NARS High Profile Cheek Palette

High Profile

NARS High Profile Cheek Palette is a new, limited edition holiday cheek palette that includes six shades designed to have buildable coverage and layerable, luminous finishes. The “downside” was really that most shades were more semi-opaque to opaque, though the gel-powder formula absolutely lends itself to being used with a lighter hand or less-dense brush for sheerer, more buildable coverage as there was no powderiness to be found. Gel-powder formulations, like the one in the palette, tend to require a moderately-dense brush to pick up product as the powders have a firmer feel, but the products go on seamlessly and really meld with skin, so they are often more forgiving of skin texture and imperfections as a result. All six shades performed similarly: blendable, easy to use, and long-wearing. I felt like the formula in this palette was a little more yielding than it would have been a few years ago–in a good way.

Nude Revue

Nude Revue is a light-medium, golden copper with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. The texture was moderately-dense, smooth without being powdery or too firmly-pressed into the pan, so it picked up readily with a moderately-dense brush and blended out well on bare skin. It had opaque pigmentation in a single layer and seemed a smidgen softer than the other shades in the palette. It wore well for nine hours before fading noticeably.

Spin Off

Spin Off is a medium, peachy brown with warmer undertones and a satin finish. This was the least shimmery shade in the palette, though it still had a very soft sheen once applied and diffused along the edges on my skin. It had nearly opaque color payoff in one pass, so one had to use a lighter hand or a less-dense brush to pick up product and deliver a sheerer, more buildable application of color (if desired). The blush had a soft, smooth consistency that was moderately-dense but not too stiff, so I could use even feathery brushes, like a fan brush, to pick up product, but there was no powderiness at all. It lasted well for nine hours on me before fading a bit.

High Demand

High Demand is a medium-dark, reddish-copper with warm undertones and a satin sheen. The finish became more luminous as I applied and blended out the product on my skin. It had mostly opaque color coverage in a single layer, though it wasn’t at all powdery due to the smooth, denser texture, so it could be used with a lighter hand for sheerer coverage if necessary. It stayed on well for nine hours before fading visibly.

Hit It Off

Hit It Off is a brighter, medium-dark orange-leaning coral with a pearly sheen. It had semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation that adhered evenly to bare skin and diffused with ease while “melting” as I buffed it on for a seamless sheen. The consistency was moderately dense but smooth and picked up well with a moderately-dense blush brush. It wore nicely for nine hours before fading a bit.

Showdown

Showdown is a bright, medium-dark pink-coral with a soft sheen. The blush had semi-opaque, buildable color coverage, which was more than marketed, but likely won’t be a deal-breaker for most as the formula could be used with a lighter hand or a fan brush to achieve sheerer, buildable coverage with little extra effort. The powder had a moderately-dense, slightly firmer feel to the touch, but the powder applied evenly to bare skin and blended out beautifully. This shade lasted well for nine hours before fading noticeably.

Just Lust

Just Lust is a darker pink with subtle, warm undertones and lighter, warmer gold pearl that gave it a luminous finish. It had medium, buildable color coverage, which made it more in line with the brand’s marketing on coverage. The consistency was moderately dense without being stiff, so while it needed a denser brush to pick up product evenly, it deposited it well onto bare skin and blended out effortlessly. This shade showed signs of fading after eight and a half hours of wear.