NARS • Iceland Duo • Eye Shadow

*TOP REVIEWER* violetmist on 3/13/2012 3:06:00 PM more reviews by violetmist

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I just pulled this out from my "Inactive" draw and it is so spot on for this season. You wouldn't know by looking at this not only what it is but how versatile and useful it is. The colours look white in the pan so please take the time to sample them because they come alive when they are on your skin. I've never seen another product like it. One is light lavendar, soft sheen of colour that is amazingly beautiful on its own (I use it as a base with Grenadine) and the other is a soft shimmer green which is terrific on the inner corners of the eyes and a highligher. Worn together they are ethereal (anchored with a bit of liner, preferably black) BUT the real magic is what these two colours will do when blended over other shadows. So it may seem like an indulgence but it will extend your shadow wardrobe and take it to very interesting places.

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phizzybee on 1/23/2010 7:44:00 AM more reviews by phizzybee

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

this is a very pretty duo. i would choose this above the kilimanjaro duo if you're trying to choose. great amount of pigmentation. light sparkle, reminds of what i imagine magic faery dust might look like.

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itsmek on 11/10/2009 9:28:00 PM more reviews by itsmek

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

The perfect highlighters for my NC15 skin. The texture is great, silky smooth. The pigmentation for a highlighter is perfect-most are too sheer and don't show up on my skin or are too heavy leaving me with a very obvious drag queen look. It's shimmery but doesn't have the extremely frosted look that a lot of MAC highlighters have. I prefer the green side as sometimes I feel the purple tone of the lavender one is a little too apparent and I'm generally just not a fan of lavender.
I hate the packaging of NARS singles- I feel like the mirror inside is just a waste as its to small to be used. However it's a nice touch in the larger duos and I find myself throwing it in my purse to check my makeup with. The compact is very slim and the rubberized outside makes it very durable.
I don't think I'll buy again though, because of the price. It's just out of my price range.

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Mewwy on 11/7/2009 8:11:00 PM more reviews by Mewwy

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black   Eyes: Other    

Granted, the colors are beautiful, but I think the highlight (no pun intended :p) of this product is the texture and consistency. Both colors aren't too powdery, pressed in the right density, and applies really really smoothly for an iridescent formula. The shimmer spreads easily with no large, uneven glitters. I don't see this eyeshadow useful for highlighting the brow bone because the blue and green goes surprisingly apparent, but the colors are definitely special.

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CeciliaM on 9/15/2009 12:17:00 AM more reviews by CeciliaM

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I like that NARS eyeshadows come in slim compacts with mirrors. I purchased this duo along with Persepolis. The beauty advisor used it over the green in Persepolis, and she mixed the violet hue in Iceland with black to create a navy liner. I'm medium olive complected, so worn alone, the violet hue in Iceland looks lavender on my lids instead of white with a violet hue. Anyhow, even though this would not have been something I would have purchased on my own I am glad I tried it. I like playing with this to create different colors. The green hue in this duo is nice worn alone and looks more like a highlighter.

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AM9090 on 5/19/2008 6:52:00 PM more reviews by AM9090

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

This is a stunning duo. The colours have a wonderful, brightening effect when used as a wash from lashline to browbone. I use a darker shadow in the socket and outer third of the eyelid (BB Smoke), liquid eyeliner on top lid and a couple of layers of volumizing mascara - very striking. You won't regret purchasing this duo. One of my favourites. Would repurchase at three times the price.

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*TOP REVIEWER* zeynep81 on 3/20/2008 8:20:00 AM more reviews by zeynep81

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I ran into this duo in my stash the other day.It was still untouched.This is something what MUA can do to you over the years:) Then I remembered that I got this online 2 years ago. I wondered why I ordered it in the first place because it looked simply..well white.I even put it into my swaplist but then I read the reviews and decided to give it a try.I'm hooked ever since! I still it's pretty dumb to put two light shades into an eye shadow duo but I also got to tell you that it contains one of the most beautiful iridescent lavender/violet shade ever. I like it on browbone,inner corners,crease,lid..even on cheek bones to give them a glowy effect! If you have hazel or brown eyes you might want to check this out. I'm not a hard fan of the green side because even though it gives an interesting, duo chrome effect, it reminds me the color of black fly wings.ick.However, for the sake of the pretty violet part I would repurchase this duo (probably somewhere at a cheaper price than retail tho).

