NARS Sheer Glow Foundation: Review

Around a month ago, I purchased possibly the most raved about foundation among the beauty world; NARS Sheer Glow. I will give as best a review on this product as I can, and give you a detailed description of the product, with my opinions and a star rating for each sub-heading for this product (1 being the worst, 5 being best). So here it goes :-)

Packaging

★★

NARS are known for their matte black packaging and big font logo on their products and I find packaging a massive part of a product. The downsides to this packaging is the screw and pour lid; the lid screws open and there is no pump with this product which means you pouring the liquid onto the back of your hand, being very careful for any spillage - not ideal. However, a pump is available from store for an extended charge of £3.00. Also the bottle is rather heavy and bulky, so not very practical for travelling at all. The matte black lid although one of NARS signature looks, attracts dirty make-up hands like a magnet! However, I don't find this a massive put off personally. On the plus side the look of the bottle in general is a nice sophisticated suave appearance that does instantly attract people to the product - including myself. The bottle is an amazing accompaniment to any make-up collection on your vanity but not completely practical. 

Shades

★★★★

There are 20 different shades for this foundation, from Siberia to Khartoum (they have rather interesting shade names). I am in shade 2, Mont Blanc which I find to be a very good match, I was first matched in John Lewis as shade 1 but personally disagreed with this; therefore went to Selfridges and matched again in the shade I agree with (I thoroughly recommend going to Selfridges for high-end makeup, they are very trusting and friendly). When buying this foundation I went with two friends of mine, one with a medium skin tone and one with a dark skin tone; they were both matched as well and found a colour to match them flawlessly, this shows the shades are available to many different skin tones. However; if you have a particularly pink undertone to your skin you may see a problem. The shade collection has mainly a yellow undertone to them, I have a neutral undertone to my skin so find it easy to wear both pink and yellow undertones but those with a very pink undertone may have a difficulty, but there is no harm in going and getting matched anyway. 

Application

★★★★★

Personally, I like to apply this product with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush found in the Core Collection. This brush buffs the product in flawlessly and is great for building the product or buffing into a more sheer coverage. To apply the foundation I dot the product with my fingers around my face, on my cheeks, forehead, nose and chin. I then buff it in with the brush and build if needed. The product is easy to work with and sinks into the skin beautifully. I like to then follow up with the products featured in my last post - Megan's Must Haves. 

Me wearing the foundation on its own with little make-up added over it.

The overall look

★★★★

I was apprehensive when purchasing this product as I do have an oily skin type and have heard the product can slip. However I haven't found this is the case. The name can be deceiving though, the product isn't particularly sheer and doesn't have the massive glowing effect. When applied the product is almost like a foundation and concealer all in one; the coverage is amazing and but not cakey or too much. With one layer you can have a good coverage but not too heavy at all - it enough to let your natural skin shine through, though with more product layered you can create a high coverage easily. I personally find this is perfect for me. The product does give a satin finish and leaves a slight shine on the face but isn't unattractive, using a powder can correct this if this is a problem for you. I find it does give a slight glow on the skin, and as the foundation settles into the skin throughout the day it settles in beautifully and gets better throughout the first 4 or so hours. The staying power of the product is very good and lasts around 6 hours before needing to powder again from any excess oils coming through. Although personally I find the product to sit quite heavy on the face, its not the lightest of consistencies but isn't unbearably heavy. Overall, I feel the product makes your skin look and feel amazing with a great staying power, however others may find the shine to not be for them and the heaviness of it on the skin a turn off. But I personally love the look of this product and would thoroughly recommend anyone to go and try it out.

So...

Weighing up the pros and cons, there's no doubt that I recommend this product to anyone looking for a foundation that has a good coverage, beautiful effect on the skin and a decent staying power. If you fit the cons I have described above and find these are turn off's for what you want - you may disagree with me as everyone looks for different things. The big problem this product carries is the price, at the price of £30.50 its a product you will have to think about before purchasing, especially if you're only a teenager like myself. But I personally find it worth it and if you are interested in this product further ask me any questions in the comments below. Thanks for reading!