NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and Soft Matte Complete Concealer Review

Think of this pair as the tiniest ever capsule wardrobe of concealers – the only two you will ever need

If you’re struggling to understand why you would use more than one concealer at a time, think about how different the skin is under our eyes to the skin anywhere else on the face – much drier and finer. Then there’s the fact that we are so wonderfully expressive with our eyes, which makes this area one of the first prone to crepiness. So a matte concealer you might use to cover areas of your skin that foundation isn’t enough for is going to look woeful under the eye, and will only draw more attention to exactly what you may be trying to disguise. Equally, a luminous, more slippery concealer is not what you want to knock back how noticeable a pulsating red spot is.

The simplest way to think of this pair, then, is that the Radiant version is for under eyes, and Matte is for everywhere else. If your budget permits you to get both, I’d encourage you not to limit yourself to only using the Matte option on the rest of your face. Makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes, who is known for her playful technique with makeup and her barely covered, glowing complexions, often strategically uses concealer in place of any foundation at all. If you have the patience, you can use either of these NARS options to follow suit. Thoughtfully dabbing concealer here and there will never be as fast or easy as applying two pumps of foundation and smearing all over, but it will give you a beautiful, and very natural, finish.

If I am heading out for a special occasion, the only face makeup I take with me is the very convenient travel size version of the Radiant concealer. A couple of tiny dots of that blended out quickly with a small, densely packed fluffy brush (specifically, the Expert Concealer Brush by Real Techniques, always and forever) will fix up any flaws that may appear as the hours pass. It has an excellent sized, angled doe foot wand, which allows you both to get into all the nooks and crannies, and to apply to large areas of face.

Of course, the Radiant concealer comes into its own under the eyes. It has a high level of pigment, so covers even my own purple circles commendably, yet its creaminess means it is designed not to settle into the lines we invariably have in that area. Having said that, if you do you get very dry or crepey under your eyes, there’s a trade off you’ll have to make for this level of coverage. (Sure, you can use something with less pigment that has a lighter texture and won’t settle into lines at all, but then you haven’t done what you set out to do in the first place.) If this is you, as ‘tis me, I’d recommend going in with plenty of eye cream first. The La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Eyes is one I use regularly under makeup as well as on its own, and for these pre-concealer purposes it works a treat, despite not being overly rich.

Also, when it comes to applying concealer under the eyes, remember that less is more, and that you need to be patient with blending. This one does blend easily, so just pop on a small dot or two, blend it out, and then take stock and apply more only if you need. Applying too much is a sure-fire way to erase discolouration, fine. However, doing this means you will see all of the texture, and that’s probably not the effect you were after.

I haven’t used the Matte version nearly as often since my acne made way for my rosacea – universe giveth, universe taketh, and all that – but it really is the GOAT for concealing significant redness, whether or not that takes the form of a bulbous monster or seven. Lisa Eldridge’s video sharing her pinpoint concealer technique is a wonderful help for application tips.

In terms of these concealers’ lasting powers, this will depend on your age (read: oil factor), skin concerns, and even whereabouts on your face you’re planning to use them. I really don’t think you’d need to powder the Matte concealer, but you do with the Radiant one if you want it to last.

I wear both versions in the same shade, Vanilla. If I have heavy fake tan on, then it’s Custard.

I do have one small gripe with the entire NARS makeup collection. Suave as the signature black rubberized packaging is when you first take it out of the box, no matter how carefully you use it, it will end up looking grubby. I try to tell myself the effect is all very ‘working makeup artist’, but in my heart of hearts, it’s not my favourite.