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*TOP REVIEWER* eqing on 2/18/2008 12:26:00 PM more reviews by eqing

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Red, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

Interesting eyeshadow. Its not good for me as a stand alone eyeshadow. I think of it as more of a over-shadow effect enhancer. It is very, very shimmery,iridescent, prism-y you get the idea. Theres a blue iridescent side and a green. The blue casts more of a glow. The way I use it is I take an eyeshadow in a vibrant color and put it on the middle and outer lid. The I take the Iceland color that matches best and go over. The Iceland shadow itself is then in the inner corner as a brighter and the rest of the lid is more shimmery this way. It will mute down colors as its still white but not much as its too sheer.

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*TOP REVIEWER* maan84 on 6/30/2007 9:54:00 AM more reviews by maan84

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

NARS Iceland e/s duo looks pretty boring in the packaging to be honest. Just plain white and dull to the eyes. However, when applied on the lids it's a whole different story! It's such a pretty duo of two shimmery IR colors, blue (violet-blue) and soft minty green. I usually apply the blue one as crease color and the other one as a base color.
To my eyes the green e/s is prettier than the blue so I use that one more often.

As always with NARS the texture is great. So is the staying power. Iceland makes my blue eyes pop! Great duo! I'd repurchase if needed.

For reference: I'm a pale blonde w/ blue eyes.

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charbaby on 1/23/2007 2:10:00 PM more reviews by charbaby

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This is a very versatile duo, although I use mainly the light green color. It can be placed in the inner lid to highlight..under the browbone, center of the eyelid, etc. My favorite trick is to use the MAC 210 brush and after I have done everything else..line the upper lid near the lashline..and the lower lash line as well. I dont use it on top of my eyeliner, but above. I have brown/amber eyes and it really makes them "pop" (cant think of a better word!)

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chicredress on 8/7/2006 8:04:00 PM more reviews by chicredress

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

I have this duo in a palette, and it is a must-have for me. I don't have a huge NARS collection but have used a bunch over the years; I love these duochrome washes and feel that the texture is completely ideal. The violet-blue side is a sheer wash that translates as a wash of cool violet, the green side is a grassy pale green flash. If you layer these over a dense dark shadow they will turn an opaque violet or green, whichever you use. The green side finally broke (from dropping) and I will definitely repurchase when it is totally gone. They last all day on me with UDPP, they are very soft & blendable. LOVE.

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fatchance on 1/7/2006 2:46:00 PM more reviews by fatchance

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal   Hair: Other   Eyes: Blue    

Flashes purple, flashes green, oh boy! Gobs of fun - my x-mas present to myself. I justified this by saying, it can transform all those (hundred or so) shadows I already have, and I think it could. But it's mostly just good, clean fun. Many, many thanks to the MUAers whose reviews steered me to this.

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CathyD on 12/25/2005 3:14:00 AM more reviews by CathyD

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

This is my favorite shadow! On the pan, it looks just white and plain but they are actually very pretty shimmery, iridescent, green and blue colors that brighten my eyes! The shimmer is very subtle (but you can layer it or use it wet to emphasize the color) and it's very pretty. I use more of the green but the blue is very pretty too. YOu can use the shadow with other shadows to layer for more boost. This shadow can be worn over any other shadow and instantly change the old shadows into new colors. This shadow is simply lovely! I love it!

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cpsleung on 12/19/2005 2:30:00 AM more reviews by cpsleung

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Just like the previous comment, iceland seemed useless and never attracted me. But once I applied it on my eyes, it was so marvellous and awesome. The two sides are both iridescent, while one side is purplish blue and the other side is pale green. I usually use them separately, and use as a base for other sharp colour. For example, I would use the blue one as the base of strada (a nars single in the colour of amethyst) and night clubbing (other nars single in black with golden shimmer, use as eyeliner). I would apply the shadow again after applying strada in the middle of the eyelid as well, aim to highlight my eyelid. ^^ For the other side, that's the green one, I would use it with an eye shadow in olive green, or a brown glitter liner (nars glitter pencil - mudd club, a brown eyeliner with golden glitters). I would say NARS eyeshadow is one of the best choices in the market with its extra fine, smooth texture. The eye makeup never creases without using an eye base beforehead. However, there are two drawbacks of the shadow, the case and the size! Hate that black rubber compact, it is easily to be made dirty. Besides, the size is too big, how can I finish an eyeshadow with that big size? =)

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*TOP REVIEWER* bastet on 10/2/2005 12:14:00 PM more reviews by bastet

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

At the first look this duo seems useless, sorta whitish shades with rainbow iridescence, but if you know how to use them they're worth every penny.



