Back in November I received an e-mail from Mecca Cosmetica; they were advertising the fact that NARS Holiday 2011 Collection had finally landed. Of course I happened to be reading this tidbit of info on my phone as I was making my way home from work - a stop at Myer was absolutely necessary. I zipped through the entrance and zeroed in on the NARS counter, rounded the corner and spotted NARS Fall 2011 display. What the heck, I thought as a puzzled look ran across my face, my bewildered expression happened to signal one of Mecca's store associates to come to my rescue.

Store Associate (SA): "Can I help you?"

Me: "Yes, I am looking for NARS' new eyeshadow trio."

SA: "Ah yes, let me grab one from the drawer."

Yay, I thought as he rummaged through the drawer for a few moments - those 30 seconds of waiting were agony and scared me so much at the prospect of not being able to scoop up my latest obsession.

SA: "Here we are!"

Me: "Great, how much is it?"

SA: "$89 dollars."

This information came out without a flinch or pause; $89.00!!! I took a moment to think and said I'd like to have more information about it for my husband in order to add it to my wish list for Christmas.

SA: "Honey, you'll be lucky if our stock lasts another week."

Me: "I'll take it!"

And that exchange right there alerted me to the fact that I have a major problem. My name is Nicole and I am a makeupaholic.

Can I get a resounding "Hello Nicole"!?

*crickets*

I stood there feeling mixed and confused about what I had done and I think the sales associate saw me as a bit of a wounded pup before leaving. Perhaps I whimpered without even realizing it, because he threw in a sample of Diptyque's Vetyverio. Home I walked feeling astray, guilty and with an inkling of needing to run back and return my moment of regret. And there ladies and gentlemen is where this story does not end.

As tantalizing as this limited edition trio appears, my shaky emotions were further solidified when I sat down to swatch and take pictures.

See for yourself…

Forgive me makeup goddesses I was so bewitched, a huge oversight was inevitable. I really should have asked to test this before purchasing.

Lesson learned - I will never be afraid to ask what it truly looks like before I buy. I realise there might be someone out there willing to add this trio to their collection. For me, I was hoping to play with the three colours, but you might be drawn to the varying shades (used loosely here) as seen above. If this baby is for you, let me know - it's yours for free (shipping too). Rest assured, application was done via a sterilized brush and q-tip (for wet swatches).

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for NARS Arabian Nights:

$89.00 AUS / $45.00 US

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

3 out of 10 bags; the quality is there, but variety is lacking. I definitely expected to be wowed.

Likelihood to purchase:

As much as I love NARS I think I am going to have to test here in Australia and buy from the US, based on price alone.

The Rules:

Enter to win (1) NARS Arabian Nights Trio purchased by me in November 2011 for the sole use of swatching/testing. This product was gently used by me; please take this into consideration should you decide to enter.
This giveaway is open to adults aged 18 years and older (or get your parent's permission). You must have a valid mailing address. Also, this item is up for grabs internationally.
I will happily accept entries through 31 December 2011 by no later than 11:59 PM local time.
How to enter – Send me a tweet if you have an account or leave a comment here. Choose whichever option you feel is best; only one entry is required. If you submit more than one, you will be disqualified.
The winner will be chosen randomly via http://www.random.org/
I will notify the winner via their chosen method of communication and will also send out a congratulatory tweet. You will have 24 hours to claim this gem. Should you fail contact me within the time frame specified, I will choose someone else again at random.

Good luck and thanks for reading!