Your browser's Javascript functionality is turned off. Please turn it on so that you can experience the full capabilities of this site.

THE GLOW-HOW

SHADE
MATCH LIKE
A PRO

March 4th, 2025

How to find your perfect foundation and concealer shades

The first step to beautiful makeup, according to Founder & Creative Director François Nars, is beautiful skin. For coverage that enhances, but never masks, finding the right shade match is essential.

Ahead, we share how to find your ideal foundation and concealer shades to achieve an iconic NARS complexion. Learn to identify your shade intensity, undertones, and more, featuring Light Reflecting™ Foundation and Radiant Creamy Concealer.

HOW TO
SHADE
MATCH

FIND YOUR SHADE INTENSITY

The first step to accurate shade matching is knowing your shade intensity. As an artistry brand, NARS is consistently evaluating shade assortments to ensure inclusive representation for the full spectrum of skin tones.

First, ask yourself a few questions: Do you consider yourself light, medium, medium-deep, or deep? Within that shade range, do you consider yourself towards the lighter or deeper end of the spectrum?

IDENTIFY YOUR UNDERTONES

Once you know your shade family, you’ll need to identify your skin’s natural undertone. You’re going to be either cool, warm, or neutral.

When wearing a white shirt, if rose, red, and blue tones are more pronounced, you have cool undertones. If yellow, peachy, and golden tones are more pronounced, you have warm undertones. If you see no change and your skin looks the same, you have neutral undertones.

Additionally, when skin is exposed to sun, those with cool undertones tend to burn easily, those with warm undertones tend to tan easily, and those with neutral undertones can burn or tan.

ADDRESS SKIN CONCERNS

Once you know your undertone, you can find a foundation that provides a seamless match. If you’d like your foundation to correct any skin issues, you may want to choose a foundation with a different undertone than your natural one.

If you want to neutralize redness or correct hyperpigmentation and have a warm or neutral undertone, go with a warm shade of foundation. If you have a cool undertone, use a neutral shade. If you want to counteract sallowness and have a warm or neutral undertone, go with a cool shade of foundation.

LIGHT
REFLECTING™
FOUNDATION

SEE SKIN IN ITS BEST LIGHT

“Foundation is the key to modern makeup. By balancing color without masking, skin looks flawless and healthy.” —François Nars, Founder & Creative Director

Light Reflecting™ Foundation, our award-winning formula, effortlessly encapsulates François Nars’ philosophy of naturally luminous, lit-from-within skin. For a perfected base, choose from 46 shades across tone and intensity to find your ideal match.

SELECT YOUR SHADE

Combine shade family with undertone to narrow down options and discover your ideal match across our complexion products.

SKIN-FIRST FORMULA

This makeup-skincare hybrid foundation instantly blurs imperfections and smooths the look of textured skin while visibly improving skin’s clarity over time. Powered by advanced skincare ingredients that help defend against environmental aggressors and blue light, it immediately strengthens skin’s barrier to help maintain its moisture.

Discover medium, buildable coverage with breathable, all-day wear that ensures that skin is enhanced, never masked.

SHOP LIGHT REFLECTING™ FOUNDATION

Bestseller

Get Matched

Light Reflecting™ Advanced Skincare Foundation

51 Shades

Vienna

$54.00

Bestseller

Get Matched

Light Reflecting™ Advanced Skincare Foundation

51 Shades

Stromboli

$54.00

Bestseller

Get Matched

Light Reflecting™ Advanced Skincare Foundation

51 Shades

Caracas

$54.00

Bestseller

Get Matched

Light Reflecting™ Advanced Skincare Foundation

51 Shades

Namibia

$54.00

Bestseller

Get Matched

Light Reflecting™ Advanced Skincare Foundation

51 Shades

Anguilla

$54.00

RADIANT
CREAMY
CONCEALER

BRIGHTEN. CORRECT. PERFECT.

“By concealing without masking, skin looks healthier and more luminous.” —François Nars, Founder & Creative Director

Coveted by artists and non-artists alike, Radiant Creamy Concealer is beloved for its luxurious texture and effortless, everyday use. Choose from 30 shades across tone and intensity for your ultimate match or to achieve a specific result.

To conceal undereyes and blemishes, select a shade that is an exact match to your skin tone. To brighten undereyes, select a shade two shades lighter than your exact match. To add dimension and contour to the face, select a shade two shades deeper than your exact match.

COVETED COVERAGE

Brighten, correct, and perfect with our multi-purpose must-have. An ultra-luxurious texture infused with our Multi-Active Botanical Blend provides a luminous finish that helps skin retain vital moisture for 24 hours of hydration. Unique powders help even out skin tone and blur the appearance of imperfections for 16 hours of hard-working wear.

Discover medium, buildable coverage with a radiant finish across 30 skin tone-spanning shades.

SHOP RADIANT CREAMY CONCEALER

BETTER TOGETHER

Foundation and concealer are the ultimate pair for a perfected base, each serving their own purpose while working even better together. Effortlessly even and enhance skin’s tone with foundation’s all-over wear and brighten, correct, and perfect certain areas with concealer’s more focused, spot-coverage approach.