NARS • Sheer Matte • Liquid

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furbag on 1/14/2012 6:53:00 PM more reviews by furbag

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This is a great foundation. A little goes a long way. It looks so natural and wears well throughout the day. I wish it came with a pump dispenser but it's not a huge deal. It set well even with moisturizer and sunblock underneath.

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hannahr20 on 1/11/2012 11:11:00 AM more reviews by hannahr20

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I completely hate this foundation.. After seeing most people hyping over Nars products I thought I would give one of the foundations a go. NEVER AGAIN.. Yes it was pricey but that doesn't bother me.. It didn't rub into the skin well at all it dried straight away so quick application is needed! The bottle is awquard as hell.. It didn't come with a pump so i found it difficult to get out. On the plus side I bought this shade in Deauville which matches my skin very well. Other than that it was awful.

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oliviadilorenzo on 1/7/2012 12:22:00 AM more reviews by oliviadilorenzo

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I recently bought the sheer matte formula in stromboli. The color matched my skin perfectly. I perfect medium olive tone which I have been looking for, for a while. Completely matched the description on the website. I wasn't wicked impressed with the consistency though. It was a little runny for my liking & it doesn't blend in as easily as I am used to. I have to take a little extra time to make sure it is 100% blended in to my skin. I usually like a medium-full coverage, this was definitely more medium coverage. I am purchasing the matching powder (beach) within the next week so I am sure that I will acheive the coverage I am looking for. Overall I do like this foundation & I will be purchasing again!

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ladymeag on 1/6/2012 2:20:00 AM more reviews by ladymeag

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Grey    

I have very fair skin. I've gone though very nearly everyone's lines - Clinique, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Illamasqua - you name it, I've tried it. The only lines that could handle my skin were the ones that offered a true-white (like paper) foundation intended for stage or severe fashion use. I've often been left blending white with the lightest pigmented shade to get an acceptable shade for my skin.

No more! NARS Sheer Matte in Siberia is very nearly dead-on for my skin. The coverage is builable, which is great, and combined with the Snow powders from either the pressed or loose I'm set for the day. I don't have any trouble with this being long wearing in rainy Seattle (if you're not familiar with Seattle weather, I take a lot of mist to the face.) The matte formula doesn't have any shimmer in it so I don't wind up with an overly glow-y look to my already pale skin, which is a definite plus.

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constantonian on 12/27/2011 3:06:00 PM more reviews by constantonian

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is the only foundation that I brought for a month long trip to a tropical climate country. If that doesn't say enough about this product then allow me to expound upon it. At this time in my life, my skin has been on very good behavior, so I require very little coverage. I've been aiming for that no makeup look so this is great for a flawless yet natural finish that covers just enough redness and evens put my complexion wonderfully. I know for a fact that this would not have satisfied me when my skin was more unruly, but I'm very happy with this product currently and find my other medium-full coverage foundations to be too much.

I apply this with my fingers as suggested by the NARS representative. Usually I would use a flat top kabuki regardless, but I find that matte foundations apply better when warmed up with the fingers. One pump does the trick and another half for light spot concealing with a patting motion. Finish off with a finely milled powder and I'm shine free for a good half day. By mid day a nice, healthy glow peaks through and I don't really touch up or blot unless I've been walking around outside in the humidity.


The price is a little rough on the wallet, but the quality is there. One thing I don't appreciate is the pump situation. The fact that they sell the pump separately is ridiculous. Adding insult to injury, the pump is only available in select stores, not including Sephora, and via their website, which charges for shipping if I remember correctly. One lippy off for that. Oh and because their reps were uncommonly pushy and kind of snubbed me when I only bought the foundation and not the ridiculously overpriced Botan brush which was actually rather stiffed and prickly. An ex-NARS manager now MAC MA friend informed me that they are all like that due to company training or something along those lines. *shrug* whatevs.

