NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer: Dark Circles Are No Match

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer is the best cream concealer at Sephora.

I don’t know about you, but finding a full coverage concealer that doesn’t crease, hides my dark circles, and looks natural seems impossible. NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer is an award winning (Glamour, ‘Best Concealers’ of 2020) matte alternative to the beloved NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, which is one of my favorite concealers. My struggle area is my under eyes, so I am always on the hunt for the best concealer for dark circles. Did this one fit the bill? Keep reading to find out. 

Promises vs. Performance: Can a full coverage concealer be natural looking?

Soft Matte Complete is a cream concealer that claims to be a full coverage, matte, oil free concealer that instantly blurs, smooths, and evens skin tone. According to NARS’ website, this concealer will hide dark circles, dark spots, redness, and even breakouts with a natural finish that lasts all day. Two main ingredient complexes work together to achieve a soft focus look. First, Optimal Diffusion Powder works to “maximize light diffusion with spherical surface powders designed to absorb and refract light for soft focus perfection.” Then, there’s the long term benefit of the Antioxidant Daily Defense, which contains vitamins A, C, and E in addition to the already added hyaluronic acid and peptide cocktail for hydration.

At Sephora, I tested out a few different shades in store as this concealer has an extensive 34 shade range. I ended up picking the shade Light 2.3, Madeleine, which is described as “for light skin with neutral undertones.” As I mentioned above, my biggest concern is concealing my dark circles. I tried two different application techniques and, honestly, didn’t prefer one over the other. For one eye, I used a fluffy concealer brush and for the other just my fingers. Both flawlessly blended out the concealer, leaving behind the soft matte, natural finish NARS promised. And a creaseless under eye area. Because my skin tends to lean oily, I did set the concealer with a loose finishing powder. After 12 hours of wear, this concealer was still hiding my dark circles! It had no cracking, and virtually no creasing. I’d say that’s pretty impressive! 

Quick Rating Rundown

This Product

(4.5)

:Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer

Price: $30.00

0.22 oz

Value

(4.5)

Application

(4.7)

Coverage (full)

(4.5)

Texture (matte)

(4.5)

Longevity

(4.4)

Shade Range

(4.7)

Extra Benefits

(4.2)

Similar Product

(4.2)

:Hynt Beauty Duet Perfecting Concealer

Price: $28.00

0.21 oz

Value

(4.5)

Application

(4.6)

Coverage (full)

(4.5)

Texture (natural)

(4.5)

Longevity

(4.3)

Shade Range

(2.2)

Extra Benefits

(4.5)

MILABU PICKS

(4.5+)

:Best Concealers Worth Every Penny

Price: $11 – $38

various

Value

(4.5+)

Application

(4.5+)

Coverage

(4.5+)

Texture

(4.5+)

Longevity

(4.5+)

Shade Range

(4.5+)

Extra Benefits

(4.5+)

^{Our Rating Criteria}

How It Compares: It’s hard to beat this full coverage concealer.

NARS did an awesome job at making a full coverage concealer look natural. Soft Matte Complete Concealer flawlessly blurs and hides imperfections, creating a smooth finish that lasts all day. Retailing for $30 and coming in 34 shades, this concealer wins the number one spot for cream concealer in the professional grade category and has more than 2,000 four star reviews. Crease proof, oil free, and hydrating sounds contradictory, but NARS made it happen. I definitely recommend this concealer if you need a high coverage concealer that lasts all day long.

Milabu Beauty Method: Bye, bye dark circles, redness, and blemishes!

I have a few best practices to share for applying the NARS Soft Matte Concealer. 

1. Using fingertips (for under eyes, remember to use your ring finger, as it applies the least amount of pressure!), apply the concealer directly where you want coverage. 
2. Before blending in, I recommend letting the product sit on the skin to warm up for about 30 to 60 seconds. This not only makes it easier to blend in, but it also provides a bit more coverage. 
3. There are two ways to blend, either with fingertips or with a brush. I don’t prefer one method over the other and find both provide flawless coverage. 
4. Set the under eye area to prevent any creasing and cracking. 
5. Add setting powder to other areas as needed. Setting powder increases wear time. I recommend always setting, especially for my oily skinned friends!
6. Ta-da! Flawless, soft matte coverage that NARS promises.