NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer Review & Swatches
I’m hearing so many raves for the new NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer! I can’t believe how well received these are. Being a concealer junkie you know I had to get my hands on some and try them out for size.
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($28) launches next month in stores (I believe Sephora.com is already stocking them) and sound like a true dream concealer promising full coverage with a crease-proof, long wearing formula.
These are available in ten shade selections all of which, from what I’ve tested and seen, have a peach or yellow undertone. This type of undertone proves excellent for diffusing the look of dark circles.
Let’s take a look!
These come in a lip gloss style tube resembling NARS glosses with a black rubberized lid. User be aware, that lid gets nasty after a few uses. What is it with NARS their packaging? The applicator is a doe foot which saturates well with concealer and applies it easily.
The formula is an absolute dream to apply, use, and blend. This has a rich, creamy texture much like MAC Pro Longwear Concealer but far more moisturizing. At a glance it looks crazy pigmented so I applied a very sheer layer at first. After blending it out I realize, “wow, I need more!” so again I applied a bit more. It builds incredibly! You have no need to be frighted of over doing it as that proves impossible (this is a good and bad thing).
Coverage is very natural yet very sheer. Yeah, this is where my disappointment comes into play. I’m reading so many reviews about how incredibly pigmented this and how it provides fuller coverage but…I’m not seeing it at all. This is sheer and at best medium coverage but not full. You know I love and use It Cosmetics Concealer daily and I feel that brightens my eyes up, gives me a flawless finish, and diffuses dark circles, fine lines, and puffiness. Unfortunately, I’m not seeing any of those benefits with Radiant Creamy Concealer. I wanted a bright appearance but it didn’t exactly achieve that. It did conceal my dark circles ok but I think if you have heavier raccoon circles going on chances are it might not completely conceal them.
I think NARS perfected the formula of a concealer we all desire. It’s hydrating, it’s creamy, dreamy, easy to apply and blend out. It doesn’t crease, it has a second skin-like quality…but somewhere along the line the pigmentation got lost in translation. I just feel like I can slap a whole bunch of it under my eyes and proceed to blend it out to a sheer finish that doesn’t really do much for my eyes.
Custard
Ginger
Honey
Honey, Custard, Ginger
Now on my face I did not use it. I’m more about concealing under my eyes than anywhere on my face. On your face for spot coverage, etc…it’ll probably do ok once set with powder. However, as an under eye concealer I find it lacking.
I have very high standards for concealers and I’m very nit picky about them. I want them to conceal my under eyes issues as well as perfect and look flawless. Radiant Creamy Concealer just wasn’t doing that for me.
Overall, a little more pigment might have won me over….as of now I feel like they perfected the formula but the color pay off is a tad weak.
Anyone try it?
I’d really love to hear your thoughts!
Disclosure:
This review contains a sample
product sent for consideration by PR.
Read my full disclosure statement here.
Custard looks like it would be a fab match for u! It sucks that it isn’t pigmented, I am also a concealer junkie! I am waiting on my shills electric eyes concealer to arrive from sasa, I can’t wait!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t think this was full coverage. I’m a concealer junkie as well…while I do love the texture, I also find this to be quite sheer and definitely didn’t brighten. Very disappointing — I really wanted this. Usually when something has the word radiant in it, I think of that certain “glow” that I get from radiant products. I didn’t get this glow — at all.
I had the same issues wendy. I wanted a brighter look..they kinda just made me look tired? or maybe I was already looking tired and they didn’t really perk my eyes up
I’m reading all these incredible raving reviews about how pigmented they are and I thought I was crazy because I’m not seeing that. What an amazing texture, NARS got that down perfect but the pigmentation? That’s where it went down hill 
Agreed! And for the price? Pffft. Nobody is a bigger makeup snob than I LOL, but right now I’m loving Revlon’s Photo Ready Concealer. It covers everything — takes 10 years off my face (that still makes me over 40 sigh). Thanks for the great site, I read you everyday!!
I’ll be honest if it worked I wouldn’t mind paying $28, it’s just the sheerness really disappoints and that makes the $28 bucks hard to swallow…I’m kinda iffy about photo ready, I like it but I have to prep well with it. It’s kinda dry under my eyes. I really LOVE it cosmetics concealer! I can’t say enough good things about. Aw thanks Wendy, appreciate that
<3!
