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 Bouthan Eyeshadow Duo ($34.00 for 0.14 oz.) is described as “soft pink tulle” and “bright pink with gold shimmer.” It’s new for spring, but it is being added to the permanent shade range. This duo was also the normal 0.14 oz. in size.
The darker pink shade is a medium pink with gold sparkle over a matte base. It has slightly warm undertones, and it almost looks like a strawberry pink to me. It had so-so pigmentation, and it was also powdery, so it readily sheered out. It is best applied patted on and then minimally blended. The gold sparkle doesn’t seem to stick or bind with the pink hue, so it ended up mostly underneath my eye–it’s not loaded with sparkle like the micro-glitter shades are, though. There weren’t any shades that really came close to this one that I could think of. Guerlain Terra Azzurra #2 is much, much darker. Wet ‘n’ Wild Bright Idea #3 is rosier, darker, and shimmery.
Both shades were powdery, so they ended up having slightly sheerer color payoff than true-to-pan color would be. When I wore these two shades together, they lasted right around seven hours, but there was some minor fading at that point and then more noticeable fading after eight hours.
Unfortunately, both shades were on the powdery side, with the darker pink being the worst offender. The color payoff wasn't true-to-pan, and they both had a tendency to fade more quickly than other NARS eyeshadows.
Product
8/10
Pigmentation
8.5/10
Texture
8/10
Longevity
7/10
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 Mad Mad World Eyeshadow Duo ($34.00 for 0.11 oz.) is described as “cyan” and “parakeet green.” It’s new for spring but will be added to the permanent shade range. Worth noting, most NARS eyeshadow duos are 0.14 oz., but this one was labeled as 0.11 oz.
The cyan shade is a brightened, light-medium blue with a matte finish. It is incredibly pigmented and a little stretches quite a ways. The texture was soft, smooth, and finely-milled–not at all powdery. Wet ‘n’ Wild Drinking a Glass of Shine #3 is softer, less bright, bluer. Milani Olympian Blue is a bit darker. MAC Blue Candy is slightly bluer. MAC Electric Eel is a touch darker. Inglot #371 is very similar.
The green shade is a cool-toned, medium green–there’s something about it that says, “jade green!” to me. This shade has the pigmentation, but the texture is on the powdery side, so it easily blends (and, as a consequence, sheers out) when swatched. When I applied it to the lid, I patted it on and only lightly blended it to maintain more opaque color. It had a tendency to look a little faded no matter whether I patted and/or applied over primer, though. The brightness seen in the pan didn’t seem to translate on the skin. Wet ‘n’ Wild Drinking a Glass of Shine #2 is lighter, more aqua. Milani Green Safari is warmer. Wet ‘n’ Wild Earth Looks Small From Down Here #3 is shimmery. Inglot #385 is slightly greener.
When I tested out this duo, the blue shade lasted a full eight hours without fading or creasing, while the green shade showed some noticeable fading by that eighth hour. Both shades were easy to blend, which is absolutely necessary given their intensities, but the blue shade was definitely the better performer overall. I will say that blending orange into green and blue was an interesting experiment. With the pop of gold from Corcovado in this collection, I think this duo could work well with a shimmery gold between the two.
Both shades were easy to blend, which is absolutely necessary given their intensities, but the blue shade was definitely the better performer overall. The blue, however, is more dupable.
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
9/10
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 Disco Inferno Nail Lacquer ($18.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as an “iridescent silver green.” It’s a gray-tinged base with threads of silver shimmer. There is a very slight pink tinge when nails are angled, but it’s very subtle. MAC Ascension has finer shimmer and a stronger pink-purple duochrome. It looks a lot like Wet ‘n’ Wild Gray’s Anatomy, which seems to have more of a green tinge and finer shimmer.
Now, NARS has a whole section of shimmer shades, and some are specifically described as sheer, semi-sheer, or having a sheer base; but this one does not have that description at all. I’ve swatched a few of them myself, and they’re definitely not all sheer. This would be a really lovely semi-sheer shade so long as anyone buying it knew to expect it. Even after three coats, it’s not fully opaque. It applied evenly, and there were barely-visible brush strokes (they really looked like threads of shimmer more than the typical brush strokes). The consistency was on the thinner side, but it wasn’t watery. The drying time seemed shorter than usual, and it dried down to a high shine finish.
