Nars Cairo Swatches & Comparison to Ashes to Ashes

As you've probably noticed from reading my blog, I am a HUGE fan of Nars Cosmetics (especially their eyeshadows and blushes). I recently acquired a Nars Palette that includes the popular taupe, Nars Ashes to Ashes and realized it is very similar to a Nars shadow I already own, Cairo. As much as I love to collect makeup to use, one thing I really dislike is having duplicates of colors in my stash---it's just a personal preference and helps me limit the amount of makeup I own since I avoid buying the same colors.

And now, Nars Cairo...
Nars Describes it as a "champagne rose with shimmer"

Here's some swatches of the lovely Nars Cairo with some other taupe shadows to compare!


As you can see from the swatches, in comparison to Cairo, thebalm is a much cooler taupe while Mac Satin Taupe is darker and has more plummy undertones.

On my skin, Cairo is a shimmery sand color with a hint of rose. As you can see, Ashes to Ashes is very, very similar. Ashes to Ashes is only slightly darker with a hint more of brown. On my lid you can hardly tell the difference between them, but I do find Ashes to Ashes to be a bit more pigmented.

If you're in the market for a light taupe, Cairo is a very pretty color and I can see it working on lots of skin tones, especially fair tones. However, I will say that I definitely prefer Ashes to Ashes just because I find that it's slightly more pigmented and I do have to layer Cairo a lot to get it to show up on my eyes. I'm planning to sell my Nars Cairo simply because I find it much too similar to Ashes to Ashes to own both. I'd definitely recommend swatching the colors in person to see which one you prefer. The Nars formula is just wonderful--the eyeshadow applies smoothly and blends nicely, so they are certainly worth  checking out in my opinion!

Hope this was helpful for anyone curious about Nars Cairo. Also, does anyone hate the idea of buying dupes of colors you already own or am I just crazy!? :)

Comments

  1. MyrtedOctober 5, 2011 at 6:36 AM

    Ooh that's a bummer. The Nars Cairo and ashes to ashes looks really a like! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. JennOctober 5, 2011 at 8:47 AM

    they look so much a like. Great post
    xo Jenn

    imperfection-isbeauty.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sarah S.October 5, 2011 at 9:10 AM

    I am such a weirdo because I have the opposite tendency; I love having dupes! If I find a color I love, I enjoy hunting down the same color in other brands. It's like an illness!
    Awesome post! I can't believe how similar these are.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownOctober 5, 2011 at 12:35 PM

    I'm always amazed by swatch comparison posts and how similar different products can be when you compare them side to side. Great post, very informative and helpful!

    ReplyDelete
  5. mynewestaddictionOctober 5, 2011 at 10:22 PM

    Good to know. What palette did u get? I have been waiting Ashes to Ashes for a long time. Maybe when I
    Done with my no buy!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. AmandaOctober 6, 2011 at 1:59 AM

    @LJ, i got an amazing deal at the saks 5th ave outlet on the nars wild at heart palette a few months ago! it has ashes to ashes, absyinnia, all about eve, and mattle black pandora...and 3 red lippies as well :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. SharminOctober 8, 2011 at 3:36 PM

    Lol you must love that Colour! But it does Look Good so I dont blame yah Lol x
    Sharmin x

    ReplyDelete
  8. KellyOctober 10, 2011 at 2:28 PM

    I hate getting dupes! But I guess it's a great way to realize what types of colors you like!

    ReplyDelete
  9. KatherineOctober 11, 2011 at 5:12 PM

    I've been looking for a very similar taupe color - thank you so much for the review! All the colors look gorgeous honestly...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bronze Eyeshadow Swatches: Mac Tempting, Urban Decay Smog, Nars Kalahari, & Inglot

Image
If I had to choose a favorite eyeshadow color to use, my favorite would most definitely be a shimmery bronzey brown. Call me boring when there are so many vibrant colors to choose from, but I can't help it! I absolutely love a shimmery chocolate smokey eye more than anything else. I think brown is flattering on all eye colors and it can be made subtle enough for daytime or dramatic for evening. I just hit pan on two bronze colors in my eyeshadow collection so I thought I'd do some comparison swatches for you before I finish them up! Inglot 409 on the left, Nars Kalahari on the top, Urban Decay Smog in the middle and Mac Tempting (with the huge bit of pan showing!) on the right! Comparison swatches! L-R Inglot 409, Urban Decay Smog, Mac Tempting, Nars Kalahari From Left to right: Inglot 409 pearl: This bronze has a bit more red warmth to it, especially compared to Urban Decay Smog and is a bit darker--though I do think it's similar on the lid. Both 409 and...
Read more

Updated Inglot Eyeshadow Swatches!

Image
Hey all! I've gotten a lot of requests asking for an updated post of my Inglot eyeshadows. I first posted about them last year after discovering how much I love them and how affordable they were for such a quality eyeshadow. After all this time, they are still one of my favorite eyeshadow formulas and I probably use at least one or two of them in each look I do. Since my first post, I have accumulated two more palettes so there are a bunch of new colors that I swatched (along with repeats from last year's post). If you'd like to read more about Inglot and the various eyeshadow formulas, please take a look at my original post HERE ! Let's jump into it!  I posted my swatches from left to right, top row first then the bottom! For quick reference, the finishes are as follows: P = Pearl, M = Matte, Double Sparkle = DS, Advanced Makeup Component = AMC, & lastly, AMC Shine  Again take a look at my first post  here  for more in-depth descriptions. ...
Read more

Giveaway: 100 Followers!!-CLOSED-

Image
Hello!! Giveaway time!! I hit 100 followers a little over a week ago so as a thank you to all my supporters, both new and old, I've decided to hold my first giveaway! I've really enjoyed running this blog and I appreciate all of you SOO much for reading it!! I had a lot of fun choosing out the items, so I really hope you like them! They are either products I love to use, would like to try, or by brands that I really like! Some are full sized, some are sample sized, but I hope that the winner will enjoy them! I will probably throw in some other stuff that aren't in the picture as well! How to Enter: -You must be a follower of my blog (via google friend connect) -Leave a comment below on this post with your name and email (please comment only once!). -If you'd like a second entry, you can post on your blog about this giveaway! Just be sure to link your blog post in the comments below so I know about it! -You must be 18 years or older to enter (or have your pare...
Read more