Nars’s Tinted Glow Booster Is Shifting All My Cream Highlighters — Overview

Ahead of the pandemic struck, highlighter was among these products I’d scarcely ever go without. It had been as much part of my regular since concealer, blush, and eyebrow gel. Quite simply : Without it, my face felt weird. You know, naked somehow. Lately, though, I’ve found myself wanting a slightly subtler glow since I’m still staying home so much of the time, and well, just don’t feel the same desire to have disco ball cheeks (despite how much I adore them).

My go-to product for this has been the Nars Tinted Glow Booster, which is exactly what it sounds likea tinted gel-like elixir that boosts or enhances your complexion by giving it some — you guessed it — glow factor. It comes in four sheer shades that are meant to suit a variety of skin tones, but I prefer medium, a champagne-y gold hue with warm undertones.

In addition to what the brand calls its “Jojoba Hydraglow Complex,” which is largely made up of jojoba seed oil, the glow giver also contains glycerin and panthenol (a form of vitamin B5) to hydrate the skin, as well as shea butter for added moisture. It’s also made with mica, an ingredient commonly used in products to give them a shimmery or shiny effect. In this case, it offers a stunning natural-looking sheen, without being detectable on the skin.

That’s why I love this stuff so much: It really looks and feels like you’re wearing nothing. For instance, I am wearing it without anything else in this photo above, and as you can see, my skin still looks like, well, my skin. And that’s of course always the goal, folks.

As far as application is concerned, I usually just plop two pea-sized dollops of it on my cheeks and blend it outwards with my fingers. I usually avoid the forehead and chin areas as I tend to get shiny there throughout the day anyway, and thus don’t need the extra shininess. Also, every now and then, I’ll mix it in with my beloved Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint if I’m craving a little more coverage.

While I only stumbled upon this illuminator a couple of months ago while unpacking some of my makeup, it’s quickly become one of my favorite hybrid products to use. Not only does it leave my skin hydrated, but it also somehow makes it look glowy in a way that no other highlighters really have before.

Plus, it saves me moment. And even though we certainly possess plenty of which these days, it still feels more important than ever.

The Nars Tinted Glow Booster is available for $39 on narscosmetics.com.

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