NARS • Cordura Duo • Eye Shadow

Where To Buy?

*TOP REVIEWER* SimpleNSexy on 4/5/2013 12:56:00 PM more reviews by SimpleNSexy

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Hands down one of the most beautiful eyeshadows I've ever tried! Also my first NARS purchase.

Price: $45 CAD
Colours: dark bronzy brown and blackened chocolate brown; both with golden shimmer
Texture: super buttery smooth
Pigmentation: very concentrated

It's packaged in a rubberized compact with a decently sized mirror.
While the $40 price tag looks intimidating, it costs less per ounce when compared to MAC or UD (amarixe.com has a great comparison). Also, you only need a dab since it's beautifully pigmented!

Lovely with the lighter shade all over the lid (for the medium to darker skinned ladies) with darker shade in outer V and along the lash line.
Brilliant investment

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* mariella99 on 3/4/2013 6:34:00 PM more reviews by mariella99

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I hem'd and haw'd about this duo so much. I've looked at it and almost bought it 3 or 4 times but every time, the very coppery warmness of the lighter shade made me hesitate. Saturday at Sephora, I must have picked this up and put it back at least 3 times before finally leaving it in my little basket and making my way to the cash. And I am glad I did. I've worn this duo every day since, trying it different ways and also just getting used to it as the shade on the left (the more warm toned colour) isn't a "natural" for me and so experimenting with it is making me more comfortable with this colour.

The "lighter" side of the duo is a warm bronze-brown shade that is nice and not like any other shadow I own. To my surprise, it is more wearable than I expected, though I am still trying to get used to the shade as I just don't think it's my "best colour". The darker shade in this duo is a very dark, cool brown - absolutely gorgeous and so rich and dark that I can use it as a liner and not have to bother digging out another product. Pigmentation and depth of both shades is just insanely rich. Both shades have glitter but it's the sort that seems to stay where you put it and it can also be toned down with blending if you want a more subdued look.

This duo is excellent quality - pigmented, with a rich, smooth application - and is absolutely "repurchase-worthy", though personally, since I don't find the one shadow all that great for me, I would not repurchase this duo. And while I know a lot of people don't like Nars's rubbery packaging, I happen to love it (no accidental slipping out of my mitt when I'm in a rush and being klutzy).


Update (4/18/2013) Okay, so after a bit more than a month of owning this, I have found a way to make it work. I was looking for combos to use with MAC's Smoke & Diamonds eye shadow that might be a bit different and kept seeing combos suggesting using it with Glamour Check (which I would never have bought because it's, well....almost identical to the bronze side of the Cordura duo). So for the pure heck of it, and never expecting that it would work at all, I put Smoke & Diamonds all over my "mobile lid" and the bronze side of Cordura in the crease, blended out with a bit of Wedge and then a matte light colour to highlight. SUCCESS! The cool taupey grey of Smoke & Diamonds balanced the much warmer crease shade just beautifully and made for a really wearable look. I still wouldn't repurchase this duo but I am so glad I can now use it without effort.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Menolikepolos on 10/16/2012 3:05:00 AM more reviews by Menolikepolos

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I am a blue eyed NW10 (NW20 when tanning from a bottle).

This is one of my go-tos for a smokey eye for a date night. I ALWAYS 100% of the time get compliments when wearing this shadow combination. I reach for it so often, my other shadows get jealous. These two are HIGHLY pigmented, so be careful not to overapply. Very flattering for blue eyes. The other NARS duos I have purchased don't even come close, in fact, this is the only one I haven't swapped away. A keeper in my collection.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rangers30 on 10/5/2012 3:12:00 PM more reviews by rangers30

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

This is my favorite NARS duo for a smoky eye look. The shadows blend smoothly, have excellent pigmentation, and last all through the night. I've never noticed fallout with this duo, unlike my comparable eyeshadow singles in Galapagos and Night Clubbing. The colors are perfect for blue eyes, and despite the fact that mine are grey-blue they always look quite vibrant with this duo. I recommend a subdued lip while wearing theses shadows, because they are intense. However, they blend so easily that I never have to worry about harsh lines or looking overdone. When I go out for drinks or dancing in the city and want to look my best, I always pick Cordura over my other MAC and NARS shadows.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

missgbaby on 6/27/2012 1:34:00 AM more reviews by missgbaby

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Grey    

I bought this thinking that perhaps it wouldn't be as deep as it is. It blends pretty well, and it does make my eyes look amazing. Definitely a good smokey eye palette for the tan of skin and deep of hair color. But it's a bit too dramatic for daytime with my coloring and fair hair.But for the right skintone this would be an absolute must have.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

diannekaye on 4/6/2012 5:23:00 AM more reviews by diannekaye

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Medium   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

