NARS Holiday Palette

Some time ago I was looking to get the infamous blush "Orgasm" from NARS, but as most high-end makeup brands it's impossible to come by here in Norway. You can read about that escapade here (Nowegian only). As most of the other high-end manufacturers NARS doesn't ship internationally, which makes it almost an impossible task to obtain any of their products. So I went on a hunt, and through the MakeupGeek forum I was told to try HQhair where I was very happy to find my very own "Orgasm". HQhair delivered within 8 days, charged only £3.50 to ship, and made me a very happy customer.

I've heard lots and lots of good things about NARS, both their blushes and their eyeshadows, but I have not had the chance to truly try out this brand. The downside of it all, is that it's a really expensive brand, and I mean expensive. A single eyeshadow costs $22 USD directly from NARS Cosmetics, and if you're so lucky that you're situated in the US, you can order from their website. Their duos cost $32 USD, and as the name tells you it consists of two colors that compliment each other. NARS' website states that the shadows can be applied sheer or built up for a more dramatic effect, and that all their powder shadows can be used both wet and dry (as eyeshadow, eyeliner or even on eyebrows). Naturally some of this certainly caught my attention! If I get the chance to get my hands on a couple of their eyeshadows, as that is the product I favor when it comes to makeup in general, I'll let you all know what I think.

A few days ago I found this palette for sale on another forum that I frequently use, and it triggered my curiosity. I'm kinda reluctant to buying used cosmetics, and I can honestly say that I would never ever spend money on lip products used by others, even if some people gladly do. Eyeshadows are easy to sterilize with alcohol, and I don't see the harm in getting shades that's been used one or two times. Also, forums can be the perfect place to find shades that are LE or DC for a decent price, since a lot of makeup addicts have stocks of backups laying around, collecting dust. That's how I found this palette. I'm not sure if the correct name is "Holiday Palette", but it's #9947 and it's also a LE. This palette is somewhat bigger than NARS' duos, and it consists of these six colors: Kilimanjaro, Himalayas, Bohemian Gold, Surabaya, Ondine and Night Flight. As all shadows from NARS it's complete with a mirror inside the lid, which makes it perfect to keep in your travel kit. I don't know about you, but I'm a real sucker for orange/copper/brown shades, and I've been told that the dark blue Night Flight really makes brown eyes pop. Intriguing indeed!

* LE = Limited Edition, DC = Discontinued