Nude & Champagne Eyeliners: Your Guide

Two years ago, I went through and swatched every eyeliner I owned by color, so that they could easily be compared.  It’s time for a re-do, because we have so many more shades to add to our comparisons!  Our first part of this on-going series is a comparison of the various nude and champagne eyeliners I have on hand.  This shade is typically used on the lower lash line or water line to help brighten and open up eyes.

1. BAREMINERALS 5AM is a pewter–it’s a dirty, cool-toned gold with a silvered sheen. I didn’t expect it to be similar to anything here, but it didn’t fit well with golds either.
2. MAC GILDED WHITE is a warm white gold with a metallic sheen. (LE)
3. MAC NC15/NW20 is a light beige/fleshy shade. It is a hair darker than NARS Rue Bonaparte.
4. MAC NW25/NC30 is a darker version of NW15/NC20. Almost looks like a darkened peach.  It is very similar to Givenchy #2.
5. MAC NC42/NW35 is darker version of NW25/NC30. It looks a bit peachy/orange on me.
6. GIVENCHY #2 is a warm, peachy beige with yellow-beige undertones and a mostly matte finish. It is comparable to MAC NW25/NC30.
7. NARS RUE BONAPARTE is a soft beige with a matte finish. It is just barely lighter than MAC NC15/NW20.
8. MAC I GET NO KICK is a soft champagne nude with a metallic sheen. (LE) It is ever-so-slightly warmer than MUFE #23L but very comparable to UD Midnight Cowboy.
9. MAKE UP FOR EVER #23L is a shimmering golden champagne with a nearly metallic finish. This shade is slightly less warm compared to MAC I Get No Kick and UD Midnight Cowboy.
10. URBAN DECAY MIDNIGHT COWBOY is a shimmering champagne peach with a subtle metallic sheen. (LE) This is most comparable to MAC I Get No Kick.  An alternative to this shade would be Urban Decay’s Shadow Pencil of the same name.

TEMPTALIA PICKS:  #1 (high quality), #3-6 (good formula), #9 (versatile, readily available)

Behind-the-Series:  These swatches should not be used to judge the quality of an eyeliner.  Some eyeliners required one pass, some required five, and a few even more.  It was my intention to provide heavy, opaque swatches to provide an accurate color comparison.  When possible, the shade name (above) is linked to the original review.  If we’ve never done a review, there will be no link.  Shades that were limited edition will be marked with “(LE)” and shades that were discontinued will be marked with “(DC)” after the color description.  You can also find all comparisons on The Dupe List.

What’s your favorite champagne/nude eyeliner?

See more swatches!

Nude Eyeliners: bareMinerals 5AM, MAC Gilded White, MAC NC15/NW20, MAC NW25/NC30, MAC NC42/NW35, Givenchy #2, NARS Rue Bonaparte, MAC I Get No Kick, MUFE #23L, UD Midnight Cowboy

Nude Eyeliners: bareMinerals 5AM, MAC Gilded White, MAC NC15/NW20, MAC NW25/NC30, MAC NC42/NW35, Givenchy #2, NARS Rue Bonaparte, MAC I Get No Kick, MUFE #23L, UD Midnight Cowboy

Nude Eyeliners: bareMinerals 5AM, MAC Gilded White, MAC NC15/NW20, MAC NW25/NC30, MAC NC42/NW35, Givenchy #2, NARS Rue Bonaparte

Nude Eyeliners: NARS Rue Bonaparte, MAC I Get No Kick, MUFE #23L, UD Midnight Cowboy

Quick Eyes with NARS Grand Palais Eyeshadow Duo

In an effort to show how wearable the rosy shade was in Grand Palais, I used the duo in a quickie look before I did lip swatches for NARS’ fall lip products.

You will need the following…

• Eyes:  NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base (primer), NARS Grand Palais Eyeshadow Duo (taupe / dusty mulberry), Burberry Trench Eyeshadow (highlighter), NARS Rue Bonaparte Larger Than Life Eyeliner (nude), NARS Via Appia Larger Than Life Eyeliner (coppery brown), Hourglass Film Noir Mascara (black)
• Face: Guerlain Lingerie de Peau Foundation (02/03), Guerlain Les Violettes Mineral Powder (03)
• Cheeks: NARS Cassandre Cream Blush (plum)
• Lips: NARS Pago Pago Lipstick (pinked nude)
• Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 222 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pencil brush), 188 (small, circular stippling brush)

For eyes, start by applying Smudgeproof all over the lid and above the crease with the 249 to lay down your eyeshadow base.  Apply the taupe shade all over the lid with the 239, and then lightly sweep and diffuse the muted mulberry shade into the crease with the 222.  Diffuse the crease edge with Trench eyeshadow using the 217.  Next, apply Rue Bonaparte eyeliner on the lower water line and Via Appia eyeliner on the lower lash line. Coat lashes with Film Noir mascara to finish the look.

For cheeks, apply Cassandre on the apples of the cheeks and sweep towards the temple with the 188.

For lips, apply Pago Pago lipstick for a complementing lip.

Check out more photos!

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner ($23.00 for 0.02 oz.) is a new (and permanent) long-wearing pencil eyeliner that is available in nine shades (though two have not yet been made available online). They’re touted to have 12-hour wear with no smearing or caking. Each eyeliner twists up and also has a built-in sharpener.

I posted sneak peek swatches a couple of days ago, and I’ve spent the time since then testing different shades out to see how they wear. I had high hopes for this product, especially because the initial wear test (which had only been four hours or so) made it seem promising. First, these are infinitely better than NARS Eyeliner Pencils. When I had these on the back of my hand, I can’t smudge them after they set–really vigorous rubbing will cause them to flake a bit, though.

