Unforegettable? NARS Inoubliable Coup D’Oeil Palette Swatched and Reviewed!

I was alerted to the arrival of this dinky little palette from the NARS “Eye Opening Act” Spring 2015 collection by Evie from One For The Wishlist (the ultimate enabler) the same day that the Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette launched on narscosmetics.eu. Having already dropped 55 quid on one eyeshadow palette, you’d think I’d be fairly reluctant to purchase a second palette mere minutes later. However when it was pointed out that the price of the Inoubliable Coup D’Oeil palette on Brown Thomas was a whole 8 quid less than that on the NARS website, well that’s all it took folks. Somehow 29 euro seems a lot less than 37 doesn’t it? Ah the twisted lies we tell ourselves to justify our vices.

This palette just epitomises smoke to me. A collection of dusty, dusky shades unlike anything I have in my collection. The shades are all limited edition and described as follows.

Dalliance: Dusty Lilac Stone
Pyla: Smokey Hunter Green
Sidi Bou Saïd: Blackened Grape
Pandora I: Sheer White Shimmer
Luberon: Iridescent Sand with Rose Gold Sheen
Pandora II: Matte Black

The swatches tell a slightly different story. While still soft, the mattes are not so pigmented. Though that doesn’t mean they’re unworkable, far from it. If you’re looking for shades that translate true to colour from pan to the eye, these are not the shades you’re looking for. However they lend themselves nicely to that sultry, smoked out effect. Perfect for subtle drama. Not every eyeshadow needs to be completely opaque to be worth something. Don’t believe me? Here they are on the eye.

The wear time is brilliant. I applied this look on a Sunday afternoon (over Essence I <3 Stage Eye Primer), then went to the shops, made a roast dinner (with the requisite opening of the oven, a cloud of steam hitting you square in the face melting your mascara and fusing your eyelashes together) and falling asleep on the couch after consuming said roast. The shadows lasted perfectly throughout, not a hint of panda-eye after I woke up from my nap. Just the quality you'd expect from NARS. So, don't let the swatches fool you. These babies are beauts for getting your sultry smoke on. I can also see myself using the mattes as blending crease shades with other co-ordinating shadows for that perfect fade. At 29 euro from Brown Thomas (vs €37 from narscosmetics.eu, an oversight?) you'd be stone mad to not take this little workhorse home. It makes me sad to think of it languishing in the shadow (see what I did there?) of the much hyped Dual Intensity Palette. A review of that will be forthcoming too as soon as I receive it! What do you think ladies, will you be picking this up come the long awaited January payday?