This month, NARS Cosmetics introduces a limited-edition collection called the Eye-Opening Act featuring Tilda Swinton as the face of the campaign. This collection focuses on creating different looks for the eyes with new products and colors.
All the items in the Limited-Edition Eye-Opening Act Collection are exclusive to Nordstrom through March 15 of this year:
- Matte Velvet Eyeshadow Stick ($28 each for 0.05 oz / 1.6 g)
- Flibuste – black
- Dark Angel – brown
- Reykjavik – grey
- Glénan – blue
- Nunavut – purple
- Yeux Irresistible Eyeshadow Palette ($48 for 6 shades each 0.03 oz / 1 g)
- All About Eve Duo Eyeshadow (right side) – Flesh-toned neutral with shimmer
- Jezebel Eyeshadow – Shimmery sable
- Thunderball Eyeshadow – Midnight gray
- Colombo Eyeshadow – Vintage gold shimmer
- Brousse Duo Eyeshadow (left side) – Sable
- Coconut Grove Eyeshadow – Deep Brown infused with reflections
- Inoubliable Coup d’Oeil Eyeshadow Palette ($48 for 6 shades each 0.03 oz / 1 g)
- Dalliance Eyeshadow – Dusty lilac stone
- Pyla Eyeshadow – Smokey hunter green
- Sidi Bou Saïd – Blackened grape
- Pandora Duo Eyeshadow (left side) – Sheer white shimmer
- Luberon – Iridescent sand with rose gold sheen
- Pandora Duo Eyeshadow (right side) – Matte black
- Illuminating Multiple St. Lucia ($39 for 0.5 oz / 14 g)
- Sheer Rose
I ordered some items sight unseen a little over a week ago and have been putting them to the test. I have my picks to share with you today. First up are the new Matte Velvet Eyeshadow Sticks. These are twist up creamy shadows that come in five colors. I’ve had really good experiences with the NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliners and Soft Touch Shadow Pencils so I thought these new shadow sticks might be a cross of the two products. I ordered Reykjavik, Flibuste and Dark Angel sight unseen.
The shades I ordered are quite intense and pigmented. I found Reykjavik (grey) and Dark Angel (brown) easy to apply straight on the lids along the lash line. They glided on without tugging. Flibuste (black) was a bit drier in texture and tugged a little bit on my eyes but I was still able to apply on the lash line fairly easily. The Velvet Matte Shadow sticks do dry very quickly and once they set they don’t budge. For me, these work best as a liner. I’ve played with these by using a small smudge brush to apply them (take the brush and swipe the shadow stick, then use the product on the brush to apply to the eyes). Or I’ve also applied these directly to the eyes and blend with the fingers or a blending brush very quickly.
I like the sleek and simple packaging but given the intensity and pigment of the colors, I feel these act more like eyeliners rather than eyeshadows and wish they came in the Larger than Life Eyeliner form for easier and more precise application. That being said, for any darker cream shadow I usually use a brush to apply (versus fingers) whether it’s a pot, twist up stick, chubby stick or compact form.
Here are a few swatched comparisons. I think the NARS Reykjavik grey is a phenomenal grey color. It’s my favorite out of the ones I’ve tested because it’s an intense grey without being too light or dark.
Next are the two Eyeshadow Palettes. These are my favorite items from the Eye-Opening Act Collection. Both are super compact and cute. I thought my favorite for sure would be the Yeux Irresistible but I actually really like Inoubliable Coup D’Oeil just as much, especially since it has a lot of new colors (versus repromoted shades).
Yeux Irresistible contains a mix of warm and cool. All the shades are available in other Single Shadows and Eyeshadow Duos with the exception of Colombo which is exclusive to this palette. For me this one has colors that will create a smokey or dramatic eye.
Here are the shades swatched with a heavy hand. If you’re familiar with NARS Eyeshadows you are well aware that they have a smooth texture with medium pigment that is easy to build. All the shades here perform just like the individuals. They glide on the eyes nicely and layer well with each other. There is only one shade I’ve found requires extra work. In my experience with Thunderball (the single), I’ve found it works best when packed on the eyes with a detail brush as a liner. If you apply with a regular eyeshadow brush all over the lids, you may find it looks uneven and chalky. I found performance to be the same with this palette.