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YellowLantern on 12/17/2011 3:20:00 PM more reviews by YellowLantern

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This foundation is sort of heartbreaking. I have light skin with strong yellow undertones and finding a foundation that fits those two criteria has proven to be frustrating at both department stores and drugstores. Many companies seem to think only people with pink or neutral undertones can have light skin leaving me with few options if I actually want a foundation shade that resembles my actual skin color. All this is besides the fact that once I find the right color I would like a matte, long wearing foundation.



Enter NARS Sheer Matte in Gobi and Fiji (Gobi is probably the lightest shade for people with yellow undertones I have ever seen). Trying to figure out my shade in the crappy lighting in Sephora was very difficult, so I brought these two shades as samples home in order to see which was for me. As it turned out Fiji is probably a better match for my NC20-ish skin, but I can still get away with wearing Gobi as it isn't so light as to make me look ghostly.


So, application wise NARS Sheer Matte is a bit on the thin side in terms of texture, but that did not bother me as the foundation spread easily and evenly without much effort with my fingers. I love the feel of this foundation, unlike some, this foundation feels like nothing on my skin. As the name clearly states the coverage is sheer, but it can be built up a little (I didn't have much luck trying to get much more than medium coverage and admittedly I do not need a full coverage foundation personally). I think because the coverage is sheer it is really good at working with so many skin tones, the sheerness allows some of your own natural color and tone to come through. For my tests I did not use a primer since I'm not the sort of person who uses a primer for every day and it seemed important to see how the foundation would hold up with minimal help as it were.


After applying the foundation my face looked very slightly shiny. I set the foundation with MAC Blot powder and went about my day. Midway though my day I checked myself in the bathroom and my skin looked looked like it had a satin finish. So I wasn't experiencing a full on oil catastrophe, but to be honest I would have really wished this foundation would have controlled my oily skin a bit better than this. By the halfway mark I would prefer my skin only just start to look a tiny bit dewy.


By the end of the day I had experienced full oil break though on my forehead and was starting to look a bit too shiny for comfort on my chin and nose. My cheeks looked good, but my cheeks are more on the normal side anyway. I'm heartbroken that I've finally found a foundation for light, yellow toned skin that's such an awesome color match for me, but is terrible at controlling oil. I think I'll look around for a different color match elsewhere and see if I can't find something more suitable for me. I suppose if the search fails I might come back to this and try it out with primers and different powders and see if that makes it better. If you have normal to slightly dry skin that is hard to find a color match in I wholeheartedly recommend this foundation for you.

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desperatehswf26 on 12/11/2011 2:14:00 PM more reviews by desperatehswf26

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I love this foundation and I hate this foundation... It frustrates me.

Pros:
First EXACT match to my skin tone. Their colour range is AMAZING.

It lasts on me all day with barely any touch ups. Doesn't keep me perfectly matte all day, but I end up with a nice dewy/glowy look.

Cons:
Difficult to blend and tends to look cakey.

Looks heavy without covering much.

All in all I won't repurchase this, but I am happy enough to use the whole bottle. It's too bad because I'm really happy with the colour match. (NC15/Gobi for reference).

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jaykay91 on 12/5/2011 2:02:00 AM more reviews by jaykay91

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

under impression, i heard a lot of good review on this one but it was not that good on my skin at all!!!!! it is so light and not smooth at all. And color rage is not suit for me

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*TOP REVIEWER* jskellis on 11/21/2011 7:55:00 PM more reviews by jskellis

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Edited from my original review. I liked it the first two times I used it and gave it 4 stars, but I've tried it twice since (and then looked at it in MUCH better lighting than the first times) and have found it to get blotchy really easily and cake around certain parts of my face, probably because it dries so quickly and is so difficult to blend. It didn't mattify at all and my face got oily quickly (this is with NARS powder on top and MUFE primer below). The two stars go for the color range, Siberia in both the powder and the liquid foundation were perfect for my skin tone.

