NARS Douceurs de Paris Artist Palette

While catching up on some old posts on beauty blogs I follow, I came across a review for NARS' Douceurs de Paris (Pleasures of Paris) palette. I had a great experience with NARS Bridal Palette from a while back, and this palette had colors that I love so I thought I would give it a try. Although the fact that it previously sold out due to its popularity and was somewhat recently revived was another deciding factor.


The packaging for Douceurs de Paris is the same as any other NARS eyeshadow/blush packaging. There is a mirror included, but no applicators or brushes.


The texture of the eyeshadows are extremely silky and smooth, with the exception of the bottom right shade, which seems a little rougher and drier. The pigmentation level of all shades is excellent, as expected of NARS products. I will have to update later on the staying power since I have not yet used these on my eyes. Though from my previous experience, NARS eyeshadows tend to fade on me after 6-7 hours even with UDPP.


The shades in Douceurs de Paris are (from L to R) Nepal (peach), Violetta (violet), Demon Lover (purple), Fez (bronzey brown), Abyssinia (ivory), and Cordura (black brown with gold specks). Nepal, Fez, Abyssinia, and Cordura are shimmery, while Violetta and Demon Lover are matte. My favorite shade in this palette is Nepal, which is a bit sad since I already have the same shade in the NARS Bridal Palette. Hopefully I will grow to like the other shades better once I've had a chance to actually use the palette though.

All pictures in this post were taken under natural light.

In short: This palette delivers what I expect from NARS, silky eyeshadows with great pigmentation level. I can't say that I was blown away after seeing and touching it in person though.

Beaute de Kose & Paul & Joe Eye Glosses

Ever since I started following beauty blogs, I've read rave after rave of Beaute de Kose's eye gloss Eye Fantasist. I've never been a big fan of cream/liquid eyeshadows since they seem to all crease on me no matter how crease-resistant they purportedly are. Still, I was tempted to try out the Eye Fantasist line because of the gorgeous sparkles I have heard so much about. I was completely heartbroken, then, when I heard that the Beaute de Kose line was to be discontinued. Thankfully, my beautiful cousin snatched a couple up when she traveled to Asia last year and was kind enough to give one to me. This then started my collection of eye glosses from different brands.


The packaging of the Eye Fantasist line is a very cute teardrop shaped tube. Some limited edition colors also have charms attached to the tube. Within the tube is a very simple sponge tip applicator. The lasting power is excellent for liquid eyeshadows, but it still sometimes creases at the end of the day if it's hot. The color that I got was BR350.


After getting the Eye Fantasist, Paul & Joe's Eye Gloss Duo released for summer 2011 also caught my eyes. The double ended tube is decorated with the typical Paul & Joe logo flowers. Each end contains a sponge tip applicator, with the applicator on the purple end being slightly thinner. The staying power of the Paul & Joe Eye Gloss is on par with the Eye Fantasist. Similarly, I sometimes still experience creasing at the end of the day if it is hot outside. The color that I got for the Eye Gloss Duo is 03.


The two swatches on the left are for the Paul & Joe Eye Gloss and the swatch on the right is for the Eye Fantasist. I would describe the P&J colors as a cool silvery lilac and a cool light pink. The shimmers in the pink color are fairly chunky so you can definitely see the individual pieces. The lilac has more of a metallic texture with very fine shimmers and more color pay off. I like using the lilac for an office-appropriate look, but the pink is a little too loud for a conservative work environment.

The color of the Eye Fantasist is a slightly purple red-tinged brown. This Eye Fantasist has more sparkles in different sizes than either color in the P&J eye gloss and the color is also more complex. Like the pink in the P&J eye gloss, this Eye Fantasist is not appropriate for the office, but it is a truly gorgeous color that can be used during the day or for a night out. Currently, it's my favorite out of the three shown in this post ^_^

All pictures in this post were taken under natural light.

In short: If you like sparkles and liquid eyeshadows, the P&J Eye Gloss Duo is something you shouldn't miss out on. As the ultimate queen in sparkle-dom, you should also snatch up some Beaute de Kose Eye Fantasist if there are any left in stock in your area. Beware that both eye gloss products are pretty pricey though.

Dior Summer 2011 - Rosy Tan Palette

After working for a couple of years now, I've realized that the most practical eyeshadow purchases I've made are nude/brown eyeshadows because they go well with my complexion and are a no brainer when it comes to application. That explains how I was drawn to Dior's Rosy Tan 5-couleur palette released for summer 2011. I can't say that the colors are unique, but I don't have a similar combo palette, so I decided to invest in it. I have not regretted the purchase, and it's definitely a much better color choice than the first Dior palette I bought, Petal Shine.


I don't believe anything has changed with the packaging or applicators since my first Dior palette review, so I won't say much. The style of the packaging is just okay in my opinion, and the applicators are just as crappy as any drugstore applicator.


The texture of the eyeshadows in the Rosy Tan palette feels finer than the texture of the shadows in Petal Shine from what I can remember (I've since given away Petal Shine so I can't say for sure). The dark liner shade is a tad grainier, but nothing that I can't live with. The color of the shadows on skin are also fairly true to what they look like in the pan except for the bottom left color. It looks taupey in the pan, but actually shows up as more of a bronze. The pigmentation of this palette is MUCH better than what Petal Shine had to offer though. The staying power is also pretty decent over UDPP, no issues with creasing when wearing it for a full work day.


The colors in this palette are (from L to R), an ivory, a cool pink, a bronze, a soft beigey brown, and a dark brown. All of the shades are fairly shimmery except for the beige brown color, which has more of a satin finish. The combination of the four nude/brown colors provides the basis for a simple, elegant look, but the pink adds in a shot of girliness.

All pictures in this post were taken under natural light.

In short: A worthy investment if you're a fan of nude/brown eyeshadows like myself.