- All About Eve II is a cool shimmering champagne pink with finely milled shimmer
- Jezebel is a reddish brown color with subtle shimmer
- Thunderball is a matte navy teal grey
- Colombo is a shimmering gold with a very soft texture
- Brousse I is a shimmering plum
- Coconut Grove is a satiny dark brown that acts more like a matte on the lids
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Inoubliable Coup d’Oeil surprised me. With the exception of Luberon, all the other colors are very much cool-toned which can be hard for me to wear easily. That combined with the fact that I rarely wear green shadows on the eyes made me a bit hesitant to order this. I decided to give it a try and I’m really glad I did. Most of the colors with the exception of Pandora Duo are new and exclusive to this palette. The combination of these colors creates a unique and softly defined eye.
- Dalliance is a sheer soft matte lilac tan, it goes on smoothly over an eyeshadow base
- Pyla is a soft olive green with a slight grey tone and satiny shimmer
- Sidi Bou Said is a dusty purple grape color with a satiny matte texture
- Pandora I and II is a sheer iridescent cool white shimmer with a matte black
- Lumeron is a shimmering coppery rose gold champagne
Last but not least is the new St. Lucia Multiple. This is a beautiful soft shimmering rose champagne. On my medium-toned skin it’s a highlighter color (I use the NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation and All Day Luminous Powder Foundation in Punjab), but I suspect on fair skin tones it will look more bronzey with more color. This one has a finely milled shimmer with a super smooth texture (no glitter). On my skin it’s light enough that I can wear it on the eyes without having to worry about getting that pink-eye look. On the cheeks it adds a very natural but visible glow to the skin. It’s really stunning. It’s a multi-dimensional color with lots of different colored shimmers in it. It has a rose base with champagne, silver, and pink shimmers that makes it glow. I found it sheer-to-medium in coverage. It’s not invisible on the skin, but it is on the sheer side for my particular skin tone. You can build the color naturally.
I’m really pleased with the eyeshadow palettes and new multiple. The colors in the palettes make creating an eye look easy whether you want something for day or night. There is a nice simplicity to the color combinations that will give you a classic look with a modern edge. The small size of the palettes makes these easy to carry with you if you need to travel or carry something with you to take you from day to night if you can’t make it back home to get ready. The new St. Lucia Multiple is really quite stunning. It is sheer but gives a really stunning glow. I have mixed feelings about the Velvet Shadow Sticks. If you’re looking for a more pigmented version of the Soft Touch Shadow Pencils, you will probably like the Velvet Shadow Sticks. I like the packaging design and the rich pigment. I also found lasting power very impressive (they don’t budge). I do think they set a bit too quickly for me and due to the intensity of the colors I think they work better as liners than shadows.
All the items in the NARS Eye-Opening Act are limited-edition. They are currently exclusive to Nordstrom counters and online. Have you checked out the collection? Or have anything on your wish list? I’d love to hear your thoughts?
This post was sponsored by Nordstrom. All opinions my own. All products purchased by me. For more information please refer to my disclosures.
i gave up on NARS a while ago. maybe i was just getting unlucky – but EVERY product i tried from them had wearability issues. the shadows had a lot of fall out and major creasing throughout the day, the blendability is not that great, the blushers lasted a couple of hours tops and application was streaky, the eyeliners transferred to my eyelid, the lipsticks are drying, the cream shadows migrated. for me, NARS is just all flashiness, packaging and ads, and the products don't live up to any of it. i just can't be hopeful with this brand anymore after so many disappointments.
beautiful pictures as always Sabrina 🙂 sorry for the "debbie-downer" post! 🙂
xo sj
Hi SJ, that's too bad about your experience, I wonder if it's the palettes that you've been having trouble with for eyes or individual items? I know some have reported the quality of the palettes isn't as good as the individual singles/duos although I haven't had any issues. Thanks for the kind comments about the photos though!
I think Yeux Irresistible is a nice pallette, only the two darkest shade are not my type. But everything else I wouldnt mind not having at all. For someone who likes more "nude" looks, this is a really powerful collection.
I really love the idea of a matte-finish eyeshadow crayon – I wish they had released a couple lighter shades of these too. The dark ones are gorgeous, but they don't seem all that versatile. Out of curiosity – have you tried them as a base for powder eyeshadows?
