Review: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

At the end of February, I picked up a sample of the NARS Pure Radiance Tinted Moisturizer in Finland (the color, not the country) at the NARS counter of my local Nordstrom (before it was in wide release).  I did a first impressions post here.  I loved the product, but $42 for something labeled a tinted moisturizer is pretty steep in my book, so I held off ... for a while.

Mid-March I went ahead and picked up a full size tube, again in Finland, the lightest shade.  Unlike a lot of tinted moisturizer lines which offer a very limited color range, the NARS line has a whopping 9 shades.  

NARS says that Finland is "Lightest with a neutral balance of pink and yellow undertones".  You can judge for yourself from the swatch below.  I don't think it's neutral.  I think it's yellow.  But sheered out, it looks fine on my pinky skin.

I was surprised by the fact that this tinted moisturizer actually moisturizes.  I've tried several that were just runny foundations.  But this formula is very hydrating on my skin.  It contains SPF 30, which I love.  I really try to wear at least SPF 50 on my face though, so I usually go ahead and apply my regular sunscreen under the tinted moisturizer.  It isn't ideal, but it works.

So I know this is called a tinted moisturizer.  I think that name is incredibly misleading, but in a good way.  The amount of coverage that I get from this tinted product far exceeds the coverage I get from some of my foundations.

I still get a little oily in the T-zone with this product, but nothing bad and certainly no worse than I get from my regular foundations sans primer.  I don't wear this every day, probably more like every other day.  According to NARS, this product is supposed to "reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and dark spots for a brighter natural glow."  I will say that I have noticed some of my hyperpigmentation improving.  I can't say for sure that it's because of this product, but it's possible.

I feel like I'm pussyfooting around the issue, so maybe I should just come out and say it.  THIS STUFF IS MAGIC.  Ahem.  I feel better now.  

The only downside is that it has a fairly magical pricetag as well, $42 for 1.9oz.  Compare that to NARS Sheer Glow foundation which is also $42 but for only 1oz of product and I guess it's not so bad.  The Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer is also $42, but for only 1.5oz of product.  Gah, I don't know.  I still feel like $42 for something called a tinted moisturizer is insane.  But at the end of the day, I do love this stuff.  And I do feel like even at this price point, it delivers.

Overall:  9/10

First Impressions: Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 / PA++

So this isn't a review per se.  I haven't given this product enough of a test drive to be able to say for certain that I love it.  But I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it.

I hadn't planned on writing this post and then this morning when I was trying my hardest to eek the last bit of product out of the tiny sample jar I picked up at Nordstrom last weekend, I figured I should own up to it.

The evidence:

It's getting warmer and going into spring/summer, I'm going to have to find a different foundation routine.  I've been using Neutrogena Healthy Skin foundation all winter and it has been fabulous.  But I think it's going to be too emollient for warm weather.

I'd heard great things about the Nars tinted moisturizer, so last week at Nordstrom I picked up a sample of Finland (the lightest shade).  I've been burned before many times with tinted moisturizer, but I have to say that this product is phenomenal.  Unfortunately it is priced accordingly at $42.  It's in wide release now, so you can get it just about anywhere - Sephora, Beauty.com, etc.

The product comes in a whopping 9 shades, so you shouldn't have trouble finding a shade that works for you.  This is especially helpful if you, like me, have been burned before by tinted moisturizers that just don't work on your skin tone. *cough* Origins VitaZing moisturizer *cough*.

The coverage from this product is on par with a foundation.  And it has a great level of SPF and it performs well as a moisturizer.  And a little goes a long way.  The sample I had was very small and yet I got three applications out of it.

And now, look at the pretty pictures from the press release: