NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly (vs. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer)

I don't normally do anything as stupid and shell out 26€ for a concealer, though it has happened before (YSL Anti-Cernes multi-action concealer, which is lovely might I add and was 5€ cheaper back in 2006), but being super pale means finding a matching shade is about as rare as hen's teeth. So I treated myself for my birthday with the lightest concealer I have found to date - NARS Radiant creamy concealer in Chantilly.

Right off the bat I noticed how similar it is to Collection's Lasting Perfection concealer, especially for something that costs about a fifth of the price of NARS' concealer (or a little less than a half for someone like me who has to order it on eBay). But more about the comparison later in the post.

Texture: Super creamy, pigmented and very blendable, though it needs something underneath that has a bit of moisture be it a moisturiser or a moisturising foundation. Dry, matte skin won't allow this to spread and blend as nicely, resulting in it looking a bit patchy.  

Staying power: Just like Collection 2000, this lasts pretty much all day. It outlasts all the foundations I own apart from Estee Lauder Maximum Cover.

Coverage: Is almost full and buildable. It covers the redness and circles under my eyes completely as well as any blemishes. It takes a few layers to cover any dark freckle that I have, but even then it's not perfectly covered, though it's good enough for me. 

Finish: It leaves a satin-matte finish and I don't tend put powder over it unlike with other concealers. It doesn't settle in lines or crease.

Packaging: A simple tube with a doe foot applicator. The doe foot makes it easy to apply where you want and the amount you need. My only gripe is the rubberised cap (NARS' signature) which gets dirty super fast.

I went on and compared it too most foundations and concealers I own at the moment (well, as much as I could fit on my arm). When I was researching online, which shade to get, there weren't many helpful comparison pictures apart from the ones with shades within the Radiant Concealer range, which drove me mad.

• Chantilly is closest to Missha's M Signature Complete BB cream in #13, which is currently the best match for me, but it's still lighter. 
• Compared to Rimmel Match Perfection in 010 Light Porcelain and essence match2cover (the lighter shade of the two), it's lighter and more yellow toned. 
• It's a lot lighter than Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in fair (their lightest shade available), Maybelline's the Eraser in Fair and Bourjois Healthy Mix 51. 
• Mac Face and Body N1 is ridiculously dark compared to Chantilly.  

Comparison with Collection Lasting Perfection concealer: I wore both side by side a few days in a row, using different foundations and BB's underneath to properly test it.

I wore both, one on each side of the face and I don't notice any difference in coverage, how they sit on the skin or how they wear off.

• They both offer pretty much full coverage, the difference is in how much product you need to achieve that. NARS' has more coverage and is creamier making it a bit easier to blend. But you can get the same amount of coverage with Collection 2000. You just need to add a few more dots of the product or add another layer (and I think everyone can live with that, right?). 
• The finish is spot on, the same satin-matte one and both have a tendency to cling to dry skin (something moisturising underneath fixes that problem). 
• The only difference is that by the end of the day NARS' concealer lasts longer and look brighter, while on Collection's side the redness under my eyes already peeked through (which could also be a result of a difference in shades with the NARS being obviously lighter).

Here is a side by side comparison. I kept the pictures large if you want a closer look. You can also see a full-face version of me wearing both concealers here (the picture is too large for here, besides not every one wants to see my scary mug).

There is a difference in shades, but that's it. However, for a Snow White like me, there aren't many such light shades and this one fits me perfectly at the moment, especially when I wear it with Missha's BB, Dior's BB or Rimmel's Match Perfection, and that's why for me it's totally worth the money. I love it especially for under the eyes as it makes that brightening effect on me, which makes me look rather fabulous. Obviously, if you found a colour match in Collection 2000 range, honestly you don't desperately need NARS' Radiant Creamy concealer, but it is a great product to have.

Radiant creamy concealer is an excellent product, though, I still prefer the more natural looking texture of my beloved Maybelline the Eraser (I wish they made such a light shade), but Chantilly is still my little dream come true. As soon as I get a bit tanner this will be too light for me as well.

I bought NARS' Radiant Creamy concealer from HqHair for 26 € (21 £) and Collection's Lasting Perfection concealer of eBay for 12 € with shipping from a seller that doesn't exist any more (but I'm certain you are able to find one yourself) and it's sold in UK's Boots and Superdrugs for 4.19 £.

By the way, there is another fabulous concealer I tested in the shop (applied it under the eyes and the whole shebang) and I think it's one of the best concealers I ever tried. It's Clarins' Instant Concealer, however, the lightest shade is much darker than NARS' Chantilly (it's also pink toned, so maybe closer to Vanilla and Collection's Fair? I could be wrong). For anyone who doesn't have access to NARS or even Collection 2000, but can afford a high price tag, go check it out.  

Have a great day!

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer

I wanted this concealer for so long and had so many problems getting it, but it was worth it. First, I couldn't find a seller on eBay that would ship it to Slovenia, so I asked my friend, who was just going to London if she could get it for me. She couldn't find a single Superdrug where it wasn't sold out. I gave up and bought EL Maximum Cover instead. Of course I had to shell out 40€ for it, but I'm not sorry. Then in end of January, I finally ordered it on eBay and the package got lost. Fortunately, the seller refunded me and I ordered it again from another seller. This time it took only three days to arrive, I guess I had to get lucky sometime. It is a great concealer, especially for spots. I haven't found a drugstore concealer with so much coverage. Too bad it's not sold in Slovenia, I suspect it'd be a best seller.

