Sophisticated Glitter: Nars Galapagos Eye Shadow Review

During a visit to TK Maxx I managed to score this Nars Galapagos single eye shadow for just £7.99! It normally retails at £18 which is a lot of money for a single eye shadow but you do get 2.2g of product and I don't think I'll be hitting pan very soon. The eye shadow comes in Nars' distinctive matte, rubberised compact case. The compact also includes a mirror and while the case is rubber, it actually feels like suede to the touch.

Nars Galapagos was released with the Nars Holiday 2010 collection and is so popular it has remained part of their permanent line. The eye shadow itself is a warm dark brown with flecks of gold glitter. It's a dark eye shadow that's great for adding depth and a touch of sparkle to a brown smokey eye. I know some people have said that the glitter doesn't translate well, but I used a flat eye shadow brush from Primark to apply it (see photo above) and it looked exactly the same on my eyes as in the pan. I think any flat eye shader brush from MAC, Zoeva or Sigma would achieve the same results. For a smoky eye I just patted eye shadow on the outer edge of the eye and into the crease using a flat brush (with eyes open) instead of a pointed or fluffy brush. This eye shadow doesn't kick up shadow when you use it, but sometimes gold flecks of glitter can appear on the cheeks so I'd advise doing your eye makeup first before applying a foundation or a base.

Nars Galapagos eye shadow is rich in pigment and has impressive staying power. I used it without primer and was on my eyes a full 9 hours later, although not as fresh, the glitter could still be seen. I have fairly oily eye lids too and found it stubborn to remove. In my opinion this definitely lives up to the hype and i'd recommend picking it up for the holiday party season.

Nars Galapagos Eye Shadow is available at Look Fantastic, £18 & Space NK.