NARS Sheer Matte Foundation in "Tahoe" Review

A few months ago my skin was in a rut. I kept breaking out and my complexion looked sallow & uneven. I looked for an affordable foundation to even out my skin tone so I tried a few foundations from Cover Girl, but had no luck. I finally decided to just go to a makeup counter.

I went to Saks Fifth Avenue and told a makeup artist that I wanted even skin, light coverage and that I wanted to look dewy without looking shiny & greasy. So she tried on various shades of NARS Sheer Matte Foundation on me. I learned that even though I'm African American and have warm caramel tones in my skin I also have lots of olive tones as well, which is why I probably can't find a great match in drugstores. So she decided that the best shade for me was Tahoe, a drab tan shade.

Tahoe looked great in the store. I was way more radiant than before so I bought a bottle for $42. But I wasn't I wasn't sure if the effect would hold up in the real world.

Claims for Nars Sheer Matte Foundation in Tahoe

The booklet that comes with the foundation claims that Sheer Matte is velvety & oil-free and that it will even out the skin, and absorb excess oil while leaving the skin shine-free all day. It also says that if used daily "your skin's texture and radiance improve over time, becoming softer, smoother, and more luminous. Sheer Matte Foundation provides weightless, buildable coverage, with a natural matte finish." It's recommended for normal to oily skin.

Results after Using Nars Sheer Matte Foundation in Tahoe

At home I saw that the Sheer Matte is a liquid foundation that comes in a bottle without a pump. The directions state that it can be pressed into the skin using the fingers. That works but it takes too long so I just used a sponge. With a few swipes the liquid blended into my skin beautifully.

This NARS foundation feels very light and even though it's matte it's not drying.The Tahoe shade matches my cheeks perfectly but it still looks natural on the darker areas of my face and makes it look even.

One layer creates an airbrush effect on my skin, it basically blurs out all of the flaws. The sallow, dull skin & all of the uneven tones just fade away in a couple of minutes and I look brighter and healthier.

The one downside is that because it's so light it doesn't completely mask dark circles, or a few dark acne scars that I have. If I wanted to completely cover them I would have to use a concealer . But it usually looks good enough with an extra dab of foundation.

As far as the mattifying effects - this foundation is great. When I first bought the NARS Sheer Matte it was during the middle of June. I have a combination skin-tone, but in the summer its much oilier and the Sheer Matte actually held up during the hottest & most humid days. I never touched up my makeup because by the end of the night I just looked more radiant but not at all greasy. I actually looked better as the day wore on.

The last added benefit that I got with the NARS foundation was that it really did make my skin look better when I wasn't wearing it. I wore this foundation everyday for about a month and one day I just happened to notice that my bare skin looked much better than it did before I started wearing Sheer Matte.

I actually slept with the foundation on most nights and I expected my skin to look awful. But instead it was brighter and I was breaking out less. I thought I was imagining things, but months later I finally read the NARS booklet that comes with the foundation and learned that its supposed to make your skin look better.

In the End...

NARS Sheer Matte rocks! I've had it for about 3 months and I love it. I wanted a light-weight, natural looking foundation that would even out my skin and make me look more luminous and the Sheer Matte does that and more. I am also convinced that it makes my skin look better. IOnce for a couple of weeks my skin began to look sallow & dull again. Now I wear it at least 5 days a week and I break out less and I look more radiant when I don't.

Anyway I can't say enough about Sheer Matte because it's amazing. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend it for anyone who wants brighter more even looking skin.