Don’t Judge an Eyeshadow by a Swatch?!

NARS Daphne Eyeshadow ($23.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a rich shade of night violet purple. It’s dark and deep and bright. But I have to warn you: don’t judge by a mere swatching on your arm. I’ve often found that matte eyeshadows don’t swatch well on the arm but perform phenomenally when used on the eyes. A truly outstanding matte shade will do both well, but I’ve simply learned that you cannot judge a poor swatched matte without trying it, too.

When swatched with a sponge-tip applicator, I get a patchy mess of violet — it’s more of a red-based purple than blue-based, but it seems to flicker between the two depending on the lighting situation. (Sidenote, photographing this eyeshadow was a pain in the behind–it constantly wanted to photograph BLUE!) My arm wasn’t exactly the most moisturized environment to be sure, but wow! Daphne made it look like a desert. Even when I tried to use my finger to smooth out the color, it didn’t work out well (as reflected in the swatch).

Now, I say all this to show you that I did not get good results when I simply swatched for color. In fact, I had a sneaking suspicious this was going to be an issue. Nevertheless, I trudged on, and I tested it out by wearing it in a look. AND WE HAD LIFT OFF! Daphne looked as vibrant as pictured in the pan, but it applied smoothly, evenly, and it didn’t need much product at all–so it went on quite pigmented.

It’s similar to Make Up For Ever’s #92 Eyeshadow, but #92 is brighter and a little lighter–it’s not quite the darkened violet that Daphne is. #92 is also more pigmented and thicker/smoother, though they perform similarly on the eye–with Daphne having less fall out. You can see a couple of looks I did using #92, and you’ll notice it’s definitely not quite as dark.

Initially, they seem very comparable, but in use, they’re really not. Daphne is a several shades darker and not the bold, vibrant shade of violet that #92 is. They’re both nice shades to own that don’t dupe each other. I do, of course, wish Daphne was a little smoother, so it would swatch well even on skin.

P.S. — The first mini lipgloss set ran out, but NARS set y’all up with another set featuring Turkish Delight, Greek Holiday, and Gothika — use code TEMPTALIA at checkout, expires 8/15.

The Glossover

	NARS Daphne Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Fall 2010) C+
	Give it a try in a look before dismissing it purely based on swatching--that is the biggest tip I can give you. If I had only swatched in-store, I would never have thought about picking it up, but after using it in a look, I'm much more inclined to recommend it.
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 5/10 Longevity 8.5/10 Application 3.5/5
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NARS Daphne Eyeshadow

NARS Daphne Eyeshadow

NARS Eyeshadow: Coconut Grove, Daphne

See? Rich, lush, and smooth color.

NARS Look: Mangrove & Daphne

I liked this in close-ups, but I don’t like it so much with my skin tone overall.  I think someone paler than me could really rock this, though!

You will need the following…

• Eyes: NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base (neutral eyeshadow base), NARS Mangrove Eyeshadow (mustard yellow), NARS Rajasthan Eyeshadow (golden taupe/dark green-blue), NARS Daphne Eyeshadow (deep purple), Burberry Trench Eyeshadow (highlighter), Make Up For Ever #11L Aqua Eyes (violet), Lancome Precious Cells Mascara (black)
• Face: NARS Sheer Matte Foundation (Punjab), Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder (translucent)
• Cheeks: NARS Douceur Blush (rosy brown)
• Lips: MAC Liquid Lurex Dazzle Lipstick (sheer green-gold), MAC Hi-Falutin’ Dazzleglass (pink melon)
• Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 116 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Liquid Lurex = Tanarama (not a great dupe), Hi-Falutin’ = Enchantress

For eyes, start by applying Smudgeproof as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using the 239, apply Mangrove eyeshadow on the inner third of the lid and pull upwards along the inner crease. Lightly blend Rajasthan (taupe) eyeshadow on the middle of the lid blended to the outer lid with the 239. Next, apply Daphne  eyeshadow into the crease with the 226, lightly blending onto the outer lid. Blend Trench eyeshadow with the crease shade and highlight the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying #11L eyeliner on the lower lash line. Finish by sweeping lashes with Precious Cells mascara.

For cheeks, apply Douceur blush on the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116.

For lips, apply Liquid Lurex lipstick first, and then layer Hi-falutin’ dazzleglass for a complementing lip.

Check out more photos!

WHY do you look unblended? HM? Is it to spite me??? How rude!