NARS Eyeshadow Review: Marie-Galante

I'm late to the game with the 2012 Summer Collections, and frankly I haven't gotten too excited by most of them. I think I'm suffering from makeup saturation...there's just not much out there that I don't already have, and most of what's left doesn't interest me. I've been in a bit of a slump. But that changed when I saw the NARS Summer Collection, specifically the eyeshadow duo Marie-Galante. 

I'd not tried NARS duos before, so I was taking a gamble that the quality would be good. The color of this duo is certainly to die for: an iridescent orchid paired with iridescent regal blue? Definitely not something I already had in my drawer!

The duo is housed in the familiar rubbery black case. I have mixed feelings about these compacts because they look wonderful immediately out of the box, but if any powder gets on them at all, they look pretty rough and they're difficult, if not impossible, to clean. But if you plan to use NARS products, it's what you'll get, so I guess I need to suck it up and deal. 

As you can see, the colors in the Marie-Galante duo are stunning. I love them both, and they both look good on their own as well as paired. I don't find the pigmentation to be outstanding on this duo, though. I found I had to use a lot of product to get the look I was going for and to get the colors to show up on my eye. I need to try again with damp brushes, but used with dry brushes, be prepared to do some work. 

Under direct sunlight, you can see how shimmery these are. They also have small bits of glitter, although not overly so. However, if you are averse to glitter, take note. Also note that these swatches required quite a few coats to get to this intensity. Like, 5 or 6 passes with the brush. As I said, pigmentation is somewhat lacking.

Under indirect light, the colors show more depth and iridescence. You can actually see how the blue is slightly darker around the edges, then morphs to a lighter, more shimmery color towards the center of the swatch. It's a great color combination, and even though it requires more effort than I'd like, the payoff is great. 

And, for the grand finale, here are a couple of shots of my eyes wearing Marie-Galante! I love that the colors really bring out the brown in my eyes. Paired with relatively subtle lips and barely-there cheeks, the effect is gorgeous and perfect for summer. I'm adoring this duo!

Bottom Line: I have fallen hard for Marie-Galante, but I truly wish the colors were denser and easier to build. I don't feel it should take 4-5 layers of color to get a decent amount of intensity, and by decent I'm not talking drag queen, I'm just talking enough to allow these amazing shades to actually shine. However, even though I'm disappointed with the pigmentation, I feel the uniqueness of the colors goes a long way towards making up for the additional work I have to do to get to my desired end. Wear time was good over primer with no fading or creasing, but I'm not usually prone to creasing. I'm going to be wearing this duo on days and nights when I feel like putting some effort into my eyes. However, for a quick and easy look, these aren't going to be my choice.