This duo has a shimmery warm brown side and the other side is a dark brown with gold shimmer. I love the quality of this duo. Both shades are equally amazingly pigmented. This duo is great for everyday. I'm NC30-NC37 and I think it would look amazing on a lot of skin tones.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

snozzle on 3/25/2012 5:07:00 PM more reviews by snozzle

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

These two colors are great for everyday. And I love nars makeup, the colors go on and stay on. The cordura duo is definitely one of my everyday favorites.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

CaliforniaLuxe on 2/18/2012 1:36:00 PM more reviews by CaliforniaLuxe

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I vary between NC35-37 and NW30-35 and this duo looks great on my Asian brown eyes (double lidded, not mono lidded with a tendency to get oily). The shimmer is noticeable but not over the top and certainly is passable for very conservative environments - just don't go heavy on it. I LOVED LOVED LOVED the color combo, BUT there were major problems with this duo for me specifically. I don't consider myself as someone with sensitive eyes, but from time to time during the course of the day (not constant) I found my eyes getting painfully irritated from the flecks of shimmer (felt like mini thistles stabbing my eyeballs). These episodes of irritation were painful enough that I wouldn't recommend buying this if you have sensitive eyes (and I don't consider myself to have sensitive eyes!), or at least test it out for yourself and see how it goes for an entire day before you do. I used UDPP Sin to try to limit the fallout, but this duo still irritated my eyes. I've found that Blondie/Bali are a good matte substitute for this and they don't irritate my eyes like this duo does. Btw, I've had no problems with other shimmers like Lola Lola, Fez, Ondine.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* makeupMichelle10 on 12/22/2011 2:16:00 PM more reviews by makeupMichelle10

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

Where has this duo been all my life? The two colors go so well together. I use the lighter shade for the crease or on the lid, and the darker shade smudged on the lashline, or if I am going out I will use the darker shade to darken the outside area. This dup makes my eyes look very intense and I know some people say the dark shade is difficult to blend, but the key is to work with it in smaller amounts because it is VERY pigmented.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* habakuktwo on 7/31/2011 6:35:00 PM more reviews by habakuktwo

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Dry, Dark, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Relaxed, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I actually went on a binge and purchased several Nars eyeshadows. I was especially excited to purchase this duo. I intenended this to be an everyday shadow. I must of gotten a bad batch because this duo is so underwhelming. The bronze shadow barely showed up on my NC 55 skintone and the dark color was difficult to blend. The overall look was sub par. I will say that I had the same problem with Fez. However galopagos and night porter were fine. I think if I ever purchase Nars shadows again I'll stick to the single shadows.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Katie75007 on 7/22/2011 7:29:00 PM more reviews by Katie75007

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight   Eyes: Blue    

One of my favorite NARS Duos! While I agree that Cordura looks extraordinary on those with warmer skin tones, I also want to add that no matter what your skin's undertone is, if you have blue eyes, it's really a must-have!


I am very fair (NW5-10; NARS Siberia is a perfect match) with dark hair and light blue eyes -- and the shade combination in this duo makes them practically glow. I think the warmth of the bronze on the left side really contrasts with the blue. I use the lighter shade (on the left) on the lid and then concentrate the darker shade from the outer corners inward.


I find that I can wear it to work without it looking too dramatic, but the intensity can be built up for a deeper, more dramatic smokey eye for the evening. Love!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

cheyette on 4/23/2011 9:21:00 PM more reviews by cheyette

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I like both colours here, the mid tone bronzy brown is nice to sweep on the lower eyelash line for definition and the darker colour provides golden sparkle plus a oomph of dark brown almost black you might need to your smokey look.

