Product Review -- NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation

I swore that I wasn't going to buy any new foundation until I finished some of the ones already piling up in my drawer, but as soon as I heard about the NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, I knew I wasn't going to be able to follow through.

What can I say? I'm weak for any foundation that promises radiant skin.

I mean, NARS describes the foundation as: "Natural, radiant finish, transfer-resistant, sweat-resistant, fade-resistant, non-drying" -- sounds pretty good to me.

The foundation comes in a heavy glass bottle with a handy pump dispenser. The pump only lets out a small amount of the foundation a time, though -- but that isn't necessarily a bad thing because it ensures that you don't apply too much.

NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation

NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation

The foundation has a fairly thick consistency, but it's extremely blendable and glides over the skin easily -- and somehow despite the fact that it's fairly thick, it does look and feel very lightweight on the skin.

The finish isn't overly radiant, but provides a soft, natural glow that makes you instantly look a little healthier. It also dries down fairly quickly, so I find that I don't need to use a setting powder over it with my normal to dry skin. If your skin is oily, though, I'd recommend at least lightly dusting some powder over the T-zone.

But despite the fact the foundation dries down, I think NARS is right about it being non-drying. It doesn't accentuate the dry patches on my skin at all, though it can start to look at little cakey if you apply too much.

I find it's best to start with just a pump and then only add more if necessary.

And you might need more, depending on your skin concerns. NARS describes the coverage as full, but I find that it's more medium. Its lightweight texture, though, allows you to build it up if you find you need extra coverage in some spots.

I do find that it is pretty transfer-resistant once it sets, but I'm not sure that it's sweat-resistant. I mean, it's winter here in NY and the weather is pretty cool, so I haven't found myself sweating while wearing the Radiant Longwear, but I can't imagine that there's any foundation that won't start to fade or streak once you add sweat to the mix.

Still, this is a pretty long-wearing foundation that still manages to deliver a natural, glow-y finish, which is kind of rarity in my book. In most cases, long-wearing equals matte -- and matte foundation and dry skin don't really make a good pairing

I purchased the foundation in the lightest shade, Oslo, which NARS describes as fair with pink tones. Now, I usually have some issues with NARS foundation shades being too yellow-toned even when they're not meant to be, but Oslo is exactly as described -- an extremely fair skin with slight pink undertones.

NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation in Oslo

The foundation retails for $49, which is pretty pricey, but it's a really nice natural-looking foundation with a good amount of coverage that lasts a long time. If you have dry skin and have had trouble finding a long-wearing foundation, it's definitely worth the investment.

You can purchase the foundation on the NARS website, at Sephora, or at Ulta.

Have you tried the NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation? Are you a fan? What's your favorite foundation at the moment?