NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer Dupes/Alternatives

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you would know that one of my favourite concealers is the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. I have tried a couple of drug store offerings and alternatives but the truth is; none comes close. I know a few people have likened the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer as a dupe for the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer but I don’t quite agree although they share some similarities. They do have very similar packaging which I quite like. The three concealers featured today include: The NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer and the Revlon Colorstay Concealer. I like all three concealers and use them for various purposes. The Revlon and Maybelline are really good drug store concealers and if you are not ready to splash out yet on the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, they are a good place to start.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer//Link

The funny thing is this was the first drug store concealer I tried when I got into blogging. It’s not the exact one because the one I got was a different shade and it’s long finished. I really like the packaging because it is so slim and sleek complete with a doe foot applicator. I really like concealers that have doe foot applicators because it makes it really easy to apply and there is no need to deep your fingers/brushes into them. The shade range used to be a bit wider (I think it still is online) but I only find three shades in store which is a little frustrating. It has a light texture but it offers a nice coverage. It gets absorbed easily into the skin and it can be blended well. I picked up the shade 35 which is allegedly for Darker Skin but I only use it as a highlighter around the bridge of my nose, cupid bone and centre of my forehead. The other shade I got a while ago (Shade 30) was a better match to my skin and I used it to conceal my blemishes. I usually set it with a setting powder because it does look a little shiney/sheeny.

Revlon Color Stay Concealer//Link

I am pretty sure you may be a little sick of hearing me talk about this concealer because it has been already featured here (full review). I clearly love this concealer and it is one that is repurchased on default. I am a firm believer in sticking to products you know that work for you and you love. I still try new products because we human beings are insatiable by nature (hahahaha, yes, it’s true-not all the time though). I love the shade match to my skin and it just blends in really well. It also has a doe foot applicator for ease of application. Sadly, the shade range is quite limited and my shade, Deep Fonce, is the darkest shade available in the UK. It can be used for any type of concealing but I mainly use it for under my eyes and it does a spanking job. It does not crease or settle into fine lines and it works well with or without a setting powder although I am inclined to use one. The texture is very light and the coverage is at best light-medium which I don’t mind at all especially as I use it as an under eye concealer.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer//Link

I put off purchasing this concealer for a really long time until December last year. It is clearly one of the most hyped concealers in the blogging world and with good reason. I have a full review here so I won’t ramble too much. It offers a medium coverage and can be used as an under eye concealer, for blemishes and for highlighting depending on what shade you choose. As the name suggests, it has a very creamy texture which is such a dream to apply and I absolutely love it. The doe foot applicator makes it really easy to use and prevents waste which is helpful as it ‘s an expensive product. This is another product I know I would repurchase and I currently have two shades because I use one for my darker blemishes and the other for the odd blemish or to highlight some areas of my face.

Comparison

	Maybelline Fit Me	Revlon Colorstay	NARS Radiant Creamy
Packaging	It has a slim sleek packaging which is portable	It has a cylindrical slim packaging which I love	It has a sturdy packaging which is still portable
Doe Foot Applicator	Yes	Yes	Yes
Texture	It feels very light and easy to blend/absorb	It is super light and easy to blend without hassles	It has a creamy texture which is a dream to blend and feels moisturising
Coverage	Light to Medium Coverage	Light to Medium Coverage	A good Medium coverage that can be built
Shade Range	Limited but good for a drug store (I think they are about 5-6 shades)	Very limited and they are only 5 shades. My shade is the darkest.	Wide range of shades to choose from and they cater to a variety of skin tones
As an Under Eye Concealer	I have experienced creasing as an under eye concealer and it just does not look/feel right	My favourite under eye concealer as it has a light texture, absorbs well and does not crease or settle into fine lines	I find it a little too creamy for an under eye concealer but I have used it a few times. It may crease if not well blended
As a Highlighter	It is lovely as a highlighter because it has some slight sheen to it that draws light to the needed area (or maybe it’s the effect of the shade I have)	It is fine as a highlighter but I don’t use it often as one because it is a little close to my skin tone	It is actually really lovely as a highlighter especially if you are contouring your face and you want some areas to stand out. It is best to have a lighter shade for this.
As a Blemish concealer	Based on the previous shade I had, it did a good job at lightly concealing blemishes but it was not very long lasting on my combination/oily skin	This concealer does not do much at hiding/concealing my blemishes because it has quite a light coverage and my blemishes are quite dark	This is my absolute favourite for concealing blemishes and it is long lasting, offers a good coverage and a dream to blend
Best Use in my Opinion	Highlighter (based on shade chosen)	Under-eye concealer (based on its texture)	Blemish Concealer (based on it coverage and longevity)
Cost	£5.99	£6.99	£22

