Bare Minerals Complete Coverage Serum Concealer

COVERAGE: Medium

FINISH: Dewy & Luminous

Skip the eye cream with this eye serum-concealer hybrid product from Bare Minerals.

Thanks to its anti-ageing serum content, this concealer hybrid is both creamy and hydrating, light to wear and leaves a beautiful natural, dewy, ‘I just moisturised’ finish. Being super hydrating, you definitely don’t need to concern yourself with this looking cakey or sticking to dry flaky skin. This hero concealer by Bare Minerals applies smoothly with just a dot or two of product blended out under the eye for a sheer, seemless, luminous finish. And the added benefit? It stays put throughout the day!

While this is marketed as a ‘complete coverage’ concealer, I would say this Bare Minerals concealer is more of a medium coverage compared to the host of alternative ‘full’, or ‘complete’ coverage concealers on the market. This is ideal for those seeking a natural looking, light-weight under eye concealer as opposed to the opaque heavier finish of some other full coverage concealers. For those who prefer more coverage i.e. those who wish to block out their natural skin, pigmentation/discolouration issues etc., I find this product adds a beautiful natural yet luminous finish to the face when applied on top of another full(er) coverage concealer as per my tip in the blog intro.

The only downside I have found to this fabulous product is the very limited shade range and Bare Minerals would do well to consider widening its range to include the porcelain/alabaster skin toned and darker skin shades.

£24 from FeelUnique or Bare Minerals, John Lewis, All Beauty & Boots

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

COVERAGE: Medium Buildable to Full

FINISH: Natural Radiance

This is the Number 1 concealer in the USA for good reason. This All-In-One multi purpose Nars favourite is loved by beauty editors, models and makeup artists alike. Not only is it oil free and can be used in place of foundation thanks to its creamy luminous multi-action skincare correcting powers but it also offers long lasting 16 Hour wear as well as hydrating coverage making it an ideal concealer for the delicate under eye area.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer diffuses imperfections, minimises fine lines and its creamy texture means it never looks heavy or thick while beautifully concealing the dark shadows in the under eye zone with minimal creasing.

This iconic Nars product is humidity and sweat proof making it transfer resistant. Just apply it in thin layers to build up to the desired coverage. And best of all, they come in smaller travel sizes for half the full price so you can see how you get on with it before investing in the full size but most who try this are addicts for life!

£24 Full Size or £13 Travel Size from Nars Cosmetics UK

Tarte Cosmetics Shape Tape Concealer

COVERAGE: Full

FINISH: Matte

This super-hyped vegan concealer both brightens and smooths giving your eyes the appearance of being firmer, illuminated and ‘lifted’.  Ditching your dark circles is easy thanks to the insanely good pigmentation in this heralded concealer by Tarte Cosmetics.  

Shape Tape is also marketed to double up as a highlight/contour product or as a general face concealer. It doesn’t flake or crease thanks to the nourishing ingredients such as mango seed and shea butter. Once on, it does not budge due to the ingredients that give it superb adherence to the skin but to get that adherence, the formula tends to be on the drier side so I would suggest that this works best for the oilier skinned.

Two things to be aware of: many reviewers complain of the massive doe foot wand getting a bit messy and oozing product out the top when replacing or removing from the product casing but some have no issues at all. Secondly, should you be sensitive to fragrance in skincare, this has a synthetic zesty lemony fragrance which is totally unnecessary and fragrance in cosmetics can be an irritant for some. The huge applicator and the creamy, thick consistency means very little goes a very long way so apply sparingly and simply blend away with a gentle finger patting motion or with your sponge or damp beauty blender.

£16-£17 from Beauty Box or QVC

Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer

COVERAGE: Medium to Full and buildable

FINISH: Satin

Award winning and favoured by thousands of ‘influensters’, Maybelline Instant Eraser Concealer is formulated with colour correcting pigments and skin goodies such as Goji Berry to hydrate and Haloxyl to strengthen the delicate under eye area and reduce the production of dark circles) while working in tandem with your chosen eye cream to treat fine lines and dark circles. This concealer banishes those dark circles in but a mere swipe! 

Apply either using the easy to use in-built sponge applicator or dab onto your fingers.  While light in texture, this concealer offers excellent coverage thanks to the great colour pigmentation which is exactly what is required to block out those dreaded shadows, dark circles and the bluey purple inner eye socket area. It can also be used in place of foundation if you are going for a lighter makeup look without applying foundation.

This bad boy not only blends really well but it leaves a natural radiance to the under eye area and diffuses into the skin beautifully without every appearing heavy, cakey or like you are wearing a ton of makeup. So if a matte finish is what you are after, try the Maybelline Super Stay Full Coverage Under Eye Concealer for £10 which has a limited shade range but great for those who are oilier and don’t like setting powder under the eye (plus it’s waterproof with great staying power). 

