I Can’t Live Without Nars Sheer Glow – Review

I Can’t Live Without Nars Sheer Glow – Review

It’s no secret that a lot of us ladies have a huge grá for make up. There’s always a new product to try or another shade of lipstick to add to the collection. Your make up drawer/shelf/bag/room is already overflowing but another eyeshadow palette won’t hurt, right?! While it’s nice to experiment and try out new things, I think that foundation is the one product that you don’t budge on once you’ve found THE one. It takes some trial and error but when you finally find one that ticks all the boxes, it’s hard to try anything else. Well I’ve definitely found my favourite foundation and having used it for over a year now, this post has all the details you need to know about Nars Sheer Glow.

Nars Sheer Glow

Nars Sheer Glow

I had obviously heard about the brand before but not so much about this particular foundation. It wasn’t really on my radar compared to other cult foundations. Jade Mullett is an amazing make up artist and she was constantly mentioning it on her product lists. Her clients’ skin always looks incredible, (as you can see from the pics below) – flawless but not cakey; very healthy and glowing. So I decided to give it a go and see if the foundation would help out or would I just need to hire Jade as my everyday MUA?! 😂

Irish Make Up Artitst

Jade Mullett wearing Nars Sheer Glow in shade Punjab

Irish Make Up Artist

Look by Jade Mullett PRO MUA using Nars Sheer Glow – photo finish and flawless

 

Irish Make Up Blog

Make Up by Jade Mullett PRO MUA using Nars Sheer Glow – suitable for all ages and skin types

 

Make Up Blog

Make Up by Jade Mullett PRO MUA using Nars Sheer Glow – suitable for all ages and skin types

A Match Made in Heaven

Tip 1: Getting a colour match is absolutely a must when purchasing a foundation, especially when it’s an expensive one like this. You don’t want to waste your hard earned money on a foundation that isn’t the right shade for your skin. There are 20 shades of the Sheer Glow foundation so you couldn’t possibly guess which one to buy online or without a colour match.

There are only 2 Nars counters in Ireland, located in Brown Thomas in Dublin and Limerick. As this foundation is €43, (yeah I know, that sounds ridiculous!!), I went to the counter in Dublin and was matched with the shade Punjab. On the Nars website, it is described as being a Medium shade with a golden peachy undertone. That was a year ago, so I had a nice natural colour from the sun.

Since then I’ve had a second colour match and now I wear the shade Santa Fe. It is in the same family as Punjab, (Medium) but is a peach undertone so it’s not as tanned looking.

Nars Sheer Glow

Prime Time

Tip 2: Use a good primer with the Nars Sheer Glow foundation for the best finish and longest lasting wear. I have combination skin; it’s more on the dry side than oily. For every skin type, primers are key in my opinion.

Nars Sheer Glow

I use the Stila One Step Correct primer no matter what foundation I use. Again, it’s on the pricey side, (around €30), but it absolutely works. More recently I have been using it alongside Benefit’s POREfessional Primer and they are a wonderful combination. I apply POREfessional to my t-zone to keep the natural oils at bay and the Stila primer on the rest of my face. It’s good for colour correction and just transforms your skin to the ideal canvas for the foundation. I only need to use a small amount of each product so they last for months. I’ve worn the foundation sans primers a couple of times and while it still applies perfectly, the primers give it that extra oomph and it lasts all day.

Make Up Primer

Make Up Primer

My Make Up Tools

Tip 3: Using the right tools will accentuate the finish of the Nars Sheer Glow foundation. When I originally bought it, the girl on the counter suggested I use my fingers or a beauty sponge to apply. At first I thought that was a little disgusting and I just didn’t think that I would get my desired finish by applying it that way. It’s a buildable foundation, but the idea of using my fingers wasn’t doing it for me, thanks 👌🏼

Nars Sheer Glow

For a while I used an angled kabuki brush to apply it, which was fine, but I’ve found that the best brush for application is the Powder ‘n’ Pout P120 – it’s an angled contour brush but using it for foundation, I find that I use much less product and the finish is much more flawless. Because I now use less product, I get much longer out of one bottle of Nars Sheer Glow. You can read more about the Powder ‘n’ Pout brushes and how I use them here.

