NARS Baalbek Eye Paint Review, Photos, Swatches
NARS Baalbek Eye Paint
NARS Baalbek Eye Paint ($25.00 for 0.08 oz.) is described as “bronze.” It’s a blackened-brown with warm, olive undertones and dirty gold and bronze shimmer. MAC Past Twilight (LE, $16.00) is cooler-toned, less shimmery. Sephora Collection Diving in Malaysia (18) (P, $9.00) is less shimmery. Urban Decay Crave (P, $19.00) has no shimmer. Urban Decay Corrupt (P, $19.00) is lighter. MAC Orpheus (LE, $16.00) is lighter. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
NARS’ Eye Paint formula is supposed to be richly pigmented, smooth, quick-drying, long-lasting gel eyeliner. I was really impressed with the formula when it first released, because they can also be used as cream eyeshadows and have a consistency that works exceptionally well as an eyeliner and as a cream eyeshadow–and they wear long and hard. Baalbek is intensely pigmented, so a little goes a very long way, and it applies smoothly and evenly. It wore well for over twelve hours and didn’t budge or fade (it could have kept going!) as an eyeliner, and as an eyeshadow, it held up without creasing or fading for nine hours (then it slightly creased). It’s a new (and permanent) shade from NARS’ Adult Swim collection, which launches April 15th.
Baalbek
PPermanent. $25.00.
See more photos & swatches!
NARS Baalbek Eye Paint
NARS Baalbek Eye Paint
NARS Baalbek Eye Paint
NARS Baalbek Eye Paint
NARS Baalbek Eye Paint on lower lash line (NARS Tropical Princess on eyelid)
Ohh, beautiful colour!
I’m so in love with the color!
I love it, are you going to be reviewing all the products from the Adult Swim collection?
I sure hope to!
Oh I really love this!
Yay!!
I knew I might like this, but WOW don’t I need it now!
The color is amazing!
Looks like I’ll get it and say “Temptalia made me do it!”
Haha!
Stunning! I have Iskandar Eye Paint and this would be its perfect pair 🙂
It would!
I love these Nars eye products, I have snake eyes and ubangi, and I use them as eyeliner, and they last longer than mac fluidline, and they don’t dry on the pot as mac’s. They are my everyday cat liner, since they are so dark, they look like black with a hint of color, snake eyes looks almost black. I will use my 15% off from sephora to buy this. Thanks Christine.
No problem, Fabiola! 🙂
I was thinking the same thing but, sadly, I think the 15% off expires on the 11th, which is a few days before these launch!
Is it possible to have a heart murmur over a cosmetic product because I swear I just did *_*
It is a showstopper!
Ooh! Now, that’s an amazing shade! I’m crazy for olives, so just take my money, NARS. 😀
LOL!
Sounds like a beauty on warm skin!
I think it could work on any skin tone 😀
I wasn’t expecting to like this, but it’s so pretty! And quite a unique color.
YAY!
ooohhhh, I want this LOL. I am so drawn to these dark sparkly bronzy colours. I have so many eye products in a similar shade but none are pots of cream colour….!! Sorry no-buy budget – you lose this one!
Poor no-buy!
I’m so tired of my eyeliner creasing all the time, I need this now! And what a beautiful color!
It’s so pretty!
do you know how this (or any of the other shades) do on the waterline? can they even be used on the waterline? i love this shade.
I don’t remember seeing anything about the water line, but usually things with shimmer/sparkle aren’t water line safe!
It looks SO COOL!
Doesn’t it?
I was so hoping this would be cr*p, so I wouldn’t want it. Well…guess what? And since I absolutely love Diving in Malaysia (which I always thought was “Driving in Malaysia”, so small is the print on the pencil and I like the nonsensical nature of the name), I am bound to want this, especially to use as a cream shadow.
LOL! I can only read those pencils, because the photos I take super-size the text!
I actually keep a small magnifying glass on hand, or hold products up to a magnifying mirror… I also have 20/13 vision, so I can only imagine what someone with even “average” sight must go through.
hats a gorgeous shade! 🙂
Yay!
Oh, it looks fantastic. Too bad, my hands are always shaky and I can’t line my eyes with an eyeliner. I only use pencils 🙁
One trick I’ve used a lot is to take my pencil eyeliner and dip it into the gel or cream eyeliner, then apply 🙂
I had to look up Baalbek.
