The other day, I was aimless walking around the mall determined to keep my window-browsing firmly askew from the perils of dipping into my wallet. And then I walked into the NARS store in The Dubai Mall, and got introduced to the NARS Sarah Moon Recurring Dare Cheek & Lip Palette.

It was love at first sight. The minimalist packaging features a mysterious, hauntingly beautiful woman on the cover. She casts a spell on me, and has me swatching and sniffing. I walk around the store weighing out the pros and cons of splashing out from my shrinking wallet.

It costs a whooping AED 320… but its limited edition! And lady at the store said they only have 2 palettes left. Love over logic, the NARS Sarah Moon Recurring Dare Cheek & Lip Palette was coming home with me!

The Packaging

Compact, minimalist, the solid black rectangular box of a palette reminds me of a smaller version of a video cassette of the eighties. And the beautiful artsy lady on the cover makes this palette an envy-drawing makeup piece I can proudly display in my makeup cabinet.

Is she Sarah Moon? No she isn’t, but she was shot by Sarah Moon. This NARS palette is named after the brilliant photographer Sarah Moon who’s captivatingly surreal (bordering eerie) photography can be seen on her Facebook page (click here).

Sarah Moon has worked with the likes of Chanel, Dior and Vogue to name a few, and was the very first woman to shoot the Pirelli calendar way back in 1972. She has also had a stint in creating pop videos before moving into gallery and film work.

The NARS Sarah Moon Recurring Dare Cheek & Lip Palette looks absolutely stunning, and the hauntingly beautiful lady on the cover will never allow me to throw this one away.

The ultra compact NARS Sarah Moon palette is easy to carry about in my makeup bag, and I can do touch-ups for a night out right after work thanks to the built-in mirror. The only thing missing is a brush for the blushes and highlighter.

The Palette

The NARS Sarah Moon Recurring Dare Cheek & Lip Palette comes with 3 blushes, 1 highlighter and a satin lip pencil.

The Blushes

Sex Appeal: A cult favorite that has several dupes created since its introduction, the NARS Sex Appeal blush is a soft, powery and highly pigmented shade of pale pink. However, I feel this shade is best suited for fairer skin-types and is barely noticable on my tanned complexion.

Illusive: A dusky-rose blush that is probably my favorite of the three in this palette, Illusive works well as a subtle bronzer as well.

Make Believe: Like the NARS Sarah Moon Recurring Dare palette itself, this particular blush shade is a limited edition. The brightest blush of the three, Make Believe can best be described as a warm peachy pink.

The Highlighter

Albatross: This highlighter is a cult favorite among NARS fans. At first glance, it looks a pale white, but takes on a subtly beautiful sheen of gold. I can best describe it as a champagne gold; it catches the light so naturally, and gives the complexion a very believable natural glow.

 

The Satin Lip Pencil

Golshan: I usually stir towards matte lipsticks so I wasn’t sure if I’d like this one, but wow! The NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Golshan was made for me!

The color is a deep maroon-red, and has a satin-like sheen that is not overbearingly glossy for matte girls like me. It feels moisturizing on the lips, and the color payoff is amazing!

I think this satin-like sheen adds a newfound dimension to my lips, making them look fuller and more pouty. And the color is a rich, deep red that can easily be worn from day to night.

‘Golshan’ is Iranian for rose garden, and I therefore believe this shade must be inspired by a deep red, romantic rose.

 

Overall, I am absolutely in love with the NARS Sarah Moon Recurring Dare Cheek & Lip palette. Yes its quite a splurge at AED 320, but hey! It’s limited edition (and only available at the NARS store in The Dubai Mall), and is a great way to try out a number of blushes from the brand in one go. The Satin Lip Pencil for example, is my very first lipstick from NARS and I am hooked! Will be checking out more of their satin lip pencils real soon.