NARS Eye-Opening Act – Beauty Look Book Picks

January 5, 2015

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 Sad – 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?