Hi Nicci, I have tried them as a liner base but on me they dry so quickly that they don't really work as a base for powders. I do wish they had some lighter shades too! Perhaps if they expand the line 🙂
Wow yeux irresistible is gorgeous!!! And the colors seem to be pretty goo quality too, I've neve really tried NARS eyeshadows =)
xoRosie
Rosie's Life
Eeeks! This products look incredible! Lilly xx http://alittlelilly.blogspot.nl/
I love thsi kind of stick eyeshadows, and in fact own quite a few by kiko and laura mercier. However, I am not sure that I would use these much as they are matte. Usually I love this kind of sticks blended as a one eyeshadow look or combined with powder eyeshadows. The shades I have are shimmery and more complex than these so I can get away with my prefered application method!
Well put, I think other cream shadow sticks with shimmer or some more creaminess are more forgiving and easy to work with.
I agree with SJ Sellers — same experience. I have an old time Nars lip palette that was perfect, and after a few misses on eye shadow gave up. I do find the dark gray liner tempting– perfect color. But does it stay put? How does it apply? I would use it as a liner and apply with an eye liner brush. Would it work for that?
I like the look of both palettes. The crayons would serve me alright but I'm not chomping at the bit to get them. That multiple is lovely!
I'm sitting on hot coals waiting for DHL to deliver the Irresistable palette , the purple and the blue eye crayons. Supposed to come within the next two hours. The swatches look great and you're right, the palette with the absolutely impossible name is really pretty too!!
wow the products do look stunning 🙂 x
http://insaneaboutmakeup.blogspot.co.uk/
Hi Sabrina,
Lovely review! I think St. Lucia catches my eye here, but it's hard to tell how those champagne shades will swatch. Will have to try in person!
A really detailed review – thank you so much. I love the fact that they are bringing out some cool toned eyeshadow colours. However my favourites from each palette are the ones that really don't look the best – Pyla and Thunderball. I have plenty of the other colours in my stash – thanks to Vice 2, Naked and Tarina Tarantino. Yes, Nars is a bit hit and miss. Their new dual intensity palette is coming out soon and that may be better.
Thank you for such a detailed review. I am glad that NARS is bringing out some cool toned colours. However I think many of them are dupable and, thanks to Vice 2, Naked, Tarina Tarantino, I have many of them in my stash. I love Pyla and Thunderball but they are looking a bit murky in the swatch.
Those shadow sticks look fantastic: creamy and great pigmentation. I wish they had come out just a little sooner, as I had been searching for a good brown cream shadow, and recently settled on MAC Constructivist. Oh well!
Oh the palettes and the shadow sticks look gorgeous! I can't wait until I get my hands on them now. x
FARFROMPERFECTIONXO
The shadow sticks are so, so stunning. I love this whole collection.
nueyork.blogspot.com
I love the look of the eyeshadow sticks!
Makeupmusicbooks.blogspot.com
Oooh, I love the look of st. Lucia. The swatch is stunning! Would you say it's similar to South Beach multiple?
Thanks for your input.
South beach is much more bronze golden.
Such a great and thorough review! I definitely have my eye on the Yeux Irressistible palette.
xoxo Nicole
http://www.brazenbrunette.com
Beautiful picks. I also got multiple and one eyeshadow palette
Oh wow this is stunning
Candice | Beauty Candy Loves
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The whole collection looks amazing! I particularly love the shadow sticks and don't even get me started on Tilda Swinton! Just love her! 🙂
i'm really liking the look of those crayons. Thanks for sharing, Sabrina! 🙂
This collection looks beautiful! Those shadow pencils are way more intense than I was expecting. Definitely look like they'll work great for eyeliners. I think I want one. Maybe the Multiple too.
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I travel quite a bit on business and on pleasure and my staple is Nars aAd God created woman-palette. I also have my eye on this cool palette thinking of ordering it online since they don't do the warm palette here in Europe but how is the blackened grape colour for instance? Is it very dark for every day wear? What about the matte black, can it be used as a liner? I have not seen swatches anywhere else than online and there are not that many of them either. Thanks for your post! -Annie
Can I just ask what you swatched the eyeshadows over? I too got the inouliable coup palette but the colours aren't coming out very vibrant for me, nothing like in your swatches.
Oh my gosh the St Lucia Multiple looks amazing, that shade is just pure prettiness! I need!
alice x | beautybyalicee