Céline Dion is bringing back this €34 NARS blush shade created for Naomi Campbell
One figure is enough to capture the scale of the phenomenon: searches for an orange blush shade surged by more than 59,900% in the space of a single week. Behind this explosion: a Parisian stage, a superstar, and a brush placed just so on the cheekbones.
A makeup artist’s move that started it all
It all began on Instagram. Makeup artist Charly Salvator posted a video revealing the product he uses for Céline Dion‘s stage appearances, as she currently performs at the Plenitude Arena in Paris. The powder blush in question is NARS Taj Mahal, an intense orange shade that immediately caught the attention of the beauty world.
Within days, the product became difficult, if not impossible, to track down at certain retailers. Data from price comparison platform Idealo confirms the scale of the craze: demand for this blush shade has quite literally gone through the roof. It’s not just one product selling better; it’s an entire family of tones that people had stopped daring to wear suddenly making a comeback.
A shade created for Naomi Campbell, now a classic
Taj Mahal is far from a newcomer. This blush is one of NARS’s great classics, and its story stretches back to a time when this orange blush shade was considered bold. It was François Nars, the brand’s founder and makeup artist, who created it with Naomi Campbell‘s complexion specifically in mind.
Since then, the shade has cemented itself as one of the house’s most iconic products. What Céline Dion has managed to do is put a nuance that already existed, but that many hesitated to try, back in the spotlight. By wearing this blush on stage, she has turned a quietly beloved classic into an object of universal desire.
How to apply this blush shade without going wrong
With a blush this pigmented, the question of application naturally arises. The golden rule comes down to three words: less is more. With such an intense shade, it’s best to start with the tiniest amount of product and build up the intensity gradually using a soft blush brush.
- Apply the product to the tops of the cheekbones first
- Blend the colour upward toward the temples with a soft brush
- Keep the application diffused so the colour melts into the skin
- Start with a very small amount, then build up gradually
This is precisely the technique used on Céline Dion. The movement should stay diffused, with no hard edges, so the blush shade integrates naturally into the complexion. The goal is a seamless fusion with the skin, not a flat wash of colour.
What makeup to pair with this orange shade
Wearing such a bold blush shade doesn’t mean piling on the effects elsewhere. On the contrary, the rest of the makeup can stay understated. A fresh base, lightly defined eyes, and a nude lip are all it takes to balance the power of the orange on the cheekbones.
This principle of balance is at the heart of the on-stage result. The strength of the Taj Mahal blush lies precisely in the contrast between a very present blush shade and an otherwise pared-back face. With this logic in mind, even the most pigmented shades become wearable every day. Céline Dion hasn’t just relaunched a product, she’s also brought back an entire family of blushes that many had quietly set aside.