As it stands, there is something about the way the shimmer/sparkle lies that looks almost like fairy dust caught in gray gossamer. I personally like it, but it is definitely a semi-sheer polish after two coats and only semi-opaque after three coats, so hopefully knowing that will help you determine whether this is for you or not! And if you’re in the camp that thinks it looks better in the bottle than on, I can understand that, too.
As it stands, there is something about the way the shimmer/sparkle lies that looks almost like fairy dust caught in gray gossamer. I personally like it, but it is definitely a semi-sheer polish after two coats and only semi-opaque after three coats, so hopefully knowing that will help you determine whether this is for you or not!
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
7/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
10/10
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.
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!
NARS Cythere Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil ($24.00 for 0.09 oz.) is described as a “soft metallic rose.” It’s a beige-brown with a rainbow shimmer. I’m not sure where NARS is seeing rose, as it yields a very metallic champagne/beige/brown kind of color both swatched and applied. The shimmer reminded me a lot of the kind found in Illamasqua Opulent, but the color of Opulent isn’t like Cythere. MAC Straight to the Head has a lot more glitter. Lancome Amande is browner.
The Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil is supposed to provide hydration, shine, and feel comfortable to wear. Cythere has mostly opaque color coverage along with a high-shine finish; not super glossy but very metallic and reflective. The texture is lightly tacky, creamy, and on the thicker side. This shade lasted four hours on me, and it was lightly hydrating while I wore it. The color applied evenly and smoothly, but sharpening this formula can be a bit of a pain, as it is a very soft, creamy consistency that can get stuck and smeared all over your sharpener. It’s better to put the pencil in the freezer for a bit, then sharpen, to minimize mess and waste.
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!
NARS Corcovado Soft Touch Shadow Pencil ($24.00 for 0.09 oz.) is described as a “24-karat gold.” It’s a bright, sunshine-yellow gold with a frosted, metallic finish. Cinderella Gus Gus is a bit darker, more orange (and a powder eyeshadow). OCC Triptych is darker, more honey-hued (and a powder). NARS Goldfinger is a paler yellow (and a powder). Inglot #403 is not quite as yellow/intense (and a powder). MAC Bright Sunshine is comparable, slightly yellower, but is also a powder.
It will come as no surprise to long-time readers that Corcovado, for all its gorgeous coloring, did not work well for me. I’m not going to do an in-depth review here, because I’ve done plenty in the past of this formula and exactly why it doesn’t work well on me. I love the color, and I really wanted it to work. NARS often produces beautiful colors in their Soft Touch Shadow Pencil, and I had hoped that the more frosted finish would have allowed for a quicker, better dry down of the product.
Here are the ways I tested Corcovado specifically: on its own, over NARS’ Smudgeproof Primer, over NARS Smudgeproof Primer + gold powder eyeshadow on top, over NARS Smudgeproof Primer + translucent powder (NARS’!) on top, over NARS powder eyeshadow, sheered out quite a bit, and as an eyeliner. I have applied with these tools: fingertips, brushes (fluffy, firm, and in-between), sponge-tip applicator, and directly from the pencil. I experienced heavy creasing within an hour or less for every way except: 1) over powder eyeshadow it took two hours; 2) sheered out, the creasing was less noticeable but still there after an hour; and 3) as an eyeliner, it took six hours to disappear and smudge fully, but there was “bleeding” color after an hour.
So, in summary: excellent pigmentation, and it applies rather opaquely on, but it takes me on repeated trips to Crease City in as little as ten minutes (when worn alone) or as “long” as two hours (when worn over powder eyeshadow). There are definitely readers who have had success with these, and there are others who’ve had similar experiences to mine. I just recommend trying it prior to purchase or purchasing from a retailer with a return policy, in case your experience is more like mine. I have no problem with many, many shadow pencils on the market (Milani, NYX, MAC, Urban Decay, to name a few).
There are definitely readers who have had success with these, and there are others who've had similar experiences to mine. I just recommend trying it prior to purchase or purchasing from a retailer with a return policy, in case your experience is more like mine.
Product
2/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
6/10
Longevity
2/10
Application
2.5/5
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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.
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!
