The NARSissist Eye Palette: Swatches and A Quick Review!
It might not be news to some of you folks in the US, but NARS’ highly-anticipated NARSissist palette is coming to Singapore 3 Feb, and will be available for pre-orders on http://bit.ly/narsissist from 27 Jan 2014.
I won’t lie. The price-tag is hefty (S$115) and there are lots of different opinions as to whether it’s worth it, considering the countless “nude” palettes on the market.
I’m not going to make up your mind for you. It really depends on your budget, and what sort of pigmentation level you like with your eye makeup. I’ll just show you swatches and a super quick smoky eye done with the palette in 5 minutes.
The Breakdown:
- Pigmentation: Medium. If you’re used to Urban Decay or Make Up For Ever, you might find this un-pigmented. But if you’re used to Bobbi Brown and Chanel, these will be much more pigmented. The main thing is the mattes are not too chalky, the darks are not too patchy, and most of the shades can be worn soft or built up to intensity without you having to wet them.
- Colors: There are 3 mattes, 4-5 metallics, and the rest are a soft satin (not too shiny or matte) and the colors are split quite evenly between the pale, mid-tone and smoky. There are also 4 slightly cooler taupe/grey tones. Plenty of options for pretty much any neutral look you want.
Reasons to Get It.
- You are a NARS fan. This is a great addition if you’re already a NARS fanatic of course. It’s as slick and chic as the rest of the line, AND you get so many wearable colors in one product that it will quickly become a work/daily staple.
- You usually use Diors and Chanels but would like to dip a foot into the “jumbo neutral palettes” category. The satiny (between matte and pearl) textures in this palette are quite similar to what you’d find from Dior and Chanel, and are very flattering for mature or crepe-y eyelids, which don’t look good with chalky mattes or overly metallic sheen.
- You’re just looking to invest good money in one neutral eye palette that is versatile, easy to use, and sturdy and chic enough to bring out with you, but you’re not keen to buy the same old Naked palette that everyone and her sister has.
- As NARS says, you have “a bottomless makeup bag” and you can’t imagine not owning this.
Reasons Not to Get It.
- You are on a tight budget. This is a 15-color eye palette from NARS. You know it is NOT going to be cheap. (Step away from the counter, sister!)
- You already own Naked 1, Naked 2, Naked 3, and/or all of their alternatives and dupes. (Unless, of course, you are a complete nude palette fanatic with that “bottomless makeup bag” and the money isn’t a problem.)
- You get paralyzed and don’t know what to do or where to start when you look at a trio or a quad. Much less a 15-color palette.
Final Verdict?
I like it. It’s very versatile, I love the satin textures (I ironically don’t own many satin shadows; they’re mostly full-on metallic or matte), and it’s not super-pigmented, but in a good way. If you tend to be heavy handed or you’re not yet an expert with eye makeup, you’re not very likely to make a big mess with this. The look above was done without any primer or base, using cheap brushes. I got no fallout and the dark shades went on quite intense, and blended out easily.
It’s good, but it’s not mind-blowing enough to say “run out and get it now” considering the hefty price tag. Unless of course, the money is no problem at all - in which case, I’d say it’s a pretty good palette to have!