I’ve never heard of that brand….got a linky?
sure! review: http://www.musingsofamuse.com/2012/01/it-cosmetics-bye-bye-under-eye-concealer-review-swatches-photos.html and their website: https://www.itcosmetics.com/
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh thanks girl! I MUST haz it! LOL (gets out AMEX)
my pleasure!
I’m absolutely in LOVE with my perricone concealer, I think it covers very well, doesn’t crease, and brightens up my eyes beautifully. I was wondering how you could compare the two? Would you say it’s comparable or do you prefer one over the other?
Thanks!
Ditto on NARS’ packaging. I detest the greasy fingerprints I leave all over the case. But oh la la at at It Cosmetics concealer. I’ll definitely be ordering it over the weekend. So much for my makeup no buy/only shop after you’ve used everything up. So far I plan on buying this concealer along with the three Maybelline Electric blushes and some extra item to take advantage of the BOGO50% XD.
crotchfairy I think you’ll love the it cosmetics concealer ;-D it is awesome imho! ;D
Hi muse! which it cosmetics concealer do you use? and what shade? what shade in MAC mac pro longwear concealer are u if u have it? Thanks!
gaby not sure in mac shades but I’m a medium in it cosmetics concealer which I’ve been using daily for several months now. It’s currently my HG concealer
DAMMIT! I was so hoping this would be a winner for coverage. I am so sick of buildable crap.
IT Cosmetics covered NOTHING on me and was goopy and greasy and gross.
wow really? it cosmetics is so concentrated for me…a little goes a really long way. Did you use a brush to apply?!
re: the Muse:
wow really? it cosmetics is so concentrated for me…a little goes a really long way. Did you use a brush to apply?!
I tried with a brush, a sponge, fingers, another brush. It literally is clear, no coverage AT ALL. I even bought another tube to make sure maybe I didn’t get a bad batch, and another color…no such luck. It would not cover my circles at all. It would not dry. It would not spread. It creased horribly. It would not set. I had to mix it with something else that both dried down AND covered to get anything out of it.
wow…sorry ame
It works great for me, very pigmented! but different strokes for different folks!
I was bummed. I will give this a try but I am expecting it to be sadness as well.
ame update me, curious what you think!
I went this weekend and played with it, I don’t mind it but it’s going to require several coats to get the coverage I need. I am super sick of companies coming out with “buildable” concealers. Make the stuff opaque in one coat, dammit!
It is LOADED with silicones as well, so that might also be a dealbreaker. My color match for under my eyes was Vanilla. The rest of my face did well with Custard. By Saturday night when I went to play, Nordstrom was sold out. None of the Sephoras had it yet.
ame yeah
I was in love with the texture but not the pigment…sigh….it builds really well but I wanted full coverage also felt it didn’t brighten up my eyes ;(
Thanks so for the honest review!! I too was hoping for more coverage. I might test it out anyway. Have you tried Le Metier de Beaute Classic Flawless Finish Concealer (SPF 18) yet? Super spendy but seems like a winner.
i haven’t g but if you say it’s great I might have to ;-D I’m always looking for new concealers to try ;-D my pleasure….I gotta say they perfected the formula. so rich and creamy but the pigmentation wasn’t there for me
Hi Muse! Not sure if you missed my comment or not, but could you please let me know your thoughts of the perricone no concealer concealer vs. the nars one? I would love to know as The perricone concealer is my HG! I wanted to see if the Nars one can beat it
sorry karen! there aren’t really anything unlike…..formulas aren’t comparable at all. NARS is super thick and creamy versus the thinner consistency of Perricone Concealer. Perricone at least brightens eyes and gives them awake look, NARS doesn’t do that at all. Hope this helps!
I was going to get these this weekend but now I’m not so sure!
What’s your current fave (drugstore)concealer, Muse? I have dry eyes. And Ive read your new CG + Olay and Maybelline concealer reviews.Do you still like em?
