We all know about those Cult Favorites, the ones that every beauty blogger seems to have in their stash. The NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer is one of them. I’ll admit I’m a total fan of the product itself, but I’m not a fan of the price. I simply don’t use it often enough to justify the cost. So when a possible dupe comes along, you can bet I’ll test it out.
Enter the Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer. I guess this has been out for a few weeks now but has just recently come up on my radar. So I took advantage of the long weekend and stupidly braved the crowds at the mall to swatch it. And we’re talking back to school + holiday weekend sale + return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte crowds. It. Was. Insane. This little tube had better be a winner.
Consistency + Blendability
Honestly, I couldn’t tell the difference between the formulas once I got them out of the tube. They both have a lightweight consistency that doesn’t feel too heavy and blends out well without harsh edges. Once it dries and sets, the finish feels pretty velvety, almost like a second skin.
Longevity + Wearability
I pulled a two face and wore one on half my face, and the second on the other half. Additionally, I kept the square swatches on the back of my hand for the day. I didn’t really notice much of a difference in longevity – both were able to last for hours without flaking, drying out, smudging, or unevenly wearing off.
At the end of the day it looked like the NARS had settled into my pores more and appeared a bit more cakey. That being said, it might have just been more noticeable since it the shade is not as good of a match as the Sephora one was.
Packaging + Price
Aside from the square tube vs. round tube, the packaging is pretty similar in terms of function. Since the tubes looked the same to me just by eyeballing it, I was really surprised to find out there was such a difference in size. The NARS weighs in at .22 ounces at $29, where the Sephora is .14 ounces at $14. So while the first costs more, you also get a bunch more product. The other difference would be the shape of the applicator, NARS has your standard doe foot while Sephora has a “domed” applicator which reminds me of a non-angled doe foot. I’ve been preferring the domed shape since it doesn’t carry *too* much product and is a good shape for working around my under-eye area.
Range Of Shades
The Bright Future has about twice the available shades as the NARS counterpart, so it was a lot easier for me to find a shade that matched my undertones. In the NARS I wear the shade Vanilla, which is just a little too pale for me – especially in the summer, but better too light than too dark. However, I was able to find a much better match with the Sephora option. I picked it up in the shade 05 Parfait (Light with cool/slightly pink undertones – booyah). The color descriptions online are not helpful in the slightest, so if you can make it in the store to swatch test you should.
Hands down the new Sephora release is a complete dupe for the NARS Radiant Creamy concealer. That being said, don’t forsake your NARS tubes just yet, since it’s twice the price but also twice the size as the Sephora option, it holds its own in the cost arena. However, if you’re like me and there isn’t a NARS shade that’s a perfect match – or if you can never actually make it through the tube before it goes gunky – then definitely go for the Sephora option.
Shop this post: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla, Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer in Parfait.
♡Em