£8.99 from Boots

MAC Studio Fix Conceal and Correct Palette

COVERAGE: Medium to Full

FINISH: Natural

A ‘one stop shop’ professional correct-and-conceal product in a sleek flip lid palette offering a variety of skin finishes for all skin types to be used anywhere on the face (or body) for coverage of blemishes, dark cirlces, tattoos, birth marks and moles. This iconic product from MAC is part of the best-selling MAC Studio Fix Foundation range renowned for its oil control and matte foundation formula and like the foundation, this concealer palette also offers superb pigmentation, antioxidants to moisturise and long lasting medium to full coverage.

Depending on your preference of finish, Pro Makeup folk like myself mix this on the back of our hand with a small amount of moisturiser prior to application for a more natural, sheer finish. For more opaque and full coverage, simply apply directly to well moisturised skin and blend out with a finger, brush or damp sponge. You can build this concealer in layers to the coverage level you personally require but just be sure, like with all concealer and foundation products, to work in thin layers, building as you go. It’s always easier to add product that it is to take away should you apply too much!

MAC offer this palette in Light, Medium, Medium Deep, Deep and Extra Deep to cover all skin tones. Each palette provides 2 colour correcting shades (in the picture shown here, it’s the yellow and the salmon pink) and 4 concealer shades. The correcting shades are used to block out dark shadows or marks and pesky bluey veins before applying the concealer over the top or you can use the colour correctors to lighten and adjust the concealer shades to match your unique skin tone. After a thin wash of colour corrector has been applied, simply apply concealer colour either inidivudally or combined to match your skin tone… and voila!

The added bonus is, as your skin darkens in summer or pales down in Winter, you can be sure to have a concealer that matches your skin tone all year round without having to buy or carry around several products making this beauty a travel must-have product in your makeup arsenal.

£30 from MAC

Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer

COVERAGE: Medium to Full

FINISH: Luminous/Dewy

Oil-free and incredibly light weight, this Award Winning concealer by Laura Mercier is powered by Skin Fusion Technology providing up to 12 Hour wear.

Not only is it water, sweat and humidity proof, it does not transfer and offers all day hydration.

This Laura Mercier concealer is crease and cake proof, long-lasting camouflage magic offering a natural light diffusing finish which blurs fine lines and conceals dark shadows in the under eye area. This fave concealer is super long-wearing and doesn’t settle into fine lines with a flattering, flawless, soft-focus dewy finish.

Seamless. Weightless. Flawless 12 Hour wear. What’s not to like?!

£25 but ON SALE at All Beauty for £14.95

Bobbi Brown Under Eye Corrector

COVERAGE: Full

FINISH: Natural

I love a multi tasking product myself and if you’ve ever wished that your current concealer had a bit more ‘oomph’ and coverage, or if you are new to the benefits of colour correcting, give this colour correcting and perfecting ‘2 in 1’ concealer from Bobbi Brown a whirl.

It’s sweat and humidity resistant (so stays put all day), it comes in a wide range of shades with either a pink or peach correcting base depending on your undertone, it’s packed with skin treats to care for the delicate under eye area and offers miraculous creamy long-wearing coverage banishing those dark circles until cleansing time.

Purchasing a good colour corrector product to join your makeup arsenal is a must for those ‘hard to cover’ makeup days and a makeup artist’s secret weapon to turbo charge the effects of any concealer.

Under eye dark circles, for example, can be difficult to conceal with makeup. Step forward colour corrector! Prior to concealer application, if you block out those pesky shadows with colour corrector, you end up using less concealer thereby giving more of a natural makeup effect as opposed to several layers of full coverage concealer.

All those crazy palettes you see in the shops offering purple, green, red and yellow are and so on? Let me briefly explain…..

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT COLOUR CORRECTOR

A colour wheel is used to illustrate complimentary and opposing colours (see colour wheel below). Opposing colours cancel each other out by neutralising pigment. For example, you will see that red is opposite green on the colour wheel so for a makeup artist, we know to use a green colour corrector to help cancel out redness in the skin. Sallow yellowy areas under the eyes or around the nose are neutralised by a purple based colour corrector. So now you know!

Other recommended colour correctors are NYX and Charlotte Tilbury.

£20.50 from Bobbi Brown and other retailers such as John Lewis, Debenhams and Look Fantastic

Red Skin? Use Green Colour Corrector to reduce redness because Green is the opposite to red on the colour wheel and opposite colours when mixed neutralise each other

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Liquid Concealer

COVERAGE: Medium to Full

FINISH: Satin

Besides the fact that Charlotte Tilbury’s products are not tested on animals and are vegan friendly which is obviously ace, her Magic Away Concealer is also free from alcohol irritants, parabens and mica (which is known to give flashback).

Described as the makeup equivalent of ‘Spanx for the under eye area’ due to it’s patent stretch or flex technology, this wonder product applies seamlessly and ultra smoothly appearing like a second skin, especially on the delicate eye area. It feels totally weightless when applied, does not crease or settle into the dreaded wrinkles and is excellent at concealing dark circles with fab durability throughout the day.