I like both of those ch but at the moment I’m kinda on board with It Cosmetics so don’t really have a fab DS one
If you can find it, my absolute HG was Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer 
that stuff was AMAZING!
I think I might wind up passing on these, despite my initial excitement over them.
Cafe Makeup reported the same issue with coverage, to the extent that they suggested picking up a yellow-based shade for under the eyes to “diffuse” the black/blue tones on lighter skin. Bobbi Brown’s duo is the closest I’ve ever gotten to perfect coverage without layering different products, but even hers tends to crease into the lines beneath my eyes in certain weather. (My skin isn’t aged yet, either. I just have natural lines under there that I’ve had my whole life.)
Ugh. I’m thinking every beauty brand should be required to road test these on the worst dark circles possible before they call them “full coverage.”
I personally don’t want to use a corrector and a concealer, little too much product for me. I was kinda disappointed as the yellow based seemed like it would help with darkness but it is so sheer
LOL agreed!
I disagree! I think if you go for a slightly darker color the coverage is wonderful! I have very dark bags and i went with a color slightly darker than my skin tone but drastically lighter than my bags. Using it with the pro airbrush concealer brush makes all the difference in the world and blends beautifully with my skin tone! Make sure youre using a proper tool to blend it in and you’ll see its true potential!
hi sana happy to hear it worked for you! will have to try it out with the sephora airbrush concealer brush and see if it works for me better
I actually used it with the Sephora brush…it still doesn’t give me the coverage I need.
Thanks for the link Muse — I just orederd my IT Bye Bye Under Eye!
i tried this morning too but same thing..just doesn’t brighten up my eyes the way I want it too and def doesn’t conceal the things I want concealed
sigh. Oh well! can’t wait to hear what you think of it wendy, update me!? 
I definitely will — can’t wait to get it! Squee! LOL
yayyy!
I really love it. Have a back up on tap!
Welp Muse, when you’re right, you’re RIGHT!
it cosmetics concealer is da sh*t!
I LOVE IT! It covers EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A lil on the dry side, but I put a tiny dot of Estee Lauder night repair eye cream and it blended easily.
OMG easily takes 10 years off my face!
Thanks so much for the recommendation!
YES! winning! so happy to hear it Wendy so so happy to hear it! it really brightens up the eye area and completely covers all. They actually use it all over the face in some demos but I only stick to my eyes. might I recommend application as follows (I have dry eyes so can relate):
Eye cream patted on, squeeze a tiny amount on your hand, if you don’t have it GET the ELF Studio Concealer Brush, swipe it back and fourth on the little bit you have on the back of your hand, now swipe it under your eyes and pat into place. It’s the perfect way to apply without it creasing or looking dry ;-D
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/concealer_brush <–this brush
I definitely will! Thank you so much! Now you’re gonna be my makeup guru for life LOL!
lol so flattered thanks girl
I am so glad you like it. It’s been a HG for a while for me. I def try new concealers all the time but keep coming back to it 
!
Hi Muse! I have the cle de peau concealer but I find that it creases on me. How do you think it compares to the Nars or your HG it cosmetics concealer?
i kinda feel like it’s vastly different products awwrite, liquid and solid concealers kinda perform completely differently…hard to compare a liquid and a solid. I know my concealer doesn’t crease on me…perhaps better prepping? Good eye cream, primer, and powder to set? to prevent creasing?
Thank you! Do you have rec’s for those (eye cream, primer, powder)? Or do you find that those are not necessary when you find the right product?
i really like skin food salmon powder or the setting powder that comes in bobbi brown’s concealer palette, my fav concealer of the moment is it cosmetics
and I typically use Philosophy Miracle Worker in the PM and right now testing Clinique’s new eye cream which I use in the AM. I don’t think these items are unnecessary especially eye cream which you should use every single morning and evening anyway 
Excellent, thank you again!
my pleasure!
Hey Sweetie,
I Have to say I am absolutely in love with this product. It does completely cover any hint of darkness under my eyes, so I feel brighter and fresher. I was using Amazing Concealer with a dash of Touche Eclat to brighten. This is 10x better. I agree that I don’t see a radiant finish, but I’m thrilled to look so well rested. I hoping that it will live up to it’s crease free billing…time will tell!