NARS 413 BLKR eyeshadow single review

         When I think of New York City and makeup destinations, the NARS flagship store on 413 Bleecker Street immediately comes to mind. NARS recently released a line of three exclusive items available only at the store or online. The NARS 413 BLKR eyeshadow single is a cool, crisp, city lavender that immediately captured my imagination and my heart. For sentimental reasons, I wanted mine to be from the store itself so I asked Mr. Lovey to pick one up for me while he was in the neighborhood. I hope you enjoy my review and photos of my new NARS 413 BLKR eyeshadow!

          NARS 413 BLKR eyeshadow and  NARS Lhasa single eyeshadow (see my review here) share a similar purple base. However, while Lhasa had me thinking old world mystery, NARS 413 BLKR puts me in an empire state of mind. The cool lavender evokes the purple haze of city glass on a cloudy day. To aid in imagination, I have a recent picture of the One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) rising above the site of tragedy in somber magnificence. I love this photo and can't help but feel a little emotional every time I see it. At completion the skyscraper will measure 1776 ft. at the pinnacle, which is symbolic of the year of American independence.

Photo credit: Mr. Lovey

            I would describe NARS 413 BLKR as a cool lavender with minute grey taupe tones. I'd say it fits the 'lavender grey' description of NARS Lhasa better than Lhasa itself. The application is light at first swipe; it's smooth and layers well. I like this kind of formulation since I can easily blend out or change the intensity of color. The color is lighter than Lhasa, so I can't achieve the same kind of varied depth and intensity with one shadow alone. That said, I will most likely wear this on my eyes as a standalone color for a brightening light grey effect. It compliments my favorite light grey shirts and sweaters nicely, while not feeling like a heavy winter grey. It's such a pretty and delicate color that I would be hesitant to blend in other shadows. If drama is desired, I might add a medium taupe or purple on the crease or outer V.

           Here are my comparison swatches for NARS 413 BLKR eyeshadow. Compared with NARS Lhasa and NARS Grand Palais, 413 BLKR is also significantly more purple and less taupe. It's also lighter in shade than Lhasa. Of course one should consider that the color that will swatch differently on every skin tone (check out The Beauty Look Book's swatches). Both NARS Lhasa and NARS 413 BLKR appear more taupe and less purple on my skin. In general my undertones tend to warm up colors, which is why I prefer colors that lean slightly cool.

          Finally, this begs the question: which one do I prefer? It's a difficult question as both are beautiful and will be well loved. Despite their similarities in the pan, they have very different characters when applied. NARS 413 BLKR is clean, city, and cool, while Lhasa is more sultry, earthy, and mysterious. If I had to choose one, it would be Lhasa. It is more versatile and suitable for different skin tones. Lhasa is also a better standalone shadow since it can be layered on itself for depth. Lhasa can also be blended on top of 413 BLKR for a beautiful effect as well!

          Overall, I'm so happy to add the NARS 413 BLKR to my shadow collection. It's a welcome cool infusion into the NARS single shadow lineup. It's shadowy yet spring-appropriate, which means I can expect to use it a lot in the coming months! Have you tried 413 BLKR eyeshadow or any of the other NARS exclusive products? Thoughts? Have you seen the new World Trade Center in person? Thanks for reading!

Love, Dovey.