NARS Loaded Palette

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

I've managed to hit pan on a lot of products this year and among the most notable was my main traveling palette, the 2014 Laura Mercier Artiste For Eyes Palette. I didn't want to bring it on trips any more, (now I'm just always low key stressing about shattering its shades) so I was very happy to get the warm NARS Loaded Eyeshadow Palette.

While the Loaded palette is more bulky than its rubbery matte predecessors, it's still some quality casing, and eye catching as well. I'm happy that NARS doesn't tend to include brushes or applicators in their palettes.

12 shades that definitely lean warm.

If you weren't a fan of the old NARS shadow formula (rather dry and hard in the pan), I think you'll be really pleased with the feel of these shadows. The colors in this palette have way more slip than any previous NARS shadows I have tried (but note that I have yet to try any NARS Duo Intensity shades). The shimmery/satiny shadows in particular are way more buttery than any shade from my old duos and palettes, they glide over the lids when applied with a small, flat, round brush. All the colors are highly pigmented, even the sheer white gold Newbury Street.

Swatches over primer, kinda jumping around the palette.

Top row, left to right: Newbury Street, Windsor, Splendor, Privilege, Dover, Montaillou

Bottom row, left to right: Foix, Castille, Versailles, Alnwick, Beaumaris, Reale

There's a few looks that I've been doing over and over again.

This Windsor, Versaille, Privilege and Dover.

For this coppery eye I used: Newbury Street, Alnwick, Montaillou, Real, Versailles

NARS Loaded is a fantastic palette to take on travels! The matte shadows remind me of shades from the two Viseart matte palettes that I have (Neutral and Warm), so I didn't miss those as much as I did the last time I took a trip.

The other finishes look really rich even without primer, but to keep the colors from migrating you'll still want to use it. You can do a variety of looks with this palette from bright flashes of metals to intense smokey eyes blended out with warm transitions. Also some great neutrals that make great single shadow looks when you feel like keeping it simple.

I've used this palette almost daily for the last month and have yet to grow tired of it. It'll definitely serve me well in the years to come as my primary traveling palette.

At $59, this palette is higher priced than other warm neutrals on the market like Urban Decay Naked 2. Compared to the priced of 6 NARS duos, it's not a bad price at all for a dozen shadows.

NARS Loaded can be purchased at Sephora, directly from NARS, or from Nordstrom online.

Have you checked out NARS shadows lately?

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