Overall Thoughts

As mentioned earlier, I love these concealers and I use them for various purposes. I know I already mentioned that they are no absolute dupes for the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (well none I have tried so far) but these drug store offerings are a good place to start. They are 1/3^rd of the price of the NARS concealer. However, if you would like to treat yourself, I strongly recommend trying the NARS Radiant Concealer as it can be used in a variety of ways. That’s all folks. If you have any other dupes or requests for reviews, please leave them in the comment box. What’s your favourite concealer?
*Affiliate links may have been used above, Read my Full Disclaimer here.

NARS Lip Pencil Dupes + Swatches

                       
Last week I put up a post on MAC Velvet TeddyLipsticks Dupes and you all loved it. Today, I am comparing NARS Lip Pencils and Maybelline Velvet Lip Pencils. I already spoke about the NARS Lip Pencils over here if you are interested. The Maybelline versions have also been previously reviewed here but I have added a whole lot more to my collection since that review. So, let’s crack on...

Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencils

I am in love with majority of Maybelline makeup and these Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencils definitely sealed the deal for me. Everyone and their mamas have sung praises for these lip pencils and it’s with good reason. They apply really well on the lips and they have such an amazing formula. I find that the brighter colours definitely have a velvety feel compared to the lighter/nude colours and this affects their application and lasting power on the lips. I picked up the Nude/lighter colours which include Minimalist, Nude Perfection and Love My Pink (all reviewed here) and then I went back for more because they were fantastic. I picked brighter/bolder colours for A/W and Spring and the shades include: Red Essential, Fab Orange and Keep It Classy. They only cost £4.99 and I can boldly say they are one of the best I have tried in the drug store.

NARS Lip Pencils (Satin + Matte)

When I received an email from Sephora Beauty Insider saying these NARS Mini Lip Pencils were birthday freebies for January, my heart skipped several beats. I really wanted to try these pencils but I definitely did not want to part with £18 without testing it out first. I got one Matte shade (Cruella) and one Satin shade (Rikugien) and I have a full review of these pencils here. Their pigmentation is insane and it applies like a dream. The Matte version is slightly more pigmented than the Satin version (based on the two products I received) but I love both of them. I have already made a wish list for  more shades I would love to try.  They retail for £18 a pop but these were the mini versions which I quite like. (I love anything mini)





NARS Velvet Lip Pencil (Cruella) vs Maybelline Velvet Lip Pencil (Red Essential)
I considered comparing different colours from both brands but I don't own many NARS Lip Pencils (I only have two) and the only proper dupes in my collection are the red shades; NARS (Cruella) and Maybelline (Red Essential). Honestly, they look so similar and I almost didn't remember which was which when I swatched them at the back of my hand. However, there are a few slight differences apart from their cost.

Features	NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (Cruella)	Maybelline Velvet Lip Pencil (Red Essential)
Shade	It is a true red shade with cool undertones	It is also a true red shade  but with neutral undertones (in my opinion)
Formula/Texture	It has a Matte finish but it definitely feels velvety on application	It has a Velvet (almost satin) finish which makes it noticeable different to the NARS version
Size	Although this is a mini size, the full size is longer than this.	This is the actual size of the pencil and it is shorter than the NARS full size version (although it’s about the same size as the NARS minis as shown in the pix)
Application	It applies really well and feels soft on the lips; you just have to glide it over your lips	It applies relatively well on the lips but the pencil in itself is not as soft as the NARS version
Pigmentation	The pigmentation is insane; it’s really incredible.	The pigmentation is really good and I think it may be one of the best drug store lip pencils I have tried
Longevity	Lasting power is about 5-6 hours but it may fade slightly (as expected) if you eat/drink	Lasting power is about 3-4 hours and it starts to fade especially around the inner perimeters of the lips.
Best Match	Although I tend to go for warmer shades of red and generally avoid cool toned reds,  the NARS Cruella looks really amazing on my skin tone and I think it may be a universal fit (just like Ruby Woo)	I think this is a neutral toned red and I believe it will suit many skin tones.
Cons	Needs to be sharpened which may lead to waste	Also needs to be sharpened and may get shorter more quickly than the NARS version (full size)
Cost	Full size retails  for £18 which is quite expensive	Full size retails for £4.99 but you can get it for less as it is always on offer in Boots and Superdrug.

