NARS Surabaya Duo Eyeshadow Review & Swatches
Surabaya
NARS Surabaya Duo Eyeshadow (2018) ($35.00 for 0.08 oz.) includes two warm-toned neutrals: a matte, mid-tone brown and a satiny, orange-toned brown. Both shades performed well with good pigmentation, blendability, and eight-hour wear. They also paired well together if one was looking for a two-shade look.
Look Using this Product
Surabaya
PPermanent. $35.00.
Surabaya I
Surabaya I is a medium brown with warm, golden undertones and barely-there micro-sparkle over a matte finish. It had good pigmentation that was buildable to full coverage with less than half of a layer more. The consistency was soft, velvety, and a smidgen dusty in the pan but applied evenly and blended out nicely on my skin. It wore well for eight hours on me before fading noticeably.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Natasha Denona Teak (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Coloured Raine Royal Prerogative (PiP, $6.99) is less shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Riff (DC, $19.00) is warmer (95% similar).
- Make Up For Ever S632 Hazelnut (P, $17.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Natasha Denona Terracotta (62S) (PiP, $29.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Too Faced Chocolate Cookie (PiP, $16.00) is less shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- Kaja Coconut Shell (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- Juvia's Place Burkina (P, ) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- ColourPop Tabloid (PiP, $4.50) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Too Faced Pastry (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$19.00/0.04 oz. - $475.00 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have "rich, high-impact color" that is "lightweight" and has "increased blendability." Like most larger ranges, there are winners and losers, and some of how they perform can be related to the type of finish. The mattes are soft, slightly dusty in the pans (or not at all) with medium to opaque, often buildable, color coverage. The satin and metallics tend to be smoother, more blendable, and more pigmented with less effort; NARS does the these lower shimmer finishes particularly well, which just looks "melted" on the skin as they lay down so smoothly and have a great shine.
Most shades applied better on my lid than swatched on my arm, which has been something seen across NARS' eyeshadows for years and didn't change with the recent update to their powder eyeshadow formula. On average, they lasted between seven and nine hours on me without primer. They did apply well over primer and stayed on well for 14 hours with minimal fading.
Worth noting: the updated formula and packaging resulted in a product decrease from 0.07 oz. per pan to 0.04 oz. The single eyeshadows received a more noticeable price drop (from $24 to $19) but the duo eyeshadows could be priced better (from $36 to $35).
Browse all of our NARS Eyeshadow (2018) swatches.
Look Using this Product
Surabaya I
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Surabaya II
Surabaya II is a light-medium brown with warm, orange undertones and a satin sheen. The pigmentation was fantastic, while the texture was soft, smooth, and firm without being stiff. The eyeshadow applied well to bare skin and blended out without difficulty. It stayed on nicely for eight hours on me.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- NARS St-Paul-de-Vence (Right) (DC, $25.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Viseart Tym (PiP, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- LORAC Dream Girl #2 (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty White Suede (Nordstrom) #3 (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (85% similar).
- ColourPop Desert (P, $6.00) is less shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
- Inglot J321 Rich Gold (LE, $10.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
- Anastasia RTW (P, $12.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Make Up For Ever S706 Milk Toffee (DC, $21.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
- ColourPop Kill Switch (DC, $4.50) is less shimmery, darker (85% similar).
- ColourPop My Way (LE, $4.50) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$19.00/0.04 oz. - $475.00 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have "rich, high-impact color" that is "lightweight" and has "increased blendability." Like most larger ranges, there are winners and losers, and some of how they perform can be related to the type of finish. The mattes are soft, slightly dusty in the pans (or not at all) with medium to opaque, often buildable, color coverage. The satin and metallics tend to be smoother, more blendable, and more pigmented with less effort; NARS does the these lower shimmer finishes particularly well, which just looks "melted" on the skin as they lay down so smoothly and have a great shine.
Most shades applied better on my lid than swatched on my arm, which has been something seen across NARS' eyeshadows for years and didn't change with the recent update to their powder eyeshadow formula. On average, they lasted between seven and nine hours on me without primer. They did apply well over primer and stayed on well for 14 hours with minimal fading.
Worth noting: the updated formula and packaging resulted in a product decrease from 0.07 oz. per pan to 0.04 oz. The single eyeshadows received a more noticeable price drop (from $24 to $19) but the duo eyeshadows could be priced better (from $36 to $35).
Browse all of our NARS Eyeshadow (2018) swatches.
It’s good that these performed well and your eye look is very nice, but $35 seems like a lot of money for a basic brown eye look!
These shades complement each other quite well, but they are too orangey for me. A great rating though.
One of those things that Iām totally drawn to, but undeniably have dupes for. Maybe one day.