really notice anything shimmery about the finish but it did add a nice bit of shine. The wear time is fairly short and reapplication is likely going to be quite often for me as I get about an hour’s worth of wear from it. It contains no flavor nor fragrance.

Is it disappointing? Yeah, on some levels it is. I did wish it would have been more pigmented but also, on another level, I’m actually not that sad because when I purchased this I had already prepped myself for disappointment. I knew that it wasn’t going to be a long wearing, highly moisturizing, pigmented lip balm. And NARS did not promise me that which I appreciate.

Sadly, NARS Orgasm Afterglow Lip Balm is a bit too expensive to throw money at in my opinion. You might want to skip this one.

Tried it already?

Do share your thoughts!

NARS Orgasm Afterglow Lip Balm is available now at sephora.com.

I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

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

  • Kris

    That is really a bummer!!! Although it looks very pretty on you!! Maybe tap a little orgasm blush over it with your finger. I was hoping it would be nice! Oh well! Saved some money!!!!

    • Isabella Muse

      that’s a great idea Kris! Will try that ;-D and thanks! It’s quite sheer on me but maybe on someone with paler lips it might look way nicer ;-D

  • Beth

    I’ll stick with Burt’s Bees blush ripple it’s a beautiful shimmery rose and it’s a hella cheaper!

  • Janessa

    Oh no… Mine is out for delivery today… I have a feeling after reading this I’ll be returning it 🙁 Probably for the best since I also just bought the new Becca Royal Glow highlighter with the crown on it… because you know, I needed it (like I needed Dreamsicle and all others before her LOL). Hopefully the loose powder knocks it out of the park !

    • Isabella Muse

      I would be highly curious to see what you think of it Janessa! I thought it was way to expensive for the sheerness 🙁 By the way, I didn’t get a sec to review Dreamsicle but I didn’t like it either sadly 🙁 but still, I needed it lol!

      • Janessa

        I want so badly to love the balm, but I agree, not worth the money :-/. I prefer the It Cosmetics balm (the original version) over this balm.

        • Isabella Muse

          shame right? It’s the first time I’ve actually thought about returning something in a long time!

  • Sheree

    Wew, I dodged a bullet on that one!! I was all set to order and then decided that I’d wait for your review!

    • Isabella Muse

      I’d check it out in store. Swatch it on our skin, see how it goes. Don’t blind buy! Too sheer in my experience and not worth $28!!!!!!!!

  • Jean Fletcher

    I’m gutted its not available in the UK rght now. However, I will be flying out to Vegas next week so really hoping it will be available in the Sephora store. Do you know if its an online purchase only please? xx

    • Isabella Muse

      Hi Jean! It launches in store today 🙂 so you should be fine getting it at the Vegas store(s)!

      • Jean Fletcher

        Whoohoo!! Thanks so much for the reply. A trip to Sephora is always a highlight of my US vacation. Such a shame Sephora closed all its UK stores. Can’t tell you how much I miss it! x

  • Andrea Vecchione

    Muse, have you checked out Almay’s new Goddess glosses? I picked up Fairy, because I thought it looks a lot like UD’s old Lip Gunk Burn Out, but it’s also looks a lot like Orgasm. Nice formula and pretty opaque for a gloss. I also got Ethereal, which I didn’t think I’d like on me, but I actually really do. I paid $10.50 for each of them, but I got the sales confused and thought it was “Buy One, Get 75% off”, but that was only eye products. 🙁

  • Claire

    Awwww man… I just got this online. I should’ve waited for your review! I already thought the Orgasm lipstick was too sheer.

    • Isabella Muse

      let me know if it works for ya! you never know it might turn out great for you!

  • Tessa

    Oh well, guess I’ll be buying the orgasm illuminating powder and mixing some of it into a pot of a homemade lip balm and calling it a day, then I’ll get both the color payoff and moisturizing impact for a fraction of the price.

    • Isabella Muse

      sadly, the powder isn’t even that great. it’s peachy bronze, doesn’t remind me of orgasm at all! sad!

  • The Beauty Alchemist

    I saw this in their fashion week backstage pr back in Sept. and have been waiting to see what’s it like, if it ever came out. I like sheer shimmer but prefer more moisture. I’ll need to see it in person first.

  • Brooke

    I totally agree! I was hoping for a bit more of a flush of color and maybe a bit more shimmer. I won’t return it because the packaging is so darn pretty but I definitely think you’re right in telling people to skip this one unless they’re ready to be underwhelmed by the product itself. Xo

  • Marchelle

    I really like this! I have very pale lips so this shows up nicely. I have to reapply often but who doesn’t with a tinted lip balm.

  • Paula

    I absolutely agree with you, it’s stained my lips a really horrible bright pink. Orgasm blush is great but the balm isn’t.

    • Isabella Muse

      sigh sucks! The highlighter is just as bad. It’s a bronze orange rather than a golden pink!

  • Sarah

    I’ve been reading your reviews for years and it’s only just occurred to me that I should probably leave a comment to tell you that!

    I think your blogs are fantastic, and I’m not sure what it is about you that sets you apart, but you’re honestly the only beauty blogger that I actually trust! Thank you so much for all of your advice- I’ll avoid this lip balm! 🙂

    • Isabella Muse

      AWWWWWWWWWWW SARAH! shut up! You’re going to make me cry now 🙂 thank you my sweet girl! that made my day <3!