The NARS Hanamichi Kabuki Eyeshadow Palette

NARS Hanamichi Kabuki Eyeshadow Palette Packaging

The NARS Hanamichi Kabuki Eyeshadow Palette is encased in a little pouch.

The NARS Hanamichi Kabuki Eyeshadow Palette comes with a Kabuki Eye Brush

I spied this beauty online a few weeks ago, and it literally took my breath away!  I don't know if I've ever seen such a beautiful eyeshadow palette!  

Made in Italy, the Hanamichi Palette is a limited edition 2011 holiday palette, available for $65, and it includes an eyeshadow brush and a mirror.

The NARS Hanamichi Kabuki Eyeshadow Palette in sunlight

Right now, this palette is still available from Nordstrom and from NARS EU. 

The NARS Hanamichi Kabuki Eyeshadow Palette up-close

Hanamichi is Japanese for "flower path", and the inspiration for this palette was the walkway that extends into the audience in a Kabuki dance/drama theatre. 


The elaborate makeup worn by some of the performers is highly stylized, and this is clearly reflected in the NARS Hanamichi Palette.

The NARS Hanamichi Kabuki Eyeshadow Palette - inspired by a Kabuki Theatre

NARS Kabuki Eye Brush up-close

NARS Kabuki Eye Brush

The NARS Kabuki Eye Brush is tiny, and I'm too afraid to use it!  The handle is hand-spun with wisteria, and the bristles are so short that I'm worried that I'll destroy the brush if I wash it!  Because of the size I don't know if it's going to be the most practical brush, so I'll save it for another day when I have more time to wash and test it.


Something that I don't like about this palette is that it does contain talc as the main ingredient.

NARS Hanamichi swatches

While NARS claims the eye shadows are "highly pigmented", I did not find this to be accurate.  I have certainly used very deeply pigmented eyeshadows that pack a punch, but here even the matte black eyeshadow is a little sheer.  


These eyeshadows are pretty though, and blend beautifully.  It's certainly not for everyone, but I love it.


- The Sassi Wench