NARS Sheer Glow Foundation and Primer

     So as many of you know, I recently purchased the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation.  I am ususally a MAC user when it comes to foundation, so this was an exciting purchase.  I had heard so many great things about this foundation from so many people, I decided to try it out.  Let me just say that I LOVE this foundation!  The first time I applied it, I was thinking to myself "No way is this going to work for the coverage I need."  I am used to using MAC's Studio Fix Fluid which is a pretty heavy foundation.  As many of you know, I'm not very young, but not old - hahaha, and I need a good amount of coverage.  However, I started applying it and realized the coverage was really great and a little goes a long way with this foundation.  It is also said to improve skin brightness, radiance and texture.  The product holds up all day for me, and I am so glad I bought it.  It's a  glowing, satin-finish foundation with sheer and buildable coverage. It also has skincare benefits and combined with the NARS Complexion Brightening Formula, skin is hydrated, more luminous, softer, and smoother. I think it's best to get color matched in a Sephora or any other place that sells NARS products as I thought that I would have been a shade or two darker than I actually was from looking at swatches online.

     At the time, I had also purchsed the Laura Mercier Oil Free Face Primer, and I began using the two together,  After about a week, I noticed my skin was getting an allergic reaction to one of the two.  Happily, it was not the NARS foundation.  I quit using the Laura Mercier Primer and began to use the foundation on its own.  My skin started to clear up immediately, so I feel as though this foundation actually helped to clear up my allergic reaction to the Laura Mercier primer.  According to the NARS website, this foundation hydrates for softer and smoother skin, is dermatologist tested, non-comedogenic, and fragrance free. I feel this actually helped to combat the dry patches that the primer had left behind. 

     So with that, I had to return the Laura Mercier, and get a different primer.  I had recieved the NARS Foundation Primer with SPF20 as a 100 point perk from Sephora around the holidays.  I had used this primer and loved it, but never bought it as I am always looking to try something new.  So I exchanged the Laura Mercier Primer for the NARS Primer.  According to the NARS website, this primer combines soothing and hydrating ingredients with a full spectrum of sun protection to create a natural-looking and long-lasting foundation application. The translucent, lightweight formula is designed to be applied before makeup or worn alone to prepare, nourish and hydrate skin, while helping to ease redness, reduce inflammation and improve the skin’s overall texture and quality.  Additional antioxidant protection helps to fight free radical damage. I really like this primer.  It keeps the foundation on all day and coupled with the Sheer Glow Foundation really makes a great finish to your skin.

So my questions for you are:
Which foundation do you use?
Do you use a primer and if so which one?
Have to you tried the NARS Foundations and/or primers?

Sigma Beauty on the Go Kit - Smokey Eyes

     Let me just start by saying that I absolutely LOVE Sigma Makeup.  In my dealings with the Sigma Makeup team, I have gotten great customer service, well crafted makeup brushes, and now beautiful makeup palettes. If you haven't tried Sigma's Beauty on the Go Kits, you are missing out in my opinion.  These shadows have wonderful color payoff and are extremely easy to blend.  I have all four Beauty on the Go Kits: Neutral Eyes, Smokey Eyes, Fun with Colors, and the Blush and Highlight Kits.  Let me just say that I was very impressed with these kits.  I wear my Neutral Eyes Kits almost daily, and get many compliments on my makeup.  "Those colors are so pretty! Where do you get those?"  I always tell my coworkers where they can find these great kits.

       I first heard of Sigma Makeup through youtube and immediately bought their complete brush set.  At that time, I did not have many MAC brushes (which I have bought since that time) and I was looking for a cheaper alternative.  Sigma seemed like a great option.  I ordered my first Sigma brush kit, and upon using them the first time to apply my makeup as I had been using cheaper brushes from the drugstore, I thought How did I apply makeup without these before!   I like that Sigma has named their brushes with the same numbers as the MAC brushes, so if there is a MAC brush you are looking for, you can probably find that same brush from Sigma.  I also enjoyed the fact that I could do more looks that were displayed by larger gurus, as most of them used MAC brushes.  So when a guru applied makeup and said "I'm using my MAC 224." I now could just grab for my Sigma or "SS 224" and create the same look.  Now let me say, the Sigma brushes are very dupable to MAC, but they are not exactly the same, and I actually prefer some of my Sigma brushes more than my MAC ones. I have many reviews on my youtube channel about Sigma Brushes if you'd like to take a look at the reviews.

     As many of you already know, you can buy any of the makeup kits and all of Sigma's brushes from http://www.sigmamakeup.com/.  I just recently received the Smokey Eyes Kit and the Fun with Colors Kit.  I have posted a review of the Smokey Eyes Kit and the Pink Sigma brushes, and have done a tutorial using both the Neutral Eyes and Smokey Eyes Kits which will be shown below.  The eyeshadows and blushes have great pigmentation and the color in the pan, is exactly what shows up on your eye!  I also find that with a little help from primer (whichever you choose), your look will last all day long.  The kits were sent to my by Sigma, but the Complete Brush Set, and the new Advanced Brush Set were bought by me.  I would continue to buy Sigma Makeup even if I were not sent products to review.

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