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MissB18 on 11/17/2011 12:13:00 PM more reviews by MissB18

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Like a lot of women, I was under the impression that NARS could do no wrong but no matter what I do I can't make this foundation work for me.
Although the lightest shade Siberia is a perfect match for me, which is always half the battle for me when I'm looking for a foundation, the coverage is minimal.
It seems to accentuate my acne scars and blemishes rather than covering them. It dries quickly and that makes it nearly impossible to blend properly or build evenly to achieve the coverage I'm looking for.
The staying power is awful. No matter how many primers I've tried (I've bought four different primers in four or five months hoping it would help) it looks cakey and uneven within a few hours, even with MAC MSF and setting spray overtop.
Worst of all, I'm fairly certain it's responsible for my sudden bad skin. I never had such bad acne or dry skin previous to using this. At first I had blamed it on stress, diet, hormones etc. but now I'm sure it has to be this foundation that's breaking me out.
I'm deeply disappointed in this product, especially since I paid so much for it, $55 CDN. I've started searching for a new foundation and probably won't even finish this bottle.

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mkays on 11/17/2011 4:43:00 AM more reviews by mkays

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Dark   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Love the consistency of this product but it does not cover up any dark acne scars at all. I have oily acne prone skin and never broke out from this product, however it only stays matte for 2 hrs MAX before sliding off face even with PRIMER

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miiiamiu on 11/17/2011 4:18:00 AM more reviews by miiiamiu

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This is a good foundation for layering as well as achieving an even skin tone. However, it must be used with a primer as the sheer matte finish does not hide dark blemishes as well as it does with reddish blemishes. I currently use the NARS Sheer Matte in Syracuse and I love the lightness of the product. For my skin type, it evens out the blemishes without appearing too cakey like a lot of effective foundations. It is not very good with soft brush application nor with hand, as the color is harder to blend with lesser amounts and wider coverage but once that step is over, you will realize how it was worth it! The pump could be a little better but then again it's foundation. You don't apply it with the packaging at least! Also, I am picky with foundation so even this pretty good product is not perfect in my book.

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missgabbby on 11/13/2011 2:41:00 AM more reviews by missgabbby

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Hazel    

ive been using this for about a week now switching between punjab and sante fe (im a nc25-nc30 in mac)i havent commited to buying yet and have just been using samples.
nars is very pricey this foundation goes for $99 in australia!

texture:matte , can look flat on the skin so use highlighters and blush to create shape

how it applies: yes it dries quick BUT use a primer to give it more slip around , a duo fiber brush works great with a spray of fix + start in the center of the face in circular motions going outwards.less is more

coverage: sheer - medium , not see through sheer though. again less is more or apply in thin layers

overall: i liked it! i dont think ill buy it in aus coz of the price but i do love the colours nars offer , more yellow based not so hammy and pink! work quickly with it, dont use fingers or a sponge it will be to cakey. for a little more coverage use mac care blend powder to set and it looks gorgeous.its a foundation that evens u out without looking mask like.i had no balling or flaking but found it does sit in my pores with no primer so do apply one thinly first!

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lazeny on 11/11/2011 4:48:00 AM more reviews by lazeny

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Black    

1. Packaging - Doesn't come with a pump. It's just a glass bottle that you have to tip over and jostle to get the product out. Totally unhygienic. For the price, I would expect at least a pump but you have to buy it separately. The cap has a similar texture to other NARS packaging. Total fail.

2. Shade - I was matched with Santa Fe, for reference I'm NC 30 with a strong yellow/olive undertone. At the NARS counter surrounded by bright white and yellow lighting it's a perfect match. Outside it seems a little to pink for my taste. But then again there are very few little foundations that actually match my skin perfectly without adding some sort of green base to adjust the undertone of my foundation. And looking at the counter they do have a wide variety of shades that would suit a wide variety of women so that's a plus.

3. Coverage & Finish - As the name implies it's sheer, so I didn't expect any sort of coverage. It just slightly evened out my skin. And as the name says, it's matte, so it does provide a matte finish - but sheerly, because most of your skin will show through.

4. Price - It's expensive. Disappointingly so. In my area this is as expensive as Lunasol and more expensive than Shu Uemura, but those two products deliver more for the buck as compared to NARS Sheer Matte.

