NARS Palladium Soft Touch Shadow Pencil Fall 2010

Ever since last year when Nars released the Soft Touch Shadow Pencil I wanted more colors in this range. The three original pencils became frequently used items in my rotation and I've come to rely on them when looking for a quick and reliable look. So the release of Palladium, a turquoise loaded with silver shimmer, as part of the fall 2010 collection was very welcome. Not that I get why this bright turquoise is a fall color or how exactly it works with the rest of the collection, but that's Nars for you. The secret for using most of their seasonal items is by combining them with neutrals from the permanent line.

Palladium is bright and fun. I started using it right away, since I love turquoise in summer. I wear it as an eye shadow on the lid blended well into a beige base or as a pop of color on the lash line. I also experimented with applying it into my bottom lashes and smudging it a little. The result was pretty and worked even better than I expected.

I've heard complaints about the Soft Touch pencils' staying power from people with oily skin, but since I don't have this issue the color stays put on me until I go after it with Bi-Facil. I've actually found that Palladium requires even more effort to remove, so I do a second cleansing with Almay wipes.

Bottom Line: Probably not an essential color, but lots of fun.
Bottom Line 2: Dear Francois, can we get a navy and a taupe next?

NARS Palladium Soft Touch Shadow Pencil for Fall 2010 ($24) is available from Sephora, many department stores and narscosmetics.com.

All photos are mine.