LEIGH CAMPBELL: I tried that foundation everyone says looks like a filter.

I read (and watch) a lot of beauty reviews online because, well, it's my job.

About a month ago I came across a review of a new foundation that piqued my interest and immediately tried to buy it, but alas, it wasn't available yet.

Many, many more glowing reviews have surfaced since, and guess what? I finally got my mitts on a bottle a few weeks ago, so I'm adding to the pile of reviews.

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The product?

NARS Light Reflecting Foundation. It literally went on sale here four days ago.

I want to start off my review by stating that I sort of didn't want to love it, because it’s pretty pricey ($73). But because I think all NARS products are good, I knew I would at least like it, maybe even like it a lot. But I wasn't prepared to love it.

And, yep, you guessed it: I LOVED it.

François Nars, founder and all round genius (who I met once, and he signed a palette that I have not touched to this day) created the foundation with the goal of developing a formula that looks like makeup but acts like skincare, and is all about achieving your best skin.

Nars Light Reflecting Foundation. Image: Nars / Mamamia.  

It’s a vegan formula, comprised of 70 per cent skincare ingredients, and is clinically shown to immediately strengthen and enhance luminosity, revealing a more even skin tone by 93 per cent. It claims it instantly blurs imperfections, smoothes the look of textured skin, and helps conceal blemishes, dark spots, and redness. 

And because it has a whole bunch of skincare ingredients in it, the brand can also claim it visibly improves skin’s clarity after six weeks of daily use, even after makeup is removed (this is based on a clinical study).

My first question was how it was different from Sheer Glow, which is the brand's most popular foundation (for over a decade!) and sounds pretty similar?

Well, Sheer Glow offers light coverage, and yes, a healthy, glowing result, whereas the new Light Reflecting formula is more of a medium coverage, buildable, and has stacks of skincare goodness infused within.

Nars Light Reflecting Foundation. Image: Supplied.  

It’s housed in a glass bottle and I applied it with my fingers, but you can use a brush or a sponge. Immediately I felt like my skin was evened out and looked more radiant. It blended easily, and I topped it with my usually powdered bronzer and cream blush.

It wasn't until halfway through the day and I had received a few compliments on my skin that I had to remind myself what makeup I was wearing. I went to the mirror to check myself out, and those people were right, I did look great! Fresh, glowing, hydrated and not at all like I was wearing lots of base - just like I was living my best life.

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My skin looked dewy, and felt dewy to touch too - but the formula still had surprising staying power for something so hydrating. Even better, it didn't make my oily bits (I am a combo girl) too shiny.

I feel like I overuse the analogy, but it truly did look like my face had been filtered. It was perfect for the under eye area too, so I didn't even use a separate concealer.

It comes in 36 shades (I wear Patagonia) and it is suitable for all skin types.

Good one, François.

Feature Image: Supplied.

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