Nars Sheer Glow

Using Powder ‘n’ Pout brushes to apply

Make Up Blog Review

I then apply a little concealer underneath my eyes and blend with the Real Techniques Beauty Sponges. Again, you can read more about my thoughts on them here.

Real Techniques Beauty Sponge

Real Techniques Beauty Sponge

Coverage

The clue is in the title – ‘Sheer Glow’ – it is sheer and buildable so if you like a heavy, full coverage finish, I don’t think this alone would be enough for you. I like Nars Sheer Glow because it covers my blemishes, freckles and pigmentation without looking caked. My skin looks silky smooth and has a healthy glow to it. For this reason I love it as an everyday foundation, it ticks all the boxes for me. Nars Sheer Glow is specifically for normal, normal-to-dry and dry skin types. As I mentioned above, I’m not overly oily or too dry, my skin sits on the continuum between both so Nars Sheer Glow works well for me.

Nars Sheer Glow Review

Tip 4: I leave my eye area free from foundation as the skin around your eyes is 5 times thinner than the rest of your face, meaning foundation is too heavy for it. Instead I use an eye shadow primer on the lids, (e.g. Essence ‘I ❤️ Stage’) and an under-eye concealer like Maybelline Eraser Eye or Benefit’s Boi-ing Hydrating Concealer.

For evening wear, I do tend to prefer heavier coverage so instead of using a different foundation all together, I mix some Inglot HD Foundation in with the Nars Sheer Glow. The HD Foundation suits oily skin and is much much heavier. It’s too heavy for me to wear on its own so I find mixing one part Inglot with 2 parts Nars creates the perfect base for a night out. I still have a gorgeous glow but the coverage is a little more glam, (shown in the 2 pics below).

Nars Sheer Glow

Full Glam Look Mixing Nars Sheer Glow

Nars Sheer Glow Review

Full Glam Look Mixing Nars Sheer Glow

How Does It Wear?

My best test of a foundation is to wear it when I’m working. I work in a heavily air conditioned environment with bright lights so if a foundation can last a day in there, it gets a thumbs up from me! Nars Sheer Glow does exactly that – it doesn’t break down or go patchy, overly oily or change colour. As it’s sheer, it also feels light on my skin. My face doesn’t feel weighed down by the product at all. I get a couple of hours good wear out of it and it needs little or no touching up. The only adjusting I ever need to do is powder my t-zone and chin. Thats It!!

Irish Beauty Blog Review

Overall Thoughts

Okay, so now that you know everything you need to know, my final thoughts on the Nars Sheer Glow foundation are that its 100% the foundation for me. I have tried so many different foundations; I used Rimmel’s Wake Me Up foundation for years as a teen, before I found Nars Sheer Glow and even lately, I’ve tried others when I’ve run out of my Nars bottle, including the Flormar foundations and Inglot ones too. But nothing has come close to the finish and wear of Nars Sheer Glow.

Nars Sheer Glow Review

At €43 a bottle, (excluding the pump which is €5 but that’s a once off purchase with your first bottle), it is on the pricey side, I won’t deny that! I use some BB creams and mineral make up products as back up for days when I’m at home or don’t want to waste the Nars Sheer Glow. A little goes a long way and I get a long time out of one Nars bottle, as I mentioned above, by using the Powder ‘n’ Pout P120 brush to apply.

If you have normal or dry skin, you’ll love this foundation but remember that primers are key. I really do love it and I’ll definitely find it hard to budge from Nars Sheer Glow as my go-to foundation. Of course, I will trial others but it will take something really special to steal my heart.

Nars Sheer Glow Blog Post

What is your favourite foundation? Do you use Nars Sheer Glow too? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram.

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2 Comments

  1. July 12, 2017 / 12:37 pm

    Great tips Denise and your makeup looks flawless! 👌

    • Denise
      Author
      August 2, 2017 / 5:21 pm

      Aww Claire, thanks so much – so kind of you! x

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