Hello everybody!
Choosing my foundation, I’m always ready to splurge a lot on it. As a result, I’ve tried a pile of different products (high-end, as well as affordable ones) and finally stopped on one which I’ve been using for ages already. CC cream from Lumene. It seems to be perfect for me.
And here, one day, the Nars sales rep persuaded me to try out their new foundation. It definitely caught me, especially when I read its promises, so I bought it in the shade Alaska. So:
The brand says:
Easy does it. Velvet Matte Skin Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 30 effortlessly perfects with medium, buildable coverage. Ultra-blendable. Indispensable. Instantly sensorial. Simply glide and go: its plush, oil-free formula works on contact, delivering second-skin perfection and boosting environmental defense. Helps to blur imperfections, and even the look of skin tone with a soft-matte finish. Wears comfortably, maintaining skin’s natural moisture barrier, while working to control shine throughout the day. Effortless application. Instant gratification.
- VELVET ILLUSION COMPLEX
- Transforms the look of skin immediately and over time.
- INSTANT RESULTS
- Soft-focus effect:Transparent Blurring Powders instantly enhance the look of skin by helping to diffuse imperfections with a powerful optical effect.
- Soft-touch feel:The powder’s unique, spherical shape compresses like a cushion, delivering a velvety-smooth, touchable feel and superior comfort on application.
- TRANSFORMS THE LOOK OF SKIN OVER TIME
- Rose Fruit Extract visibly minimizes the appearance of pores while helping to control shine. Maintains natural moisture barrier, so skin feels comfortable.
- PROTECTS AND DEFENDS
- Infused with Vitamins C and E to protect against harmful free-radical damage caused by environmental stress.
All that sounds wow! But what’s there in reality:
2. Smell - once I started to apply this formula over my skin, my nose was hit with a strong alcohol smell. Very strong. It made me look through the list of ingredients and analyze it.
3. Ingredients - the second is alcohol here. And reading through the list, I had an impression that I was reading the list of ingredients of washing powder, not a foundation…
methyl trimethicone, alcohol, water, adipic acid, neopentyl glycol crosspolymer, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate,isononyl isononanoate, lauryl peg-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone, dimethicone, ethylhexyl salicylate,trimethylsiloxysilicate, disteardimonium hectorite, isododecane, peg-10, calcium carbonate, parfum, sodium chloride, triethoxycaprylylsilane, aluminium hydroxide, TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILYLCARBAMOYL PULLULAN,hydroxyapatite, tocopherol acetate, rosa multiflora fruit extract, ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, citral, geraniol,limonene, linalool, titanium dioxide cl 77891, iron oxides cl 77491, iron oxides cl 77492, iron oxides cl 77499
4. Packaging - black, inverted plastic tube of 50ml with the white NARS letters on it.
5. Thickness- Even though they persuade us that the formula is lightweight, for me it’s not. The product is thick and it’s super tricky to distribute with my fingertips. I use a damp beauty blender for the application. This way, I can control the coverage.
6. Mattifying properties- Well, this is subjective. My skin is oily with enlarged pores and acne spots. Plus, my skin can break out from time to time.
At first, when I saw the alcohol in the components, I was worried that the product would dry out my skin. But that’s not true, luckily. Though, I’m still afraid of using it on a daily basis. But in those days when I do wear it, my T-zone starts shining with oil within 4 hours. After that, a mattifying powder or blotting papers are essential for me.
There’s an advantage about it - SPF30.
7. Technical characteristics- If I use a beauty blender, I can control the coverage and in general, it distributes well then. I like that it adjusts to my skin color and the most important thing is that it doesn’t look mask-esque. BUT, within 4 hours my face shines with oil and within 9 hours it’s even difficult to detect any foundation on my face at all.
I know that I kind of believed in miracles but I still wanted it to be more long-lasting.
8. Price - it’s high $45.
In the end, I conclude that the technical characteristics of the product aren’t bad but that smell of alcohol freaks me out. Besides, it makes my skin only more oily and doesn’t have any mattifying effect. Plus, the price. So, only 2 stars. There’s nothing interesting about this foundation, except its size.
