NARS Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo ($35.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a mix of a light rose with copper sparkle and pinky-lavender with violet and teal sparkle. Both shades are jam-packed with sparkle, so there is fall out while they are worn, and I would suggest a lightly tacky base or glitter adhesive to combat it. If you love your sparkle, don’t mind a slightly sheerer look, then you may really like these. They have a lot of the same downfalls as we’ve seen with similarly sparkly eyeshadows, so while they’re definitely pretty on, the formula itself isn’t perfected. I think they could also work well layered over cream eyeshadows and bases.

Parallel Universe (Left) is described as an “iridescent pink lilac.” It’s a brightened, light rosy pink with copper and teal flecks of sparkle and shimmer over a more metallic finish. This is a tough color to truly capture, because there are teal flecks that sparkle but seem to get lost entirely in photos. Instead, coppery-red flecks dominate in photographs but sit in the background in real life when there’s a fair amount of light coming into wherever you are, while in dimmer light (say walking down a hallway during the day, so there’s some natural light but little direct or flooded light), the red flecks take centerstage. The color itself isn’t really a duochrome (I tried angling my arm to capture the flecks, but the base color doesn’t shift). The texture is soft, lightly powdery, and I tried using it both wet and dry. NARS’ eyeshadow formula is touted as wet/dry, though I don’t find that true with all their finishes (e.g. mattes), but it seemed to be fine to use a damp brush with this product. It had semi-sheer pigmentation applied dry and was more sparkly with less of the base color coming through, and it was prone to fall out during application and wear. When I applied it damp, it was smoother and more pigmented, but it appeared lighter as the brighter base color was more noticeable; it was also easier to apply to the lid. I had seven hours of wear out of this shade before it creased. I can see this being a really pretty, sparkly wash of warmth over the lid for those who like one-and-done shades. bareMinerals Rose Gold (P, $14.00) is darker. MAC After Dusk (P, $16.00) is darker, less metallic. Tom Ford Beauty Enchanted #2 (LE) is less wamr-toned. Urban Decay Provocateur (LE, $18.00) is lighter.MAC Mineral Mode (LE, $21.00) is darker. MAC Rose Light (LE, $32.50) is cooler-toned. Giorgio Armani #29 (LE, $33.00) is less sparkly. Too Faced Mauvelous (LE) is similar. Get comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Parallel Universe (Right) is described as an “iridescent violet.” It’s a light-medium lavender with subtle, cool undertones and a mix of copper and teal sparkle. Applied dry, it had semi-opaque pigmentation that tended to sheer out more readily as the eyeshadow didn’t bind as much with itself, so it had a drier, more powdery appearance on the skin. Applied damp, it was smoother with a higher, more reflective finish and was easier to work with on the lid without losing intensity. On me, it showed signs of creasing after seven hours of wear and had some fall out over time. Maybelline Hibiscus Heartbreak (125) (LE, $6.99) is less sparkly, cream. Giorgio Armani #14 (P, $32.00) is warmer. Make Up For Ever D926 Blueberry (P, $21.00) is darker. Illamasqua Charm (P) is warmer, less sparkly. MAC A Party of Pastels #3 (P, $21.00) is less sparkly. Kat Von D Arcadia (LE) is cooler-toned, less sparkly. MAC Tropica (LE, $21.00) is cooler-toned, less sparkly. L’Oreal With a Twist (LE, $7.99) is darker, cooler-toned. Urban Decay Grifter (P, $18.00) is cooler-toned. NARS Marie-Galante #1 (LE, $24.00) is cooler-toned. MAC Amethyst (P, $21.00) is lighter. MAC Kitschmas (P, $21.00) is less sparkly. Get comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

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NARS Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Outer Limits + Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo, Sephora My Boyfriend’s Jeans Eyeliner

NARS Outer Limits + Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo, Sephora My Boyfriend’s Jeans Eyeliner