Coverage is almost full, it's definitely full with two or more layers. It's great for covering blemishes, redness and other imperfections. It covers circles very well, however, I prefer Maybelline's the Eraser Eye for under the eyes because it looks like skin and is brightening. In terms of coverage it's close to Maximum Cover, however, the latter has more coverage and you use far less.

The texture is creamy and thick, it blends nicely both with fingers and a brush. The finish is matte and  it's not particularly moisturising. I like a bit more moisturising concealers for under the eyes, so if I feel I need more coverage, I put Collection 2000 on first and then Maybelline's the Eraser eye on top to brighten it a bit and to avoid it looking cakey. Because it sets matte, it can look cakey on dry skin, but this becomes more of an issue when it's wearing off. If your skin is dry, I suggest using a heavy moisturiser underneath. 

Staying power is amazing for a drugstore concealer. It outlast all of my foundations apart from EL Maximum cover. My only problem is that sometimes it can look patchy when it wears off.

It have the lightest shade called 1 Fair which is a very light shade with neutral to yellow undertones. It's definitely not as yellow as Essence Stay with me 10 or Healthy Mix 51.

Packaging is a slim tube with a doe foot applicator. Like so many reviewers, I noticed that the writing wears off fast.

When I first got it, it reminded me a lot of Essence Stay All Day concealer. The texture is similar, however, the Collection 2000 one has a lot more coverage

As I said I bought it on eBay for 9€ with shipping. It's sold mainly in the UK in Superdrug.

No foundation, just concealer:

This is a lovely full coverage and long lasting concealer that works well especially for covering spots. It's exactly what I've been looking for covering blemishes, but I couldn't find in our drugstores. I'll definitely keep it in my bag for on the go. 

New In #1

These are the things I bought in February and the beginning of March, so I've had a few products for a while now and there will be full reviews for some things in the following months. If you have any request for which ones should I do first, leave a comment. 

Tigi s Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray Heat Defender

I repurchased my favourite heat protectant for my dry hair. I did a review here.

Balea Dry Shampoo

 I got this because it was a lot cheaper than Syoss  (the one I usually use). The scent is nice, but I find this one does leaves my hair a bit white and that doesn't happen to me when I use Syoss. I'll go back to my old favourite.

Tigi Catwalk Sleek Mystique Blow Out 

I got this when Cheapsmells had an offer on Tigi. I normally use Redken Anti Snap for heat protection, but that one has proteins in it and it's not a good idea to use it all the time. This reminds me of John Frieda Brilliant Brunnete Shine Shock, because it has shimmer in it. I don't notice my hair being sleeker with this, but I've only used it once so far.

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque

This is such a hyped up product and sorry to all who love it, but this is average. It's no where near as moisturising as Tigi S Factor Serious conditioner or Joico K-Pack Hydrator and Joico Moisture Recovery Treatment balm, but more about it in the review.

Bioderma Sensibio Micelar Water

Another repurchase. I've been using it almost every day for the past two years. I love this stuff.

L'Occitane Honey Foaming Gel 

It has a gorgeous honey scent and is basically the same thing as the discontinued Honey Harvest Foaming Jelly.

L'Occitane Ambre eau de Toillete 

a warm, balmy, amber-vanilla scent. It smells very comforting, snug and slightly smokey at times, but not sweet. I absolutely love the bottle, it looks so classic like something you would find on a vanity from the 1920's.

Calvin Klein Euphoria Blossom 

I got this for Valentine's Day and it was 50% off in DM. I have two other Euphorias which I love, but blossom is very different than the original. To me it smells like pomegranate and spring flowers, basically a great fragrance for Spring.

 My growing CK Euphoria collection, I have this picture as my screensaver.

Missha Signature Real complete BB cream 

It reminds me of Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, which is my favourite foundation, but with an SPF. The shade 13, which is really, really light matches me perfectly right now. I suspect it will be one of my favourites, but I have to give it a proper test.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer 

A very hyped up concealer and for a reason. This has high coverage and is superb for blemishes, however, I still prefer Maybelline the Eraser for under eyes.

Catrice Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner 

It's not as siliconey as I expected it to be, I liked the Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector by Clinique more. I'm not that impressed by it.

TonyMoly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar

The cutest tinted lip balms ever! I'll do a review soon, but these are  nicely moisturising with a decent pigmentation.

I also ordered the following:

 - Rimmel Apocalips in Stellar
 - Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil
 - Nyx blush in Taupe
 - Milani Liquif'Eye eyeliner in Gold

 - Nyx Rouge Cream Blush in Natural

Man those are some slow packages. I ordered the NYX and Milani stuff on my birthday at the end of January and there still no sign of it. I don't know why I even bother ordering from Cherryculture, I've had problems with them before, one of the packages got lost and arrived after four months. When will I learn!

Apocalips and Beauty Oil were supposedly shipped on 28.2. from feelunique, I'm not worried yet, but it's sure taking it's time! I've had packages from UK arriving in three days, but usually it takes six days.

Thanks for reading!