I like this combo when I'm going for a neutral toned smokey eye. I usually end up with a pretty dark brown smokey eye because of the darker shade so if that's what you're looking for this is a good duo. :)

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Beauty4Ashes on 2/15/2011 9:41:00 PM more reviews by Beauty4Ashes

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown, Relaxed, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This shade combo works on any skin tone. If you haven't tried NARS eyeshadows, this would be the ideal shade to introduce you to the line. Rich color that is buildable and wearable.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* sephirias on 2/1/2011 10:44:00 AM more reviews by sephirias

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

this is by far one of the best nars e/s i've tried. unlike some others, cordura is extremely pigmented and easy to work with. it doesn't have much fall-out too = ) like what other mua-ers have said, the 2 shades are extremely warm. one's a rich bronze-copper (which i thought might give me a 'red eye' look but it didn't) while the other's a luscious chocolatey brown with some shimmer. worn tgt the 2 shades look stunning and polished! this is a *must get* because it's so versatile. super-duper happy with this duo! i'm NC35, asian with black hair.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

evalovescake on 1/13/2011 3:21:00 PM more reviews by evalovescake

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Another favorite from NARS, the combination of the warm brown and dark grey makes this duo perfect for smoky eyes! I love using this duo on my brown eyes - and I love the soft texture of the shadows as in most of NARS.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

ewhitelaw on 11/17/2010 10:32:00 PM more reviews by ewhitelaw

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

This is a great duo for people with warmer tones to their skin. I bought it on a whim one day and have never regretted it. Both colours have a high level of pigmentation and a lovely subtle shimmer. I use this over the mid-brown from Napoleon Perdis' Chicago eye palette and it really makes my eyes pop! The brown is great for deepending the crease of your eye, and I use the black on my lash line to help smudge or set eyeliner. Also, being kind of pale, I can attest to the fact that these still look great!

Actually I used these to do a really dramatic smokey eye and all of my girl friends went crazy for it! One of them was even like "I'm going to be staring at your eyes all night, just so you know." Awesome!

Cons? Well I find they smudge quite easily and, only very recently, they have been settling into the crease of my eye after about 6 hours.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* lauralikes on 11/4/2010 8:51:00 AM more reviews by lauralikes

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other, Warm   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

This is absolutely amazing.
I was scared the lighter shade was going to pull very warm and red but it didn't happen on my NC25 skin. Its more tan than bronze. The pigmentation in this color is great, and the texture is extra smooth and buttery.
Now the dark shade (my fave) is the star of the duo IME. I absolutely love off-black eyeshadows and this is one. A brown-black with sparkles. When packed on (esp over a dark base) the sparkles show up, and when blended out, they don't appear. Its fine by me..the sparkles weren't really interesting to me. What appealed to me was how pigmented these shades are and how well they cimpliment each other making the SEXIEST kim k smokey eye ever.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

fflor on 10/19/2010 11:34:00 PM more reviews by fflor

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Black    

I bought this a month ago, I've always been a NARS fans and I dont understand why I never noticed this beautiful duo eyeshadow. One is a bronzy colour and the other is a dark chocolate brown (both with glitter). When you use a light hand, this is very wearable for a day time look. and you can definitely use the darker shade for a night time look or a smoky look. I think this duo is perfect for this season- bronzy smoky eye look! This might look a little orange or too warm on fair skin tone, will look better on tanned or darker skin.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* jejkim on 9/9/2010 1:32:00 AM more reviews by jejkim

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Other    

This is a great dark brown duo. I totally agree with the below reviewer that this works as eyeshadow, eyeliner and brow powder. So versatile! The quality of the shadows is excellent and extremely pigmented: with different brushes, you'll get the right look, whether natural (use a fluffy) or intense (pat it on). They blend well and last until you take off your m/u.


The dark brown comes in as a lifesaver as eyeliner: once you put it on your waterline, it doesn't budge - usually eyeliners on my waterline will fade/disappear after a hour. Great colors for the office or night smokey eye looks. Looks like this is a popular duo: mine I just took out of storage and I bought it in high school. I guess colors go around and come around.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* ocarina on 7/23/2010 8:13:00 PM more reviews by ocarina

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

I take this product on business trips because it can perform the functions of eyeshadow, eyeliner, and brow powder. The rich gorgeusness of the browns accentuates even my brown eyes, and it's not too shimmery for day. The wear is exemplary even without a base.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No