Over the past 2 or so years, concealers have become extremely popular. They were previously only used to cover imperfections but now days are used for correcting, concealing, highlighting and contouring. I, personally, am not a huge concealer person I won’t go out of my way to try a new concealer (unless its revolutionary) but have rather tried and tested enough to find my staples which I am going to share today. I have also included great concealers for correcting, highlighting and contouring as well for an added bonus.
Mac
Firstly I am going to start with concealers that I use to conceal my imperfections with. This would be the Mac Pro Longwear Concealer in NC 45. This is half a shade darker than my skin tone which actually works better to cover my under eye circles without looking ashy. The concealer is high coverage but lightweight and dries down matte on the skin. I use this to cover my acne scars on my cheeks and a little pigmentation on my chin. It is a beautiful concealer, a little goes a really long way and once it is set in place it never budges. This concealer can be used on those no make up, make up days or if you want to amp up the coverage of a full glamed up makeup look. It is humidity proof and sweat proof which is perfect for the Durban summers. This is a pricey concealer and retails for R350 however as mentioned a little really goes a long way and this product will last a long time so it will be worth the splurge.
The Mac Studio Finish concealor is an oldie for me, it was my first concealer that I ever purchased. This concealer is a cream concealer which is very thick and very high coverage. The swatch does not do it justice as my concealer was a bit dried out and I had to revive it with some facial oil which happens to be a great trick to sheer out any foundation or concealer. Personally I never really liked this concealer I found it very heavy for my skin so I passed it onto my mum who absolutely adores it so it’s definitely a matter of preference for this one.
Maybelline
For highlighting I have to feature a beauty cult classic which is the Maybelline instant age rewind concealer. This has been hyped about all over Instagram and Youtube so I had to see what all the fuss was about. I purchased this from Samika Store in January this year where I paid R250 but I see they have reduced the price to R230 which is awesome. From January till now I have used almost half the tube and its amazing, I love this concealer to bits its my go to concealer for highlighting my face. I also use this mixed in with a little of the Mac Pro longwear for a more natural but yet highlighted look on those no makeup, makeup days. The Age Rewind concealer in Medium has a beautiful yellow undertone which brightens the under eye (see swatches below). It’s very lightweight and blends in beautifully into the skin whether you use a sponge or brush.
I have to add that I originally purchased the shade Honey which I though was slightly darker than Medium but it turned out to be lighter with a pink undertone which made my skin look extremely ashy.
I happened to purchase this concealer while on holiday in India. It’s a great concealer no doubt but I find that it’s a little too light for my liking so I tend to save it for a occasion where I want to look extra highlighted. As you can tell from the swatches above the Fit me is more on the peachy side which makes it work well to correct darkness in certain areas of the face. This concealer can also be purchased from Samika Store for R250 but they usually have sales and currently it is going for R230 which is a bargain. This concealer is great for highlighting and makes your face look lit from within. It’s extremely lightweight and creamy and the doe foot applicator is tiny and precise for easy placement of product. However another reason I hardly use it is that it tends to sting my under eyes for a short while when I initially apply the product. I am not sure if this is just because of my fussy skin or if it’s the product because as soon as its blended out the sensation goes away.
LA Girl Cosmetics
This concealer has a great track record on social media and was made famous by Make up artists like Tamanna Roashan from Dressyourface. The concealors are not only affordable, going at R59.90 each at Dischem, but there is also a large shade range catering for 28 shades. These concealers can be used for everything depending on the shade that you choose. I use the orange corrector when I want to colour correct my dark circles or any pigmentation on my face, there are colours in the range which include yellow, green, lavender and light peach. For a striking highlight I use the shade Medium Beige which is a beautiful yellow based concealer, I also use the shade Cool Tan for more of a natural highlight but have replaced this shade with my Maybelline Instant Age Rewind.
For concealing I use the shade toffee which is the perfect shade for my skin tone. For bronzing I use the shade chestnut which is a beautiful chocolate-brown that looks natural yet chiseled on the skin. Lastly I use deep cocoa for a very chiseled contour. The LA girl pro concealers are very creamy and blend extremely well. They look very skin like with a demi matte finish also the brush tip applicator makes it easy for application of the product whether you are a certified make up artist or a beginner dabbling in make up.
Clinique
Lastly, the Clinique beyond perfecting foundation and concealer is technically a foundation but can be doubled as a concealer and is great to spot conceal or used sparingly for a more natural look that covers up imperfections. I thought I would include this as a bonus to show that a high coverage foundation can also be used as a concealer on natural day. This is a great foundation/ concealer, I use the shades 21 Cream Caramel and 17 Nutty because Clinique doesn’t have a perfect shade for my skin tone so I mix the two shades. This foundation blends like a dream and feels very lighweight for a high coverage foundation, especially when a little is used. This is one of my favourite foundations as it leaves a demi matte finish to the skin and lasts all day. This foundation is a little pricey retailing for R550 but if you already own the foundation then it can be used as a concealer which will save you the added frustration of going out and purchasing another product.
I hope that this review helps you to choose a concealer that is best suited for you.
Stay Glam XOXO
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