These blushes are quite hard to capture on camera, but I did my best.  While both colors have shimmer in them Dominate has a heavier sheen and more noticeable shimmer particles than Savage. 

(discontinued) NARS Dominate, $30

NARS describes the shade Dominate as a shimmering deep plum.  When applied sheerly on the face, the plum tone is more pronounced.  I do not enjoy the shade dominate for my preferences, I find it has too much shimmer in it.  When I look at it on my skin the shimmer particles sink into my pores.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t capture the sparkles in either shade on camera without losing the actual color of the blush.

Update 2024: NARS has reformulated their blushes to be talc-free. Click here to see swatches of some of the reformulated shades.

(discontinued) NARS Savage, $30

NARS describes Savage as a shimmering red brown and when applied to the face you can see that reddish tone come through more than the way it swatches.  Savage is my favorite of the two shades.  It has a less intense shimmer running through it that makes me look healthy and doesn’t accentuate my pores.

Update 2024: NARS has reformulated their blushes to be talc-free. Click here to see swatches of some of the reformulated shades.

Both shades are buildable, so I think they would work for several different skin tones.  I was pleasantly surprised that dominate was easy to apply lightly.  In my past experience, NARS blushes apply better with natural hair brushes and these are no exception.  They always apply splotchy when I try to use synthetic brushes.  I think NARS blushes are ok, but I’m never blown away by them.  I think there are better formulas at lower price points. However, if you are looking for great colors that work for a variety of skin tones, they definitely excel at that.

NARS blushes retail for $30.

What’s your take on NARS blushes?  Are they worth the hype?

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sticking around. You can check out my Brands A-Z index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.

Disclaimer:  I purchased all products featured with my own money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.