Beauty Review | NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

I'll be honest.  Most days, I don't even wear makeup.  Working from home, I just can't motivate myself to put on makeup before running to the gym, Target, or Publix (the three places I go most often :)). If I do prettify myself for the day, I typically wear tinted moisturizer since it's sheer, natural, and easy to apply.

However, every girl needs a good foundation for special occasions.  Whether it be a night on the town, a nice event, or just because you feel like lookin' good -- sometimes, a tinted moisturizer just doesn't cut it.  I've tried a million different foundations (only the slightest of exaggerations), but my current favorite is
NARS Sheer Glow.

According to the Sephora website, NARS Sheer Glow is "a glowing, satin-finish foundation with sheer and buildable coverage."  This is pretty spot-on.  Sheer Glow applies to the face with ease (provided you prep correctly -- don't forget to exfoliate and follow up with a moisturizer or primer).  After one layer, I felt like any discoloration was evened out, but it was still sheer enough to see my a few freckles.  I decided to do a second layer (you know, for science), and was very happy to see how well it layered.  Two coats covered pretty much everything, my skin still felt like it could breath, and I didn't feel like I was wearing a "mask" by any means.

I don't have a fancy schmancy camera, but I did snap some iPhone photos in front of a window, to give you an idea of what it looks like in natural (albeit not direct) light. 

BEFORE 

Clean, exfoliated skin prepped with Vitamin C serum, Argan oil, and SPF30.

AFTER

Two coats of NARS Sheer Glow (plus the rest of my makeup routine!).

Type: Liquid.  Application was smooth with both a Beauty Blender and MAC 187 brush (I used the brush for these photos).

Finish: Satin, aka not matte, but not dewy either.  It's really nice for normal to dry skin, but those of you with oily skin will probably find it too rich.  For you oily skinned gals, NARS has another version of this foundation in a matte finish.  Fellow dry skin folks who want even more glow, Makeup Forever Face & Body foundation is my go-to for a really dewy look.

Shade Selection:  Excellent.  Whether your undertones are warm, cool, or neutral, you should be able to find a nice match.  They also have a great selection of very light shades for my fellow fair maidens.  I'm wearing Gobi, which is "light with yellow undertone".

Wear: It lasts a solid 8+ hours on me without fading (again, with proper skin prep).  Note that my skin is normal to dry, so oily girls might not be so lucky.

Price: $55 for an ounce. Yeeeeeeeesh.  However, one bottle will last forever -- several months with daily use, and even longer with periodic use.  I've had my bottle for over a year and still have about 30% left.  Regardless, I've never found a drugstore foundation that I like even half as much.

OVERALL GRADE: A- 

It's pretty close to perfect, but the price is a doozy.

Next on my list to try: Yves St. Laurent Touche Eclat Foundation. Because the grass is always greener.

Have you tried NARS Sheer Glow?  Do you have a holy grail foundation?

*NARS did not ask me to review their product, nor was I compensated in any way.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.