Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer: A Review

It seems as if most girls are on a hunt for that perfect product. You know, the one that actually does everything it claims to, the Holy Grail (HG). Look no further than Nars' new Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 / PA +++. I've been repurchasing the same tinted moisturizer (Smashbox Sheer Focus) for over a year and a half now, and in the beauty world that means we were pretty much married. That is... until I purchased Nars' new tinted moisturizer (TM for short) on February 1st.

I've been wearing that TM every day since, and I am simply blown away by its accomplishments. Laura Mercier has long been revered as possessing the most coverage of the TM's, but I have to say this new offering from Nars blows Laura Mercier out of the water. Sorry, girl.

I was initially attracted to the product due to its high 30 SPF protection and PA +++ rating, providing a full-spectrum coverage of both UVA and UVB rays. I am pale as can be, and with a redhead father the sun can be my worst enemy. Plus, who really wants to deal with premature aging?


I was pleasantly surprised by several factors of this TM:

1) The scent – No traces of chemical sunscreen here. The TM smells so fresh thanks to its inclusion of naturally-derived fragrances from Peony, Violet and RoseWater

2) The coverage- This TM provides the most coverage of any TM I’ve ever tried, including Laura Mercier. It nearly completely covers up my spots of hyper-pigmentation, which is amazing. Most TM's I’ve tried merely cast a slight shadow over the spots. With a quick dab of concealer I’m ready to go. No more layering and layering thanks to this guy.

3) The finish – I am queen of the combination skin category, and this TM neither accentuates dry spots nor creates an oil slick in certain areas of my face. I highly recommend applying this with your fingers, as I believe it imparts the most natural and flattering finish. It feels very lightweight on your skin and has a pleasant dewey, NOT shiny, finish. I do not set it with powder and it lasts all day. I’m in fact surprised at how much my washcloth picks up by the end of the day.



I wear the lightest shade (also called Light 1) Finland. It appears much darker in the tube than it does once blended into your skin so I’d suggest trying to get a sample if you’re an in-between shade.

It is oil-free and has not caused any problems with my skin. The TM also claims to help fade hyper-pigmentation, and after 4 weeks of use my hyper-pigmentation seems to be fading, but then again, I’m currently using additional products for that issue so I can’t exclusively credit it to this TM.

I find this TM to be similar to the “BB Creams” that are out today thanks to the lofty claims, more coverage, and high SPF values. I’ve tried Dr. Jart’s two BB creams as well as Clinique’s and once again I think this TM out-performs all three.

TM in natural light
 Slight sheen on cheek is partly from Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose

The TM is 1.9 OZ ($42), comes in 9 shades, and while it was once a Nordstroms and Nars.com/Nars Boutique exclusive, the TM hit shelves at Sephora today!