Oh nars, always naming things after places.
They definitely like to do that!
This is an easy yes for me…thanks for the advance notice! I love this formula and this color seems amazing…
No problem, Megan! 🙂
I haven’t tried any of these yet, but since I was planning to splurge on quite a few of these in June (I plan to be done with my list by then, and nothing else I want is being released before July!), this must be added to June’s list…
Which ones are on your list, Amy?
It reminds me of a cream version of their Mekong eye shadow. What a pretty color! [:
I could definitely see the similarity!
This is so pretty! I need to check out a few more of these. I have Black Valley and I just love it!
So glad you’re loving the Eye Paint formula, too!
Is the texture versitile enough to be worn as a shadow rather than a liner?
Yes! It has a really creamy consistency – very fluid and movable. Doesn’t dry down so quickly that you don’t have time to work (probably a little faster than a true cream eyeshadow but slower than a true gel eyeliner).
Ack – gorgeous! At some point, I will manage to save up enough to try a whole bunch of these eyeliner/cream shadows!! They are so pretty, but this one looks like a great everyday colour, actually!
It’s a really great alternative to black!
Baalbek is in Lebanon. ..this product is as beautiful. I must have it! Lol
I hope you love it as much as I did, Alia!
This is really nice! From the description, I expected it to be like a lot of other olive/ bronze type liners, but it’s much richer looking than I expected.
Yes! It has a lot more depth/intensity than I expected… but not so much that it turns black!
I love unique and colorful eyeliner and this is seriously gorgeous! Such a great liner that has something different about it. Ugh I need!
There really is something different about it – hard to say exactly what – maybe the richness.
I love this one! I’ve been using a Bobbi Brown Chocolate Shimmer for months and I’m ready for a change 🙂
Sounds like this one might work well for you! 🙂
Hi! I’m new and loving the daily emails, swatches and dupe info.
Can you tell me what the two swatches in one pic mean? i.e., there seems to be a solid swatch on the left and a more diffused swatch on the right side of some products (not all – but, it is used today for the Nars Illuminator). At first I thought it was the reviewed product on the left with the comparison on the right. Now I don’t think that is how it works.
Hi Jan!
It’ll depend on the product, but here’s a general rule of thumb:
For an eyeliner, there is usually a “single pass” swatch which is the thinnest one – so in Baalbek, it’s applied with an angled eyeliner brush with a single stroke to show opacity in one go. The larger swatch is applied to give you a better idea of the color and texture (because a thin line can be hard to see!). For a pencil eyeliner, the same thing happens, but I don’t use a brush to apply the thin line, just take the eyeliner and do a single stroke.
For blush, highlighter, bronzer, etc. (cheek/face products), because we don’t typically wear a really thick, heavy, opaque layer, I show it both ways – a “heavy swatch” so you can see the color, undertone, finish, and then a blended swatch, which is more like how one might apply it to the cheek or face. It can also show you if a blush is patchy or difficult to blend!
For eyeshadows, it’s typically a dry and damp application. I only do two if the formula dictates it (if it’s a regular powder eyeshadow, it’s unlikely that I will).
Hope that helps! 🙂
With such an amazing formula, this is a MUST-HAVE! Love the color!
Me too! The color is awesome.
Uh oh! I love the NARS eye paints. I don’t NEED this, but I want it! It probably will be added to my collection.
What shades are your favorite, Georgia?
This Gel Eye liner is such a stunning mix of olive and bronze undertones… Such a pretty shade..!!
By any chance do you know any affordable dupe of this one?
I don’t! 🙁
<3 That colour is gorgeous.
Agreed, Natalie!
Oh wow! That is such a gorgeous shade! And it looks very pigmented from the swatches. I love my black gel liner, but it’s fun to change it up sometimes. I’ll have to check it out.
It’s a nice alternative to black eyeliner!
I think i just died and gone to heaven. I’ve been looking for this forever!
Woohoo! 🙂
Hi all! I bought this shade based on this review and it is gorgeous. My only problem is that, by the end of the day, I’ve got little bits of glitter under my eyes/on my cheeks. Any thoughts on preventing fallout?
Hmm, I didn’t have that problem, but all I can think of to mitigate it would be to apply primer underneath it!