Look:  NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo

Here’s the look I talked about in my review of NARS Melusine!  This was a super quick look — I think it took five minutes at most.

You will need the following…

• Eyes: NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base (neutral eyeshadow base), NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo (silver-plum/eggplant), Burberry Trench Eyeshadow (highlighter), MAC Black Swan Pearlglide Eyeliner (silvered black), MAC Plushlash Mascara (black)
• Face: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation (140), Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder (translucent)
• Cheeks: NARS Albatross Blush (white gold)
• Lips: Guerlain Gillian Rouge G Lipstick (pink-brown), Chanel Imaginaire Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss (pink)
• Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 217 (fluffy crease brush), 116 (dense blush brush)

For eyes, start by applying Smudgeproof as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using the 239, apply the silver-plum shade on the lid. Lightly blend the eggplant eyeshadow in the crease and diffuse upwards with the 217.  Blend Trench eyeshadow with the crease shade and highlight the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying Black Swan eyeliner on the lower lash line. Finish by sweeping lashes with Plushlash mascara.

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

For lips, apply Gillian lipstick first, and then layer Imaginaire lipgloss for a complementing lip.

Check out more photos!

NARS Holiday 2010: Melusine Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo ($32.00 for 0.14 oz.) is one of two new and permanent products from NARS’ Holiday Collection (the other is Sex Appeal). NARS describes these shades as “pale silver lilac” and “bright deep purple.”

From NARS: In folklore tales, a melusine was described as a feminine, free spirited woman. Similarly, this duo eyeshadow is an ultra-modern union of two colors working in harmony. Sweep the bright deep purple across the lid and highlight under brow with the pale silver lilac.

First things first–this is by no means a dupe for NARS Daphne. The swatch tells the whole story! Daphne is a brightened violet with blue undertones, while Melusine (the purple side, of course!) is an eggplant purple with red undertones. Bottom line: they are quite distinct.

The light shade of the duo is a silvery gray, and if I look close enough, I can make out the finest misting of lilac–so light that it’s almost pink. On cooler skin tones, I imagine the lilac will be more pronounced, but the effect is still quite subtle. The finish is a frosted shimmer, smooth overall, but does have shimmer kick up. The darker shade is a rich eggplant purple with red undertones and has a matte finish. It swatches better than Daphne did, but they’re both lovely in use–very rich, smooth, and true-to-color.

I threw this duo on before running some errands, and I had three sweet ladies compliment me on my eyeshadow. There is a lot of contrast in the duo, with the silvered shade being so much lighter than the deeper purple, so it works well on its own. When I wore it, I wore the silvery shade all over the lid with the purple hue in the crease (to highlight, I used Burberry Trench Eyeshadow, which is just my-skintone-but-better!). I’ll try and post that look soon!

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• Product: 27/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: I think as a duo these shades work really well together; you have the mix of textures, nice contrast, and overall, two nicely pigmented, smooth textured eyeshadows.

AVAILABILITY: NARS

See more photos & swatches!

NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Daphne / NARS Melusine Eyeshadow Duo