NARS Creamy Radiant Concealer in Custard: Review & Swatches

Purchased by me

NARS suggests that their Creamy Radiant Concealer is, "a creamy concealer with hydrating, multiaction skincare benefits and light diffusing technology to create a softer, smoother complexion." 

According to NARS it is, 
Ideal for all skin types, Radiant Creamy Concealer is a multiaction formula that instantly obscures imperfections, blurs the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and hides dark circles and signs of fatigue. Hydrating and luxuriously smooth, it layers lightly for buildable medium-to-full coverage and a natural luminous finish. The multiactive botanical blend hydrates, firms, reduces redness, and strengthens the skin by helping its barrier retain vital moisture. It also delivers antioxidant protection to protect the skin against damaging free radicals. 

Skin becomes visibly smooth, soft, and more even-toned. Mineral tone balancing powder works to optically correct, not mask, imperfections to keep skin looking flawless. A single stroke of Radiant Creamy Concealer keeps the complexion looking fresh and creaseless. It goes on smoothly, blends easily, and stays in place all day. Comfortable and hydrated, skin glows with new radiance over or under foundation and looks beautiful—even when bare. 

This product is crease-proof, long-wearing, dermatologist tested, and non-comodeogenic. It is free of alcohol and fragrance. 

According to NARS, in an instrumental measurement moisturization test conducted on 61 women: 

- Skin moisture level jumped by 46% in the first hour of usage 

- Moisture level in the skin increased by 60.6% after 12 hours 

- 100% of women showed improvement in skin moisture level after 1 hour 

- 98% of women showed improvement in skin moisture level after 12 hours 

Sensory clinical test results: 

- 89% felt the product left skin looking firmer 

- 93% felt the product effectively concealed dark spots, blemishes, and dark undereye circles 

- 80% felt the product blurred lines and wrinkles 

- 97% felt the product provided comfortable wear 

- 95% felt the product smoothed out the surface of the skin 

- 93% felt the product was long wearing 

- 90% felt the product left a creaseless-finish 

- 97% felt the product was lightweight on the skin

My experience: First I have to preface this by stating that I am a huge fan of the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30, so I expected that I was going to feel the same love for this largely revered concealer, but I don't. I really want to, but sadly it feels very drying under my eyes rather than moisturizing. I have tried it by itself, I have tried it on top of extra eye cream, and the end result is the same- it makes my eyes look and feel dry. Furthermore, when it dries down, it itself looks dry. I have neither a dry, nor an oily under eye area- therefore the resultant dryness is a direct result of the concealer itself. The directions say to "blend directly onto imperfections or the under eye area" which I did. I tried it with my finger, with a concealer brush, and with the wand applicator, but nothing really seemed to make much of a difference. I also don't see any of the illuminating particles that are supposed to diffuse light, but perhaps one is not meant to actually see them. 

I will say that it does lend itself to opaque buildable coverage, and that it did a very good job in covering my dark circles. Additionally, I did notice a slight lifting effect, but my skin isn't slack under my eyes so I can't ideally evaluate the extent to which these claims are fulfilled.

Ingredients: 

Select ingredients and benefits:
-Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract and Tocopheral: Provide multibenefits to improve the overall condition of the skin.
-Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract: Increases skin hydration, firmness, and elasticity in eye area; provides antioxidant benefits; reduces water loss and skin redness/irritation.
-Titanium Dioxide, Mica, and Tin Oxide: Optically correct, not mask, skin imperfections to keep skin looking flawless; optically enhances the radiance and freshness of the skin by balancing uneven skintones.
-Silica: Blurs and optically reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by diverting light.

Made without Parabens, Sulfates and Phthalates 

Overall assessment: I wanted so badly to love this, but it dried out my under eye area. With as many people out there who madly love this formula, I have to wonder if I may have gotten a bad tube. It simply makes no sense that it is supposed to be moisturizing, and yet my experience has been the opposite.

Have you tried it? What is your reaction to the formula? Am I missing some key piece of the puzzle here?

$28.00 for 0.22 oz. Purchased from Sephora (Unaffiliated links provided for your convenience). Stock photo from Sephora.