I have a concealer roundup today on some newer formulas I’ve been testing from a number of brands. Today I’m covering concealers from Cle de Peau Beaute, MAC, First Aid Beauty, Cover FX, Sisley plus another look at Charlotte Tilbury. There are so many different types of concealers on the market and each formula has a different purpose. Finding one that works for you truly depends on where you want to use it, how much coverage you want and also your skin type. Your moisturizer and foundation routine are also important in finding formulas that are right for you depending on whether or not they contain silicone, if they’re oil-free or not, etc. I’ll be giving you my thoughts on each formula and how I think they work the best. At the end I’ll give my recommendations by coverage/type.
I do want to mention briefly that I appreciate the discussions these days about expanding shade ranges and inclusion. Many brands still have a long way to go including some of the ones I’m featuring today. I know readers who are very fair or very deep have challenges finding options they can wear when color ranges are so limited. I think bringing awareness to brands about color gaps will help them learn more about where they need to expand. We’ve seen some brands take the feedback to heart and expand their ranges!
First is a look at the First Aid Beauty Hello Fab Bendy Avocado Concealer ($22 for 0.17 oz/4.8 g). This is one of the few I feel rivals my favorite NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. In general I like a creamy concealer that has a medium coverage. I don’t usually do spot cover-ups – usually under the eyes or around the nose/mouth where I have redness. For the most part my foundation does most of the covering I need. The First Aid Beauty Hello Fab concealer has a luminous finish that is weightless and glides onto the skin. I like that it’s been compatible with all the foundations I’ve tried. It doesn’t drag, cake or crease. It blends in well with the skin. I like Shade 3 the best for brightening. It comes with a soft flexible sponge tip applicator which I like the best. Available in 7 shades at Sephora and First Aid Beauty.
MAC Studio Fix 24 Hour Liquid Concealer ($22 for 7 ml) is another great option that’s multi-purpose. It has medium to full coverage on me. It’s creamy and blends in easily with the skin. I can use it to brighten or spot conceal and it does last on me all day without budging. It has more coverage compared to the First Aid Beauty and NARS options with a slightly more opaque feel. It comes in 33 shades in both warm and cool undertones. I found the colors ran a little bit lighter than the other MAC concealers I’ve tried. I use NC35 in the Pro Longwear Concealer (full coverage and thick). In the Studio Fix 24 Hour version I found NC38 and 40 to be a better match. I haven’t tested it for a full 24 hours but it did last all day on me. Under the eyes it can pull a bit heavy especially if you have dry skin in which case I’d recommend you just make sure your under eye is primed with a good serum or opt for something more creamy or emollient like the First Aid Beauty or NARS options. Available at MAC, Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty.
Cle de Peau Beaute is a brand I try to stay away from because I’m always afraid I’ll fall in love with something but don’t want to because of the high price points. The quality cannot be beat in many of their products. Their Concealer was a go-to for a long time for opaque full coverage. I used to use the colors Beige and Almond. Since moving to Florida I have darkened and am more tan so Ocher is the color I use now. They reformulated the Concealer with SPF 25 ($70 for 5g/0.17 oz) and I found it to perform the same as the original. It’s very opaque and a little goes a long way. Since it is very opaque if you’re using it under eyes I find the best way for me to apply is by warming up a little on the finger then dabbing it under the eyes and blend. A number of you asked for a review on the Radiant Corrector for Eyes ($65 for 2.2 ml/0.08 oz). This is easier to use under the eyes for me. It comes in a click applicator with brush. It has enough coverage and pigment to cover some darkness. It is more emollient and creamier so it does not have a flat matte finish like the stick. Even though I consider myself a die-hard NARS fan I find myself reaching for this one a lot for under the eyes. Color-wise the Concealer Stick in Ocher has always been slightly too olive for me but it does work once blended. The Radiant Corrector for Eyes in Ocher has a little bit more gold which is perfect for me right now. I also did look at Almond which on my tan skin looked a little pink. When it comes to under eyes I don’t need an exact match – sometimes having a little peach or pink can really help to counter darkness. I could have gone either way, but picked Ocher since I tan really easily. Both are available at multiple retailers, I usually purchase my items direct from Cle de Peau, Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus.
