These new NARS Velvet Matte Foundation Sticks have me completely rethinking what I thought about stick foundations, which had previously brought up bad memories for me of thick, heavy, cake-face coverage and suffocating pores, but this new NARS incarnation feels light and looks like a tinted moisturizer…BUT IN CREAM STICK FORM.
You’re blowing my mind, NARS!
The Velvet Matte Foundation Sticks are sheer satin cream stick foundations now available in 20 shades at NARS counters and Sephora for $45 each.
The shades include…
- Siberia (Light 1) — light with neutral balance of pink and yellow undertones
- Mont Blanc (Light 2) — light with pink undertones
- Gobi (Light 3) — light with yellow undertones
- Deauville (Light 4) — light with a neutral balance of pink and yellow undertones
- Fiji (Light 5) — light with yellow undertones
- Ceylan (Light 6) — medium with yellow undertones
- Punjab (Medium 1) — medium with golden, peachy undertones
- Vallauris (Medium 1.5) — medium with pink undertone
- Santa Fe (Medium 2) — medium with peachy undertones
- Stromboli (Medium 3) — medium with olive undertones
- Barcelona (Medium 4) — medium with golden, peachy undertones
- Syracuse (Medium-Dark 1) — medium-dark with brown undertones
- Tahoe (Medium-Dark 2) — medium-dark with caramel undertones
- Cadiz (Medium-Dark 3) — medium-dark with caramel and red undertones
- Macao (Medium-Dark 4) — medium-dark with yellow undertones
- New Guinea (Medium-Dark 5) — medium-dark with red undertones
- Trinidad (Dark 1) — dark with warm yellow undertones
- New Orleans (Dark 2) — dark with yellow undertones
- Benares (Dark 3) — dark with golden undertones
- Khartoum (Dark 4) — dark with espresso undertones
Did I mention that they’re sheer?
They look like real skin, which may be due in part to the fact that the coverage is purposefully limited. At the most, I get medium coverage from these, so my sun spots still peek through here and there. Generally, though, my skin looks a little more even-toned than it does without makeup.
How does it compare to NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint?
I appreciate new twists on products that have been around for ages, but I think you get more bang for your buck with NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint, which is this new product’s predecessor, because 1) you have the option to go full-coverage with it (making it more flexible), and 2) Velvet Matte Skin Tint doesn’t move once it sets.
Stays wet
This new stick foundation version remains wet for hours. In fact, it never really seems to completely dry, so if I touch my face at all, the product moves around, and you can see my bare skin underneath.
You’re basically forced to set it with a powder to get it to stay put… Now, I like having the option to skip setting powder sometimes, which I can do with my holy grail stick foundation of the moment, Hourglass Vanish, so that’s one more thing to keep in mind.
A better alternative in the same price range?
I really wanted to love this because I’m such a Velvet Skin Tint die-hard fan, but if you’re going to go the stick-foundation route and want to stay in the same price range, I think Hourglass Vanish is a better option. It’s around same price, has a similarly satiny finish and all-day wear time, and you can sheer it out or build it up to just shy of full coverage.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
This foundation remaining wet is not a good news, I will be a oil slick in no time 🙁
I haven’t noticed that it stays wet all day.. probably because I HAVE TO set anything on my face with powder because I am the biggest oil slick. I love the natural looking finish and I feel that it wears well throughout the day for me, even with the obligatory blotting or powder touch ups.
But I also have Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint and Hourglass Vanish sitting in my drawer… now I need to go back home and experiment!
I was curious about this product since I love the Pure Radiance tinted moisturizer and I have very dry skin. My first experience with stick foundation was Bobbi Brown, but since the formula seems to have changed, it didn’t feel creamy enough. I was wondering if this would work with the tinted moisturizer more to cover the redness around my nose and chin. I haven’t tried the matte concealer because of my dry skin.
I know I’ve probably spouted this heresy before but Velvet Skin Tint looked awful on me. I just felt like it was too dry and streaky/wouldn’t blend well. And that was with the help of a Sephora staffer. Wet-all-day would definitely not work for me. 🙁
I use Velvet Skin Tint whenever I’m putting something on my skin (usually I’m too lazy and I just do eyebrows and mascara), but it never dries down on me. I put it on very sheer and I always have to set it with powder, even on my cheeks (which are on the dry end of normal).
My sample of velvet matte skin tint seemed really drying on me. I’ve had much more luck with the CG x NARS skin tint once I figured out how to use it.
I have had a love for Nars since the beginning!!! This product intrigues me but I’m not sure I like the value I am getting, I would love two foundation colors in one stick because I dont think anything will beat a good beauty blender.