Your skin - almost bare, but better. This advanced, oil-free formula provides a translucent veil of color and sun protection while helping to reduce the appearance of hyper pigmentation and dark spots in just four weeks.

a month ago while walking through the cosmetics department at Nordstrom, the NARS counter was previewing the new Tinted Moisturizer, so i stopped and picked up a sample.


it was crazy busy that Saturday at the counter and i was in a hurry because we were on our way to the movies. the MUA at the counter color-matched me and gave me a sample of Martinique. which in the bright, lights of the department store looked like a pretty decent match in the container. until i got it home...


let me start by saying that i never have a hard time being matched for foundation. i'm a true NC44/45 depending on the season (i know, i know nearly every WOC claims NC45). i wear Cadiz in both NARS Sheer Matte & Sheer Glow foundation, which i told the MUA that day. armed with that info i just assumed it would be easier for her to give me the equivalent in the tinted moisturizer. boy, was i wrong. i got home and this is what was in my sample container...

NARS Tinted Moisturizer in Martinique

i knew just by looking at it that it wasn't going to work, but i gave it a shot anyway because at the very least i could test and evaluate the formula to see if i liked it and get properly matched at a later date. 

let me start by saying that i love that NARS is offering consumers a tinted moisturizer that comes in a whopping 9 shades (let's face it most tinted moisturizers don't cater to deeper skin tones); but it seems the deeper the shade the more orange/red the shades are, which doesn't work well for a lot of WOC, we end up looking like Oompa Loompas. it is beyond frustrating that so many brands think that by adding more orange/red to a foundation it makes it WOC-friendly, especially from a brand like NARS that has a long tradition of doing right by women of color.

here's a comparison of what i normally wear in NARS foundations vs. NARS Tinted Moisturizer in Martinique...

top to bottom: Tinted Moisturizer in Martinique, Sheer Glow in Cadiz & Sheer Matte in Cadiz

aside from the difficulty in getting the right shade for my skin tone, i really do like the formula. it's oil-free, which is always a plus for those with combination and oily skin. i like the finish, it gives a glow, but doesn't make you look like a grease ball. it's a very natural finish that looks like your skin, but better. the formula is lightweight, but gives you medium coverage, which is good because if you do need to camouflage skin issues you can definitely do that with this tinted moisturizer.

although NARS makes claims that Pure Radiant will reduce the appearance of hyper pigmentation and dark spots over a period of 4 weeks, i haven't been using my sample consistently enough to notice a difference. i've worn it off & on over the last month, but not on a daily basis (mainly because the shade Martinique takes a lot of work to get rid of the Oompa Loompa effect).

that being said, i really am hoping that i can find the right match for my skin tone because i really like the formula. i could see it replacing my Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer this summer. it's. just. that. good.

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer retails for $42 and is available online through NARS. currently Nordstrom has the exclusive on sales of the tinted moisturizer, but it will be available at NARS counters in other department stores in March.

Disclaimer: this post/review contains an affiliate link (NARS), which gives us commission when you click the link and make a purchase.