The Concealer Stash

If there's one single makeup item that I absolutely can't live without, it's concealer.  It can hide a multitude of sins if you've been burning the candle at both ends, and it can give you a big confidence boost if your skin isn't quite looking its best for whatever reason.

I'm a huge concealer junkie, so I purchase and use up more concealer products than any other type of makeup.  For a short time when I was at college, I almost did away with concealer in favour of heavy foundations, but thankfully I soon realised that the 'caked on / masked face look' wasn't a good one! Like all makeup, concealer comes in a wide variety of formulas, textures and coverage levels.  Some can multi task and be used on various areas of the face, others are best applied in specific regions (e.g undereyes etc).

Below is my current stash of concealers and what I use them for.  There's a good mix of high end, mid range and budget options, so if you're looking for a new concealer to try, you're in the right place. 

The Undereye Concealers

I have dark circles combined with pigmentation around my eyes, which means that I look virtually dead or at best, very ill, if I don't apply something on top of them!  To combat this, I first use a product that acts as a corrector to erase any blue or grey tones.  I find that A La Carte Secret Light Concealer* works well at banishing dark circles and doesn't settle into any fine lines thanks to its creamy formula, or I'll use the cult Perricone MD No Concealer Concealer* to neutralise any discoloration. 

Over that, I'll then apply a brightening concealer where it's needed to really perk up the undereye area and make myself look much more awake.  I love Liz Earle Light Reflecting Concealer* which is amazing, but if you need extra coverage, go for something more pigmented and matte such as Collection Illuminating Touch Concealer or Youngblood Ultimate Concealer*. The latter is a great one to try if you're searching for a more natural, mineral based concealer in a solid cream format.

The Blemish Beaters

Covering up blemishes is a tricky skill to master, but it's mostly all down to finding the right shade for your skintone and opting for a formula that isn't going to slide right off, or cake up later in the day.  I really like the Alterra Concealer Stick because the flesh toned colour is perfect for me, but if you can't find it in the UK (it's German), then B. Flawless Long Lasting Concealer* from Superdrug is an excellent alternative and slightly more creamy.  For those particularly pesky big red blemishes, you can't go wrong with the ever popular Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer which is one of the best and most budget friendly concealers you can find on the planet.  It delivers light-medium coverage and lasts throughout the day.   

My skin is sadly prone to breakouts (though recently it's been behaving, touch wood!) so when one does occur, I'll reach for Per-fekt Skin Perfection Conceal* which you can pick up from Sephora. This is a heavy duty concealer that comes out super thick, but has a light, gel like texture once you actually apply it.  It gets rid of any redness and covers up imperfections like a dream, plus you only need a tiny amount because it's so pigmented. 

The Multi-Taskers

A lot of concealers on the market like to claim that they do it all, but in my experience I've found most are best kept for using either for undereyes or for blemishes etc, and not usually both.  This may be due to different areas of the face having different textures e.g undereyes may be dry and blemishes are normally more oily.  To buck the trend, two of my HG concealers definitely do it all (well for me anyway!).  I love, love, love Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Flawless Wear Concealer which comes in a wide range of shades, gives fantastic coverage and is beautifully creamy, yet doesn't slide around once you've blended it into the skin.  It's not cheap though, so for a more budget friendly option, Maybelline Fit Me Concealer is very similar and much more affordable for me to use everyday.

Have you tried any of these?

What are your favourite concealers?

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