Review: NARS Coeur Battant Blush

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If you’ve seen any of my recent wishlists then you already know I’ve been wanting the Coeur Battant blush from the NARS x Guy Bourdin collection since… well, since I first saw it. It took quite a bit of willpower, but I held off on getting it until the Sephora sale last week, and I’ve worn it every day since.

Packaging

The blush comes in the same compact as the ones in the permanent range, and contains the same amount (.16oz/4.5g). The compact has the familiar soft-touch coating, with a mirror inside the lid and no extraneous applicators. The packaging can get a little grubby-looking if stray powders get onto it, but the grippy coating helps you hold onto it (which is apparently a good thing because I’ve dropped an astonishing number of makeup items lately) and also keeps it from sliding around in storage drawers. The slim size makes for easy storage, especially if you store them end-up instead of flat, and great for travel. The snap closure on the lid is very secure – I wouldn’t worry for a second about it popping open by accident.

Color

Coeur Battant is a wildly bright magenta. In the pan it looks a little bit terrifying intimidating, but it actually sheers out nicely if you use it with a loose brush and a light hand. It can definitely be a centerpiece color though, which isn’t something that I usually think of when it comes to blushes. This blush is incredibly pigmented, so I have to be careful to apply this shade lightly on my light-medium skin. The very fair-skinned among us will want to use an extra light hand. I suspect the color will show up easily and look stunning on very deep skin tones.

Texture & Wear

Left: One heavy swipe
Right: One swipe with what was left on my finger

Like the other NARS blushes I’ve tried, Coeur Battant is very pigmented, finely milled and soft. It has a bit of a drier texture than Burberry, but not as dry as Tarte or Laura Mercier blushes. Unlike a lot of the NARS blush shades, this one has no shimmer particles, but it’s not flat-looking by any means (how could it be, with that color?). I haven’t found it to be drying, either. It blends easily but overapplication can be tricky to fix. I’ve been using a stippling brush or very soft & loose brushes to start slow and build coverage. The wear time is quite good – around 8 or 9 hours before it starts to fade, and it’s still plenty visible after 12 hours.

Comparison

Left: NARS Coeur Battant
Right: Burberry Hydrangea Pink

Up until now Burberry Hydrangea Pink has been the brightest, most cool-toned blush I own, and it’s been my go-to for a dramatic pop of color. Next to Coeur Battant though, it looks downright tame.

Top to bottom: Coeur Battant light swatch, Coeur Battant heavy swatch, Burberry Hydrangea Pink

As you can see in the swatches, Hydrangea Pink isn’t quite as bright, and doesn’t have the same magenta undertones that Coeur Battant does.

In Short: This isn’t a color that everyone’s going to be crazy about, and it’s not one you can apply in your sleep, but I’m in love.

Coeur Battant used with a VERY light application

NARS Coeur Battant ($29) is available at nordstrom.com, sephora.com and narscosmetics.com