After hunting down thousands of foundation reviews on youtube, I finally decided to make a purchase. Referred to by many as a 'holy grail product', the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation has turned into a firm favourite of mine. I have never used any of Nars' foundation or skin products before but since so many beauty influencers have raved about Nars I thought it would be perfect time to test out a popular product. Since we are all currently stuck in lockdown, it made a lot of sense to try out a new foundation to make sure the product agreed with my skin, suited my complexion and was perfect for use when the lockdown is finally over (which should be soon I hope!). I will cover all aspects of this foundation for an in-depth review, read below and enjoy.
Coverage
The coverage of this foundation is medium to high, it can be thinned out to medium coverage or built up to a high-coverage. Therefore, making this product very versatile as it can be used for day or night looks. I typically would opt for this foundation for a night out or a full-face glam look, however there have been many occasions I have been able to use a damp beauty blender and create a look where my foundation looks like REAL skin. I am currently on a skin looking like skin hype at the minute, for years I just wanted a foundation to cover up every blemish and every freckle as best as it could but now I am so here for dewy, glowing skin. Having a thick, full-coverage and pore-clogging foundation is not my aim and with the help of Nars, I have managed to get a flawless looking base that can look just like my own skin.
My skin is typically a combination skin type, I have an oily t-zone (centre) and dry skin around the outside of my face. This foundation is a perfect consistency for me, so if you had more oily skin I would not opt for this as it may leave a very dewy finish (unless you love that of course). Those with dry or combination skin types, this foundation will be perfect for you. The foundation does appear more liquid than thick. For those with oily skin types, I would recommend trying the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation, I have heard many reviews that this foundation finish is non-oily and more on the dryer side.
The Finish is not cakey, it can be described as satin and radiant (as it says in the name). For the ultimate flawless finish, I will bake my t-zone area with the HUDA beauty loose powder, in the shade 'poundcake', and I gently set the outside of my face lightly with some more loose powder. I also use a damp beauty blender to apply my powder. It gives you such a flawless but covered base. My freckles slightly peek through the foundation too which I love! A current tip I am absolutely loving at the minute is shaving all the peach fuzz and dead skin off my face, this allows any makeup to slide on and look seamless.
Here I have inserted a section of my skin from a little photoshoot I had after using Nars longwear foundation. This photo is unedited and as you can see the Nars foundation has made my skin look great whilst still showing my freckles and looking just like a better version of SKIN! I do also find that this foundation photos very well. FYI my lashes are from OhMyFalsies, they are gorgeous.
Shade
I purchased the shade Medium 1, Punjab, This is described as golden with peachy undertones. Make sure to read the descriptions to find the correct undertones for your complexion! My aim when purchasing this foundation was to be able to wear it when I am tanned so I did opt for medium. I am very tempted to purchase a lighter shade for when I have zero tan on and want to use this Nars foundation on its own. I do tend to mix sometimes to achieve the perfect shade and I feel I am able to achieve a wearable shade for the day and a darker shade for evenings by mixing it with another lighter/darker foundation or foundation drops.
In this image the foundation does look quite golden and yellow in comparison to my skin tones however, on my face it blends well into my complexion. Please note that the skin tone on my wrist is paler than my face/neck but this was the smoothest bit of skin to showcase the swatch. If you are quite pale and are looking to match your skin colour with no tan, use the shades labels as light then find your desired undertone. I tend to be quite pale in winter so I definitely need to get my hands on a paler shade for these colder months coming.
Price
This foundation is available on many UK sites, I purchased mine from Lookfantasic.com. Cult beauty and ASOS also sell many Nars products. Make sure to look out for discount codes for each site to get a little £££ off. This foundation costs £35 but I think this is a very suitable investment for a high-quality foundation- I would recommend the splurge for sure.
Durability
This foundation lasts very well on the skin and applies seamlessly, especially when my skincare routine is done properly. Once set with powder and a setting spray the longevity of this foundation is amazing (either for nights out or day longevity). The application on pores and blemishes creates a more flawless base compared to other foundations I have used and it does not look dry, cakey or separate on the skin.
Other foundation favourites you NEED
I always recommend this foundation to my friends when they are on the hunt for an everyday, lightweight but still a medium-coverage product. The L'Oreal infallible 24hr freshwear ticks all these boxes. Being drugstore also means its safe on the budget! Would highly recommend.
Another recent dupe to this L'Oreal foundation I have found is the Wet and Wild photo focus foundation, this is sold on PLT for only £6 and gives such a natural everyday finish to the skin. If you were to consider either of these two foundations I would opt for the L'Oreal one as it gives that a little more coverage.
I hope this review helps anyone that is in need of an amazing foundation,I cannot wait to try some more Nars beauty products seeing as this one was so much of a success, thank you for reading!
Lucy x
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