Finally NARS also jumped on the bandwagon and released their first ever cushion foundation. As a huge fan of theirs of course I had to get my hands on it as soon as it was launched in Malaysia.
Case and refills are sold separately where case is RM45; refill is RM145 each.
As usual, there is a protective seal which I have kept and reused so that the cushion does not dry up quickly. It does not prevent it from drying up but I guess it more or less helps?
The sponge.
It has been saturated with foundation hence do use a light hand for the first few applications. I am not too sure if this applies to all but the one I had was really moist at first but became significantly less moist after a few use.
To insert the cushion, simply align the arrow and push it in tightly.
Remember to remove the protective film on the mirror.
My shade is Finland, the lightest yellow-undertone shade.
L-R:
Bare skin / Right after application, without any loose powder or setting spray / After 3.5hrs' wear / Blotted with tissue after 3.5hrs' wear
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So now. Let's see what I have to say about this foundation.
My skin type: dehydrated with slightly oily T-zone.
Shade selection
If I am not wrong this product is Asia-exclusive and comes in 6 shades in either pink or yellow undertones.
The shade Finland is slightly lighter for my skin tone but the next yellow-undertone shade, Alaska, would be too dark for me. In the photo I had applied more than I usually would to show the coverage it could build hence under normal circumstances it will looks less pale. This shade will probably fit those around NC15-NC20.
Finish
As the name 'Aqua Glow' suggest, it gives a dewy finish but not so wet/oily-looking like some from the Korean brands. The finish looks very natural, almost skin-like and feels really light on the skin. However, it is not of the my-skin-but-better kind of subtle glow coming from naturally healthy and radiant skin.
If you look closely, the foundation had settled into the line on my
eyelid. As such I believe this moisture-rich foundation will settle into
facial fine lines if it is not properly set with powder.
Coverage
Light but buildable to medium (at its most).
It only covers my redness and slightly reduces the appearance of pores. I tried building it to full coverage but to no avail. You will still need proper concealer to completely cover up blemishes like dark spots, pimple marks, dark circle, etc.
Oil-control
Foundations with dewy finish are generally meant for people with dry skin, which is lack of radiance and looks dull. Therefore they hardly come with any oil-control capability and this is evident in this foundation.
My T-zone, especially the nose, became pretty oily at just 3.5-hour wear and there was also shine at the drier part of my face. That said, the makeup still looked decently fine without any patchiness. The foundation stayed adhered to the skin on where they had been since the very beginning. This is particularly important as some foundations can look horrifying when the face becomes oily, where the foundation appeared lifted from the face or has melted into a greasy mess.
To remove shine, simply blot it with a tissue and the makeup will look good again. Coverage is reduced after blotting but you can always touch-up without looking cakey thanks to the watery-light texture.
There was no need for me to blot at all when I had applied either an oil-control primer prior to this foundation, or a setting powder at the very last step lock the foundation in.
Oxidation
I did not experience any oxidation issue with this foundation.
Price
Most cushion foundation comes with 15g of product but this foundation has only 12g and is priced about the same price as their full-size liquid foundation which is 30g/1oz. I have always found cushion foundation from EU/US brands very overpriced as they are usually just half (or less than) the size and do not come with any refill like most Korean brands do.
Packaging
The case feel light and this will be great for those on-the-go but at the same time it also feels a little less luxurious for the price you pay.
Puff
Each refill comes with a black puff that feels velvety smooth to touch.
It is not the best I have come across but does its job well. I like
that it does not absorb too much product nor does it look dirty (and
gross) after each use.
Who is this foundation for?
From
my experience I find this cushion foundation is best suited for people
with drier skin type as it is formulated with technologies aiming to
provide moisture and glow. For those with oilier skin, fret not, you
will still be able to use this foundation as long as you apply
oil-control primer or have the foundation sufficiently set with powder.
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That's all for now. I might add on the comparison with Sheer Glow foundation once I tested them out.
Hope this review is helpful for those who are on the fence of getting this cushion foundation.