Every beauty editor I know has made it a career goal to find the very best of a specific product. I know a lipstick lover in search of the rougiest red and an English rose so pale she's the first to try out the latest self-tan technology. But me? I'm always on the lookout for the best concealer. And do you what? I think I've found it. Or should I say them? The Lancôme concealer pair, which consists of Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Concealer and Teint Idôle Ultra Wear Care and Glow Concealer, is the dynamic duo I never knew I needed.
There are many reasons why I love concealers so much, but the main - and most important one - is that they have the ability to cover the dark circles that have plagued me for the majority of my adult life.
Unfortunately, my dark circles are hereditary, which means that it doesn't matter how often I apply the best eye cream (even if it's one targeting dark circles BTW) or get 10-hours sleep, nothing is going to get rid of them. They're here to stay. On top of that I have two small children - one of which has decided she doesn't like sleep anymore so I can only dream of the aforementioned 10 hours sleep. So it's safe to say that I am a concealer's biggest challenge.
Over the years I have dabbled with many different concealers and some of them have been brilliant, but when Lancôme first launched Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Concealer in 2021, everything changed. What was this glorious tiny tube of colour?
Designed, as you would expect from its name, as a concealer that can be used all over the face. And it really does do that well. So well in fact, that I often skip my normal complexion product and simply dot it where needed then buff in to create a beautiful even canvas. It has a matte finish, but more natural than flat, as it leaves skin with the most glorious natural glow. As someone with a dry skin type, the ingredient list that includes glycerin, waterlily and moringa to deliver 24 hour hydration really speaks to me.
What about under the eyes? It's a full coverage formula, so it really does conceal even the bluest of dark circles. But because of that wonderful demi-matte finish, it naturally brightens too.
The large doe-foot applicator makes applying it very easy. When using all over my face I use the wide flatter edge to dap it over my skin, then buff it in with a dense complexion brush, but when I'm using it under my eyes I use the very tip to dot the product on, then buff with a concealer brush. You don't have to do that, if I'm in a hurry or on-the-go I'll use my ring finger to blend it in.
Last year, towards the end of 2023, I found out that there was to be a new Lancôme concealer. In all honestly, I couldn't really see where the new one would sit, because the All Over Concealer had been such a runaway hit with beauty lovers. However, because I have this compulsive need to keep up my search for the best concealer, I gave it a go.
Let me assure you, there is definitely a space in the market for the Teint Idôle Ultra Wear Care and Glow Concealer. Where the original is full coverage, this is a much softer medium coverage that can be built up. The original had that clever matte finish that caught the light, this is unapologetically radiant and glowy. Where I use the original to properly conceal, I use this to brighten and highlight certain features. As with the original, and because it's Lancôme, this concealer's formula is packed-full of skin-boosting ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides and ceramides, which as I begrudgingly enter my late 30s I am thankful for.
The doe-foot applicator on this one is different, it's more of a tear drop shape and I'm going to be completely honest with you it doesn't really work for me. I find that it doesn't deposit the product properly unless you hold the wand at a 90° angle. Not a big deal, as I always go in with my fingers or a blending brush after.
So how does this dynamic duo work for me? If I'm honest, it totally depends on how my eyes are looking each morning. There are some mornings when I've slept (and more crucially so has my daughter) and I chose a sparkling water rather than a goblet of wine the previous night. On those days, I use the Care and Glow Serum Concealer to brighten the area around my eyes. That, a slick of my favourite mascara and a pop of creamy blusher on my cheeks and I am good to go.
However, on those days when I feel (and probably look) like I've been hit by a brick wall, I'm reaching for the All Over Concealer to give me that added boost of coverage. However, because of how luminous Care and Glow leaves my skin, I have on occasion used it on top as my highlighter.
I can honestly say that at this point in my life, I would be lost without these concealers. Do I think that I can retire and say that I have found the best concealer? I have found the best concealer for me right now. But I am still young (and have an outrageously large mortgage to pay) so the search will always continue. But for now, my dark circles remain hidden.
