One of my favourite foundations ever? NARS Sheer Glow!

I’ve gone through bottles of the NARS iconic foundation since it’s a wonderful makeup product that gives you glowing, flawless skin.  No matter how many foundations are in my collection, I always love to have this one kicking around since it’s reliable and I know it’s going to deliver perfect coverage every time.

I’ve tried the brand’s Radiant Matte foundation as well and reach for it often, so if there is one thing that NARS knows how to do incredibly well (aside from blushes, obviously), it’s foundation.

Brand new to the brand as of September 2020 is the newest foundation in their line up, the Soft Matte Complete Foundation (C$53). This foundation is a full-coverage matte foundation that promises to deliver a natural look.  The real selling point for this one, and which makes it stand out from its counterparts, is the fact that it includes an anti-oxidating technology.  You know when you put on your foundation and it matches your skin perfectly one hour and then time goes by and all of the sudden your neck doesn’t match your face?  That’s oxidation.  The oil in your skin mixes with the product and hence colour changing can occur.

This foundation contains a Hydramatte Balancing Complex to balance excess sebum, while keeping skin hydrated thanks to a combination of micro-algae and bio hyaluronic acid. Because of that, what you see is what you get and the shade will stay true to your skin all day long. This complex also will protect skin from pollutants, free radicals, and bluelight damage, which is always a plus in my books. 

In addition to all this, this foundation also includes superior oil absorbing powders to give you a smooth and matte appearance.  

This foundation is available in 34 shades and the brand sent me three to find my perfect colour. I usually wear Vallarius in Sheer Glow, so I got that one, as well as two other colours.  I gravitated towards Mont Blanc since I’m now back to my normal pale self and found it matched up nicely.  

Now, I haven’t been wearing a ton of foundation, unless I’m actually going somewhere or want to take photos.  When wearing this foundation though, I did find that it gave my skin really nice coverage, but best of all, I found it was incredibly lightweight and it didn’t feel like I was wearing foundation.  I hate the feeling of putting a mask on over foundation but this one didn’t do that. That reason alone is enough to pick up a bottle.

As for wear, I did find it wore well throughout the day and stayed in place.  It gave my skin a nice matte finish and enough coverage that any redness was gone.

I paired the foundation with their new Soft Matte Complete Concealer (C$39).  This concealer, available in 30 shades, covers up any redness, blemishes, dark circles, spots… really any skin imperfection you may have. The formula contains supportive peptides, hyaluronic acid, and Vitamins A, C, and E to make skin look and feel softer and smoother over time. It also has a blurring effect, which will smooth out uneven texture. 

This concealer comes in a pot, which looks luxe, but can be messy since you have to use either your finger or a brush.  It has a high-coverage wear and it will stay put all day once applied. 

I usually prefer a doe-foot applicator to apply my foundation, but I don’t mind in the pot in this case, since I like how small and handy it is. You can just toss it in your bag and then use it for spot coverups when needed.

So my final thoughts on these products? The foundation is a definite must.  I love the coverage I get from it, and especially the wear. It’s so lightweight that it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing foundation. Best of all, it won’t transfer either, which during COVID times, is a huge plus!  

The concealer was also really nice and if you’re looking for something thick and full-coverage then I think you’ll really like this one.  

Have you tried out NARS new Soft Matte Complete Foundation and Concealer?

Please note, products provided by PR. All opinions are my own.

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