NARS Euphrate Eyeshadow ($24.00 for 0.07 oz.) is described as a “frosted mint steel.” It’s a cool-toned, green-tinged, light-medium gray with a frosted, silver shimmer. MAC Moss Garden is more metallic. Chanel Riviere is warmer, less gray. MAC Fresh & Mint is more frosted. Urban Decay Money is darker. It’s funny: I thought this was more unique than not, but it turns out that is not quite the case! The finish of Euphrate is smoother/less metallic in comparison to other shades, though.
Euphrate had good color payoff, and it applied smoothly overall. It was a smidgen powdery when I applied all over the lid directly (no primer), but it applied more smoothly when I applied it over NARS’ eyeshadow primer. The color worked well when paired with NARS Barrow Street eyeliner (from this collection as well). Without a primer, it lasted for eight hours but was slightly faded along the edges. NARS’ eyeshadow is supposed to be “highly pigmented, long-wearing, [and] crease-resistant.”
Euphrate works well to brighten eyes while being a cooler-toned, more interesting color than perhaps a more common beige, so it might be a nice way to switch things up.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
8/10
Application
4.5/5
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This shade is rich, rich, and rich. The color payoff was intense and so saturated; very true-to-pan, and a little goes a long way. It’s one of the most pigmented eyeshadows I’ve tested by NARS. It’s also soft, finely-milled, and applies smoothly without being powdery. For as pigmented as it is, it still blends beautifully. The texture is a great balance of soft and dense, so I ended up having no trouble blending it with other shades. I will say that use less than you think you need, because it is incredibly pigmented. I tested it when I wore the other two eyeshadow duos in this launch, and it was the best performing out of all the eyeshadows–it was still fully intact after ten hours of wear.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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NARS Lhasa Eyeshadow ($24.00 for 0.07 oz.) is described as a “shimmery lavender-gray.” It’s gray, just slightly brown, with a stormy, smoky purple brewing in it. The color payoff is good, though just a touch sheer, but it has a really silky-smooth feeling to the texture. It also adheres really well to the lid. Urban Decay Bust is browner. theBalm Come Hither Heather is grayer, more cool-toned. Estee Lauder Tempting Mocha is lighter. Bare Escentuals Rowdy is a touch lighter. MAC Shale is similar but a touch darker.
NARS’ pressed eyeshadows are supposed to be long-wearing, crease-resistant, and highly pigmented on their own, and they do a good job of staying in place without fading or creasing, but only for around eight hours without a primer, at which time there is very slight fading and noticeable (but not deep) creasing. With a primer, I have no concerns as they last until I take off my makeup.
Admittedly, it seemed more unique when I first swatched it, but there are a fair number of shades that come close to it! If you don't have a shade like it, though, it is extremely versatile. It can be used in a neutral eye as well as a more dramatic, smoky eye.
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
8.5/10
Application
4.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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NARS Isolde Eyeshadow Duo ($33.00 for 0.14 oz.) is described as “frosted ginger” and “shimmering copper.” This is one of the best NARS duos I’ve tried when it comes to quality, but I will readily admit that as far as the shades themselves go, they’re not unique, so you may already own similar shades. It’s a great basic duo for someone who hasn’t already added a few coppers to their stash, though! This is part of the brand’s permanent range, so I think it’s a nice core product to have.
The left side of Isolde is a medium copper with a frosted gold sheen. It has an incredibly soft, smooth texture that’s buttery and dense without being powdery. It delivers excellent color payoff, too! This shade is similar to: Bare Escentuals Louder, MAC Amber Lights, and theBalm Meep Meep.
On the right side, there is a deeper copper with burnished brown undertones and a frosted golden sheen. Like the left side, the texture is amazing–soft, smooth, rich–with intense pigmentation. It’s has more copper compared to Make Up For Ever #12, while MAC Bronze is too brown. Giorgio Armani #5 comes closest but is a touch browner.
Isolde adhered really well to the lid without base, and it wore longer than most of NARS’ eyeshadows do for me–I was able to get eight hours without creasing and to ten with very faint creasing, which is really good. Of course, with a base, there wasn’t any issues at the twelve-hour mark.
One of NARS' best duos in regards to quality--excellent color payoff, good wear with or without a base, and a divine texture that's soft and silky smooth.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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NARS Taiga Eyeshadow Duo ($33.00) is described as a “pale gold frost” and “gold-infused pewter.” The left side is a pale white gold with a frosted finish; it’s a bit sheer, and this kind of color is found in a lot of brands. The right side is an olive green with a dirty gold shimmer-sheen. It has good color payoff and a really smooth feel. I was half-hoping it was similar to Giorgio Armani #14, but it’s much greener. It’s a touch cooler-toned compared to theBalm Wocka, Wocka. Lancome Designer has a softer golden sheen, so it appears almost darker, but they’re very similar. Inglot #419 is also really close in color.
NARS line of pressed powder eyeshadows are supposed to be “highly pigmented, long-wearing, and crease-resistant.” They don’t wear all day on me without a primer, though some perform better than others. I typically get around eight hours with subtle creasing and marginal fading, but the usage of a primer will get me to twelve hours without any creasing or fading.
The green shade is killer, but the lighter golden shade could use more pigmentation--if it was, this would be a dynamite duo. The two shades play off of each other well, and you can do a lot of different intensities/gradients between these two.
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
8.5/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
8.5/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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NARS Mandchourie Eyeshadow Duo ($33.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a new shade for the holidays described as a “gold-infused denim” and “rich navy.” It will be added to the brand’s permanent range. NARS line of pressed powder eyeshadows are supposed to be “highly pigmented, long-wearing, and crease-resistant.” They don’t wear all day on me without a primer, though some perform better than others. I typically get around eight hours with subtle creasing and marginal fading, but the usage of a primer will get me to twelve hours without any creasing or fading.
The first shade is a medium-dark navy blue with indigo undertones and golden shimmer. It had decent color payoff, but it wasn’t perfectly opaque, though the softness of the powder itself made it extremely easy to blend. The hue reminded me instantly of MAC Blue Spruce, though the two are noticeably different; Blue Spruce is greener and has more of a copper-colored sparkle, whereas Mandchourie is golden and distinctly blue.
The other shade is a dark navy blue with subtle indigo undertones and a matte finish. Make Up For Ever #147 is the only shade that seemed to compare at all, but it is shimmery and not quite as dark. Like the first shade, the texture is silky soft and smooth, but it is so soft that it is a little powdery. It blends easily, and you can tap it on for better color payoff on the lid, but be wary of fall out. I’d recommend doing the eyes first and foundation after when using this particular duo.
There's a fine line between soft and powdery, and this duo seems to be caught between the two. The softness gives a beautiful, smooth application that's easy to blend out, but it also makes it prone to sheering out and powdery fall out during application.
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
8.5/10
Texture
8.5/10
Longevity
8.5/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
