NARS Dolce Vita lipstick review

        NARS Dolce Vita lipstick is often heralded as a holy grail product. It's one of the most, if not most, famous colors in the NARS lipstick range. I finally took the plunge in December and bought myself a tube. It's a tall order to review of a color that so much has been said about. I will do my best with the photos, swatches, and comments on color and formula below. Overall, I like NARS Dolce Vita. It is a very wearable sheer lipstick. However, at this point in time, I do not consider it to be a holy grail product. I will explain in more detail below!

          NARS Dolce Vita lipstick is a sheer dusty rose. My photos were taken in strong indoor light. I've noticed that in strong lighting the color takes on a slight orange tone. However, in indoor or weaker lighting the bullet is significantly darker more rose in color. I think Karen on Makeup and Beauty Blog has characterized the true indoor color best. There are such a variety of picture available online that it was difficult for me to imagine the color when ordering it online. To be fair, the color is difficult to capture on camera. I would say that in general most pictures online seem to be taken in strong light and appear to be washed out pinks. I consider NARS Dolce Vita to be more of a medium to to slightly dark color in the tube.

           Dolce Vita  is a sheer formulation lipstick. NARS has three different formulas of lipstick: sheer, semi-matte, and satin. Generally, I've had good experiences with NARS's sheer lipstick formulation. The sheerness makes them easy to wear and more natural. It's a bit more color and less shine than you would get from a gloss. I think the lasting power is decent. The formulation is very comfortable to wear. It feels almost weightless instead of thick and creamy. I prefer this thinner texture since it moves around less and doesn't dry down to an uncomfortable residue like some glosses and creamy lipsticks.

          Here are comparison swatches for NARS Dolce Vita. I've included two other NARS sheer lipsticks: Mayflower and Pago Pago. You can see from my swatches that all three are quite sheer. I've created each swatch with at least two layers of lipstick. Despite looking very different in the tube, the swatches look relatively similar due to the sheerness. When worn, this is not the case. NARS Mayflower is a fresh strawberry pink tint on my lips. NARS Dolce Vita is a my-lips-but-darker shade. NARS Pago Pago gives lips a pale silvery pink sheen. If you look closely at the swatches, you can notice these differences. I've also compared the colors to Bobbi Brown Blondie Pink. Blondie Pink is a medium pink that is quite opaque. It has some rosy tones as well.

   
          My favorite time to wear this color is at home when I've removed all other makeup. It's a lipstick that looks better in the 'natural state' as opposed to a full face of makeup. It adds a little rosy darkness and evenness to my lips.  I know it's considered to be a 'my lips but better' shade, however to me it is more of a 'my lips but darker' shade. If you read Cute and Mundane somewhat regularly, you might know that this is not my cup of tea. I prefer nudes and cleaner pinks. NARS Mayflower is a better choice for me year round if I'm in the mood for a fresh and natural face. When I have a full face of makeup, I think Dolce Vita will be appropriate in the fall to early winter only.

          I think whether it will be a holy grail color for you depends on your coloring (and preferences). I consider myself to have a 'winter' complexion. I shy away from the warm autumnal tones in eyeshadows and lipsticks unless they're in season. I think those with 'autumn' complexions will find NARS Dolce Vita to be more wearable year round. A great example is Tiffany at Will Work for Makeup. The lipstick looks amazing alongside her reddish-golden highlights. That said, Dolce Vita is a very wearable color and can probably worn year round if it pleases you!

        Overall, I'm pleased to add this to my stash. I wish I'd gotten it earlier in the fall so I could have gotten more wear out of it. In the meantime I'll be adding NARS Dolce Vita to my at-home-lipstick rotation.  Do you have Dolce Vita? Let me know whether you agree or disagree with my assessment! Thanks for reading!

Love, Dovey.