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.

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

Finally, a Mustard I Like!

NARS Mangrove Eyeshadow ($23.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a mustard yellow with just a tinge of green. It has a satin sheen, and it’s nicely pigmented. This is a color you just don’t see very often, because it’s not always an easy to wear shade.

The only other comparable color I have in my stash is an old, discontinued shade by MAC called Jasmine (which is not quite as yellow). I’m not normally a big fan of yellow eyeshadow on me–if it leans gold or it’s more like a chartreuse, I’m totally for it, but truer yellows don’t seem to work well for me.

Mangrove is an interesting shade to work with, because it takes on much of the tones of whatever it’s paired with or layered on top of. When I used it with Palladium, it looked like a chartreuse green, but when I wore it over a regular eyeshadow base, I was able to get a much more true-to-pan kind of color. On my skin tone, I just can’t wear it easily — with golds and coppers, it works; with greens and teals, it works — but when I tried it alongside Daphne, I just couldn’t rock it myself.

I like the uniqueness of the color, which is something that would make compel me to get it. The quality is lovely, and it’s one of the better textured single shadows–very soft, smooth, but still pigmented. For those who have trouble pulling off warmer yellows and golds, Mangrove may be an answer to that problem–because it is as cool of a yellow as one can get!

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• Product: 28/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: I think this may be more of a try-before-you-buy shade unless you’re always on the hunt for something a little different than the norm, because mustard yellow isn’t a common shade in makeup!

AVAILABILITY: NARS — Use code TEMPTALIA for a mini lipgloss trio featuring Turkish Delight, Gothika, & Greek Holiday, expires 8/15.

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NARS Mangrove Eyeshadow

NARS Mangrove Eyeshadow

NARS Mangrove Eyeshadow

NARS Mangrove Eyeshadow

NARS Look:  Rajasthan Eyeshadow Duo

I actually really LOVED how everything came together.  I loved how the eyeshadows looked layered over the bright teal base.  I also loved the way the glitter flecks in Palladium came through in a very subtle way.  Everything was fabulous until about fifteen minutes later when I noticed that the base was not holding up.  There was noticeable smearing/melting.  I’ll have to try Palladium again over an eyeshadow base, but in the past, the Soft Touch pencils haven’t creased on me so long as they’ve been set with powder… not the case here, though.

You will need the following…

• Eyes: NARS Palladium Soft Touch Pencil (teal), NARS Mangrove Eyeshadow (mustard-chartreuse), NARS Rajasthan Eyeshadow (golden taupe/dark green-blue), Burberry Trench Eyeshadow (highlighter), CoverGirl Green Glow LiquilineBlast (bright chartreuse green), Lancome Precious Cells Mascara (black)
• Face: NARS Sheer Matte Foundation (Punjab), Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder (translucent)
• Cheeks: Korres #15 Natural Blush (soft brown)
• Lips: MAC Smash Hit Dazzle Lipstick (sheer glittery white-gold), Burberry Cameo Lip Gloss (muted melon-pink)
• Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 116 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Smash Hit = Tanarama

For eyes, start by applying Palladium 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 Rajasthan (dark blue) 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 Green Glow eyeliner on the lower lash line. Finish by sweeping lashes with Precious Cells mascara.

For cheeks, apply #15 blush on the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116.

For lips, apply Smash Hit lipstick first, and then layer Cameo lip gloss for a complementing lip.

Check out more photos!