20141219

Save or Spend? || Nars vs. Drugstore Creamy Concealers


When you suffer from hyper pigmentation like me, concealer is the most essential part of your makeup routine. For me I just always look like I have dark under-eye circles regardless of all the eye creams, tips and tricks. But can a drugstore creamy concealer stand up against the legendary Nars Radiant?


The Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (£4.19) was the first one I tried and I have to say I have mixed feelings about it! This only comes in 4 shades and Shade 3 was just too light for me, whereas the one I have (Shade 4) is a little dark and definitely has a neutral base. It works fine when I apply foundation back over the top of it but this is so time-consuming!

The shade aside, I do think that sometimes you can see a little under-eye darkness shining through. Though this works an absolute dream on blemishes and spots - I'd say the best of the three. I would say it is the most drying of the three and I have a pretty oily eye area.

I next bought the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (£5.99). In terms of the shades I had a similar issue and be warned the shade numbers do not run in any logical order! 35 (which I have) is far lighter than 30 so definitely swatch these in-store. This definitely has the lightest coverage (though it's still pretty good) and is the most fluid. I would recommend this more for dry skin as it's a very hydrating formula. This also has the best formula if you want to use a cream concealer to highlight with.


Finally I got the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (£22). For me this has to be the winner because it is halfway between the slightly dry/paste texture of the Collection and the very fluid Maybelline. The shade is also perfect and I do feel that when you buy a premium product part of what you're paying for is that shade selection. Personally I would still say it's a little thick and dry to use for highlighting but plenty of people seem to use it for this. For me it disguises dark circles and blemishes completely and creates the canvas for the more fun, colourful aspects of makeup! (See a before and after with the Sheer Glow Foundation here).

To be honest by the time I've added foundation on top of the two drugstore ones they all look very similar on, for me though the Nars just works right away with no downsides. The formulas are all a little different and for my skin type the Nars is the perfect in-between texture. Packaging doesn't really matter to me but the Nars writing doesn't rub off and it's glass, not plastic. The doe-foot applicator is largest on the Nars, followed by the Collection and the smallest is the Maybelline.

I'd say definitely give one of the cheaper ones a go. If you have oilier skin go for the Collection, for dryer skin go for the Maybelline. It will give you an idea of how to use a creamy concealer before investing in the Nars. If you really like one of the cheaper ones you've saved yourself lots of money!

Save or Spend?: It's a Draw! 

 


Don't forget to follow me on:

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

Don't forget to enter my giveaway here to win a high-end palette of your choice from Urban Decay, Nars, Charlotte Tilbury or Too Faced!


Share:

18 comments

  1. I really do want to try out the Nars concealer! It seems amazing. I have the Collection concealer and I really like it :)

    www.beyondthevelvet.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah the Nars is an investment but it s worth it for me! xx

      Delete
  2. I tried the Collection concealer but was to cakey on my under eye area and didn't found it so long lasting anywhere else. I haven't tried the Fit Me concealer, my favourite so far from drugstore is Wake Me Up concealer. I really want to try the NARS one, basically to see what's the hype about :) x
    Mummy’s Beauty Corner

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I found it a little cakey under my eyes and that it wore off - glad I'm not the only one! xx

      Delete
  3. Loved reading this comparison post! It's great to hear that NARS is the best out of all three, because I have been thinking about splurging on it for quite some time now so I think it's about time I treated myself in the new year :D x

    Beauty with charm

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah I think if it works for you it's well worth the money :) I went in store and they put it on me, I wore it the rest of the day and really liked it so went back and got it the next day. It's a good way to test it out before committing xx

      Delete
  4. I have used the collection concealer for years but it seems that the last few months it just does nothing for me and was thinking about trying the Nars one :)

    Pams Stuff and Things

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah it's one of those ones where my opinion on it constantly changes haha xx

      Delete
  5. The Nars one sounds great, i have both the Collection and the Maybelline one and i agree about the shade selection so i tend to mix them together.
    <3
    perfectfixations.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah that's a good idea actually - just so much effort! xx

      Delete
  6. The Nars one sounds amazing, I want to try a few things from Nars. I have the collection one and I love it, better than any mac concealers I have used x

    pintsizedbeauty.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never actually tried a MAC concealer! I definitely love the Nars though xx

      Delete
  7. i have the exact same problem with the collection concealer! i use shade 3 very minimally and blend it in with foundation but it's always going to be a little too light for me, i find the maybelline fit me concealer slightly better with shade range but drugstore/highstreet brands generally just don't cater to darker skinned ladies which sucks.. nice post!

    fashion, beauty and an existential crisis

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah this is exactly how I feel - I wrote a whole post on how crappy the shade selection is with drugstore brands! xx

      Delete
  8. I guess I'm the only person in this planet that really dislikes Nars concealer. I love the coverage it gives but after a little while, it starts drying badly and separating under my eyes. Maybelline Fit Me concealer all the way for me. :)

    Renata | Speaking Beauty UK

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww that's a shame! It didn't really do that to me, though the Collection one definitely does - and rubs off quite fast! I can see why the Maybelline would be good if you have dryer skin than me! xx

      Delete
  9. I definitely want to pick up the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, because I've heard so many good things! And I really need a good coverage, well-matching concealer and NARS seems to have the biggest shade range.

    Sheri | Behind The Frames

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, it's all very well the cheaper ones having good formulas but not if you can't find a shade match - that's one of the things you're paying for with a high-end product xx

      Delete

Thank you for your comment - I read and appreciate every single one :)

There's no need to spam - I will check out your blog if you leave a click-able link under a genuine comment!

If you have a question please check back for my reply or tweet me @jasminetalksblg

xx

© Jasmine Talks Beauty | All rights reserved.
Blog Layout Created by pipdig