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Satiny Lids, Red Lips and Soft Black Cat Liner: A Friday Face of the Day With the NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette

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NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette
Wearing the new NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette

The sun is out there…

Somewhere…

It’s out there somewhere behind the oppressive soup of (now) light gray clouds over our little hill here in Novato, but at least it isn’t raining! 🙂 By no means am I hanging out on the deck in a pair of booty shorts and drinking a margarita or anything, but it looks like Stormageddon 2014 has at least temporarily paused.

Compared to yesterday’s monsoon, the current minor gloom is welcome. I also tried to inject a little more brightness into the vicinity with my makeup, a glowing neutral lid with soft black cat eyeliner and a bright red lip.

NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette
Mirrored packaging, so you can admire yo’ bad self…

I started this look with the new NARSissist Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow Palette ($79, coming to NARS Boutiques and the NARS website January 1, 2015; on counters February 1)…and I apologize in advance if I blabber and ramble when I talk about it because it drives me wild (I’m also thinking that the lines on the pans are hypnotic).

NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette
Hello, lovah!


The Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows have a lovely satiny finish and can be worn wet or dry.

They swatch hella frosty, I know, but when you buff them into your skin, the frost turns to an eye-catching brushed patina (that still doesn’t emphasize my fine lines).

I LOVE the formula, which should be great for newbies (or anyone) because it’s gloriously easy to blend.

The palette contains seven re-promoted shades from the Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow Line — Europa, Himalia, Subra, Andromeda, Lysithea, Giove and Sycrox. All beautiful, wearable colors, mostly neutrals, with a sprinkle of green and blue.

The palette also includes a limited edition brown eyeshadow called Ursa Major, a rich, warm brown about halfway between a matte and a satin that blends like buttah, baby. It’s SO good. I could spend my entire day sweeping it back and forth in the crease and making little circles in the outer corner…

Make a note to visit the NARS website starting January 1, 2015, or head to one of the NARS Boutiques, if you’re interested. Or, hold out till it arrives on counters February 1.

NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette swatches dry (top row) and wet (bottom row)
Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette swatches dry (top row) and wet (bottom row)

I just stuck with NARS for the rest of the look.

On my cheeks, I did a light contour with Laguna Bronzer, then buffed Final Cut Blush onto the apples of my cheeks and dusted a small amount of Miss Liberty Highlighting Blush Powder on my upper cheekbones. All three products are from the Virtual Domination Cheek Palette in the holiday collection.

NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette

For my lips, I lined and filled them in with true red NARS Velvet Lip Pencil in Nihiwatu, then layered creamy scarlet NARS Audacious Lipstick in Rita on top.

Incidentally, if you like red lip looks that aren’t too orangey, this Lip Liner/Lipstick combo is amaze-balls.

I also added bright strawberry pink NARS Quito Gloss on top for extra freshness.

Not even Stormageddon 2014 could stand up to the brightening power of NARS. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Me too. The OG NARSissist eyeshadow palette has been my ride-or-die for the last year but now this one is up there, too. Which one of the Dual-Intensity shades have you tried and loved? I’m all about that blue shade!

      Reply

      • I have Giove and Sycorax (ugh…Sycorax wet as liner is smoky-goodness-everything), but I’ve really wanted to get my hands on Europa, Himalia, and Subra (+Desdemona and Dione). NARS is my “it” brand. I love something by them from of category of makeup so it is hard not to go gaga over new releases 🙂

        Reply

        • Yeah. Totally with you on this line being a trigger. It’s almost Pavlovian with me, LOL. *wipes drool*

          Oh. Sycorax wet applied on a clean beige matte lid = EVERYTHING.

          Reply

      • Trying to buckle down and get some Christmas shopping down, sort through the products that are piling up at an alarming rate, and hopefully do some photos! Oh, and sleep. It’s been a pretty tiring week! How about you guys?

        Reply

        • Just trying to get through the storm. At one point in time I could’ve probably canoed down the street. It’s all good though! Hoping to see the sun this weekend… It’s been too long.

          GAH! You just reminded me that I am waaaaay behind on my shopping.

          Reply

          • Ugh I hope you guys are staying dry and safe!

            Some years I’m on top of this Christmas shopping business, but this year I have been SOOO uninspired!

          • Yeah, there is a break now and things are thankfully less wet. LOL. We need it (there’s been a bad drought here in California), though. I love how it cleans the air and makes everything green again but man! It’s so gloomy and depressing.

