MAC Wonder Woman Look Experiment: Lady Justice

This quad was a pain in the behind to use–the colors just didn’t want to stick or blend together. Very, very finnicky and difficult to work through; this was attempt number two, as well. I would have scrapped this look and never posted, because it looks awful, but I thought perhaps it would show just why I was so disappointed in these quads.

Lady Justice was a disaster–fall out everywhere and it did not want to apply smoothly whatsoever.  Bold Babe was stiff and did not want to blend out.  I tried adding Deep Truth towards the end, in hopes that the more pigmented shadow would help this look along but no luck.  The fall out you see is after I cleaned underneath the eye–twenty minutes after.

I was going to do a subtler lip to pair with this look, but I loathed the eyes and at the very least wanted to try a fun lip combo.

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion (neutral eyeshadow base), MAC Lady Justice Eyeshadow (silvery white), MAC Insurmountable Eyeshadow (pale gray-blue), MAC Deep Truth Eyeshadow (navy blue), MAC Bold Babe Eyeshadow (steel blue), Burberry Trench Eyeshadow, Urban Decay Dime 24/7 Liner (silver), MAC Themyscira Opulash Mascara (blue)
• Face: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation (Punjab), Burberry Pressed Powder (03)
• Cheeks: MAC Amazon Princess Blush Duo (cool blue-pink)
• Lips: MAC Marquise d’ Lipstick (nude), MAC Athena’s Kiss Lipglass (fuchsia), MAC Reflects Pearl Glitter (iridescent white glitter)
• Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 222 (fluffy crease brush), 263 (angled eyeliner brush), 116 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Lady Justice = Filament; Insurmountable = NARS Cleo; Bold Babe = Hourglass Prism; Amazon Princess = NARS Angelika; Marquise d’ = Sandy B; Athena’s Kiss = Pink Poodle

For eyes, start by applying Smudgeproof as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using the 239, apply Insurmountable eyeshadow on the lower lid. Lightly blend Bold Babe eyeshadow above the crease with the 222. Apply Deep Truth eyeshadow in the crease with the 239 held horizontally.   Use Lady Justice eyeshadow on the inner tear duct to brighten.  Blend Trench eyeshadow with the crease shade and highlight the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying Dime on the lower lash line. Finish by sweeping lashes with Themyscira Opulash mascara.

For cheeks, apply Amazon Princess blush on the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116.

For lips, apply Marquise d’ lipstick first, then layer Athena’s Kiss lipglass for a complementing lip.

Check out more photos!

MAC Wonder Woman Look: Defiance

Just because it can be made to work… doesn’t mean it is worth buying. I really had to pack on the color to get it to show, and there was some issues with blending, because the shades were so stiff.  I maintain my recommendation of “no buy” to the fullest!

You will need the following…

• Eyes: NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base (neutral eyeshadow base), MAC Defiance Eyeshadow (pale frosted pink), MAC Paradise Island Eyeshadow (petal pink), MAC Star Studded Eyeshadow (plummed pink), MAC Real Drama Eyeshadow (burgundy brown), Burberry Trench Eyeshadow, Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 Liner (black), MAC Victorious Opulash Mascara (purple)
• Face: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation (Punjab), Burberry Pressed Powder (03)
• Cheeks: MAC Mighty Aphrodite Blush (peach-pink)
• Lips: MAC Spitfire Lipstick (dark pink), MAC Wonder Woman Lipglass (red)
• Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 222 (fluffy crease brush), 263 (angled eyeliner brush), 116 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Defiance = Vanilla pigment; Paradise Island – Pen ‘n’ Pink; Star Studded = Fig. 1; Real Drama = Sketch; Mighty Aphrodite = Deep Throat; Spitfire = Up the Amp + Girl About Town; Wonder Woman = Russian Red

For eyes, start by applying Smudgeproof as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using the 239, apply Paradise Island eyeshadow on the inner half of the lower lid. Lightly blend Star Studded eyeshadow onto the outer third of the lid and crease with the 222. Apply Defiance eyeshadow on the inner tear duct and crease with the 239.  Blend Trench eyeshadow with the crease shade and highlight the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying Perversion on the lower lash line. Finish by sweeping lashes with Victorious Opulash mascara.

For cheeks, apply Mighty Aphrodite blush on the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116.

For lips, apply Spitfire lipstick first, then layer Wonder Woman lipglass for a complementing lip.

Check out more photos!

Light Coverage, Soft Glow with NARS

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation ($42.00 for 1.0 fl. oz.) is touted as a “satin-finish foundation with sheer and buildable coverage.” It is also supposed to have “skincare benefits” when used regularly to “improve skin brightness, radiance and texture.” It is recommended for normal to dry skin types.

It is a light coverage foundation which can be built to light-medium coverage–definitely no more coverage than medium coverage at most. I wouldn’t describe it as sheer really; and if you have near perfect skin but are looking for a sheer all-over foundation option, I would keep looking. You could consider using it where and as needed, too, but for flawless or almost flawless skin, I recommend a tinted moisturizer over this, because I think this would be overkill.

I get about four to six hours of really great wear with this formula, but it does start to wane by the eighth hour. I think a little blot powder or pressed powder at lunch time helps to keep it working all day–I just wouldn’t describe it as a long-wearing foundation. Like most foundations, though, if you have drier skin, it may last longer than you. I’m normal-to-dry, and it’s at the eight hour point that I notice I look a lil’ oily and less even overall (a sign foundation is fading, disappearing, etc.). Oilier skin types are better off trying Sheer Matte, though, because the wear doesn’t last all day long, even on normal skin, and there is still an inherent dewiness from the finish that may accentuate oily skin in a not-so-flawless kind of way.

The consistency is thick without being goopy but not so thin that it applies too sheerly. I always apply it by using a concealer brush and dotting my face with the foundation, and then I take a foundation brush (MAC 109) spritzed with water to blend out the foundation to cover my entire face. The formula doesn’t dry down right away, so you have a lot of time to blend it in, and it seems a touch tacky after a few minutes, but it finishes its dry down after five minutes or so and completely settles by ten.

I was worried this was going to be too dewy for my liking. I prefer a matte or semi-matte finish in my foundations, and I was actually going to try Sheer Matte, but NARS sent over Sheer Glow–but the funny part is I didn’t even realize it was Sheer Glow until several uses later when I looked at the bottom of the jar for the shade name! It is a semi-satin, semi-matte kind of finish. There is a soft glow that emanates from the finish but it is subtle and natural. I didn’t feel like I looked shiny or oily at all after applying it, which can sometimes be the case with satin or natural finish foundations.

Overall, I really liked this foundation, and it’s something I reach for often enough. It photographs well (no SPF), and it evens out the skin quite beautifully. There is enough coverage for my skin concerns (some acne, slight unevenness in tone), and it blends really well. I’ve never had it look cakey or too much, and it does not feel heavy on the skin. I wish it wore longer, though, because that would make this a slam dunk foundation. I also would prefer if it came with a pump rather than as a $5 extra you can purchase. As a high-end, $42 foundation, I would expect an included pump.

If you need help finding your shade, I recommend The Foundation Matrix, which is actually how I found mine (Punjab)!

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

• Product: 27/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: I would recommend this for very dry to normal skin types who need light to light-medium coverage. If you tend to need medium or heavy coverage, I don’t think you would get enough coverage out of this foundation. Similarly, I think it has too much coverage if you are really looking for something ultra sheer.

AVAILABILITY: NARS

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NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

No Foundation / NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation