One of the foundational items in our makeup bags, concealer is something many of us have been using since our early teens.
If you grew up in the 90s, this may have been in the form of drugstore favourites from Maybelline or Revlon and was liberally applied to cover redness, blemishes and what we thought were dark circles back then (little did we know!). It gave us the confidence we felt we needed to face the day.
Concealer’s purpose may not have changed much over the years, called upon to disguise the effects of sleepless nights, acne breakouts or hyperpigmentation to even out the complexion - but the formulas have come a long way since the flaking, drying textures of decades past.
The latest innovation sees products that sit virtually undetectable on the skin, concealing without giving the game away. These products are all about enhancing natural beauty in a subtle way. No-makeup makeup at its finest.
There’s now a concealer for every skin type, texture preference, level of coverage, and concern as well as those with colour correction. This makes the selection process a challenge. To filter out unsuitable options, it’s important to identify first and foremost the coverage that you are looking for; light (to brighten), medium or full (to mask).
You can colour match using tools like Findation.com where you list your colour from a familiar brand to work out the perfect match from a different brand you want to try. Dry skin types may want to stick to creamy, hydrating products, while those with oilier complexions may prefer matte.
Over the years as a writer and enthusiast of all things beauty, I’ve picked up some expert tips on the best application for concealer. While sometimes, it’s a matter of swipe and go, there are techniques that you can use to make your makeup bag essential work harder for you.
- Preparation is key. Give your skin a healthy dose of hydration with serums and moisturisers - however, you want to avoid those that will make the product pill or ball up. Look for compatible products aka keep to either oil- or water-based to prevent them repelling, give time for your skincare to absorb, exfoliate before use, try to avoid silicones and use a damp sponge or brush to buff in the tinted product.
- Always tap to apply. This prevents pulling on the delicate eye area and encourages the product to sit more seamlessly.
- Apply foundation first. This base product tends to be thicker and more full-coverage so you may find you need less concealer.
- Use the triangle technique for under eyes. Using the concealer, create an upside-down triangle to brighten the face and depuff.
- Go for a lighter shade around the eye and brow bone. This brightens the peepers. The same applies to cheekbones, the bridge of the nose and the T-zone - think where the sun catches.
- Go for a darker shade for blemishes. This covers redness and looks best when set with powder. This shade can also be used for natural-looking contouring - apply on the forehead and jawline for definition.
- Make it multi-use. As an eyeshadow and lipstick primer.
How we tested the best concealers
Sleepless nights from too many spicy margaritas and breakouts past and present were covered up in a bid to discover the very best camouflaging concealers. We layered up, blended and contoured to discover which formulas were kind to skin, and which ended up balling, settling into fine lines or disappearing. The results are below.
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Makeup By Mario SurrealSkin Awakening Concealer
Makeup By Mario’s SurrealSkin Awakening Concealer has dropped at Sephora UK and the eponymous makeup artist has produced a multitasking product that won’t cake skin in pigment.
First and foremost, it is made to conceal the likes of spots with medium, buildable coverage. Mario advises to “let the concealer dry down for a few seconds before blending. Use the F5 brush or your finger to blend and blur it out” to optimise its effectiveness.
There is caffeine contained within the product as part of what the brand calls Lift & Lock technology. This ingredient is selected for its ability to depuff, tighten and minimise the appearance of dark circles. It is also brightening and for this reason, the concealer can double up as a highlighter, especially if you get creative with the hue.
Mario says, “To highlight your complexion with the concealer, you want to use one shade lighter or the same shade that you use under your eyes and apply it to the centre of the forehead, ridge of the nose, and centre of the chin”. It comes in 22 colours.
Buy now £28.00, Sephora
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Concealer
To the delight of makeup lovers everywhere, Charlotte Tilbury has followed up on the success of her newly released but already cult Beautiful Skin foundation, unveiling concealer in the same collection.
A makeup-skincare hybrid, the formula is infused with kind-to-skin ingredients like the hydration hero that is hyaluronic acid, pore-minimising niacinamide and glow-getting vitamin C as well as vegan collagen. There are 30 shades and the product offers a medium but buildable coverage for long-lasting wear - up to 16 hours according to the label. Skin appears more radiant and lifted, while the appearance of dark circles is reduced.
Buy now £27.00, Charlotte Tilbury
Erborian Super BB Concealer-Serum
Leave skin-stressing, dryness-causing concealers behind, there are new formulations on the market that treat our complexions while working their concealing magic. Korean label Erborian is beloved for its skin-makeup hybrids and the new Super BB Concealer-Serum may overtake its CC Crème as your new favourite product.
As the name suggests, it was designed to act as a serum, brimming with potent ingredients like niacinamide and white ginseng complex to brighten and smooth skin as it imparts the tint. Apply on blemishes or dark circles and it nourishes without settling into fine lines. There is also SPF 25 for built-in protection.
Buy now £35.00, lookfantastic
Anastasia Beverly Hills Magic Touch Concealer
The impressive 25-strong shade range is just one of the many things to love about Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Magic Touch Concealer. As the name suggests, it has the seemingly magical ability to cover and conceal without giving the game away - such is the full coverage of this product. The pigmented product is packed with skin-boosting goodness like plant-based glycerine to nourish, liquorice root to soothe and amino acid-coated tint to keep the product firmly in place once applied. The lasting power is almost unrivalled.
