MANILA, Philippines - Founder and creative director François Nars, after traveling to Japan, brought back a small, porcelain pot with a red film of color — Kabuki makeup for the lips.
Debuting after 10 years of development is the Nars Bento Box Set — a limited edition set of two Kabuki cups that were hand-poured with a new exclusive-to-Nars lipstick formula in highly pigmented shades containing vitamin E. Housed in a handmade bento box, the set also comes with a Kabuki lip brush, designed for precise application by dipping the brush into the cup and blending until desired coverage is achieved.
Each cup has been hand-filled, weighs the same as a bullet of lipstick, and will provide around 150 uses. Similar to the Nars Yachiyo Kabuki Brush, the lip brush is handmade and the handle is wrapped in Wisteria, a flowering plant native to East Asian states such as China, Korea and Japan. Only one thousand sets were created for sale in the United States, and just over 2,000 in total were created worldwide.
His current collection of eyeshadows — Noveau Monde Duo Eyeshadow and Bateau Ivre Duo Eyeshadow — are neutral in comparison, but the lesson in makeup is always to play up one feature. With bold new hues, dark shadows are the perfect accessory.