Over the years, I’ve definitely tried my fair share of concealers. Even on days when I don’t want to wear makeup, a few dots of concealer can go a long way to help me feel put together and help my eyes look like I got a full 8 hours of sleep. Below are some of the concealers I’ve tried out (including drugstore and high end), and my thoughts/comparison of how they are meant to be used and how they performed.
LA Girl: HD Pro Concealer $4.99
Claims: Lightweight, creamy, crease resistant concealer that covers skin imperfections, dark undereyes and redness.
Formula: liquid
Ingredients: Contains parabens
Packaging: Squeeze tube with an attached brush applicator at the end
Overall: This concealer has a creamy formula (slightly more on the liquid side) and comes in more than 40 shades! I like that this this line by LA Girl includes some orange and yellow tones that you can use as correctors (which is what I picked it up for). I like that the formula isn’t drying and that it is easy to apply. However, it is not a waterproof formula and it does tend to move around on me during the day (it does help to set it with a powder). I’d describe the coverage as medium and would have preferred a regular squeeze tube without the brush applicator. Overall, a good affordable option that comes in a variety of colors that can be used as concealers, highlighters, correctors or even for contouring.
Kevyn Aucoin: The Sensual Skin Enhancer $48
Claims: Cover, conceal and correct without a cakey finish or settling into fine lines. Waterproof, full-coverage and highly pigmented.
Formula: Thick cream
Ingredients: Jojoba oil to help moisturize skin. No parabens, sulfate or phthalates!
Packaging: Jar
Overall: This product is extremely a pigmented and you literally need a dot to cover your entire face. This product is waterproof and multi-purpose so it can be used as a foundation, concealer or both. You do need to know how to use this product correctly in order for it to work for you: 1) take time to figure out the shade that’s right for you (there’s a wide range of shades available with peach, pink, neutral and golden undertones) so find the color that really matches you best! 2) the tiniest amount of product is seriously all you need 3) Warm the product up between your fingers or on the back of your hands before applying it to your face so that it melts into your skin rather than sitting on top of it 4) blend out thin layers until you get the coverage you need. Personally, I love this product for covering the occasional blemish. I find it to be a bit drying under the eyes for me even with a moisturizer. If you’re looking for some heavy duty cover up, or a multi-purpose concealer, this may be the right product for you. The application takes a little more work than other concealers, but it goes faster once you’ve got the hang of it. Also, this jar lasts a long time since you only need a little bit of product. I’ve had mine for than a year, and as you can tell from the pictures, I still have a lot left.
Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer $34
Claims: Full coverage, waterproof, matte concealer
Formula: Liquid
Ingredients: contains an emulsion of oils to “fix” product to skin with a matte finish and the active ingredient allantoin which has healing properties
Packaging: Squeeze tube
Overall: This really is a full-coverage concealer that’s great for heavier coverage. My skin leans on the normal/dry side and this was a bit drying under the eyes for me, even with a moisturizer. However, it works well on the face. You only need a small amount since its full coverage and pigmented. Apply in thin layers if you want to build it up. It stays put during the day, is waterproof and good for covering acne scars/blemishes. It might be more coverage than you need for a good skin day. Make sure to work with a little product at a time and blend well because the product doesn’t move once it dries. The shade range is a little limited and it did start to cling to dry patches as the day went on unlike the Makeup Forever HD foundation that I love, so I suggest using a good moisturizer first if you have normal/dry skin too. If you are looking for a more everyday concealer from this brand, you may want to consider the MUFE Ultra HD Self-Setting Concealer ($28 Sephora).
Too Faced: Born This Way Super Coverage Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer $29
Claims: 4-in-1 formula to conceal, contour, highlight and retouch. Weightless and crease-free coverage
Formula: Liquid
Ingredients: Phthalates free, infused with coconut water for hydration
Packaging: Concealer tube with a wide sponge tip applicator wand
Overall: This is another multi-use concealer so you can use it to cover and conceal or in a lighter/darker shade for contouring and highlighting. In the summer heat, I will often just dab some of this on my face with a beauty blender sponge and it offers nice coverage but my skin still feels like it can breathe and the finish is natural and slightly dewy. The formula is creamy, feels light on the skin and stays in place all day without drying out my skin. It works well under the eyes too (I still set with a setting powder just in case). I feel like it’s medium coverage but can be built up for more coverage. This product comes in 35 shades!
Urban Decay: Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer $29
Claims: Buildable coverage with luminous demi-matte finish
Formula: Liquid
Ingredients: No parabens! Matrixyl 3000 for anti-wrinkle peptides and green tea to help reduce fine lines
Packaging: Tube with sponge tip applicator wand
Overall: This is a creamy, easy to apply concealer that is lightweight but still provides good coverage. It can be built up but I find that it is a bit drying under the eyes as the day goes on. It stays in place all day, applies easily and evenly, and feels lightweight on the skin. I felt like the shade oxidized on me and had a “grey” undertone so it wasn’t the best match for me. I’m a fan of this brand but wish this line of concealers had more shades with peach undertones.
Maybelline: Fit Me! Concealer $6.49
Claims: Natural coverage that lets your skin show through.
Formula: Liquid
Ingredients: contains parabens
Packaging: Tube with sponge tip applicator wand
Overall: This is a good, affordable concealer for everyday use that is supposed to be a dupe for the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. Personally, I feel that the coverage is a little lighter than Nars so if you have dark undereyes, it may not cover them fully. Like the Nars, it comes with a doe-foot applicator. The texture is creamy and easy to apply (can even use your fingers for this concealer). The formula is not drying and gives a natural finish. It may crease on you, so I would recommend setting with powder, especially under the eyes. I also felt like the shade oxidized (turned a bit orange) on me after application. If you are looking for an affordable, everyday concealer that provides natural coverage, this may be a fit for you.
NARS: Radiant Creamy Concealer $30
Claims: Creamy, correcting, medium coverage concealer with a natural finish
Formula: Liquid
Ingredients: No parabens, SLS/SLEIS sulfates, and phthalates!
Packaging: Concealer tube with sponge tip applicator wand
Overall: This is a really creamy concealer that glides onto the skin while still providing good coverage. I’d describe this is a medium coverage concealer that can be built up without creasing (I do set with a powder). I love that this doesn’t dry out my skin and it helps subtly brighten the skin under my eyes. It stays put during the day without getting cakey. It’s not full coverage so it doesn’t completely make dark blemishes/eye circles disappear but I love the coverage for everyday and the color “custard” is a really good match for me. This line comes in a wide range of shades including pink, golden, neutral and peach undertones. This concealer is definitely my favorite everyday staple and I’ve repurchased this a few times now!
