NARS Underworld Duo Eyeshadow (2018) Review & Swatches
Underworld
NARS Underworld Duo Eyeshadow (2018) ($35.00 for 0.08 oz.) contains a light-medium silver and a faded, navy blue both with more pearlized/satiny finishes–shiny, smooth but not metallic or frosted. Both shades performed well, better in practice than just swatched, with good pigmentation, blendability, and wear.
Look Using this Product
Underworld
PPermanent. $35.00.
Underworld I
Underworld I is a light-medium silver with a pearly sheen. It had semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation with a firmer, denser consistency in the pan. The texture was thinner overall, but it applied rather well in practice as the eyeshadow blended out with ease and built up nicely without fallout. The less-than-metallic finish made it harder to dupe, too, as it had a soft sheen that you don’t see often in silver/gray shades. It wore well for eight hours before fading slightly.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- LORAC Glacier (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- MAC Misfit (LE, $17.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- BH Cosmetics Foil Eyes 2 #18 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- MAC Tattle-Tale (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
- Urban Decay Free Folk (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
- Giorgio Armani #22 (DC, $33.00).
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
Underworld I
PiPPermanent in Palette. $19.00.
Underworld II
Underworld II is a muted, medium-dark blue with cool undertones and a pearly sheen. It had nearly opaque pigmentation in a single layer, while the texture was soft, smooth, and blendable with a firmer feel, but it wasn’t stiff or difficult to pick up with a brush. The eyeshadow melded well with my lid and looked very smooth, but shiny. It stayed on nicely for eight and a half hours before fading a bit.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- MAC Celestial Peak (LE, $17.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (95% similar).
- MAC Blk-ish (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Anastasia Dragonfly (P, $12.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- NABLA Cosmetics Under Pressure (P, $8.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Clarins Jade #3 (PiP, ) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop 14 (LE, $4.50) is more shimmery, brighter (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Metallic Steel Blue (11M) (PiP, $29.00) is darker, brighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Divergent Erudite Sapphire (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Viseart Sapphire (PiP, ) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- LORAC Starry Night (LE, $19.00) is lighter, cooler (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.
I think this is such a pretty duo. The finish with the more muted silver and navy colors seems pretty unique.
I was worried this would come out chalky but I love it!
I used to have this duo but it wasn’t a fave. I like the look of this, looks like a pair of jeans haha.
Yay! I just scrolled up and saw that I’m not the only one who thought this same thing!
This is a stunning duo, particularly for cool toned eyeshadow lovers. Both shades complement each other so well and they are both of excellent quality (unusual for NARS – often one is great and the other is a dud).
Both are shades that a lot of other brands struggle to get right too.
Lovely eye look Christine.
You look great! Really like this look on you.
Thanks, Jel!
You don’t have the originals for a comparison, right, Christine? I have this duo from an anniversary palette that may still not be depotted. Don’t remember these being so nice; think I found them too dark. Will Drag ‘em out. I had to depot lots of Nars old formula lipstick, put them in sample jars and refrigerated them. I got more compliments on King Kong than any lipwear this year. Would not be a bad reissue now; fun bronzy shade that may have depot-aged a bit more rosy.
No, I don’t think I have the originals on this one, sorry!
The old one was a matte navy on the right (not super dark, like medium navy). The old left side was more like the right side here—medium blue but with a gold overlay. This reformulation is pretty different, but I’m liking the look of it.
I’m getting a very comfy, broken in denim feel with these 2 shades. That blue is especially stunning! Not *usually* good shades on me, but that BLUE!
I have the older version of this palette and rarely wear it but I do like it.
In all of this, the shadow that really grabs my interest is Madrid! (I don’t wear many blue or silvery shadows and can probably find something in my stash if I want to try to replicate this look). But Madrid looks so appealing. I have 2 of the better Hardwired shadows (Stud and Pygar) but I know some of them from 2 years ago were awful. So I’m eager to see how Madrid rates. Mind you, it looks like Sephora’s not getting this shade either so I’ll hope I have dupes.
Your hair looks beautiful! The color is pure perfection!
OMG, Christine!!! I love your hair!! I’m probably late. lol