Conceal, don’t feel: What you need to look for in concealers

ONE of the things I am most often asked about is concealers and I’m ashamed to say that I don’t know a lot about them. I use what is there, usually a press sample or something gifted by friends. Until recently, I haven’t seen much need for concealers because I wear foundation all the time. In truth, you can survive on wearing a concealer and a finishing powder and look polished for work (online or face-to-face).

Beyond knowing how to apply a concealer, there’s nothing much I know about them.

But I have realized that a concealer is important. Most girls I know would not go out of the house without applying concealer under their eyes and on blemishes and discolorations.

I’d like to apologize that most of the concealers mentioned in this article are either high-end or midrange. I have not had much opportunity to try the drugstore brands.

My criteria for judging how good a concealer is includes smoothness of application, longevity, price, being travel friendly (even if we don’t really travel these days), amount of creasing, among other things.

I will only talk about the following concealers because I have used them and I love them. Here are my favorites:

n Make Up For ever Ultra HD light-capturing Self-setting

This has a second-skin finish and if you Concealer. get matched correctly, it conceals dark under-eyes and blemishes in the most natural way. One of the reasons why I wasn’t a fan of concealers in the past was because I didn’t like the look of having a too-light concealer under my eyes. It made me look funny in pictures. The Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Self-setting Concealer has the most natural finish ever. It comes in a tube with a wand that’s easy to work with. I apply the product with the wand and blend with my fingers. The self-setting claim is also true. You really don’t need to use powder. It doesn’t crease or gather on your fine lines. It wears and photographs well and it’s the only concealer that I’ve finished. It’s quite expensive at around P1,700 but if you have the budget and you’re really bothered by dark circles under your eyes, it might be worth the splurge.

n it COSMETICS Bye Bye Under eye Full Coverae anti-aging Waterproof Concealer. This is one other concealer I love. It’s very different from the Make Up For Ever concealer cited here, in that this is thick with a pasty texture. You just need a dot for the under-eyes and when blended properly, the result is perfection. What I like about it is that the coverage is medium to full but it still looks somewhat natural. There is some level of difficulty in using this because of the texture but it really is worth the trouble. The product comes in a tube with a tiny hole at the end. It’s easy to control the amount of product dispensed. Oh, and the price is quite steep at P1,850.

n MAC COSMETICS Studio Fix 24-Hour Smooth Wear Concealer. i’ve never worn this concealer for more than eight hours but it does stay on longer than many other concealers. What I like about this is that in terms of color match, MAC Cosmetics is always spoton. I know that most people like their concealers to be one or two shades lighter but I like my concealer to be an exact match. I like the price point of this (P1,400) because if you divide the price to how many times you’ll use it, it’s not too bad at all. This also comes in a tube with a wand applicator. The texture is slightly thick but the product is easy to blend with a brush, sponge or even your fingers.

n Bare Minerals Correcting Concealer Broad Spectrum SPF 20. This is a concealer that works well on blemishes, acne marks and discolorations. I love that it comes in a small pan that you can put in your on-the-go makeup kit. The texture is surprisingly smooth and the coverage light to medium. Like most Bare Minerals products, this is formulated “without parabens, synthetic fragrances or artificial oils, it blends seamlessly to conceal blemishes, dark undereye circles and other skin imperfections.” This is priced at $22 (not available in the Philippines). If there is one con about this concealer, it’s that the shade range is limited. I wish they had more shades.

n Maybelline instant age rewind eraser Dark Circles treatment Concealer. For its price (around P350), this concealer performs well under the eyes to hide dark circles and smoothen the texture. It does not crease much and the color matches are average to above average (for warm-toned folks, at least). Longevity is also okay. This is a concealer I would highly recommend if the person was looking for a good and affordable concealer. The only thing I don’t like about this is the spongy applicator.