Review| NARSissist Eye Palette (Limited Edition)

           

The NARSissist Eye Palette ($79.00) has a lot of haters. 

I mean, a lot of people are just not willing to drop down almost 80 bucks for a palette with 15 tiny pans with really bad online swatches (mine included!) I'm rather undecided because I had swapped for this palette but would never in a million years purchase it with my hard earned monies. 

Here are the shades included, as borrowed from Temptalia. 

• All About Eve I Flesh-toned neutrals (Part of a Permanent Duo)
• Madrague II Matte caramel (Part of a Permanent Duo)
• Fez Velvety cocoa (Permanent)
• Bali Neutral (Permanent)
• Coconut Grove Deep brown infused with reflections (Permanent)
• Madrague l Matte cream (Part of a Permanent Duo)
• Nepal Soft, sheer rose (Permanent)
• Ashes to Ashes Shimmery violet based brown (Permanent)
• Brousse II Black violet (Part of a Vintage Duo)
• Mekong Espresso infused with shimmer (Permanent)
• Bellissima I Shimmering beige with subtle glitter (Part of a Permanent Duo)
• Lhasa Lavender grey (Permanent)
• Bad Behaviour Deep pewter (Limited Edition/Repromote)
• Dogon II Charcoal (Part of a Permanent Duo)
• Pandora II Matte black (Part of a Permanent Duo)

The packaging is the standard dust grabbing matte black plastic and includes a huge mirror inside. It snaps shut with conviction.

I feel almost ashamed showing you these horrible swatches, but I want you to get those preconceived notions jammed tight into your brain before you read my review. These are with no primer and one swipe.

Yeah....there's like 4 shadows that aren't complete crap when swatched dry. The darker shades are incredibly powdery looking, and the lighter color don't show up at all. 

Here's another shot in sunlight. It won't convince you that anything's right about this palette. 

The problem is....it isn't bad on the lids! You probably won't believe it, and you don't have to...this palette is ridiculously expensive for its quality. 

Yet, I still find that on the lids, most of the colors are: 

• Pigmented and NOT blotchy. The colors, when packed on with a flat shader brush, are just as pigmented as any other brand. Some are closer to Too Faced in terms of pigmentation, and some are as as pigmented as MAC. 
• Long lasting on the lid. These eyeshadows perform excellently on the lids on top of or without a primer. I noticed no creasing or fading by 6 hours.
• Different with interesting subtleties. No, they are not all "chalky black" on the lids. Their differences show on the lids, especially if you use a white based primer underneath. 

My biggest gripe with these pans are how hard they are to blend compared to their duo or single pans, meaning they are very dry shadows.  I had the hardest time blending out the darkest shades alone (without any additional blending colors on the brush.) To make them work, it's best to use a brush loaded with a softer powder (such as LORAC or MUG shadows) and go in small circular motions into the crease. You can also use the lighter shades on the left side of the palette to help with your blending work.

When you are able to blend your work, you'll find that this palette gives you a great gradient/smoked out look. I also enjoy the variations of color that can take you from a neutral work appropriate look to a porn star - sex goddess smokey eye in seconds. The curated shadows don't lean too cool/warm and don't all contain massive amounts of glitter,  meaning that it's suitable for most. (Most here meaning trust fund babies who don't mind dropping a wad of cash for subpar quality but a brand name.)

What I'm trying to say is, if you've used NARS eyeshadows before and like how they feel and perform, you may only be a little disappointed with this palette. If you've never tried any eyeshadows before on earth, hell, you'll love this palette. 

xo Be

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