On my foray to the mall yesterday with NARS dreams in my little head, I picked this puppy up. Once again, like with their blushes, this NARS product outdoes MAC in several aspects. This is a very intensely pigmented dark brown eye shadow with a slight satin finish to it - very slight - and tiny TINY gold flecks in it. Like a very good quality dark chocolate you would eat with a sheen. Nothing over the top, nothing somebody would look at and think 'holy-happy-hooker'. Gorgeous! I am very much into earth tones and have MANY - browns, greens, even earthy purples and peachy tones - and this did it for me on so many levels. Seeing as I own in excess of 200 eye shadows, that's saying something :-)

First of all, the price is not cheap by any means, however, the amount of product in the container is significantly more. MAC single > 1.5 grams. NARS single > 2.2 grams. It may not seem like a large number, but when you do the math, that's about .75 grams more. Which would be approximately 50% more. That is A LOT more, and in my calculations, is worth the extra cost. It's a no-brainer.

Then we've got the level of pigmentation. WOW! When testing it in the store, I immediately thought 'I have GOT to buy this one'. That rarely, if ever, happens. That was dry. The color payoff is amazing. When I got it home and wet-lined it, I nearly wet MYSELF. Wet-lining brings out more of the golden tones in the shadow and turns it into an EXCELLENT dark brown liner which isn't ugly and flat like many brown liners. You can also foil it as an eye shadow, but are not going to get a super-metallic finish. You'll wind up with a very dark, intense brown with tiny gold flecks in it which are just noticeable enough without being over-the-top. So this product is also multi-purpose. Another plus. I also packed it on dry over my MAC shadow sticks and my Rimmel gloss shadow sticks as a liner and as a shadow, which gave it a softer finish than wet-lining or foiling. Depending on the color of your shadow stick, whether it be MAC or another brand, it slightly changes tone, but all are beautiful. Try it over a dark green or dark blue cream shadow stick. beautiful! Or a shimmery cream for a softer look. As a shadow, it can be applied very intensely and dark, or rubbed down to more of a milk chocolate tone and blended to give a beautiful, natural finish. In addition, this is THE perfect color for a dark brown smokey eye, rather than a harsh black one. Still intense, still gorgeous, without having blatant raccoon eyes. If you want it even more intense, pack it on over a black gel/creme liner. A LITTLE goes a LONG way! If you're not careful with this one, you WILL get fallout. That's not because it's a product of questionable quality . It's because it is seriously concentrated in color. Start with a tiny bit and work up from there. Maybe even put a tissue or a piece of masking tape under your eye while applying. And for the love of god, USE A BASE. ANY base. It doesn't have to be anything expensive. If you don't, it's gonna give you some ugly dark circles.

And once again, as when comparing NARS and MAC blush packaging, there is a massive difference in quality when it comes down to it. MAC eye shadows are packaged in more flimsy plastic with a clear, cheap lid. No mirror, no nothing. Easy to see the color, but that's about it. NARS eye shadows come in a deep black velvety matte black compact with a high quality mirror in it. Solid. You would think that would mean a more ungainly container. Not at all. It fits in your hand beautifully, about the size of a condom (the best comparison I could think of) and isn't prone to flying across the room while you're applying your shadow.

With all this raving, you may be wondering - why 4 * for quality when it's such a great product? Because it's got bismuth in it, which makes many women break out in hives, itching and even burning. It doesn't affect me in that manner, but it is definitely a concern for somebody with ultra-sensitive eyes. Try it in the store before buying, for sure.

Yes, it is worth every penny. You will use this specific color for a VERY long time. I'm estimating, based on my normal shadow usage and the intense pigmentation of this product, this will probably last me well over 2 years. WELL over. No, eye shadow does NOT go bad. There have been studies done which prove there is no need to throw out old makeup unless you've been sticking your boogers in it. If you're not doing that - let's *hope* you're not - you've got nothing to worry about :-)