Nars The Multiple

RRP: £27
no. of shades available: 14

--What does the promo say?--
"A multi-purpose stick for eyes, cheeks, lips and body. Its unique lightweight, cream-to-powder formula blends effortlessly to provide sheer all-over color, shimmering accents, contours and dynamic highlights for all skin tones. Creates perfect, glowing complexions and is conveniently designed for failproof application."

--Packaging--
A chunky black matte stick - looks like a lipstick package but is wider and taller. The distinctive Nars logo graces it in white and the end is twistable so that more of the product is pushed up if you need it. The stick itself is also cut flat rather than being curved or pointy like a lipstick.

--Application--
This product is designed for eyes, cheeks and lips. For the cheeks, it's easy - just streak the stick across your cheeks, or dab on the apples of your cheeks before rubbing in. For the eyelids, the stick is perhaps a little too chunky to enable application directly from the stick, so I just rub my finger across the stick before rubbing the colour onto my eyelids that way. You could use a brush, but I think the cream-based formula would make this tricky. For the lips, you can either use your fingers or apply directly from the stick.

--Texture--
Very smooth and creamy, though on the lips it feels more drying, and so I would recommend applying a lip balm first.

--Appearance--
All of the NARS Multiple shades have a shimmer to them, so if you're more into matte makeup, you might want to avoid this particular product. However, the shimmer is very subtle, and the colour is too (one of the shades I own is quite a deep brown coffee colour, but on the face the effects are very pleasing and serve to highlight in a sophisticated way rather than making you look like a clown), making anyone's face look instantly more grownup. There also really is a colour for everyone - the Multiple is available in a huge range of shades, going from the palest pinks and peaches, to grownup browns, to striking fuschias and purples. I was worried that using one colour all over my face might look boring or strange but I'm more than pleased.

--Longevity--
The colour will need to be reapplied to your lips often, but then again this isn't marketed as being a long-lasting lipstick, so I can accept that.
On the cheeks, the Multiple fares excellently, giving you a healthy glow all day. You could also use this on your decollete for evening, though I haven't tried this.
However, I was disappointed with the Multiple's performance on my eyelids. Even with an eyelid primer, the colour creases quickly, which I suspect is the fault of the cream-based formula.

--Value for money--
One stick of this will go a very long way, the range of colours is superb, and its multiple uses only increase its value. If you shop around on the internet, you may well be able to achieve further bargains. Despite its failing on the eyes, I would say this product is more than worth its price tag. My next quest - to buy it in the Cannes shade...