NARS IGNITED EYESHADOW PALETTE - SWATCHES & FIRST IMPRESSIONS REVIEW
I couldn't resist picking up the new NARS Ignited Eyeshadow Palette from the pre-sale MECCA were offering as part of their Cyber Monday deals! Here's a quick first impressions and swatch post so that you can get a feel for the palette before it officially launches tomorrow.
This limited edition palette features 12 beautiful warm toned shades in a number of finishes - matte, shimmering, sparkling & metallic. Packaged in a sleek and compact palette, it comes with a full sized mirror and a lid adored with an artistic purple and pink design. WARNING - If you're not a fan of shimmer, metallics and sparkle, this palette may not be the one for you.
The shades include:
- HAMMAMET I (matte beige)
- ST-PAUL-DE-VENCE I (shimmering nectarine)
- LIGHT UP (sparkling pink pearl)
- ATOMIC (sparkling bubblegum pink)
- SOPHIA (matte rich cool brown)
- SUPERNOVA (metallic coral with pink)
- IN HEAT (sparkling magenta)
- IGNITION (sparkling rose)
- NOUMÉA (matte sienna)
- FIRED UP (metallic rust)
- FUSE (sparkling purple with blue)
- PONTE NOIR (sparkling eggplant with pink)
The 3 mattes in the palette (the 3 shades first column down) are some of the silkiest, smoothest mattes that I've swatched. They can kick off a bit of dust, however with a quick tap of the brush, you're ready to go. They diffuse and blend out perfectly.
The one shimmer finish in the palette provides a lovely warm base to build a look but it's the metallic and sparkling shades that immediately grab your attention. The metallics have a nice texture, though they do feature a sheerer base to them so they aren't 100% opaque, which is something to keep in mind if using dry - they do become opaque when used damp.
I am all for a bit of sparkle and micro glitter so I was really excited to give the sparkling finish shades a go. For me, the shade fuse really stands out as it's a beautiful blue-brown type of metallic shade with micro shimmer that really gives off a multifaceted finish that's hard to capture on camera. In swatches, it is a little chunkier in texture than the other shades in the palette but it's to be expected because of it's finish. It looks amazing on the eyes though!
The sparkling shades are quite a different shadow to what's on the market. They definitely have a sheerer base below a textured layer on top when swatching dry but do look lovely when just swept all over the eye, giving a light, effortless, shimmery finish. However, if you want to get the most out of the sparkling and metallic shades, I'd highly recommend either applying them with your fingers in a patting, gentle swiping motion or with a flat shader brush dampened with some setting spray. By applying them in that method, you greatly intensify not only the base colour in the shade but also its beautiful sparkly finish.
I highly recommend heading into store and seeing/playing with the palette in person because its beautiful multifaceted shades can't really be caught in images. I promise it'll be worth the trip.
This palette is limited edition so be quick if you want to pick it up as I have a feeling it'll sell out quite quickly! It's available from MECCA for $86.00 and launches tomorrow.
Is this palette on your wishlist?
