little white truths

The above shot is taken in direct sunlight, and the below in shade. The paler shade is on the left now.

You can see there's not a great deal of difference between the two shades.


There we are indoors, with flash:


There we are on my eyes below. I've applied the lighter colour over the lid and travelling up, and the darker colour in the crease.

As you can see, it's hard to distinguish between the two. Note I've applied this as I would in real life: I haven't packed on the colour for the purpose of this post.


And again for good measure:


What I've done below is apply a (coloured) primer and then I've packed the darker colour on my lids so you can see it better.

I wouldn't normally wear it like this, but I wanted to show that you can intensify the colour if you want to - although this does take more work, so do be aware of that if you're after something more pigmented.


Verdict

This product grows on me each time I use it. At first I thought not much of it (and preferred my Stila mattes by a long shot), but I've come to realise how versatile this little duo is - particularly as a base colour if you want to add eg some teal greens or rusty oranges - since many colours go with brown.

It's also my go-to duo if I'm in a rush and can't be bothered deciding what to wear. I know that I can throw this on and it will look good without much effort, and it's also what I reach for when I'm wearing a bold lip or bright cheeks and need a toned-down eye.

On top of that, I almost always choose this duo when I want to look like I'm not wearing any makeup. If I use a light hand, you can't tell I've got anything on, but the muted colours work to pull back my upper eye area, which is what I want because I have puffy eyes and am forever trying to make them look less like bee-stung balloons.

On the product itself, it's very easy to work with and I don't think I've ever farked up its application, so you can safely call this duo foolproof. I've mentioned in a previous Nars post that I think the workability of Nars shadows - rather than their texture or look - is what sets them apart. I can see why makeup artists love these: the ones I've used aren't fiddly and there's less room for error. Yay to that.

Portobello is easy to apply and it blends and wears well. I do prefer using it with a primer to make sure I get enough colour and to extend its wear-time, but you're safe to go without one if you don't need it to last all day.

Just a comment on my photos above: this is exactly what the duo looks like when you swatch it on your arm. I didn't want to take misleading photos that show this duo as more pigmented than it really is. Like the other Nars duos I own, its texture is hard and sheer and it's not buttery at all, so don't expect to feel like your eyes have been kissed by angels when you use it - which is what I was half-expecting when I first tried a Nars duo, given the hype about them online.

In sum, I recommend this product. Whether it's worth the Oz price tag is another story altogether, but at least I'll have it for years (there's a lot of product in the pans) and I can see myself continuing to reach for it at least twice a week, so it's good value in that sense.

If you're in the market for a Nars eyeshadow and want something that you'll use frequently - as opposed to something bright and sparkly that's only good for night - I urge you to test this one.

Underrated. Ticks from me.