Personal Thoughts
I absolutely love both of these pencils because they are amazing. I really have to commend Maybelline for putting in such good effort to develop a drug store version of the beloved NARS lip pencils. When I tried the NARS Lip Pencils, I instantly understood the hype and I think it's worth getting at least one pencil. The major difference between both pencils are the cost, lasting power and pigmentation. If you are on a budget, you should definitely  try the Maybelline version and if you are in a #feelingspendy mood or you want to give yourself a treat, the NARS Lip Pencils are the way to go. I hope you have enjoyed this comparison post and I have more coming up. If you have any suggestions, holla below in the comments box...toodles...xx

MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick Dupes

I recently reviewed MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick over here and it is one of my current favourite lipsticks. Before I finally got my hands on it, I tried a few drug store lipsticks which were rumoured to be dupes for MAC Velvet Teddy. I really like trying dupes because they give you a chance to find new gems which may even be cheaper and better. I picked up the Rimmel London Kate Moss 03 and the Collection Deluxe Charleston 03. They are all lovely lipsticks and they really look like MAC Velvet Teddy lipstick on first glance but when it is swatched you notice slight differences.



Collection Deluxe Charleston 03
I like Collection Deluxe Lipsticks because they are much better quality than the normal collection lipsticks. The shade Charleston 03 is a pinkish brown lipstick with a lustre finish. The packaging is really nice although I would not say it’s very sturdy. It’s quite light which is a good thing and the design is much better than the other lipsticks. I always need to use a lip liner with this lipstick. The wear time is average but it is a pretty colour and the formula is quite moisturising which is good given its cost. It retails for £3.99 but there are always offers as always.

Rimmel London Kate Moss 03

I have no idea why I never tried the Kate Moss range from Rimmel London as it has a wide variety of shades to choose from. I love the packaging of this lipstick a lot because it looks so classy (I say this about everything black, mind you) and much more expensive than it is.  I have other Rimmel Lipsticks which I really like because they are moisturising on the lips and have a good wear time. The Kate Moss 03 is a light pinkish brown shade with cool undertones. The pink is more of a cool pink as opposed to a warm one which is why it is not completely nude for me. It has a lustre finish and I think it is the shiniest of the lot. As always, I have to pair this with a lip liner and I find that the wear time is really good; definitely better than the Collection Deluxe Charles 03 but again, I really don’t mind reapplying lipsticks. It retails for £5.49.

MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick

I have already spoken about this here so if you would like a full review, pop on over here. It is a dusky pinkish brown shade with a matte finish but it’s not the typical matte finish. This one feels more velvety than MAC’s Ruby Woo and I don’t have any issues wearing it even when my lips are dry. I really like this lipstick and it’s a typical everyday lipstick for me (paired with MAC Cork Lip Liner as always) especially when I want to play up with my eyeshadow. It retails for £15.50.

Comparison of Shades

	Collection Deluxe Charleston 03	Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick 03	MAC Velvet Teddy
Packaging	Lovely package but it is not as sturdy as the other two	Classy Black Packaging which feels durable with the lovely Kate Moss signature in red	Classic MAC Lipstick packaging shaped in form of a bullet and it is very sturdy
Shade	Pinkish Brown Lipstick	Cool pinkish brown lipstick	Dusky Pinkish (almost mauve) brown lipstick
Finish	Lustre with a slight shine	Lustre finish with significant shine	Matte but definitely feels velvety
Suitable for:	Would look flattering for most skin tones but may look best on olive skin tones or darker skin tones.	Would look best on people with paler or cooler skin tones but darker skin tones can make this work with a brown lip liner	Definitely flattering for all skin tones; Lip liners closer to skin tones may make application better
Wear Time	About 3 hours but you can always reapply	About 4-5 hours; may be shorter if you eat or drink.	About 5-6 hours; as with any lipstick reapplication is needed if you eat/drink
Cost	£3.99	£5.49	£15.50

Conclusion

I guess the pictures speak for themselves; I am sure you would agree that they definitely look very similar. I would say the Collection Deluxe Charleston 03 looks the closest to MAC Velvet Teddy only because it has a warmer undertone compared to the Rimmel London Kate Moss 03 which leans towards a cool undertone. I hope this was useful. Have a lovely weekend and see you in my next post...x