For a good part of my makeup life, I had only read about NARS on makeup blogs, but we didn’t (still don’t) have NARS back home in India, and all I could do was stare at photos of “the best blushes ever.” It was only when I came to the US that I could finally try out products from this brand, and the blushes weren’t what really caught my eye. My favorite products from NARS are the eyeshadows, and considering how much I love a dark smokey eye, my pick for an unsung makeup hero would be NARS Matte Eyeshadow in Thunderball.
Thunderball is described as a midnight gray, but to me, this is a deep greenish gray that can look almost black under certain lights. Like most NARS powder products, Thunderball too comes packaged in a small black compact with a mirror on one side and a transparent plastic cover protecting the eyeshadow on the other.
Thunderball is a matte eyeshadow with a velvety smooth texture — no chalkiness to this one! It is amazingly pigmented and pretty much true to the color in the pan. On lighter skin tones, the greenish undertone would show up better, but on my darker skin, this can be mistaken for a grey or even black. In the swatch below, I have added a black eyeshadow just for comparison (it’s the black from L’Oreal Hip Duo in Dashing, for anyone who’s curious).
So why does this eyeshadow feature on my must-have list? A whole lot of reasons. Thunderball is very, very pigmented and soft, and even the slightest touch with the brush picks up a good amount of color. Because it’s such a dark color, I use it either smudged along the lashline and/or along the outer corner to give a hint of darkness and definition to the eyes. It also works great as a liner when I want something that’s dark yet a little different from the usual black eyeliner (brown, even the dark ones, just aren’t enough for me). This also makes for an awesome all-over-the-lid color for a dark smokey eye.
The long-running Makeup and Beauty Blog Unsung Heroes series features much-loved permanent collection products from a variety of bodacious beauty brands.
Like most heroes, though, Thunderball has its little weaknesses. The same soft texture that makes it so easy to pick up on the brush also makes it prone to fallout if you pick up a lot of the product. Just remember to tap off the extra from the brush, and you are good to go. Also, this does better over a nude/neutral eyeshadow as a base — makes it much easier to blend — rather than being used directly over a primer.
Do give Thunderball a try the next time you visit a NARS counter, and I hope you like it just as much as I do!
Wow, great post! Thanks to beauty blogs, I have also found things that I want that I never thought of or may have passed by before. I love reading about others’ faves, because a lot of times they become new faves for me. I bet this would go great with Laura Mercier’s Stormy Grey eyeliner. You look amazing! I love how dark eyeshadows look on you – they can take a good deal of blending on my Italian (olive)/Irish-German (at times ruddy) skin to look good.
Hi Katherine! Stormy Grey does sound like a nice liner to try with this eyeshadow. Oh I hate blending shadows too..is just a lot of work at times, especially with darker shades, isn’t it? I use a neutral shade all over the lid and smudge the darker shade closer to the lashline – most times nobody notices that it isn’t blended too well 😛
I bet lighter shades look amazing on you – some of them look a bit lost on my lids 😀
This black eye shadow looks fantastic, both on you and in the swatches. Nars has a lot of great products that tend to get overlooked.
Thank you, Hanna! I love the eyeshadows and brushes and am looking forward to trying out the new eye paints – should be out in September. Funnily enough, I have hardly any of the NARS blushes…
This color is fabulous! I will have to try it. I have always loved NARS mascara’s myself,they were my go-to for a good few years. NARS does make really lovely products.
I really should give the NARS mascaras a try! I have seen those used a lot in NARS makeup videos but somehow never picked one up.
What a lovely color! I think I just found a replacement for my MAC Plumage. 🙂
Hi Chris! You have the cutest kitty assistants 😀
This would be quite similar to Plumage – do give it a try next time you are a NARS counter.
Wow… That is such a pretty shade Radhika and kudos to such lovely pictures. 🙂
Hi Eesha! Thank you so much for dropping by here 🙂 You should definitely give this shade a try – am sure you will love it.