Concealer Standoff: NARS Radiant Creamy vs [A'Pieu] Creamy Moist

Monday, January 16, 2017

Recently I made an order from the Korean website SweetCorea and my order included not one, but two shades of a concealer that I had been interested in for a while. Word on the street (ok, the internet) is that the [A'Pieu] Creamy Moist Concealer was a comparable offering to the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer but at a much lower price point.

The A'Pieu has very simple packaging, a doefooted wand in a clear, solid plastic tube.

from apieu.co.kr

Unfortunately I cannot find an ingredient list for the [A'Pieu], it didn't come with any list of any sort on the label, shrink wrap, etc. just the tube of concealer. I scoured other reviews but it doesn't seem like anyone else has chanced upon the ingredients either. The best I can find is a picture that suggests some of the main ingredients (my guesses; 3 kinds of moisturizers? wax, something, silica).

I guess we'll never know how the two are similar, content wise, but I can compare the look, feel and wear of these two products. Based on some other reviews, I thought #2 Vanilla would be a good match for my skin, I am in between NC20-25. It is too peachy and light for me, I would say closer to NC20 (and maybe even beyond, NC15) than NC25. I can't really use it to highlight, it just doesn't look great on me. #5 Sand is a much better match, maybe closer to NC25 than NC20. That's not great news for most people, as there are only five shades available. My very fair pals should definitely check out shades #1 and #2.

I find the [A'Pieu] to have really high coverage. Instead of using a flat concealer brush or my fingers to spread this concealer around, I like to dab this on my face and stipple with a synthetic, densely packed, flat top brush. Something like the Shisiedo Perfect Foundation Brush is just marvelous for this purpose. This keeps the product right where you want it, blended into the surrounding areas without sheering it out. One layer of this is usually more than sufficient, but you can let that set and repeat for more severe redness or hyper pigmentation. I think that the bouncing application is particularly good when trying to cover blemishes as brush strokes across healing acne can really draw attention to the little patch of skin around the zit.

The wear is very nice, I love how this concealer flexes with the face, no settling in pores or lines. Does not accentuate rough textures, it flatters. I like to wear this under foundation. Actually a lot of the time I find that it gives me just the coverage I am looking for and have found myself skipping foundation all together.

No face primer, no setting powder... just the labeled concealers on each respective side of the face.

The ingredients of the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer.

From the way both of the concealers set, feel, and wear, I would say that they are exceedingly similar. The A'Pieu is a touch more moisturizing and creamy feeling, the NARS dries a little more satin-matte and less forgiving. I prefer the A'Pieu, it just applies a little bit better due to the more creamy texture. It's also 1/4-1/3 the price of the NARS concealer, so there's that. However, there just isn't a very big shade selection to chose from, which is incredibly frustrating.

I really like how these concealers look very great on skin that dehydrates easily, yet also doesn't break down on the face at the first bit of sebum. Win-win.

Side bit: my first experience ordering from SweetCorea was great! My package was dispatched within two days of placing the order and it very quickly arrived in the U.S. where alas, it sat in customs for over two weeks. That's the reason I am frequently tempted to order single items from reputable eBay sellers (like bringbringshop), while the price of a single item is no doubt higher, I tend to get it quicker than as a part of boxed package. SweetCorea ships by weight, so I tried to get as close to 1 kg as I could to get the most out of ~$12 shipping.

Order from #SweetCorea arrived. In my defense, 90% of my yearly shopping is done during Q4😊. ⚡️Manyo Factory Travel Kit - amazing price for generous minis of a bunch of products I wanted to try. ⚡️The Face Shop Oil Clear Pact ⚡️illi Anti Aging Cleansing Oil - using the reformulation of my beloved Kose Speedy as an opportunity to embrace change.😐⚡️Apieu Milk Honey Sleeping Pack - dehydrated lips and I wanted something cheap to reach .99kg to get the most out of the $12ish shipping. ⚡️Apieu Moist Creamy Concealer in two shades - thought I could conceal with one, contour with the other. Couldn't find an ingredients list online. Or on the product, for that matter. ⚡️Aritaum Ginger Lip Scrub (freebie) - Good call! My dry, chapped AF lips thank you, kind stranger who packed my order. 😚 Order was dispatched within two days of ordering but sat in customs for over a week 😒 #kbeauty #abcommunity #rasianbeauty #skincare #apieu #aritaum #illi #manyofactory #instabeauty #bbloggers

A photo posted by Mimi (@makeupwithdrawal) on Dec 8, 2016 at 4:05pm PST

My cart came to .99 kg so I would say I succeeded on that front.

If you're not looking to make a big purchase from overseas, I would say order the A'Pieu from YesStyle (Under $8) or Amazon. The NARS Radiant Creamy can be purchased from any department store that carries NARS. The mini travel size concealer is $13 and exclusive to Sephora.

What's your favorite concealer at the moment?

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