With its high prices, luxe packaging, and French origin, Nars Cosmetics has become the new Chanel — with an edge!

Although most famous for their blushes, Nars eyeshadows are also highly esteemed. At $25 apiece, however, it takes a great deal of “makeup lust” to fork over money for these eyeshadows!

So when I spotted the new “NARSissist” eyeshadow palette online ($75 for 15 Nars eyeshadows — a $300 value), I decided to take the plunge!

It will also allow me to review 15 Nars eyeshadows for you at once, which, although the palette itself is limited edition, are part of the permanent line.

The packaging is very sturdy and sleek, as expected of a Nars product:

Behold — the 15 Nars eyeshadows — all neutral colors:

As you see above, a mirror is also included.

Let’s jump right to the swatches!

First row (left to right): “All about Eve”, “Madrague II”, “Fez”, “Bali”, “Coconut Grove”
Second row (left to right): “Madrague I”, “Nepal”, “Ashes to Ashes”, “Brousse II”, “Mekong”
Third row (left to right): “Bellissima I”, “Lhasa”, “Bad Behavior”, “Dogon II”, “Pandora II”

Side by side with the palette:

Let’s examine each row (and shade) individually!

*****FIRST ROW*****

1) “All about Eve” — Champagne gold shimmer. I was disappointed in the pigmentation of this shade since it is quite light in the swatch above. Nevertheless, might be useful as a subtle brow or inner corner highlight color.

2) “Madrague II” — Matte caramel — useful as a crease color!

3) “Fez” — Described by the website as “velvety cocoa.” This color is a rich copper bronze, the exact color of a penny. Excellent pigmentation — definitely a standout shade in this palette! This color would greatly flatter blue eyes.

4) “Bali” — Matte slate brown. Good color to deepen the crease or even as a lid color.

5) “Coconut Grove” — Intensely pigmented matte black-brown. This shade could be used as a lid, crease, or eyeliner color.

*****SECOND ROW*****

1) “Madrague I” — Described by the website as “matte cream.” This was my least favorite shade in the palette. As you can see in the photo above, the pigmentation is non-existent!

2) “Nepal” — Described as “soft sheer rose.” I would describe it as “rose gold”, but the “sheer” part is right on the money. I was disappointed in the poor pigmentation of this shade as well. It could be useful as an eyelid color, or even possibly as a very subtle brow bone highlight.

3) “Ashes to Ashes” — Taupe shimmer. This is one of Nars’ more fabled shades! It is a nice cool-toned neutral taupe, but again, the product has to be built up considerably in order to achieve a proper color payoff, which was a bit of a downer for me. I really was expecting something a little more exciting from this famous Nars eyeshadow!

4) ” Brousse II” — Black violet shimmer. Decent pigmentation — would be beautiful on the lid or crease for a smokey eye! Flattering for all eye colors.

5) “Mekong” — Deep brown-black, infused with golden shimmer. My favorite shade in the palette! Rich pigmentation — again, perfect for a smokey eye. Striking in the crease, lid, or even on the lash line.

*****THIRD ROW*****

1) “Bellissima I” — Shimmering beige with subtle glitter. I actually love this color as a highlight (inner corner, brow bone). The glitter is indeed subtle — but striking.

2) “Lhasa” — Lavender-toned taupe. Another iconic Nars shade! A nice neutral lid color that must nevertheless be built up (layer after layer) for color payoff.

3) “Bad Behavior” — Charcoal shimmer. Fantastic pigmentation on this one! Lovely as a lid color in a smokey eye look.

4) “Dogon II” — Deep gray-black shimmer. Another dramatic color for a smokey eye!

5) “Pandora II” — Matte black. Rich black for an eyeliner shade.

I created a sample eye look using some of these shades:

Colors used:
Base — “All about Eve”
Lid — “Lhasa”
Crease — “Mekong”
Brow bone (highlight) — “Bellissima I”

Overall, these Nars shades are hit-or-miss. Standouts of the palette include “Fez”, “Mekong”, and “Bellissima I”. Nevertheless, even with these standout colors, I’d expect better pigmentation and blendability, particularly given the high prices. Across the board, their texture is also waxy, not buttery. In all honesty, I think you can find more pigmented dupes for these shadows at a lower price point.

Underwhelmed. Don’t waste your money!

Final Verdict: 2.5/5 Stars

The “NARSissist” Eye Palette (limited edition), as well as Nars individual eyeshadows contained therein (permanent line), are available at Sephora and narscosmetics.com for $75 and $25, respectively