NARS Tinted Moisturizer Review

When word of this hit the internet that NARS was FINALLY releasing a Tinted Moisturizer to the make up market well "Ecstatic" is a word that can adequately describe how I felt on this long awaited launch

I've used this for about 3 weeks now and have finally come to an opinion. I have read the upcoming growing amount of *glowing* reviews for this product but honestly, initially it was not love.

( Trust me, I was the MOST surprised at this realization)

Texture:

The texture of this is thicker than Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer. It's spreadable and bendable.

Coverage:

The coverage of this Tinted Moisturizer is also higher than Laura Mercier's in my opinion. I know many people love LM's TM because of it's higher coverage in comparison to other TM's on the market, well this beat it.

Moisturization:

Thumbs up for my combo skin. I normally have combo skin, that is normal in winter, and oily as heck in the summer but I have 1 dry spot on my face. The area between my nose and my upper lip is dry (randomly)

Whatever foundations I would apply with powder by 6 hours time the area looked like it was dry, separating, and you can detect the powder easily

With this Tinted MOISTURIZER the 1 patch of my face stays looking hydrated and just normal! the whole day. This factor I love.

Finish:

The TM has a beautifully glowy finish. Not dewy. Glowy. If you have normal to dry skin I really would not powder because to me it looks like the optimal finish. If you have combo to oily skin, I would apply a sheer dusting of powder because that glow will resurface later, but over 8+ hours, it really does look glowy again, and I only blot around he nose. The rest of the face and T zone has a very nice and healthy sheen which I enjoy - but this is a personal preference

You can see the glow here, swatched on the middle portion of my hand

(The color is a bit dark for me at the moment)

Lasting Power:

This lasts over 8 hours on me which is what I expect from a Tinted Moisturizer, and I can confirm by hour 10-12 it doesn't look too shabby. It's not as good as the first 8 but definitely no need to really touch up

So everything so far sounds good, sounds like NARS! So why didn't I love it??

APPLICATION

I initially applied this with my hands. I would apply a few dots around my face and quickly pat with my fingers all over the face to spread and add a "HD" effect. The coverage was too high for me. This provided a full medium coverage on me, which I don't like. This was my only real flaw and again this is complete preference, but I usually buy tinted moisturizers to not look like I am wearing make up, and look incredibly natural. When applied with my hands I honestly think the coverage is medium and once lightly powdered I looked like I was wearing something.

Applied with the hands you can see the higher coverage as the spreading marks on my hands are visable

(center of the hand)

Keep on trucking! I wasn't going to give up on this just yet! I have tried a few brushes with this and have settled that the Sephora Platinum Airbrush 55 as my method of choice.

The HD air brush from Sephora provides a more sheer application that looks more skin like, just as glowy, and makes my skin still feel comfortable and breathable!

I also loved the finish with the beauty blender! A touch more sheer then the brush, but still so lovely!

I knew NARS wouldn't let me down!

Amount and Price:

The TM comes in 1.9 Fl Oz which is standard for a TM, but since this one provides such a higher level of coverage than others I have tried on the market I do find myself needing less product and believe this will last in the long run.

Size reference

The price is $42 in the US, which is LM's price category, aka foundation category, but again, the coverage is quite high for a TM, you do not require as much product.

Shades:

This comes in 9 shades, which is reasonable for a tinted moisturizer range. They don't have to be an exact match because they are supposedly "sheer" but they do have a nice light option and one for deeper skin tones which I can appreciate

I have the shade Alaska (shade 2) and it's a tiny bit too dark for me at the moment but 70% of the year it should be fine. I am an NC 25 most of the year.

Packaging:

I like the packaging! Tube design. Not glass, light, and easy to travel with. It's a snap top but it's a very secure snap! And the finish of the packaging doesn't leave as many finger prints as normal NARS items, so it doesn't look grubby after the first use.

Extras:

NARS has added bit's of extra skin care loving properties to this product including sun protection in the form of PA plus plus! It also is stated to have properties to help improve discoloration over time with regular use. Sounds good to me!

Repurchase:

The beautiful finish, the adaptable coverage, the promise of improving skin over time with proper sun protection, along with the convenient tube design! This is not my HG base but this is the best tinted moisturizer I ever tried, and I would repurchase!