Verdict: This is appropriate for women with oily skin and who's into a no makeup makeup look. As NARS Sheer Matte provides a lightweight coverage with mattifying properties. Even if it's matte, it doesn't photograph well, because it doesn't provide any significant coverage. You will still need a lot of concealer to cover spots so if you need more coverage this is not for you.

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NS10 on 10/11/2011 1:11:00 PM more reviews by NS10

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I love Nars Sheer Matte, it's the perfect foundation for my oily skin. It stays matte, but also gives a nice natural glow. I'm really happy that they have a nice light shade that matches my skin tone well because I find it hard to get a good match with high end foundations. Definitely re-purchasing, I LOVE this foundation.

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*TOP REVIEWER* blondex199667 on 10/11/2011 2:54:00 AM more reviews by blondex199667

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

To my mind, this is about all you can ask for in a foundation. But first, a little background. I'm a guy and for years I've used just a bit of powder and concealer. But as I've gotten older (I'm 43 now) I've needed more and more of both. I realized I was concealing much of my face, and powder was leaving the lower part of my face dry looking.
I thought maybe a tinted moisturizer would be the answer. But of the several I tried, all left me with that creepy "face gloss" look that seems to be unavoidable when using products with a lot of minerals/mineral-based SPF. Reluctantly, I decided to tip my toe in to the heroin of makeup- foundation.
I first tried 2 from MAC but the coverage was so opaque I tossed the samples, hit up the Chanel counter, and tried Perfection Lumiere (which I've also reviewed) and AquaLumiere (which was a mess!). Then, a discovery...
I tried out Nars SM Foundation at Sephora. The artist who helped me was awesome. We quickly determined that Barcelona was the color that would give me the effect I wanted, and she sent me on my way with a huge sample.
This blends very easily and is designed to be applied with the fingertips, so no investing in a pricey brush. The coverage is absolutely traceless, but covered my red patches, reduced my dark circles enough that I no longer bother with concealer, and maintained a natural matte appearance all day. It's not called a long-wear product but I've been getting 10 hours out of it easily. I've also tried a bit of powder on top of it, and while I think it would be fine on a girl it's too much for me.
Now, I will say it's ridiculous that they don't put a pump on it, or at least enclose one with the bottle. And to make them harder to get a hold of than plutonium is just dumb. Luckily, Barney's had just received a shipment and by happenstance I asked about them so I plunked down another 6 bucks and got my pump.
To summarize, this foundation provides surprising coverage that is so traceless even a guy can use it. It did nothing "bad" to my skin, lasts all day with a natural matte finish and minimal transfer, and washes off easily. They just need to do something about the bottle/pump issue!

12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

julez4026 on 9/16/2011 1:32:00 PM more reviews by julez4026

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is now my holy grail foundation. I have oily and acne prone skin and I really like the fact that this foundation still allows for my skin to look natural and not cakey. Most other foundations made for oily skin are so heavy and they make my skin look so unnatural. I've seen people complain that this does not have enough coverage to cover up acne or acne scars....but hello....thats what concealers are for. Plus this is a buildable foundation. What sold me on this product completely is the fact that it does not break me out.
Just as a side note for those of you who are torn between this foundation and the MUFE Matte Velvet +, I have used MUFE and it is also a very good foundation. It was my go-to foundation before I discovered Nars. The MUFE has full coverage but it was just too heavy for me. I needed something lighter, almost to feel like I wasn't wearing foundation, if that makes sense. When you have oily skin the last thing you want to feel is heavy foundation sitting on your face. So definately, the Nars foundation had everything I needed. Lighter formula that didn't look cakey and medium coverage that is buildable plus no breakouts..yay!. The only thing that I wish it would have had is a pump. Don't like the idea that there wasn't a pump...it's just less sanitary and less convenient...it can get messy if not carefull. But I recently learned that they sell the pump individually at the Nars wesbite for $5 so at least it's available.

