NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

Yes, I love tinted moisturizer. The first one I used was twelve years ago and it was from Stila. It was adequate but when the brand took a different turn I lost complete interest. Then came the infamous Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer/Face Primer combo. It was love! But I think the love was more for the face primer. The tinted moisturizer was fine - had built in SPF 20 and didn't make me break out but the color was somewhat off and it made my forehead ashy. I would apply this everywhere except my forehead. I would just slather on extra SPF and applied bronzer at my hairline.

It wasn't really a loss since I found my recent favorite foundation, Chanel Perfection Lumiere. But on days (weekend) that I want less coverage even that lightweight foundation feels a bit much. I am so thankful I was given a sample of the latest NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer.

Image provide by www.nordstrom.com

I love this stuff. I was sad that my sample was gone in a week. Why do I love it? Well it has a built in SPF 30/PA +++ and still provides enough coverage without making my face feel cakey. It absorbs quickly and my skin feel comfortable. This moisturizer also claims to help reduce the appearance of discoloration and dark spots in just four weeks. I guess, time will tell as I'm only on week two and I haven't noticed anything different about my complexion just yet.

Kopara from French Polynesia (flat, gelatinous sediment found on the bottom of shallow lakes located on the  rims of the French Polynesian atolls) hydrates and improves skin's texture while mineral rich sea water revives and smoothes the complexion promoting a natural, brighter tone of the skin. This is also synthetic fragrance free but I keep thinking I smell a very light skincare type of scent. It does fade pretty quickly.

Honestly, I just love the color. Here's a color comparison:

Left - NARS Annapurna
Right - LM Caramel

Annapurna is medium with a peachy tone while Caramel is a light tan and best suitable for olive complexions. I do not have an olive complexion but for some reason I always thought I did. The peach undertone is suitable for my yellow undertones. Plus, my oil-free LM tinted moisturizer only contained SPF 20.

Even though this is a multi-tasking tinted moisturizer, it is recommended to use a primer beforehand to make sure this formula lasts the entire day. There are nine shades in this collection and I'm still shocked that I found a suitable color. Some brands offer more color options and I still had a hard time finding a perfect skin match.

So like I said time will tell if this moisturizer lives up to the claim but till then, I'm just happy that I eliminated my SPF step in the mornings and I can actually apply this to my forehead without worrying about my forehead looking gray!

This was purchased by yours truly at my local Nordstrom counter, $42/USD (price is also comparable to LM tinted moisturizers).