The NARS Kalahari Duo is one of those tiny palettes that seem to get neglected in my makeup stash for the larger palettes with more variety in terms of shade options but it’s one that I always adore when I pull it out and just slap it on. I’ve rambled on time and time again that I’m someone who goes for the full on eyeshadow shebang when I wear makeup but these two colours add effortless definition to the eye with the lighter shade on the lid and the darker in the crease. I might have mentioned the duo once or twice in the days of the blog but they have been robbed of the recognition that they deserve.

A month or two before beginning my blog, I picked this beauty up at Sephora during the event they had in April that granted VIBs a good percentage off (I believe it was called ‘Chic Week’) as a treat from finishing my exams. I paid $39 CDN for the gorgeous neutral duo and thankfully the price hasn’t gone up since for the 0.14 ounces of product. Being a MAC Eyeshadow girl, I had always gazed longingly at the NARS shadows but could not justify spending so much more for shadows but I decided I would treat myself and I am glad that I did. NARS duos contain a great deal more eyeshadow than the typically MAC and Urban Decay pots do, containing 0.07 ounces of each shade compared to the traditional 0.05 – because of this, if the shades you select will get lots of use, they are surprisingly economical so I wouldn’t necessarily be put off by the price.

Although I’ve heard fantastic things about the rest of NARS’ shadows, I cannot comment as I have only tried this one but this one is fantastic quality. I would rank these shades as among the best that I’ve ever tried with very little fallout, fantastic pigmentation and longevity along with the most blendable textures to work with. I really like the lighter gold shade in the palette but it’s the taupe that is the standout in the duo. Speaking of the gold shade, it’s a subdued gold-beige shade that reminds me of MAC Patina with better payoff and a sheeny finish and microshimmer throughout. The more spectacular shade in the duo is a slightly warm-toned plummy taupe shade that looks deceptively light and shimmery in the pan and transfers on the eyes as a medium-dark shade with a satin finish. While the taupe has that sheen to it in the pan, it transfers to the crease and outer corner as adding depth to the eyes without any sort of shimmer.

I really appreciate the almost neutral-undertones of these shades because so often these golden shades are extremely warm, which I do like, but these had more of that unique quality, having both pretty neutral undertones without beginning to make the eyes look tired as some cool-toned shades can do.

Below, I’m merely wearing these two shades over a cream-coloured base (and some less than stellar eyeliner) but they do also pair nicely with additional shades – MAC Sketch is a favourite of mine to pair with the two but the duo doesn’t require it.

If you can’t tell I absolutely adore this duo and have my eyes open for another duo to try in the near future!

Maggie, x.