            The last time I was on top of Christmas shopping was… Oh, I honestly can’t remember. Every year I tell myself to start early and every year I forget. How far along are you? I have two — TWO — presents done.

  5. Umm… I think I need this in my life! Those shadows, and then that packaging… WOW! I hope I’ll be able to get my hands on it!

    Reply

  6. Same here… Only two, and they aren’t even wrapped yet! I am SO bad at wrapping presents. Just think about having to go through that makes me want to weep. Gah.

    It’s gloomy all the time here, but thankfully no storm and no big-ass pile of snow! That might happen in January though!

    Reply

    • That’s what gift bags and tissue paper are for! 🙂

      Yargh — I don’t think I could even deal with the snow. Do you drive in the snow? That seems so crazy to me.

      Reply

      • I don’t! The Belgians aren’t very good at driving in the snow on average. They don’t see it that often, so as long as there are two snowflakes falling down, everybody loses their head. I’ve had to walk an hour home once when I was living in Brussels because the buses stopped running. It was ridiculous because there wasn’t even enough snow to stay on the ground!
        Sunny recently posted … Crossed Off My To-Try List: Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes

        Reply

  7. That palette looks amazing! I’ve had hits and misses with Nars classic eyeshadow formula so I wasn’t too excited about the Dual Intensity launch, but then I swatched them in a store – holy cow, they’re soft, buttery and pigmented! I don’t think I would even ever need to use them wet.
    Lulle recently posted … Dior’s 2-in-1 lipstick for the holidays

    Reply

  8. I have seen so many rave reviews for this line of eye shadows. The palette is so tempting! Not that I need more shadow (just bought another palette at Sephora today). But these are pretty!

    Hope it is not too stormy! We had a huge windstorm and our power is out and is estimated to be back hopefully tomorrow AM. I’m so sad I just went grocery shopping too and I’m worried everything is going to spoil. Plus doing makeup by flashlight is hard lol

    Reply

    • Hi Elena!

      Ooh, what palette did you get from Sephora?

      I will keep my fingers crossed that your power goes back on soon. Oh, and keep the fridge closed… Opening it up lowers the temp.

      Reply

  9. Karen, not sure I am replying directly to your comment (on my phone to curb boredom right now). But I got the new Kat von D Innerstellar palette (I always have the urge to say INTERstellar). It swatches pretty nice (better than her holiday eye shadow palette).

    I’m worried it might be too late for the food…we lost power last night and we haven’t been opening the fridge but stuff seems kinda warm. We don’t have a big cooler either! I shouldn’t whine though because a big tree fell on our neighbor’s house.

    Hope things are well on your end!

    Reply

  11. I am still lusting over the NARS Virtual Domination Cheek Palette, but those eyeshadows look pretty amazing too.

    Glad you have a break from the storm, but it sounds weird if you say “green again”. Where I live. it is getting to be green again maybe in march, till then it is grey-brown or snow, so everyone is hoping for snow of course.
    And driving in the snow isn’t that hard. You got special tires, and usually the streets are taken care of.

    Happy weekend!
    LindaLibraLoca recently posted … Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer

    Reply

  14. Noooooo! And here I am, just having spent close to $300 on NARS products (and unlocking VIB Rouge at Sephora – only started shopping there in AUGUST), and they come out with this?! Augh.

    They did a makeover on me and I picked up the products they used on me (and a few others):

    Eyes: Dione and Blondie eyeshadows, volumizing mascara
    Face: Terre Neuve tinted moisturizer, Copacabana multiple, holiday 2014 blush collection, crystal setting powder, Chantilly concealer
    Lips: Train Bleu, Never Say Never, Deadly Catch, Dragon Girl, Charlotte.

    My bad habit is that I impulse buy some pretty expensive stuff, and then never use it. I’ve been giving it away to friends though – I’d rather do that then have it go to waste.

    Now, off to get Hourglass’ “Icon” lipgloss (which, thank you Karen – it looks absolutely fantastic on me)! ^_^

    Reply

  15. Love, love, love this eyeshadow palette – it is so completely gorgeous and very suitable for us cool toned gals. Love the lipstick too. Cannot wait to purchase it.
    By the way, how is the flood situation where you live? It was all over the news in Australia and it looked very scary. Cleaning up after a flood is always so hard. I hope all is well.

    Reply

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