NARS limited edition HANAMICHI eyeshadow

I have seen this NARS limited edition HANAMICHI eyeshadow since the holiday season last year but the price point was kind of steep (at $65usd) and thinking the colors are quite hard to pull off for regular use so at some point I have decided to skip...


But recently I received a $10 credit and I finally pulled the trigger (and no sales tax too)... who would not love a deal?


The loot:

It comes with a box (inside is padded) and the presentation is very "NARS" like, meaning a minimalist approach.


The eyeshadow is housed inside a fabric sleeve and it comes with a hand-made wistera-spun brush

This brush is fun to look at but I think would be quite hard to use as the bristles are loosely packed and too soft.... it will be hard to use it for precise application:

The gem, HANAMICHI:

A closer look at the palette. I admit that most of the time when I see pretty inlays or designs in eyeshadows I get it for the patterns and not necessarily the function or color payoff...


But hey this is like a piece of art in itself:

Swatches:

The colors have mediocre pigmentation, not particularly smooth and some drugstore brands can perform better than these (with a friendlier price tag as well!) The white color can be used as highlights on the eyes or on the "C" curve, the black can be used as liner or filling in the brows. The gold on the other hand, is more like a ochre color that I would rarely use on any occasion.... And what I worry the most is the red.... How do I actually use it so I don't look being just punched in the eyes? This color is not suitable to be used as a blush anyhow...

I came up with this look, using red on the outer corner of my eyes:

Under setting sun, you can spot out the shimmers in the colors

Thoughts on HANAMICHI... this palette is more for collection only as the colors are not really practical.... and also a note on the golden ochre color, it seems to be softer than other colors and a big chunk already broke off from the palette after my first use on this palette (sad!) But to end this post, the day I create this look, I had a go with my hubby earlier the day (on some stupid cranky bo-bo).... so later when he saw me came out from the bedroom with this makeup on me, he asked:


"Is this the angry bird look for me?"


Totally speechless....

NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner

Last night I was stopping by Sephora and I wanted to do a swatch for my Singaporean beauty pals that doesn't have NARS in their island :(

This time I am swatching the new NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear pencil liners:

A closer look at the 9 colors available:

My personal favorites are Abbey Road (iridescent turquoise), Rue De Rivoli (metallic forest green) and Via Appia (copper brown). I will be hauling them at the Sephora F&F sale in Nov!!

2 colors that I didn't like is Madison Avenue (slate grey) and Rue Bonaparte (light almond). I thought Rue Bonaparte is a like an off white/cream white, but to me it looks like a concealer color.... yuck!

It's definitely smudge-proof, rub-proof, and water-proof:

After an initial cleansing oil (DHC mild cleansing oil) rub:

After some serious cleaning:

I will be waiting for Sephora F&F to haul my top 3 fav colors!

These awesome liners are available on www.nars.com and www.sephora.com

The ultimate liquid eyeliner comparisons, Kiss Me Heroine Make, Dolly Wink, and NARS

The only 3 kinds of liquid eyeliners I own are from top to bottom, Kiss Me Heroine Make, Koji Dolly Wink, and NARS stylo liner.

Kiss Me Heroine Make and Dolly Wink are pretty similar in pen size, tip, and ink quality, as I have mentioned in my previous posts. NARS stylo liner is my least favorite because of the difficulty I have with applying the ink with its dried up felt tip.

Putting the tips of the eyeliners side by side:

You can see why I love KMHM and Dolly Wink a lot. Their tips are moist with ink and so fine, 0.1mm to be exact.

A swatch of the 3 liquid eyeliners on the back of my hand:

From top to bottom, Kiss Me Heroine Make, Koji Dolly Wink, and NARS. As you can see, KMHM has a slight spreading of ink into the cracks of my skin. But I didn't notice a spread of inks when I use this eyeliner when tightlining. It also appears to me that NARS' ink is the deepest black of the three.

Putting these eyeliners to the test of its waterproof qualities:

All of the liquid eyeliners did not smudge under water. That's a good sign!

Moving on with the ease of cleansing with makeup remover. Here I use my Shu Uemura make up cleansing oil and gently spread across the three swatches.

NARS is the first one to go. Both KMHM and Dolly Wink stay here. After a few more rubs and emulsifying with water, they are going away too.

I feel like these eyeliners are easier to clean than Majolica Majorca's mascaras. So my verdict? I will go for Kiss Me Heroine Make or Dolly Wink. Definitely will not be repurchasing the NARS stylo liquid eyeliner.