One side has purplish blue iridescence, the other one goldish green. I use these mainly on top of other e/s to give them an interesting edge, to mute them or to create a highlight in the centre of my lid or inner corners of my eyes. Another possibility to use these is on top of black or dark grey liner- the green side will mute it into a metallic dark green, the blue side into a vibrant metallic blue liner shade, both look gorgeous! In case you've seen Pat MacGrath's makeup for the Gucci show for fall she created iridescent eyes that are reminiscent of shimmering beetle shells paired with heavy liner and these e/s are perfect to duplicate this look. Pair them with the Kilimanjaro duo and try various color combos, add liner and mascara and you get an interesting look that changes as light hits you from different angles, but doesn't look over the top and clownish, since these are so sheer.



These e/s are not must-haves and not part of a basic makeup stash, but for us MUAers who probably own every cololur of the rainbow or at least a gazillion versions of our favourite shades these are fun material to play with and to create new looks.



The packaging is the usual NARS signature flat black rubber compact with a mirror that is quite handy to carry around in your purse or fit into your traincase.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Sashayy on 7/26/2005 1:39:00 PM more reviews by Sashayy

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Curly   Eyes: Green    

This is an amazing duo! One of my three HG duos from NARS. While I guess others see it as a highlighter set, on me it is a fantastic set of wash and highlight colours, as I'm a super pale PPP with neutral to warm tones and olivey-brown eyes.

I wear this most often with the green-white shade washed all over and the pinked-purple opal shade lightly applied on the outer corners. Some green, plum or brown liner and mascara and voila! I look fresh, wide awake and the green neutralizes any redness in my eyes from not enough sleep or too much time spent at the computer. I sometimes use the shimmery shade from AAE or the coral shade from Heaven in the crease too and that also looks fab. I haven't tried layering these over other shades but I should do.

This is the one I carry along with AAE and Heaven in my "emergency" makeup kit, that I toss into my uni backpack or gym bag or weekend travel bag when I'm in a rush to get out of the house and will make myself up later. A definite must have duo from NARS if you're also a PPP. Would love to get Killimanjaro too and try mixing the two duos together.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Geekgurl1 on 7/7/2005 2:48:00 AM more reviews by Geekgurl1

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

My very favourite duo! A stunning shimmery lilac and green that light up my eyes and look fabulous. Also used over anything too dark or boring to lighten and brighten it. Works with everything. So loving this :) NW20 blonde, green eyes

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BigMomma23 on 7/1/2005 3:19:00 AM more reviews by BigMomma23

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

What a surprise packet! I am somwhere between a CCC/DDD and adore this little beauty. To the uninitiated, you would be forgiven for asking, "why would I want to but two white shadows?" But on they are magic. I love them on my darker skin colouring too. The violet and the chartruese are fantastic. I especially love using them in various combos on my lids. I then line with BB Violet Gel Liner or SM Eye Kohl # 4 and add lashings of black mascara and...Hot damn!

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*TOP REVIEWER* hirondelle on 6/12/2005 8:09:00 AM more reviews by hirondelle

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Summertime, and the living ain't easy. You might not even want to call it living. It is unbelievably hot this week, which means that the quest in makeup is for something that will make me look dewy and glowing, not red-faced, sweating and exhausted. This duo is a nice start. Ordinarily I get a little cranky with NARS shadows; they are so expensive and they just aren't that great in the pigment department. Iceland is an exception. You want an irridescent color like this to go on sheer, so the color is perfect. I am very, very, very fair so with any type of white (lilac & chartreuse infusion notwithstanding) I must avoid that flat, doll-like look. This does the trick, beautifully. It really brightens the eye area. I like to use just one of these as an all-over lid color. I find that they are a little too-too if combined with my other colors, but I am still experimenting. I am deducting one lippie for staying power, which is merely so-so - about half a day, and I do not have oily lids. Using a base shadow extends it slightly.

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*TOP REVIEWER* RedBetty on 2/28/2005 3:54:00 PM more reviews by RedBetty

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

I didn't think I would love this more than Kilimanjaro, but I do. One side is an icy white with blue/purple iridescence and the other is a pale chartreuse white. I really like the purpley side as a highlighter just under the brow bone, and either of them look great over other colors or alone.

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