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ashergill on 8/22/2011 3:09:00 AM more reviews by ashergill

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Finally a foundation meant for brown people! Or really warm olive skin but seriously its ridiculous the number of foundations I have tried -dior, chanel, estee lauder, lancome, guerlain, covergirl (wayyy back in the day) but none of them are 'warm' enough they either dull out my skintone or make me wish I was pasty and cool toned I mean I'm not super dark but with the number of failed foundation matches it makes one almost want to give up! The beauty of having olive skin is the sun-kissed look year around but honestly the novelty wears off when you tan so easily and your once-perfect match no longer fits it SUCKS its easier finding a new dude than hg foundation..Anyways on to the foundation.
I heard the hype about nars and loved their blushes and I have to say the foundation lives up to the nars name. I tried both sheer glow and matte and while I love sheer in the summertime I 'glow' plenty on my own. The sheer glow lasted a good 5 hrs with powder but the matte wow that lasted me from 7 am till 9pm (work then drinks) with the tiniest bit of shine not oily by any means more natural than anything. I loved it now the texture of the foundation is very liquid-y/runny (water like almost) I love the fact I don't feel like I have goop on my face. Blending is pretty easy but I'm a makeup whore so its based on ones comfort zone I suppose because you do need a quick hand as it dries fast. The color was a dead on match I was wary at first because I don't have a yellow undertone (really why is it when makeup brands come out with foundations for different ethnicities they all assume we ALL have yellow undertones?!) but anyways nars has turmeric extract so its actually good for your skin and thats why the foundation tends to oxidize orange-ish sort of which works for me. Initially early summer I was syracuse but now from being outdoors so much I match to cadiz. And it matches so perfectly that it looks like I have nothing on which is what I was looking for. The coverage is sheer to medium but I literally use a tiny drop after my primer and blend with a brush and I am good to go. But bewarned the bottle does NOT have a pump which is very very irritating for someone that likes to throw on a splash of color and be out the door quick.
Overall, this is a must buy to those who are tired of searching for their hg and have warm undertones. Plus nars has kickass names I thought I was imagining things when I read gobi as one of the foundation names as thats punjabi for 'cauliflower' and one of my friends who pushed me to try it cause she works for them (btw thanks nina) told me its intentional. anyways try it!

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samanthaes on 8/20/2011 10:36:00 PM more reviews by samanthaes

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I really like this foundation!!! I don't know why the bad reviews. I think most foundations I buy are around the price point, so I think you get what you pay for. I don't want to break out I want to look natural and I want coverage. This foundation does all that. YES i can buy MAC for about 12 dollars less, but I Have never found a good match and in some I am NC, and for Studio Fix, I am NW so I have to always wonder. This I wear Syracuse, which I thought would be way too dark for my NC30 skin, but it is perfect..??? THe yellow undertones aren't too much but make it look natural. I will buy this again. The pump I was given one from the sample bottles, but I still haven't used it, I like to use a little on the back of my hand warm up the foundation and press into my skin. IT covers, but doesn't at all look cakey. I don't use a brush, it doesn't work with this. I set with a bronzer and I am good.. All day!!! I say try it. Expensive, maybe but no compared to anything with quality...:)

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princessa00 on 8/19/2011 6:38:00 PM more reviews by princessa00

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

How do I explain this.. this foundation doesn't exactly have a "second skin" finish, but you can tell it's high end. You skin does look made up, but in the same way a celebrity's skin would look on the red carpet. It's a nice satin finish, without being a flat matte. There's a subtle glow in the right places. This doesn't stay matte all day on my combo skin, but it holds up better than my regular Tarte tinted moisturizer and I can handle blotting and powdering once or twice. This foundation CAN highlight some dry patches and peach fuzz, but I only notice this sometimes.. so it probably depends on the lighting. One thing to keep in mind is that Sheer Matte's shade selection is NOT parallel to Sheer Glow's. Be careful when choosing a color. It's hard to find a shade match for my complexion, a TOTALLY neutral light olive, but Punjab works fine enough in the summer. The fact that there is no match close enough to my coloring stops me from giving this a perfect rating, I'd love to incorporate it into my rotation of daily foundations but can't. :( Still, it's a product worth trying.

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