NARS Orgasm Blush, and Every Other Way to Wear It

NARS Orgasm Blush, and Every Other Way to Wear It

NARS Orgasm blush launched in 1999 as a peachy pink with golden shimmer, and it now comes as powder, liquid and stick. Here is how I would pick between the versions, plus a few other NARS shades and similar peachy pink shimmers.

François Nars was a working makeup artist before he was a brand. He started his line in 1994 with twelve lipsticks, and in 1999 he made the shade that would define it. By his own account he thought of the name first and the color second, because he wanted something shocking. The color turned out to be as memorable as the name: a peachy pink with golden shimmer meant to look like a natural flush. If you are shopping for nars orgasm blush, the first question is which format, because it now comes several ways.

The pressed powder is where it began. Talc-Free Powder Blush in Orgasm is the original peachy pink with golden shimmer, and the talc-free formula lasts up to 16 hours. Orgasm Edge is the same peachy pink with no shimmer at all, so it suits a matte day. Orgasm X is a shimmering deep coral with gold pearl, and Orgasm Rush is a deep rose bronze with shimmer for deeper skin or a stronger hand.

The Insatiable Longwearing Liquid Blush is the nars liquid blush version. Orgasm is a shimmering peachy pink, and Orgasm Fantasy is a plain peachy pink. Both are buildable, have peptides and ceramides, and come with an oversized doe-foot applicator. The Afterglow Liquid Blush and the NARS Blush round out the grid.

A quick test: swipe the powder and the liquid side by side on your jaw. The one that disappears into your skin is the one to buy.

Comparison chart of NARS Orgasm Blush by formula, from liquid at the top to powder at the bottom, with every shade of one product on the same row and spread from cool pink to warm coral, featuring NARS Insatiable Liquid Blush, Multiple Soft Blur Stick and Talc-Free Powder Blush
NARS Orgasm Blush

NARS Orgasm in every formula

Beyond Orgasm: more NARS shades

Orgasm gets the attention, but the rest of the NARS blush shelf is where I would go once I knew my undertone. The powders share the same talc-free formula that lasts up to 16 hours. Deep Throat is a soft pink with a golden sheen, and Amour is a matte warm pink for anyone who wants color without shimmer. Mad Love is a mauve pink with gold shimmer, and it leans cooler than Orgasm.

The Insatiable liquids come in shades that pull in both directions. Fast Ride is a cool pink, and Qué Calor is a dusty rose. Dot either one on the back of your hand first, then tap it onto the cheeks with a fingertip, and build one dot at a time.

Then there are the Multiple-style sticks, The Multiple Soft Blur Blush Stick for Cheeks, Eyes and Lips. Hot Take is an apricot, Fling is a watermelon pink, and Sex Appeal is a soft peach. The formula has soft-focus powders, rhubarb root extract and peach kernel oil, and you can swipe one on cheeks, lips and eyes for a single color story. Blend with your fingertips using short tapping motions.

Pairing tip: use a stick for the apple of the cheek and a powder over the top if you want the color to last through dinner.

What I would skip: a shimmering powder like Mad Love on textured skin in bright daylight. Take Amour, the matte one, instead.

More NARS blush

Peachy pink shimmer, other brands

Peachy pink with a touch of gold is a lane, and several other brands have a version. I would not call any of them a copy of Orgasm. They are close cousins with different textures, and the difference is mostly in how they feel.

Make Up For Ever Artist Longwear Skin-fusing Powder Blush in B220 Joyful Pink is a peachy pink with golden shimmer, and the buttery texture melts into skin. Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Divine Powder Blush in Nude Venus is peachy pink with golden pearl and a silk-velvet finish. Too Faced Cloud Crush Blurring Powder Blush in Golden Hour is a satin peach pink with a light tropical beach scent. The Colorful Blush and Highlighter Glaze in 01 Pink Sunset is a peachy pink shimmer that doubles as a highlighter.

Yves Saint Laurent Make Me Blush 24H Buildable Powder Blush in 93 Restless Rose is a peachy pink satin that is waterproof. Kosas Blush is Life in Blissed is a warm peachy pink baked with squalane and hyaluronic acid. bareMinerals GEN NUDE Highlighting Blush and Wander Beauty On-the-glow Blush & Illuminator in Dusk Nude Glow both speak for themselves in their names, and I would swatch them in person before deciding.

Pairing tip: with a shimmery blush like these, keep the eyes and lips matte so the cheeks are the only glow.

What I would skip: wearing two shimmer products on the same cheekbone. Pick one shimmer and let the other be matte.

Peachy pink shimmer blushes like Orgasm

Choosing your Orgasm

Start with your finish. If you want a glow, pick Orgasm or Orgasm X. If you want matte, pick Orgasm Edge or Amour. Then pick your format: powder for a soft edge, liquid for a second-skin stain, stick for the fastest routine. Undertone matters more than depth, since cool skin often likes a cool pink like Fast Ride and warm skin often likes coral like Orgasm X. Place the color high on the cheek, blend until you cannot find the edge, and use a fingertip for liquids. The color was made to look like a natural flush, so if it looks like a stripe, use less. Once you find your version, everything else in the bag gets simpler.