Christmas countdown: NARS X Sarah Moon holiday collection

I recently wrote about one amazing photographer-meets-beauty-company collab and then by golly, another perfect combination hits me straight between the eyes. It’s the NARS X Sarah Moon Holiday 2016 Color Collection, and it’s pretty damn flawless.

While most beauty companies are launching pretty standard Christmas collections for 2016, the majestic NARS went one step further with something very special. Taking their fans completely by surprise, the company launched the Sarah Moon for NARS Holiday 2016 Color Collection, which brings one of fashion’s most distinctive but enigmatic photography talents to a new audience.

The talented Moon once worked with Guy Bourdin, and her style is as distinctive, if less well known than her legendary mentor. For those not familiar with Moon, she came to prominence in the 1980’s and 90’s and her work is magical and ethereal, as well as totally modern.

Together with the brand’s founder, François Nars, Moon conceived and art-directed the range; from the colours to the packaging to the theme for the campaign. The whole shebang was inspired by imagery from the iconic 1927 film, Metropolis and the idea of transparency. 

The end result us everything a beauty freak could possibly need… and then some. There's everything from lashes and nail polishes to cheek and eye shadow palettes, as well as some highly desirable lip formulas that I have become increasingly obsessed by. Moon described the process of product development as: “we talked about the idea of a kind of mist around the eyes and worked from there. Nothing too obvious, nothing too strident. Just enhancing the woman’s natural features.” Above all, she said “We wanted to tell a story of an authentic woman. Any makeup she is wearing is never a mask. We really collaborated to find this woman that was delicate, yet strong and always very modern.”

I’ve been lucky enough to have the Look Closer Eyeshadow Palette to play with (below), which is in now at Mecca Cosmetica and Mecca Maxima stores, as well as online at www.meccabeauty.co.nz. It includes four, perfectly neutral but unique eye shadows and a miniature sized eyeliner in the form of Via Veneto, a super dark black with a semi-matte finish. The pencil has semi-opaque colour in just a single pass, and seriously lasts and lasts. It’s the perfect palette for a woman on the go or travel in particular, with almost all the elements for an evening eye in one beautiful package. Love it!

I’m now plotting to get the Fearless Red and Indecent Proposal Lipstick, both of which look about as legendary and wearable as it gets. Highly recommend!