Concealers are one of my best friends when it comes to makeup and since having acne when I was growing up I have trialed, used, loved, hated and relied on SO many.
Whether it be darkness under the eyes, blemishes, scarring or redness and anything in between, the right concealer can hide many-a-sin and all kinds of imperfections.There are different types of concealers, and I seperate them in to 3 basic categories ; Heavy-duty (think amazing concealer/ Kevyn Aucoin SSE), Light-reflecting (Touche Eclat and such) and then the in betweens……the creamy concealers. I am going to concentrate on a category per post and first up is what I think is my favourite type of concealer ;
Creamy concealers are by far the most versatile type of coverage, as in you can use them under eyes, blemishes/ redness and they are probably the most user-friendly and easy to apply. A quick dab and blend is ususally all you need to get these formulas looking second-skin like and perfect and I have picked my top 5 and compared them to see what one may work better for you and the budget, ranging from £5.50 to a cool (or not so much) £44.
Application Tips: I find the applicator sponges/tips are always sufficient, particulary when it’s this creamy consistency, however when mixing the concealers up (I often apply one over the other and layer), applying on my clients and when I want a really full coverage finish on myself, I will apply with a brush. I think my 3 favourites at the moment for applying concealer are the Crownbrush Syntho SS021, the Hourglass no.8 and the NARS concealer brush (I have the old version). I quite like buffing the product in which is when the fluffy synthetic Crownbrush one is really good. For extra brightness and longevity, then you should set your concealer (& whole makeup) with a translucent poweder and you need the Secret Brightening Powder for under-eye perfection!
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (£22)
Probably the most well-known and popular cream concealer amongst beauty lovers, and rightly so. It is a perfect balance of luxurious pigment & luminous finish and is a favourite of makeup artists. I find this one can get anything from a medium-near-full coverage if you build it up and pack it on, and I find this really stays on brilliantly without too much creasing under the eye*. It contains a touch of skincare so gives a nice bit of smoothness and hydration to the skin as you wear it and is paraben, fragrance, alcohol-free. Also comes in a great array fo shades for ALL. Yay. I am currently wearing shade Honey (Light 3) & Custard for winter.
BEST FOR: Anyone & Everyone
*Side note/eye re ‘creasing’ …if you are putting a lot of pigment on underneath the eye…it WILL probably crease at some point and you just have to deal. There is movement around the eye area and this combines with makeup will cause the makeup to shift a little. Set your concealer with some Secret Brightening powder for extra longevity and just press it, and touch up a couple of times in the day. This isn’t just directed @ the NARS concealer, it’s just for any concealer, if you are packing it on, and specifically under the eyes. Over & Out.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer (£17.50)
The newest to my collection of creamy concealers and I DEFO did not need anymore but I couldn’t resist after all the hype around this. It’s a demi-matte, luminous concealer that’s actually quite a full coverage which is a bit unexpected, I think with the ‘naked skin’ name, I was expecting it to be a light-medium coverage. It dries pretty rapidly and hides blemishes & redness really easily and also it sits well under the eye and gives a pretty impressive veil over any dark circles and discolouration.
For me personally, I like to touch a bit of light-reflecting concealer over this when wearing under the eye to add more bounce and dew as solo, it’s just a little heavy for me.
Downside for me is that the shades are pretty limited with only 8 ; I am currently wearing shade ‘Medium Neutral’.
BEST FOR: Fuller Coverage
Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer (£22)
I have a bit of a soft spot for this particular concealer because I first started using this like 7 years ago and it’s the first of these creamy-concealer type products I ever purchased. I think this is my 4th one. This shade is the Warm-Medium which is the darker of the 2 shades I buy (other one being ‘medium’) and is defo my summer shade hence why it’s quite a lot darker than my other concealer shades. I think this formula is just so good and feels really lightweight, blends seamlessly and it doesn’t budge or slide off. I use this both under my eye and blemishes and it’s equally good for both. It has an SPF10 which I actually don’t think is that noteworthy as anything below a 15 is pretty irrelevant but hey-ho, nearly there. I think this is my no.1.
BEST FOR: All-rounder
NYX HD Concealer (£5.50)
I picked this up a couple of months ago in my haul, and when I first spied that Selfridges (& now Boots) have NYX counters in the UK. Again, I thought this would be a dewy and light coverage but it’s actual pretty heavy and a semi-matte finish, similar to the UD Naked skin. I am wearing shade CW03 which is quite a pink tone and good for giving lift under my eyes. It’s a little too pink for wearing on the rest of my face unfortunately as when I was purchasing they had NO testers (of pretty much anything…) so I had to guess through the tubes and we know how different they can look! A great purse-friendly buy and a decent dupe for the UD Naked skin.
BEST FOR: A budget buy.
By Terry Terrybly Densiliss Concealer (£44)
Ok we need to justify this as it’s SUPER pricey. I do not like the Terrybly Densillis foundation AT ALL, I feel like it’s massively overated and overpriced (further info on a previous post, here).. but this concealer….it’s just does wonderful things and I hate to say it but I honestly think it’s worth every penny. I use this solely as my under eye concealer (it’s JUST designed for that) and it’s pretty much my every day one right now, and has been for months. It’s one of *those* products that I keep using and keep thinking ‘OH FUCK, I-will-have-to-replace-this-as-soon-as-it-runs-out-and-I’ll-not-eat-for-2-days-to-do-so’.
Ok, here’s why it’s great ; it a serum-like and super lightweight formula that is actually an eye contour treatment (firming/anti-wrinkle/smoothing) and it gives a lovely coverage that just seems to smooth away any exhisting lines or signs of fatigue. It is formulated with soft focus premium mineral pigments that literally glide onto the skin like a veil and tick all my requirements of coverage, natural-looking, long-wearing, light-reflecting & seamless.
Downsides for me are the weak colour selection (6 shades of beige….do better, By Terry) and the price, obviously. Absolutely one you need to try before you buy as I know people who don’t rate this as much as myself. But they are wrong.
I have shade 4 medium peach.
BEST FOR: Anti-Ageing & Smoothing
Talk to me about creamy concealers….what are your favourites? Have you tried any of the above with differing results?
I would also love some more budget recommendations.