It is marketed as full coverage and illuminating with colour correcting pigments. Whilst it definitely brightens the under eye area amazingly, I wouldn’t say it is entirely FULL coverage compared to other alternatives on the market but the coverage is a solid medium to full and buildable via the sponge applicator which dispenses just the right amount of product via the click and twist mechanism at the base of the wand thereby making it difficult to use too much product. It blends out beautifully with a light finger tapping motion (no need for brushes and sponges), dries to a satin like opaque finish, almost like a magic brightening veil that also tightens and blurs as well…. ideal!

Remember: if using this in the under eye area to conceal, brighten and to give your peeper’s both ‘light and lift’, select a shade that is one to two tones lighter than your skin’s natural tone. With 16 shades in total to choose from, and skin types divided into Fair, Medium, Tan or Dark skin tones, you have a choice of four separate tones in each of these tonal categories to ensure you find a shade that’s right for you.

£24 from Charlotte Tilbury

Glossier Stretch Concealer

COVERAGE: Sheer but buildable

FINISH: Dewy

Glossier’s Stretch Concealer is the new kid on the block loved by the more mature customer as well as the younger tribe and with good reason.

For fans of the ‘I woke up like this…no really….I’m not lying and I’m not wearing ANY makeup’ look, this concealer gives super natural coverage with seamless blendability thanks to the elastic ‘stretch’ provided by the micro waxes, enabling the product to move with your skin instead of depositing product on top of it. Whilst it gives a very flattering youthful and brightening effect, this pot of wonder can be layered up to conceal blemishes, redness and dark circles and melts into the skin beautifully. Usually 2-3 thinly dabbed layers works a treat depending on the effect you are after.

While full coverage concealers tend to dry out the under eye area which can draw attention to the under eye area, this Glossier concealer feels lightweight and ultra moisturising leaving a dewy luminous finish with good coverage and staying power. It really is your second skin!

£15 from Glossier

Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer

COVERAGE: Full

FINISH: Natural

Vanish. Airbrush. Concealer. The three words we wish to hear when looking to buy a concealer no? This maybe a more pricer option but this concealer from Hourglass does what it promises.

Known for fusing technology with powerful skincare ingredients, Hourglass products give you the next best thing to having a Dermatologist on speed dial. If you are looking for the illusion of perfect skin, makeup products from Hourglass are on my ‘Cosmetic Lust List’.

So many full coverage under eye concealers can appear dry and cakey after a few hours but this is not only crease resistant, but blends seemlessly and really does give an airbrushed natural finish that reflects light under the eyes which in turn, blurs the appearance of fine lines and dark circles. Like several others on this list, it feels like a second skin when applied but be aware that it sets quickly, so you need to use your finger, sponge or brush to blend out before it does. Once set though, it stays in place keeping you flawless for up to 16 Hours of the day. Worth it’s weight in gold!

£32 from CultBeauty

Trinny London BFF Eye Serum Concealer

COVERAGE: Light to Medium

FINISH: Natural

Want to look like you regularly enjoy 8 hours of sleep?….Hell yes!

Once applied, this non-creasing hybrid product from Trinny London looks like your skin but better. Not only that, but the Peptide Activator ingredient depuffs and can also reduce the blue red tones in under eye dark circles.

Both brightening and hydrating in one, thanks to the infusion of hyaluronic acid to boost moisture and soothe, this clever little pot of magic concealer-serum-in-one not only delivers hydration but with added Vitamin C, it also brightens and helps reduce the appearance of those dreaded dark circles.

Whilst this is not a concealer in the strict sense, this small pot packs a big punch with its skincare benefits for the under eye area, giving a second skin finish and going by all the reviews, loved by those who have tried it. (If you like the idea of a hybrid concealer serum, also check out the Bare Minerals Serum Concealer in this list.)

£26 Trinny London

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

COVERAGE: Medium to Full

FINISH: Satin drying to more Matte

Banish the bags with this full coverage longwear work horse of a concealer suitable for all skin types and available in a multitude of skin shades!

Not only is MAC Pro Longwear Concealer water and transfer resistant, sweat and humidity proof, but it can be used to conceal dark spots, blemishes, discolouration and dark circles. Anything actually! And much like the Bobbi Brown option in this list, MAC products are all in shades with either a pink or yellow base ensuring you can match your unique skin tone.

This concealer blends best with a damp sponge as it does dry quite quickly (and the dampness in a sponge helps to move product about before that happens) but the finish is model-perfect flawless looking skin. The reason it dries quickly is due to the ‘longwear’ ingredients that make it adhere to the skin for long periods and therefore making it budge-proof but without appearing heavy; the perfect equation for normal to oilier skins in particular, or during the summer months.

If you are drier under the eyes, you could apply a thin layer of this mixed with a bit of your eye cream or serum or perhaps layer it with a dab of a lighter, more moisturising option on top for extra hydration (SEE TIP BELOW).

This pro MUA favourite concealer is very cost effective since a little goes a very long way and one of these will last you a long time before having to repurchase.

£20.00 from MAC

“‘Long wear’ products from any brand tend to set quickly as the whole point of their being is to sit where they are put and stay all day so be sure to blend them out quickly before they dry down and set.”

— The Good Tip Makeup Fairy