 | Whilst I can sort of get away with wearing bright blue-leaning pink, there is always something slightly nasty, bordering on vaguely horrific about the result. And judging by the steady resale market I'm not the only one who loves and yet struggles with shades like Nars Yu. The colour is admittedly incredibly alluring- candied orchid is the phrase my brain spits out but impatiens pink or bluish rose are probably more relatable. I don't consider it fuchsia. Sadly it just not really suited to a rather wide swathe of eligible humanity. |
Yu isn't the bluest of the blue pinks I've encountered by any stretch, but that coolish quality is definitely there and cannot be wished away if you have trouble with it. Perhaps the only people who can do genuine justice to this pink are those at the extreme ends of the complexion spectrum; if you are super dark or pale with cool to neutral undertones, this shade can be the jewel in your facial crown. I've also seen it look the absolute shizniz against some Indian tonalities (there is a famous shade of sari silk that's an almost spot-on match*) but I'd think twice if I were very warm-to-golden. The rest of us just end up looking like sadly misguided and/or slutty clowns. Ha ha- too bad, world! I'd never let that prospect prevent me from wearing a colour I enjoy, and neither should you. Slap that shit on. Life is too short to be regretting stuff you didn't do.
 A recent prune of my collection really should have sent Yu on its way, but I just couldn't let it go. The Nars Satin Pencil formula stomped that sensible impulse with its uncanny silkiness and persistence on the lip. This is not the kind of colour you want punking out or clinging to the margins unbeknownst to the wearer and Yu delivers 3-4 hours of untouched up staunchness. If you liked the idea but not so much the ratchet reality of MAC Heroine, Show Orchid or Full Fuchsia, Yu is a more tasteful alternative. As you can see from the swatches, this sort of shade is widely iterated and if you already own the MAC Retro Matte versions, you don't really need to splash out on another. The difference is largely textural. Personally I would keep Yu before all the others because it is technically superior and just more pleasant to wear. The finish is less slippy than it appears on the hand, drying down to a lower sheen than my other Nars Satin Pencils. This is the secret to Yu's longevity, so it's probably best not to overload with product unless you're specifically going for a wetter look + collateral maintenance.  |   The colour is so of itself that lighting changes don't really have too much effect. That deep Nars pigmentation really makes its neighbours seem dull and recessed; when MAC shades look cheap in comparison, you're doing something right. |
Yu does the same on the average mouth, lifting less-than-perfect lippage. It can interact a bit strangely with your tooth colour, though; blue-pinks should be kind and whitening but I find it weirdly amplifies some of the funkier tones afflicting my fangs. Again- not enough to stop me wearing it. It doesn't bleed or suffer any noticeable formula fails.
There are a few tricks you can use to shorten any eww factor in Yu. I like to match my skin's sheen level to that of any difficult lipstick I'm attempting- in this case, low satin. I then try to eliminate most of the competing pinks from my face i.e. rosacea blotches and the blueish-lavender in capillaries, eyebags etc., with a thorough concealer effort. Keeping Yu slightly sheer helps its tones adapt to your own, and finally I've found it's important to blur out the edge rather than maintain a hard line, especially on a mature face, so leave the liner pencil in the bag. Works for me.
* Gulabi is the Hindi word for pink but I'm not sure if it's the specific term I was looking for. Incidentally- respect for the Gulabi Gang, a group of Indian activists who publicly shame and punish perpetrators of violence against women.
There are a few tricks you can use to shorten any eww factor in Yu. I like to match my skin's sheen level to that of any difficult lipstick I'm attempting- in this case, low satin. I then try to eliminate most of the competing pinks from my face i.e. rosacea blotches and the blueish-lavender in capillaries, eyebags etc., with a thorough concealer effort. Keeping Yu slightly sheer helps its tones adapt to your own, and finally I've found it's important to blur out the edge rather than maintain a hard line, especially on a mature face, so leave the liner pencil in the bag. Works for me.
* Gulabi is the Hindi word for pink but I'm not sure if it's the specific term I was looking for. Incidentally- respect for the Gulabi Gang, a group of Indian activists who publicly shame and punish perpetrators of violence against women.
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L2R MAC Russian Red, Bite Corvina, MAC Quick Sizzle, Nars Yu, MAC Flat Out Fabulous, MAC All Fired Up, MAC Rebel. indoor & outdoor natural light, no flash
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