NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder

I have owned the NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder for around 18 months now, and I took these photos when I first bought it and I’ve kept them in a folder in my blogging file all this time as it’s taken me this long to decide how I actually feel about it. I bought the NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder as I’ve read nothing but very high praise for it, and I don’t actually think I’ve ever read a negative review so I was convinced that I too would love this highly coveted powder but I don’t think I do. The NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder is £26.50 and it contains 10 grams of loose powder, but there is also a pressed version for the same price but it contains just 7 grams so I figured I’d go for the better value option but from reading online, it appears that people tend to prefer the pressed version over the loose version so perhaps I made a mistake opting for the loose option.

The packaging of the NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder isn’t the best as it comes in a round, clear plastic pot with a rubberised lid which unscrews to cause carnage once you’ve removed the sticker keeping the powder secured within the pot. This photo was of the pot when it was new, but I assure you it looks completely different now as it’s almost full of powder and I can’t sift it back into the holes so it just lurks on the top of the sifter which is pretty irritating.

I keep my loose powders in my IKEA Alex drawers, so it’s not like they get moved about but the powder still manages to make its way through the little holes so I wouldn’t recommend taking this powder out of the house with you, as it’s so messy and impractical.

I have very dry skin and I typically like to use loose powders to set my undereye concealer providing I use a very fluffy brush, and I’ve tried so many different brushes with this powder and nothing gives me a nice finish. I’ve tried synthetic and natural bristled brushes, fluffy brushes, dense brushes, duo fiber brushes – everything, but every time I use it, it leaves my skin looking and feeling incredibly dry, chalky and uncomfortable.

I feel that when I use this powder, it makes me look a lot older than I am and it gives me wrinkles which don’t even exist which I can’t get my head around as I’ve never had any other problems with loose powders in the past – it’s just this one. NARS claim that this powder should *fade* lines, wrinkles and pores but on me it does the complete opposite and I don’t know why.

In terms of being a light reflecting powder, I haven’t noticed any light reflecting properties either so it feels like a huge disappointment. Usually if a product disappointed me as much as this one from the start, I wouldn’t keep using it for nearly 18 months but because so, so many people love this powder, I’ve forced myself to use it over and over again in a bid to like it but it’s time I gave up as it’s not going to happen.

NARS are my favourite makeup brand (with Urban Decay) and I’ve never disliked one of their products before, so I feel rather disloyal with this post but I felt like a less than positive post about this powder might be helpful if you have skin like mine, as I expected amazing things and I was left very disappointed (and massively chalky).

Have you ever had a product which the whole world seemingly loves, but you’ve not had the same results? Tell me below…

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