NARS Week Day 5 - NARS Body Glow

Today we are switching gears away from the color products to another well known, cult product from NARS. The Body Glow is one of their cult hits but I have found that very few casual shoppers of this brand know what it is and how fantastic is works. I guess that this product became a cult favorite because people who loved it kept repurchasing it as they ran out of it. Body Glow is one of the original shimmer body products and has been around ever since I started purchasing from this brand. Every summer, this product is mentioned in several different magazines as a tan-enhancer and a great choice for getting dressed up and going out at night.

The NARS website gives the following product description, "A unique blend of Monoi de Tahiti oil combined with a rich chocolate shimmer for glowing, healthy, and naturally fragrant skin. Native to the South Pacific, Monoi de Tahiti oil is composed of pure coconut extract macerated with the bud of the tiare flower, infusing the oil with nutrients as well as a delicate, natural fragrance. The ultimate multi-purpose beauty oil soothes and moisturizes the skin with an addition of rich chocolate shimmer for a natural glow. The lightweight, sheer oil is absorbed immediately on the skin."

In the past few years, NARS has capitalized on the status of original with a release of a second version of this product, one without the shimmer. "Continuing in the tradition and spirit of French Polynesia, NARS launches Monoi Oil Body Glow II to complement the original, best-selling favorite, Body Glow. Capturing Monoi de Tahiti oil in its purest state, Monoi Body Glow II begets glowing, healthy-looking, and naturally fragrant skin. Monoi de Tahiti oil is the result of macerating the Tiare flower (Tahitian gardenia) in refined coconut extract for at least ten days, slowly infusing the oil with nutrients as well as a delicate, natural fragrance. Each bottle of Monoi Body Glow II retains an original Tiare flower to capture the essence of this unique process. A daily care product, apply this lightweight, multi-purpose beauty oil for daily moisture and instantly luminous skin."

I first used Monoi Oil several years ago when trying out the Bath and Body Works Island Spa collection and fell in love with the lotion that was spiked with it. A bit of background on this product and why NARS decided to choose it for the product. Monoi oil is an oil made from soaking the petals of Tahitian gardenias in a semi-wax coconut oil. The word itself translates out to "scented oil" in the Reo-Maohi language. The Tiare Flower is the flower that produces the petals and it is the national flower of Tahiti and is a white flower. This type of oil is widely used to hydrate both skin and hair and is renowed for its unique and exotic fragrance. I am willing to bet that NARS choose it for both the hydrating and the scent properties.

The original version of this product works only on skin after I have used self tanner for several days in a row. I love this shimmer aspect of this product but I wish that it was just a bit more of a light bronze or glod shade instead of the chocolate, since either of those shades would work better for my skintone. The newer version of this product would be better for my skintone but it doesn't contain any of the shimmer that I really like from the original project. I guess I just can't have it both ways... I will have to buy both and use the original in the summer months only and the other to hydrate my skin all year round.

photo courtesy of NARS