Review: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

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Review: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation 

For those of you who follow on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram I hear your collective sigh of relief! Yes, after 4 weeks of getting to know one another,  I am finally reviewing my NARS Sheer Glow foundation! Does this mean I will stop bombarding various social media feeds with my adoration for this product? You may find that answer in this very review.

After lusting after this foundation for a number of years now, I finally took the plunge. If you know my blog at all, you probably know that foundations are my ultimate makeup product. I won't bore you with the back story details (teenage acne, few snide remarks, blah blah blah); suffice to say trying to mimic a flawless complexion is the name of the game for me. So, let's get going!

Packaging
This foundation, as you can see from the image above, comes in a glass rectangular bottle. The glass contrasts with the black lid; the consistency of which is the classic NARS' packaging. This lid can also be pulled off to reveal a small twisty lid on the neck of the bottle. The crux of this packaging being the widely noted lack of a pump. This means that in order to use the product it must be poured from the bottle onto either the back of your hand or perhaps a palette. However, you can buy a pump for about €4.00 from the NARS' website if you so wish. Personally, I'm doing alright without it. Just be careful when pouring or you risk wasting precious product! It also contains a fairly standard 30ml of product.

Colour

I mentioned in my January Favourites the amusing fact that this shade suits me better than any of my other current foundations even though I chose it online! My shade (Light 4 – Deauville) is described by the NARS’ site as a neutral tone with a balance of pink and yellow, but it seems to lean a bit more yellow in my opinion. This suits me great as I have quite a yellow undertone; and though you wouldn’t think it from the pasty photos here, I am actually quite sallow skinned. However, there are a whopping 20 shades available from this line so you're pretty sure to find something that's suited to your colouring!

As I mentioned, I chose my shade online after a good hour or so of 'Google swatching'! Risky, perhaps. But given the lack of a NARS' counter in my area I decided to take the risk. First of all I consulted the NARS' website, and knew given my current pale complexion that I would be wanting one of the light shades. This is a great way to narrow it down to start off. I then considered yellow, pink, and neutral undertones. Although, as I mentioned, I chose a neutral toned foundation, it was through the next step that I found it was still quite yellow and that it could be the best of the 'light' shades for me!

What really helped were blog posts where people had swatched the foundation beside other foundations they owned. For comparative purposes this was extremely helpful, for instance if I knew a certain foundation was too pale/dark/pink etc for me. So, to return the favour, I grabbed what is (shamefully) only a portion of my foundations in the hopes it might be similarly useful to someone else!

Of course, if you have a NARS' counter locally the ideal thing would be to get matched there! This sort of 'Google swatching' method may perhaps only apply to the unhinged, impatient, and makeup mad (read: me).

Foundation Swatches (L-R): L'Oreal True Match (C2), No7 Instant Radiance (Cool Ivory), Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum (52), NARS Sheer Glow (Light 4 - Deauville), YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat (B40), Bourjois Healthy Mix (53), Rimmel Wake Me up (Soft Beige), MAC Matchmaster (2.0)

Application

François Nars himself, recommends applying this foundation with the warmth of your fingers. I have given this application method a go and it does work perfectly. However, in general, I just prefer using a brush to apply my foundation; and unsurprisingly, the Real Techniques Buffing Brush has been my weapon of choice. 

Formula
This is a water-based foundation and so unlike some of the gel formulas we've been seeing pop onto the market, you will notice this foundation run across your hand with some gusto if you pour out too much! As I demonstrated in my latest tutorial, you really need to give the bottle a good shake before use; and as the formula is quite liquidy (think L'Oreal True Match as opposed to Bourjois Healthy Mix) it does take a little longer to set on the skin. Also of note, this foundation has no SPF. This can be great for photography and/or if your moisturiser or primer already contains SPF, but worth knowing all the same!

This formula hydrates the skin and claims to contain powerful anti-oxidants to protect against damaging free radicals and turmeric extract to improve skin's radiance and tone! I don't think I've really been using this long enough to attest to any benefits for my skin, but it's always nice when a foundation considers some sort of skincare in tandem!

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation Application : NARS Sheer Glow & Real Techniques' Buffing Brush; Light 4 Deauville Swatch

Finish

Despite the name ‘Sheer Glow’ this foundation is not overly glowy, so fear-not my matte-loving friends. I would describe this is a natural-satin finish, which is kind of how the brand describes it. It certainly gives a luminosity to the skin, as I hope you can see in the photos below. I myself have normal-dehydrated skin so that should also be considered and I do apply a light dusting of powder around my nose and in the centre of my forehead, as otherwise I can start to look a little shiny after a few hours wear.

Coverage

Again, I'm more or less inclined to agree with the brand's description which touts this as a light-medium coverage foundation. Depending on the amount of product you choose to use you can easily get a great medium coverage from this foundation. Below, I have included a stage by stage picture guide to how I get my desired coverage from this foundation. 

Despite the graphic nature of my bare faced photos, I think it serves as a great illustration of what you can expect to achieve from this foundation. You can see my areas of redness, blemishes, and discolouration and how this application neutralised those areas quite flawlessly.
(As I mentioned earlier, I buff this into the skin using my Real Techniques' Buffing Brush. These photos were taken with natural sunlight.)

NARS Sheer Glow Review: Step 1 (no makeup)

NARS Sheer Glow Review: Step 2 (dot over face)

NARS Sheer Glow Review: Step 3 (blended out)

NARS Sheer Glow Review: Step 4 (finished makeup with concealer, blush, etc)

Longevity

I’ve mentioned that as my skin type is normal-dehydrated, I don’t tend to have issues with foundation lasting on my skin. On my skin, most foundations will last a pretty solid 6-10 hours without needing any touch-ups. The same goes with NARS Sheer Glow. Although, as I mentioned regarding the finish, I do need a touch of powder to keep shine at bay. This foundation is recommended for normal-to-dry and dry skin types. For more oily skin, a primer, powder, or blotting paper may be more of a requirement to keep it looking it's best. Or you may just want to opt for the Sheer Matte foundation altogether!

Price
This foundation retails at €40 from the NARS website. I actually purchased mine from ASOS for €41.13 as with the free shipping and student discount it worked out cheaper! A pump can be purchased for €4.00 from the NARS website, but again with shipping costs it's something you can make do without.

Before & After: NARS Sheer Glow Review & Application

Overall, I think you can tell I really love this foundation! It has a great colour range, a beautiful finish, and just blends flawlessly with the skin! So, phew, you made it to the end! Thanks for reading and I hope it provides a helpful insight for you! 

Have you tried it?