I've been really into Nars lately. I am impressed with many of their recent releases, from the whole Charlotte Gainsbourg collection to their new liquid blushes. I don't really consider them to be a French brand, although the founder himself François Nars was born in the South of France and made his débuts as a makeup artist in Paris. This new Bord de Plage palette, however, takes me back to the rocky shores of the Côte d'Azur. Let's take a closer look!

You know I bought many new bronzers this season since I reviewed them all, from the super high-end Guerlain Chic Tropic to the stunning Givenchy Gypsophilia or the multicolor Belle de Teint Mosaic Palette by Lancome. But the one product I keep reaching for to bronze my face is this Nars Bord de Plage Highlighting and Bronzing Palette. It's definitely been a staple in my summer makeup looks!




First there's the packaging. Gorgeous sounds too vulgar, beautiful doesn't even begin to describe it. Even the cardboard box it comes in is perfect, with a soft, velvety finish. The compact itself has a lid that's unlike anything I've seen before, kind of tortoise shell meets camouflage meets weathered bronze, and is engraved with the brand logo. Inside, a humongous mirror reflects my entire face when I hold it 2 inches from my nose. It's the most awe inspiring makeup packaging I've seen in a while in all its glorious uniqueness. Oh, and it opens sideways, because why not?




On to the contents of this palette: 6 stripes of sand and earth-like colors are embossed with the brand's logo. 4 are highlighters, and 2 are bronzers. I think the highlighters are in the Dual Intensity formula since they can be used wet or dry, but the official description doesn't clarify that. The bronzer are in the new Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer formula, as confirmed on the back of the palette.




The highlighters go from the lightest Rivage, a very pale white champagne, to the deepest Galet, a warm bronze. In between, you get Crique, a light rosy beige, and Corniche, a peachy champagne. It's like a highlighter wardrobe that should take you through the summer (or the rest of the year!) whatever the occasion. Some of these shades were in the Banc de Sable highlighting palette released earlier this year. The highlighters are rather firmly pressed yet deliver a good amount of pigment and they feel creamy rather than powdery on the skin. They blend beautifully to create a heavenly glow, a kind of "lit from within" look with a very smooth finish that doesn't have visible glitter or sparkles. I prefer my highlight subtle so I use them dry, and even then it's easy to build up the shine.

A word on the names of the shades and of this entire palette: they're very evocative and all related to the seaside. Bord de Plage means beachfront, Rivage means shore, Crique means creek, Corniche I think is the same, and Galet is pebble.




The bronzer are both existing shades, the best-selling Laguna, a mid-tone brown with orange undertones, and Casino, a deeper, rosier shade. I love the Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer formula because it's so finely milled that it blends into the skin like thin air. If you want a very natural bronzed look, this is what you need. However it's very firmly pressed so you need to jab your brush into the pan to pick up product, and I had a very sad experience with the full size version of Laguna: I loved it to pieces, but after about a month the surface became so hard that it was completely unusable. Scraping the top layer didn't help either. So far the bronzer pans in the Bord de Plage palette still have their normal texture, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't have the same issue. Because really, it's a beautiful bronzer.




I get a great wear time with both the bronzers and the highlighters: I still have that subtle sunkissed tan and healthy glow at the end of the day, no fading or patchiness after 8 hours.



I think you can tell I'm in love with this palette. It's a beautiful object and it gives my skin the perfect summery glow I'm looking for. There's something about Bord de Plage that feels luxurious and exclusive, like that secret perfect little beach that only the locals know. It's not lavish, it's not opulent, but it's so attractive and pretty. Well worth the $59 if you ask me.






The product featured in this review was purchased by me. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links. I receive a very small commission when you click on those links, and the money generated covers a small portion of my expenses to purchase products for review. Clicking on those links helps ensure that Beaumiroir continues to publish reviews of new and exciting high end French products - at no cost to you!