Under $15
Covergirl Clean Invisible Concealer had decent coverup, but only offered 12 shades.
While E.L.F. 16HR Camo Concealer came in 24 hues, its oversized wand was unwieldy, and it had a powdery, dull finish.
Makeup Revolution IRL Filter Finish Concealer had weak coverage, a streaky finish, and a narrow shade range.
We were let down by a drugstore-favorite, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Multi-Use Concealer, which provided so-so coverage, dried cakey, and settled into fine lines. Its twisting sponge applicator was also a pain to use. And its shade range had big jumps, particularly frustrating our panelists with deeper skin tones.
$16 to $34
The dry, very matte Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer was hard to move around and looked patchy on the skin.
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Radiant Concealer had a glimmering, light-reflecting finish, but also deposited teeny, glitter-like particulates across the skin.
Known for its inclusive shade range, Fenty Beauty We’re Even Hydrating Longwear Concealer looked simultaneously dry and patchy under the eyes and shiny in the T-zone. Its white plastic top and tippy, angled bottom also looked cheap, given the price.
Slick Glossier Stretch Balm Concealer seemed to highlight tiny under-eye bumps.
The too-big wand for Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer had to be tugged out and jammed back in the tube, and the formula caked.
Even though Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer slid on easily, it dried with creasing.
Ironically, It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer did a much better job at covering redness than under-eye circles. Distinctively thick and tacky, it was more challenging to blend, and its finish tended to be a bit shiny. While its shade range included 24 hues, it didn’t increase gradually for deeper skin tones, and neither of our panelists on that end of the spectrum could find shades that matched them.
Beloved for lighter skin tones, Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Concealer has smooth matte coverage, but its price per weight was high compared with similarly performing products.
Many testers found that the lightweight Lancôme Teint Idole Concealer required multiple layers for effective coverage, its applicator head was the “bulkiest,” and it didn’t have much staying power.
Natural-looking Make Up For Ever HD Concealer had solid, buildable coverage, but it was not exceptional enough to justify its high price versus other concealers that we advanced to panel testing.
Milk Makeup Future Fluid Concealer had a tacky, difficult-to-spread consistency and a powdery, drying finish.
The thick consistency of Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer required more-expert makeup application, and most panelists found the mattifying effects emphasized creases. But it was the favorite of a 20-something with combo skin who loved the texture and found that it “toned down oiliness.”
Pat McGrath Labs Sublime Perfection Concealer had a thick formula that covered redness quite well, but it was also slightly drying and quite pricey for its weight.
Even though Tarte Shape Tape Full-Coverage Concealer was the most full coverage in its line, which also includes medium-coverage and creamy variants, panelists found it didn’t cover under-eye circles particularly well. And its sticky consistency tended to cake for most testers. It did, however, effectively cover a birthmark in one layer.
Creamy Tower 28 Swipe Serum Concealer provided solid under-eye coverage, and most testers appreciated the doe-foot applicator’s flexibility and tiny head, but it didn’t perform well in obscuring redness.
$35 and up
The glamorous Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Hydrating & Brightening Concealer had a glimmering finish that just looked expensive, but its longevity was “mediocre.” And one of our testers was very frustrated that Armani didn’t offer deeper shades in more undertone options.
A cult-favorite and go-to for supervising beauty editor Hannah Morrill, Clé de Peau Concealer SPF 27 provides excellent matte coverage in a single swipe. But its sky-high price and limited shade range kept it from advancing to panel testing.
Though Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Concealer and pricier-by-weight Estée Lauder Futurist Soft Touch Brightening Skincealer both blended smoothly and provided good coverage, they also creased or settled into fine lines for half of our panelists as the day progressed. Many also found the Givenchy concealer’s larger applicator head to be clunky.
Encased in a “sexy” frosted, tapered bottle, Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer knocked it out of the park in longevity and coverage for all targeted areas. But panelists balked when asked if they’d buy it themselves.
For no-makeup makeup girlies, dewy RMS Beauty UnCoverup Concealer did indeed leave a glowy finish, but the price per weight was quite high.
Too Faced Born This Way Super Coverage Multi-Use Concealer had a tacky, difficult-to-spread consistency and also slightly emphasized skin texture.
More of a highlighter, exorbitantly priced Yves St Laurent Touche Éclat Awakening Concealer Click Pen doesn’t offer much coverage, and its click-pen applicator took a lot of clicking to get going and then released too much product all at once.
This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.