I re-swatched all the Cle de Peau stick concealers below from a sampler card I got as a GWP. I only have 1 swatch for the Radiant Corrector in Ocher which is the one I bought.
Sisley Stylo Lumiere Radiance Booster Pen ($65 each) comes in 4 shades and is a highlighting pen I like to use in place of concealer under the eyes. This really does give the complexion a brightened radiant look and to me performs better than the cult classic YSL Touche Eclat. Coverage is medium and natural. I simply twist click the product into the sponge and apply directly on the face in a few dots under the eyes – usually 3 per eye. Then I blend with fingers and set with powder. It stays put on me all day long. I use Shade 3 and really wish it came in more color options for others – the formula is really good! Available at Sisley-Paris, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Beautylish.
Cover FX Power Play Concealer ($30 for 10 ml) is a full coverage concealer. It’s one of the best full-coverage concealers I’ve tried for spot coverage. They also say you can use to highlight and contour – I’ve tried both and for me the coverage is really opaque and intense so using it for either works only if my base is slightly dewy. If I use a tinted moisturizer or glowy base I can add the Power Play on top to add more coverage, highlight or correct under the eyes. If I use a full coverage base underneath this concealer can be prone to dragging because it does have a semi-matte finish. The good things about this formula: it has smooth full coverage, comes in a wide shade range, stays put and doesn’t crease. They have a useful chart to help you find your shades. I use G40 and G50 mixed in the Power Play foundation (reviewed here). I found the colors G Medium 1 or 2 worked best for me.
I do not think this will work for you if you have super dry skin or use a super matte foundation. I do think dry skin can be adjusted by making sure you are well moisturized and primed, but if you have a lot of fine lines or creases this may emphasize them. Your best bet is to go to a Sephora or Ulta and try in person. I do think the Cover FX line is great for the variety of undertones they have. I struggle to find yellow/golden colors and they have the G range which is great for me. They also have the G+ range which is more olive than I can wear, but great for those who are truly olive.
For spot coverage this is a win. For under eyes/highlighting I have other favorites as this one is very opaque and I prefer more creamy/sheer for those areas.
Last but not least I wanted to give the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away another look since it’s newer and thought it would be helpful to put in the roundup. I still really like this for a full coverage concealer and for me it does work under the eyes. I find it compatible with the Charlotte Tilbury foundations which are natural in finish. A large number of you have messaged me on social that you had challenges with this formula to which I have a few thoughts. One is a little goes a very long way – you just need a tiny bit! Two is the applicator can be problematic when applying and blending. I use the applicator to dot on areas I want to apply then blend with a separate sponge. Three is that since it’s so opaque and full coverage it probably will not be good under the eyes if you have dry skin. I’d recommend priming the area with a nice emollient serum or any of her glow products. My full review here.
Based on all the new product testing I think there are some nice options for concealing whether you’re looking for a spot concealer or under eye brightener. Thoughts on which formulas I think are best:
- For under the eyes my top picks are the First Aid Beauty, Sisley Stylo Lumiere and Cle de Peau Radiant Corrector for Eyes
- For spot concealing I think the Cle de Peau, Cover FX and Charlotte Tilbury are the best
- Best versatile formulas are the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and MAC 24-Hour
- Best highlighting formula is the NARS and First Aid Beauty formulas
- Favorite formula is still the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
That wraps up my concealer roundup review! I hope you found this helpful. I didn’t mention about setting but I always set everything with a powder to make it last. My favorite powders in this post here. If you’ve tried any of these let me know in the comments what worked or what didn’t!
Update: I’ve been getting a lot of questions about other formulas. These aren’t all the ones I’ve tried, this roundup just covers the newer more recent launches. A few other reviews you may find helpful:
- Estee Lauder Double Wear review
- Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealer review
- Tarte Shape Tape review + thoughts
Press samples include the MAC 24-Hour Concealer, Cover FX Power Play, Sisley Stylo Lumiere and First Aid Beauty Hello Fab.
