Let me just start off by saying...high end makeup is new to me. I have been a drugstore makeup junkie for years and never felt the need to spend a lot of money at Sephora or department store counters. But recently I have started to become more and more interested in high end...but if I'm going to spend the money, it'd better be worth it. I did some research and Nars had consistently good product reviews but I knew I wanted something more than the typical Orgasm blush or Turkish Delight lip gloss.(there are just too many dupes for those two out there!) So after some Sephora web browsing, I spotted this palette...small, neutral, shimmery, matte, light shades, dark shades, a primer, and an eyeshadow brush...yep... I figured this would be a good way to try some of the "classy stuff".
- $59.00 ($105 value)
- Sephora exclusive and limited edition
- described as "and eye shadow kit with six sultry shades, a travel-size Eye Shader Brush (#3), and a medium Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base"
- typical Nars black, rubberized packaging
- palette is slightly larger than the palm of my hand
- includes mirror
From top left:Alhambra, Bellisima, Kalahari
From bottom left: Galapagos, Coconut Grove, Night Clubbing
Alhambra-shimmery, pinky champagne
Bellisima-matte, cool medium grey
Kalahari-shimmery, pinky bronze
Galapagos-very warm, medium brown with fine gold glitter
Coconut Grove-matte, deep brown
Night Clubbing-black with fine green/gold glitter
In order as above
On the eye...
From this palette I am wearing Kalahari on the inner 1/3 of my lid, Galapagos on the outer 2/3 of the lid, then blended them out with Bellisima and used Alhambra under my brow and in the inner corner. I ran Coconut Grove through my crease and a tiny bit of Night Clubbing in my outer corner. I lined my eyes with Cover Girl Liquiline Blast eyeliner in brown, smudged it out with a Q tip and then topped the liner with Coconut Grove. I added a touch of Milani powder eyeshadow in #01 White Lie to my inner corner to brighten up my eyes and used Cover Girl Clump Crusher mascara on my top lashes and Maybelline Lash Discovery waterproof mascara on the bottom lashes.
*I am wearing the Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base(included) as an eye primer*
Review...
Primer
I did enjoy the primer that came with this set. It went on with a slightly white pearly/satin-ish finish which cancelled out a bit of the discoloration on my eyelid. Once dry, it had a smooth texture (not sticky or tacky) and kept the shadows vibrant and crease free through a 12 hour work shift. Would I purchase the full size primer? Nope...there are too many cheap primers out there that do the exact same thing.
#3 Eye Shader Brush
This set also includes a large flat shader brush...really large. I had trouble using this large of a brush on my lid so I used it under my brow bone to apply my highlight. This type of brush is what I like to call a "lazy kid blending brush". It does the duty of applying your highlight, but it's so large that it also blends out your crease at the same time. Less work for me...I'm a fan.
Palette
As a first time Nars user, I must say, I'm impressed with the quality of these shadows. They are smooth and pigmented, which makes blending quick and seamless. For my eye look I kept it "everyday wearable" but because this palette includes a variety of shades and finishes, you could easily bump it up a notch by just going bananas in your crease and outer V with Coconut Grove and/or Night Clubbing to make it a much more dramatic look. One thing to note, while the shades Galapagos and Night Clubbing contain fine glitter in the pan, the glitter did not transfer onto my eye...which I actually don't mind...I'm not a huge glitter person anyway. The fall out with these shadows is down right non-existent...another plus. I also enjoy the fact that this is a mostly warm-toned palette with a cool grey shade thrown in, which is the opposite way a lot of other palettes are put together...a bunch of cool shades with a random brown shade slapped in there. As someone who has a hard time pulling off cooler shades...I appreciate this feature. To me, this would be the ideal "quick weekend trip" palette...Small size (a little bigger than the palm of my hand), sturdy compact with mirror, smooth shadow textures which make for fast application and easy blending, and a decent shade/finish selection gives you a lot of different options without having to pack your whole vanity (GUILTY!)
Would I repurchase?
Yes, definitely.
I love the look you've created with this. I own the palette too and also thought the brush was ridiculously large and only good for highlight/blending! (I'm not crazy!) You mentioned having trouble finding warm-toned palettes, which is odd because I feel like most of the palettes I own are very warm with only one or two cool shades thrown in! Do you own either Naked palette, both of which run on the warmer side of things?
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes I own both and love them! I meant that I enjoy the warm palette with a cool grey thrown in. Usually when palettes give you a matte shade (warm or cool) it is usually a brown shade. I like the twist of a warm brown palette with a light grey thrown in...(kinda breaks up the "brown-ness" of a look) and you're right, I'm practically drowning in warm brown palettes haha!
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