NARS Malacca Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches

NARS Malacca Eyeshadow
NARS Malacca Eyeshadow

NARS Malacca Eyeshadow ($24.00 for 0.07 oz.) is described as an “iridescent peacock.” It’s a medium-dark, plummy brown with a cool-toned green shimmer-sheen and frosted finish. Makeup Geek Insomnia (P, $6.99) is warmer, redder-toned. Kat Von D Queen (LE) is similar. MAC Fireside (LE, $21.00) is similar, less of a sheen. MAC I’ve Got a Crush on You (LE, $32.50) is warmer, more metallic. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

When I first saw it, I was worried it was going to be that bluish-teal-brown duochrome that is gorgeous but has been done by a myriad of brands over the year, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it to be something slightly different–it does have a strong resemblance to those shades, but the cooler undertone makes it stand out a little bit. It has a much more mauve-plum-brown base (that gets more and more mauve-y as it is blended out) with a forest green shimmer-sheen on top–this was especially apparent when I applied it to the lid. It had good color payoff with a soft, smooth texture, but one downside was that the shimmer can “stick” in a place and not cover as evenly (you’ll see it on my eyelid, how only part has a strong sheen). Over a primer, I didn’t have that issue, though (something to keep in mind if you always use a primer). The color wore well for eight hours before starting to fade.

See more photos & swatches!

NARS Malacca Eyeshadow
NARS Malacca Eyeshadow

NARS Malacca Eyeshadow
NARS Malacca Eyeshadow

NARS Malacca Eyeshadow
NARS Malacca Eyeshadow

NARS Malacca Eyeshadow
NARS Malacca Eyeshadow

NARS Malacca Eyeshadow
NARS Malacca Eyeshadow

NARS Malacca Eyeshadow
NARS Malacca Eyeshadow

NARS Malacca Eyeshadow
NARS Iraklion and NARS Malacca Eyeshadow

NARS Malacca Eyeshadow
NARS Iraklion and NARS Malacca Eyeshadow

70 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Mia Avatar

I have Intrepid, and it’s much more pigmented and vibrant. Since you have it already, getting Malacca would be redundant unless you want a sheerer version.

IDK about MAC Club though

A Name Avatar

Gah, I love this kind of colour. But I’m hoping something like it is included in a palette or something. I can’t justify buying higher end eyeshadow singles unless it’s a colour I would use very regularly.

cydoniac Avatar

hahaha!! I laughed so hard when I read the name of this eyeshadow because in my native language, which is Greek, there is a veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery bad word which sounds like this…gorgeous colour though…a little dupable, but gorgeous!!!!

Cathy Avatar

Good God Nars!! The names just kill me! Pretty color, but I will buy for the name alone. If anyone speaks Greek, they know what I am talking about. This and “mounia” will give me a good giggle when I wear them!!

xamyx Avatar

I’m a sucker for duochromes, and have gotten into this sort of shade lately, so it goes without saying this will be mine. Plus, the name slays me (although I know it actually refers to a body of water near Malaysia).

Jules Avatar

Another good dupe for this, but with richer color payoff, is Inglot loose eyeshadow #85. It is loose pigment in a pot rather than pressed eyeshadow, but it does a great job with that duo-chrome shimmer effect for cheaper.

Sylirael Avatar

Wow – you know, I totally wasn’t expecting the plum/brown base! 😀 It actually makes it more remeniscent of *actual* peacock feathers, in a way. This is a really interesting eyeshadow – I’m still convinced that if I tried it, it’d look like I had a black eye, LOL. I’m just too pale for these things, sometimes! Maybe as a liner…

Clare Avatar

So gorgeous is the most unusual kind of way! I think I may need to hunt this down, even though living in Australia it will cost me $40…

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!