Seeing as how it’s *this close* to Friday, why don’t we just take off work early and get Loaded…
Guuuurl, interpret that as you will, but I’m talking about the new NARS Loaded Eyeshadow Palette ($59). 🙂
Isn’t it gorgeous?! Let’s just say all the magic words at once — pigmented, warm, neutral, mattes, shimmers.
YES!
So…this is new. Twelve completely new powder eyeshadows in warm shades. There’s a couple golden matte browns and a shimmery golden taupe, which I’m wearing on my lids in this look, that don’t lean as warm as the other shades, but Loaded is generally a very warm-toned palette. We’re talking reddish browns, peachy browns, warm gold, bronze and copper, and it’s coming to NARS Boutiques and the NARS website March 22nd , and to Sephora, Ulta and department stores March 28th.
Today was my first time using it, and I couldn’t help but think of that first really intense love that you have as an adult where the love is big, beautiful and, yeah, at times, messy.
Exceptionally soft
And by “messy,” well…let me back up a bit. I don’t know if NARS reformulated their shadows for Loaded, but they feel unusually soft, and while that’s great for easy blending, it can also take some getting used to.
Like, all I have to do is flick the tip of my brush across the pan, and the grains practically leap up onto the brush head, because the shadows are that buttery, so it’s easy to accidentally pick up too much powder and overload your brush, and therefore end up with eyeshadow on your lids and everywhere else, if you aren’t careful.
If you do like I did the first time you use this palette, and you excitedly swirl, layer and buff like a crazy makeup maniac, well, you just might end up with a beautiful mess of fallen bits beneath your eyes and atop your upper cheekbones.
In other words, you’ll see some fallout, but you know what? Once you get the hang of it, and you figure out how little of the product you actually need to use to bang out a beautiful eye, you’ll be fine. Maybe do your eyes first, though, and keep a few makeup wipes around.
Isn’t this like UD Naked?
Whenever I see a brownish neutral palette like this, I can’t help but think it’s another Urban Decay Naked, but Loaded is actually warmer than that, and I think that the shimmers behave better around my fine lines because they aren’t glittery like Naked’s.
Glitter is fun, for sure, but I feel like it makes UD Naked more appropriate for da club than a charity gala.
I like Loaded better for clean beauty looks, like red carpet makeup looks. Think of what Chrissy Teigen would wear to the Oscars just so she could look elegant while taking a nap in the middle of the ceremony, haha! (For the record, anybody who can take a nap at a big awards show is someone after my own heart.)
What about the wear time?
You could wear these shadows to an awards show, to the after party, to the after-after party, and then to an early breakfast in the wee hours of the morning, if that’s how you roll, because the shadows last a full day on my lids while barely fading when I wear them on top of NARS Pro-Prime.
The final verdict
Girl, NARS has been kinda killin’ it lately. Between this and Banc de Sable, I don’t know what to do with myself, honestly! Loaded’s eyeshadows are pigmented, easy to blend and elegant, and I enthusiastically recommend them.
Just remember how soft they are, and that it doesn’t take a lot of these powders to make a big impact.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. The birthday lasagna meat sauce is on! I’m following Laura in the Kitchen’s classic meat and cheese lasagna recipe, and the meat sauce has to stay on the stove for four hours. She’s Italian, it looked pretty easy, and she said it was a recipe passed down from her mother and her grandmother.
Wish me luck!
The texture on those satins looks unreal!!! I’ll have to check this out in-store, although the last thing I need is another neutral palette.
Hi Katie,
You know, I say the same thing to myself at least 10 times a day, but it doesn’t ever seem to stop the neutral palette monster from taking over. LOL!
Argh! I wish I didn’t like NARS so darned much. This is not helping me save money at all.
Hmm, well how are you in terms of NARS duos, singles and palettes? If you’ve been collecting for a while you probably don’t *need* this if you have neutrals like Cordura, Galapagos, etc., up in the mix.
I don’t have a lot of the singles and duos from the main collection. I tend to fall for the seasonal releases. I think I need to decide between this eye palette or the 6 pan cheek palette that was released a while ago (that is if it isn’t sold out already.)
OMG! That just blows my mind. There are so many amazing singles and duos in the permanent line. Lhasa! Kalahari! Cordura! GIRL I JUST CAN’T!
Good luck on the lasagna! I love that CC is a Pisces baby just like me. 🙂
Thanks! I made the sauce last night and today I’m going to assemble it. Tomorrow, we bake!
Ahhh Karen, I saw photos of this palette and said, “man, Nars is killin it lately!” Your description of it sounds like it’s as wonderful in terms of quality as the ABH Master Palette by Mario! That said, I MUST HAVE IT!
Also, thanks for mentioning lasagna, I have been thinking of what to have this weekend. 🙂
Hi Indya,
If you have a good lasagna recipe I’d love to see it! I’m still looking for the ultimate lasagna recipe.
I was just going to see what the Costco situation with lasagna is looking like. I’m not the best cook ?
I told myself that I am not allowed to buy any more eyeshadow palettes but this one will be extremely hard to resist! It looks beautiful!
Hi Agata,
It’s super pretty. I think you will really like the reddish browns.
Well, I thought these looked kind of boring in the pans, but the swatches are beautiful.
Hi Rachel,
They sure are. I’m wearing it again today and loving it!
I hope they bring out a neutral one!
this is so pretty! i’m hunting down a neutrals palette that leans a bit warm orange. How does this compare to Viseart’s Minx or Sultry Muse palettes?
Hi Karen! What shades did you use on your lids from the Loaded palette. Beautiful!
Hi Karen!
I was wondering if you could help me with something: I´m relatively new to good make up and I decided to spend some money on a nice eyeshadow palette. I’ve always loved the Naked 2 by UD, but doing some reaserch I found this NARS loaded one and now I don´t know which one to buy!
Do you have any recommendations on this? (I have dark brown eyes if that helps, and I have some skills when it comes to make up, so it´s not that I´m a complete newbie on this! Just in case it mattered whether I knew how to use a palette)
Thank you a looooot!
Agustina.