NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Hydrating Lipstick Review & Swatches

NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Hydrating Lipstick ($32) are a new range of hydrating lipsticks infused with shea and mango butter to moisturize and nourish lips while providing color. Rejoice fans of shiny lipsticks! Afterglow Sensual Shine Hydrating Lipsticks DO NOT disappoint! I am forever, always a fan of shiny lip looks and shiny lipsticks hold a special place in my heart as many of my old favorite Japanese lipsticks all had that beautiful, lightweight formula with a shiny finish. If you’re ever in Tokyo visit the nearest drugstore and behold the assortment of wonderful shiny (and affordable) lipsticks you can get your hands on. It’s not to say the Japanese don’t love matte formulas but I feel like shiny lippies def dominate their makeup world.

I personally have drier lips and I really don’t like a matte lip look nor do I love the feel of it. Hybrid formulas like the Afterglow Sensual Shine Hydrating Lipsticks are ideal for me as I get that soft, hydrating texture and shininess I’d get from a balm or lipgloss and the pigment of a lipstick but not the heaviness of one!

NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Hydrating Lipstick arrives in a rose gold slim mirrored case. Aren’t you glad NARS is slowing embracing this packaging for all their newest releases? Yay! No more rubber cases that gather every speck of dirt, lint, and makeup on the planet! This packaging is very chic!

This lipstick is available in ten shades (wish it was more) and 0.05 oz in size for $32 each. So yeah, ouch on that size and price as a NARS Lipstick is $26 and more than twice the size at 0.12 oz. But I’ve always said if the quality is there I don’t mind the price tag and that goes for this formula. One thing I should warn you about before I begin to rave is that you aren’t going to like this formula if you want something super long wearing. This isn’t something that will last for a crazy long time on your lips. That could really make or break the deal for some people. I don’t necessarily mind though as I touch up all the time anyway! I don’t really love wearing a lipstick for even an hour without giving it a bit of a refresh. So, this isn’t a big deal for me! However, it could be a problem for others.

This formula is like butter. Smooth, lightly balmy, glides onto lips without pulling or tugging, and instantly provides shine and color. I got two shades (My best friend stole Orgasm from me! He’s a stinker! Thus we only have one shade in this review) one was Orgasm and one was Dolce Vita. Dolce Vita has been a fond favorite of mine in the original NARS Lipstick formula FOREVER! It’s always been such a perfect rosy nude on my lips! This shade is exactly the same as you’d get in the original NARS Lipstick or Lipgloss formula. However, it is a bit sheerer compared to those formulas but still has plenty of pigment to offer. It’s perfection and great for an everyday, fresh look.

As I said above the texture of this lipstick is lovely. It’s almost a creamy balm-like consistency. It’s very hydrating, very shiny, and quite pigmented too! The wear time is shorter. I’d say I can get about two hours of wear but that’s without eating or drinking. This wouldn’t stand the test of wearing through eating and drinking. That’s a shorter time for a $32 lipstick but as I said above I touch up constantly. I didn’t find myself having an issue with that shorter wear (I did remove one star on my review due to price and the wear time but I am Muse Approving them regardless). Also, they have absolutely no flavor nor fragrance. NOTHING. Ya know how some fragrance-free lip products still have a weird taste or even a bitter one? This does not. It also, feels like I’m not wearing a damn thing on my lips. It’s incredibly weightless yet leaves my dry lips feeling nourished.

Just a little disclosure. I don’t edit my pictures ever. I used to take them with my old digital camera but lately just been doing it with my iPhone. The photo below I did lighten up a little bit as it was a bit shadowy. I just wanted to disclose that. The lipstick color hasn’t change. I just added a little brightness to the overall picture so my face was looking so shadow-y.

I’d absolutely buy more NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Hydrating Lipstick. These are a dry lip girl or guy’s best friend. Color and shine in one lipstick? Sign me up!

NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Hydrating Lipsticks are available now. Have you tried them?

Where to buy

Ulta Sephora NARS