• Santa Monica Blvd. is a pure white a matte finish. This one applied a bit unevenly, and it seemed less opaque than the other shades. It seems similar to MAC Pure White.
• Rue Bonaparte is a soft beige with a matte finish. This works well to give eyes a more awake appearance when used on the waterline–the problem is getting it to stay there, though. It seems a touch lighter than MAC NC15/NW20.
• Abbey Road is a blue-teal with soft blue shimmer. It seems similar to Urban Decay’s Covet.
• Rue Saint-Honore is a royal purple with strong blue pull–it’s described as a deep royal blue but looks more purple than blue on me.
• Via Appia is a dark, copper-shimmered brown. It’s not as dark (or as warm) as Urban Decay Corrupt.
• Madison Ave. is a medium-dark gray with a matte finish.
• Via Veneto is a deep, dark black with a matte finish. It reminded me of Urban Decay’s Perversion and MAC Black Black.

I’m not sure if these are waterline-safe or not–the press release nor the website indicate that they are–but typically, matte shades are usually suitable for the waterline while shimmery/glittery shades may not be. I wore Via Veneto (which is a deep, dark black) on my lower waterline and lash line, and I get about an hour of wear on the waterline before the majority has faded away.

The eyeliner on the lash line lasts much longer, and what I noticed is when I wore foundation, the eyeliner wore better and had no smudging eight hours later.  By 12-hours (the claimed wear time), there was very, very faint smudging underneath the lash line, and the eyeliner wasn’t as intense or as thick as it was originally.  When I wore no foundation, by the sixth hour, there seemed to be a faint, but noticeable, darkness beneath the line–a subtle smudging.  I don’t have oily eyelids, and when it’s not allergy season (and it is not), I don’t have very watery eyes.

The built-in sharpener is best used when you twist-up the pencil a good amount, because you really need to get a good portion of it into the sharpener to get it to work.  You do lose some pencil in the process in order to achieve the slanted, pointed tip.  It seems a bit less than a traditional pencil eyeliner per sharpening, but I’m not sure it’s significant enough that one would be persuaded solely by that–after all, most pencil eyeliners are 0.04 oz. and this is half the size at 0.02 oz. and you do still waste some when sharpening.  It is more than most mechanical eyeliners (which are around 0.01 on average), though.

They’re creamy and deposit mostly even color when applied (except Santa Monica Blvd., which is sheerer overall). They glide across the skin and lash lines with ease, so there is no tugging or pulling. The texture of these–overall–is really nice and easy enough to apply. The wear is good, and of course, when it comes to eyeliner, wear is the defining factor.

The Glossover

	NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner Review, Photos, Swatches B+
	They're shy of the 12-hour mark that NARS' claims, but they do wear fairly well for eight hours. The pencils glide on easily and deposit a good amount of color in one stroke.
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 8.5/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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See photos & swatches! 

Santa Monica Blvd., Rue Bonaparte, Abbey Road, Rue Saint-Honore, Via Appia, Madison Ave., Via Veneto

Santa Monica Blvd., Rue Bonaparte, Abbey Road, Rue Saint-Honore, Via Appia, Madison Ave., Via Veneto

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner

Santa Monica Blvd., Rue Bonaparte, Abbey Road, Rue Saint-Honore, Via Appia, Madison Ave., Via Veneto

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner

Santa Monica Blvd., Rue Bonaparte, Abbey Road, Rue Saint-Honore, Via Appia, Madison Ave., Via Veneto

Santa Monica Blvd., Rue Bonaparte, Abbey Road, Rue Saint-Honore, Via Appia, Madison Ave., Via Veneto

Santa Monica Blvd., Rue Bonaparte, Abbey Road, Rue Saint-Honore

Rue Saint-Honore, Via Appia, Madison Ave., Via Veneto

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Santa Monica Blvd. Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Rue Bonaparte Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Abbey Road Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Rue Saint-Honore Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Via Appia Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Madison Ave.Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Via Veneto Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Via Veneto Larger Than Life Eyeliner (Initially vs. 12-hours Later)

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner Swatches Sneak Peek

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner ($23.00 for 0.02 oz.) is a new (and permanent) long-wearing pencil eyeliner that is available in nine shades (though two have not yet been made available online). They’re touted to have 12-hour wear with no smearing or caking. Each eyeliner twists up and also has a built-in sharpener. I’m not ready to write-up a full review quite yet (one trial does not a review make!), but so far, my experience has been positive–and I was worried, because I had a terrible experience with NARS Eyeliner Pencils previously.

Available shades:

• Abbey Road Iridescent turquoise
• Bourbon Street Purple
• Madison Ave. Slate grey
• Rue Bonaparte Light almond
• Rue de Rivoli Metallic forest green
• Rue Saint-Honore Deep royal blue
• Santa Monica Blvd. White
• Via Appia Copper brown
• Via Veneto Black

See swatches!

Santa Monica Blvd., Rue Bonaparte, Abbey Road, Rue Saint-Honore, Via Appia, Madison Ave., Via Veneto

Santa Monica Blvd., Rue Bonaparte, Abbey Road, Rue Saint-Honore, Via Appia, Madison Ave., Via Veneto

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner

Santa Monica Blvd., Rue Bonaparte, Abbey Road, Rue Saint-Honore, Via Appia, Madison Ave., Via Veneto

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Santa Monica Blvd. Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Rue Bonaparte Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Abbey Road Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Rue Saint-Honore Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Via Appia Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Madison Ave.Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Via Veneto Larger Than Life Eyeliner