Concealers are a key focus for many of us. We’re all tired. We feel tired, we look tired, and we love the fact that make-up can help. And a new wave of super-effective concealers are changing how we approach our base …
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Since many people are now paying more attention to our skincare, it follows that we’re wearing less foundation as a result. But we still want a seamless way to cover up any blotchy bits or dark circles. Make-up artists and experts are always stressing the idea of just covering up what you need/want to, rather than painting on a full face. And the new luxe concealers are not just cover-ups. Formulations have become so good that pulling back on foundation becomes much more do-able. They offer skincare benefits too, caring for your skin while you’re wearing it; and since it’s on your skin all day, why pick something made up of crappy ingredients?
Those of us averse to high-maintenance make-up will love this simplified approach. There are some premium ones launching this season (and watch this space on September 1 for exclusive news about a designer option). Every one promises “radiance”, a new addition when it comes to concealer, which used to just be about covering up your spots. New brand The Beauty Crop, for example, at Boots (where concealers start from €3.30), has a “Dewy Bounce Radiant Concealer”. For under €5 options, try No17 Second Skin Concealer (€3.50), or elf Hydrating Cam Concealer (€9.50, 6ml) in 20 shades. Most concealers feature pretty well the same ingredients, by the way, with cyclopentasiloxane sitting at the top of most INCI lists; this is a silicone that provides slip and a silky feel (as does YSL’s Touche Eclat, incidentally, €38, whose other key ingredients are listed as talc and liquid paraffin/mineral oil).
Mid-price is Fenty We’re Even, with a massive 50 shades (€29, 9ml, at Boots). Part of the challenge with concealer is finding the exact right shade, which makes Fenty a good option, though we really need more chances to try concealers out without committing.
For convenience, I love the Jones Road Face Pencils (€28) for their sheer ease of use – this is quick-fire, on the bus, multitasking make-up.
Concealers have been heading upmarket for a while now – Chanel’s Sublimage Le Correcteur Yeux (launched in late 2022) is probably the best I’ve ever used (don’t keep it just for under-eyes, it magics away blotches, dark circles and dark spots so well everywhere), as well as being the most expensive at €100 (for a generous 10ml pot). It’s the most glamorous approach to concealer there is, with its glass pot and accompanying brush, and will last endlessly (though is not portable, unless you decant). There is something genuinely magical about this, and it actually is like ten hours’ sleep in a pot.
French skincare brand Biologique Recherche has just launched a super-luxe concealer with all the skincare benefits of its high-tech skincare: Eye Care Concealer Anti-fatique tinted treatment (from €67). Two to three dots on the eye contour, tapped in with a finger or brush to blend, works wonders. An investment, but one that will last ages, and absolutely means you will be wearing less foundation. NB: Real Skin Solutions, the Irish distributor of BR, has opened a centre of excellence, The Loom, offering bespoke skin treatments in the centre of Dublin. An address that’s going straight into our little black book.
The Skin Nerd stocks et al Cream Concealer, which is always a good sign. It’s €36 for 5ml, and strangely the ingredients aren’t listed on this website, but their own website lists ingredients such as squalane and allantoin, so there are skincare benefits here. The packaging is recyclable, too. Also available at Monica Tolan.
Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener (€26, 4ml) helps to diminish purplish shadows on the inner eye area and brighten beneath the eye without clogging into lines. But it contains talc, and it has a swirling applicator which I don’t find that user-friendly – it’s easier to blend in with a small brush, or fingertip. Note that Rare Beauty’s Weightless foundation is only €8 more for 28ml (€34), so it might be worth trying that out on your skin in-store to see if it suits you.
Important to note: I do worry that in some cases, we might be paying foundation-level prices for just a few millimetres of concealer. Check the packaging to see how much product you’re actually getting; this is very often in very small print, but worth squinting at. Being cynical, I suspect that it could be a bit of a stealth tax, for a similar formula to foundation but pricier. @sarahhalliwellbeauty
