I love trying and reviewing foundations as they are just a very satisfying review to write. One beauty classic I had yet to try was the NARS Sheer Glow. I bought this a while ago and had it sitting in my drawers and I was just prioritizing other things. So this month I decided to put it in my shop my stash so I would know I would use this and finally give it a good trial run. How do I feel about this cult beauty product? Is it as good as everyone says it is, even if you are fair and have dry skin? Let’s find out.
Review: NARS Sheer Glow foundation 2 Mont Blanc
One thing that always held me back from purchasing the Sheer Glow foundation was its price point. This foundation retails for €43, which means this is even more expensive than a Charlotte Tilbury foundation. Yet, it’s been a hit for years and I think it is one of NARS’ bestselling products. I love some NARS products, but not all, so the brand has been a bit hit or miss for me and I ended up decluttering quite a few of their products over the years as I found better alternatives. Since I’m quite a fan of NARS concealers, I figured that another base product would probably be my best bet.
What does this foundation have to offer?
NARS Sheer Glow is an infamous product not only for how it works, but also for its misnomer. There is nothing sheer about this foundation as it has a medium coverage. Nor is it a glowy product: this is a satin finish foundation. What it does give you is a soft focus, smooth effect to the skin that looks quite natural on. It has a very thin, lightweight texture and I think that’s why it’s been so hyped up. Back in the day, a foundation with this kind of coverage, just wasn’t this lightweight. However, by now we have tons of these lighter formula foundations on the market that still provide a lot of coverage.
How does this foundation swatch?
As you can see here, the texture of this foundation is quite runny and liquidy. When blended into the skin it has a satin feel that feels very pleasant. It looks quite matte, but it never looks flat or cakey. The foundatio is easy to blend into the skin with a sponge and while it has a medium coverage, it can be sheered out if you use a small amount. The packaging sadly does not come with a pump, but the NARS counters now do sell a pump that fits this foundation. Once the pump has been added, it’s also easier to use this foundation. However, once you put on a pump you can no longer close the bottle as the cap will no longer fit.
What is the shade match like?
The Sheer Glow is one I was matched to in store: NARS’ foundation range is quite extensive, but I always struggled to figure out what shade I would be. And after using this foundation for a while I have figured out why I struggled so badly: every single shade has a yellow undertone. With myself being a more cool to neutral undertone that means that getting a good shade match is quite difficult. While I feel the shade is a good enough match in terms of lightness, it isn’t a great match in its undertone and I find it a bit too yellow for my liking.
What is the coverage like?
As with any foundation, we want to know what this looks like on the face. I was surprised by how natural this looks. Despite it being a medium coverage foundation, I found it never looks heavy or cakey. It looks natural when only applied in small amounts, but if you want to build up the coverage you can. I don’t need that much coverage from my foundation and therefore only use a little bit and I like that effect. One pump is all I need to cover my entire face and when I stick to that this foundation is great. Since it has a more matte texture though, I do like layering it over a glowy primer to ensure a healthy looking effect.
My final thoughts
The NARS Sheer Glow foundation is one that surprised me. I’ve tried other popular foundations in the past, or simply passed up on them, as they just didn’t sound like something I might like or they just didn’t work for me the way I want to them to. Something this satin and medium coverage looking is something I tend to stay away from, but in the end I found this foundation to be a good allrounder. Is it the best foundation I ever tried? No, but it is a foundation that is just a great one for everyday wear.
Would I recommend the NARS Sheer Glow foundation?
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this foundation. Yes it is a good one, but it is not the groundbreaking foundation that I feel the beauty industry has made this out to be. Sure, it works well enough, but there are many more foundation on the market by now that do something similarly not only in even better textures (and packaging!) but also at a far more affordable price point. I think the Catrice True Skin foundation can give you a very similar effect, but at a much more affordable price point.