NARS Holiday 2016 Sarah Moon Collection: Give In Take Dual-Intensity Eye & Cheek Palette Review

If you haven’t checked out the NARS limited edition holiday collection by Sarah Moon you are missing out on some awesome pigments and beautiful gifts. After falling head-over-heels for the Audacious Lipstick Coffret I was excited to experiment with the new Eye & Cheek Palette which features a beautiful contrast of neutrals and deep sultry hues.

Since a sexy, smokey eye is always on-trend, I was drawn to the beautiful grey, dark navy, black and silver combo. In this case “dual-intensity” refers to pigment versatility and saturation. When swatched as is, the shadows appear sheer and muted but when used wet the color pay-off is somewhat intensified for fuller coverage and more depth. To amp-up the color I prefer to dampen my brush with MAC’s Prep+ Prime Fix Spray (instead of water) and layer the pigment heavier. When applied dry I use a good primer and really pack it on but it isn't easy to achieve the saturation I prefer.

Admittedly I am not a huge fan of sheer shadows but you do have the option of enhancing saturation and with some effort the shades mix and match nicely to create both day and night looks. If you are missing these particular hues in your collection then the palette is usable otherwise the selection is quite basic and falls short of having that wow-factor I usually associate with NARS pigments.

The chic packaging reminds me of old Hollywood and captures the 1920’s era.

The cream shadow is a bit chalky but works well enough as a sheer matte highlight under the brows. The taupe-brown is underwhelming and very flesh tone. Overall I expected a lot more vibrancy and richness but some shades are quite dull.

swatched over primer

Since I love multi-purpose products I appreciate the inclusion of blush and highlight. The yellow-silver shade looks great on my complexion and adds a nice pop of radiance that can be adjusted for a subtle effect or high-impact glow. I’m not quite sure if the middle hue is blush or bronzer but for me it looked like a very mute highlight with little shimmer, color or pizzazz. The blush is very sheer with a frosty finish. I didn’t think this shade would work for me but when layered I actually like the soft pink glow, I just wish the pigment was brighter and more present.

Although this collection has a great range of gifting options I have mixed feelings about this particular palette and found it to be good but not great. I highly recommend swatching it prior to purchase to determine if the colors work for you. It retails for $85.00 at select NARS retailers (including Hudson’t Bay, Holt Renfew, Sephora and Nordstrom).

To check out my review and swatches of the gorgeous NARS Glass Metropolis Audacious Lipstick Coffret from this collection click HERE.