Tired eyes, redness, hyperpigmentation and post-acne scars be gone as the formula does what it says on the tin and conceals - but brightens too. It comes on thick but blends out with a flick of the wand (we suggest using a separate brush versus the one that comes on the product otherwise the overload of product may get overwhelming).
It’s vegan and cruelty-free.
Read the full review of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Magic Touch Concealer on three different skin tones and types here.
Buy now £27.00, Cult Beauty
e.l.f Hydrating Satin Camo Concealer
You will have no doubt spotted e.l.f on your TikTok feed as just about every launch from the label becomes a viral sensation on the platform. This is a testament to its hard-working formulations where this concealer is a case in point.
It is a full-coverage product that can be applied in any place where you need a little extra camo, be it under the eyes or when a spot arises. The hydrating components encourage it not to settle into creases, while it leaves a satin finish in its wake. There are 23 shades.
Buy now £7.00, Amazon
Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer
LA-born label Kosas was founded by makeup artist Sheena Yaitanes to create cosmetics products that are kind to the complexion at the same time. The concealer applies with a light coverage effect to ensure that this is your skin - just clearer, brighter and plumper.
The ingredient line-up of caffeine, pink algae, arnica, peptides and good ‘ol hyaluronic acid work overtime to improve the quality of your complexion at the same time as offering the pigment power you’d hope for.
The creamy texture melts into the skin - even dry - without creasing, flaking or caking with a barely-there feel. No wonder it’s already had the seal of approval from Hailey Bieber to achieve her everyday makeup look.
There are 39 shades.
Buy now £26.00, Cult Beauty
Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer
Full coverage camouflaging is what the Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer is all about. Whether it’s burgeoning blemishes, post-picking spot scars or visible pores, the formula sits atop the skin to leave you with an acne-free finish. Dark circles transform into a bright-eyed, fresh-from-eight-hours-of-sleep appearance with a swipe of the wand. While it may have a thick texture, it doesn’t settle into fine lines or cake and stays firmly in place no matter what your day will throw at you.
There are 29 shades.
Buy now £23.00, QVC
Glossier Stretch Concealer
Applied onto dry skin, the creaminess of Glossier’s Stretch Concealer won’t cause your skin to crease or flake. Your first step in creating a light woke-up-like look, the texture can be blended with fingertips to the parts of your face that need it and you may even find your foundation resigned to the back of your dressing table. Layer up to create the amount of coverage required as it begins as being very light but this makes it infinitely wearable.
As with all makeup, good preparation is key so make sure you moisturise pre-application and set with powder to further the long-lasting results.
Choose from 32 shades.
Buy now £22.00, Glossier
Jones Road Beauty The Face Pencil
If you need even more proof of Bobbi Brown’s mastery, you only need to look to The Face Pencil from her Jones Road Beauty line. Not content with following the status quo of traditional concealers, the product more closely resembles a liner in the sense that you can literally draw onto imperfections and dark circles as well as sharpen it when it begins to get blunt.
The crayon has a thick consistency that camouflages well - and best of all, it requires no skill whatsoever. Application couldn’t be easier. There are 25 shades so you can find the ones to best suit your skin tone and appear undetectable on the skin.
Buy now £24.00, Jones Road Beauty
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer
This two-tone concealer from Laura Mercier has earned its legend status in the beauty community. Thousands of reviews wax lyrical over its ability to harness the power of both colours to create the perfect customised shade and stay put throughout the day, no matter what you have in store.
The product also comes with a mirror so you can apply it easily on the go and the creamy texture blends well so it’s virtually invisible on the skin, while still blurring the appearance of sun spots, dark circles or any discolouration.
There are eight shades.
Buy now £34.00, John Lewis
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Concealer
Back in 2017, Rihanna changed the beauty space forever, unveiling 40 shades of her Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, one of the most diverse ranges on the market.
This was closely followed by concealer where she followed suit with a pleasingly inclusive selection of colourways. Like the foundations, it provides a full coverage - although has the miraculous ability not to crease or settle into fine lines, which is quite a feat.
As you would expect, it works hard to conceal the likes of blemishes or redness and is long-lasting to boot.
Buy now £20.70, Boots
Armani Luminous Silk Concealer
A favourite among makeup artists, the duo of Armani’s foundation and concealer is unstoppable. As the name suggests, it glides onto the skin with a silky smooth texture, sitting without settling and forming a veil over imperfections.
The base product even includes caffeine in the formula to energise the skin, which will come especially welcomed around the eyes after a sleepless night. There’s also vitamin E and glycerin to nourish and hydrate so that it appears natural on the skin, instead of cakey.
Buy now £30.40, lookfantastic
YSL Beauty Touche Éclat High Cover Concealer
Shades available: 12
Applicator: Brush pen
Although YSL’s Touche Éclat concealer isn’t specifically designed with men in mind, it’s one of the best cover-ups on the market. Designed to brighten without shimmer or glitter, it’s there to hide dark circles and uneven skin tone, leaving you with a fresh, naturally luminous finish after an easy application using the brush pen.
Buy now £27.00, Boots
