Once reserved for covering up major breakouts and creating effortless no makeup looks, concealer has gone on to become a standout category in recent years. Certain formulas now even cater to dry skin (hello, hyaluronic acid and glycerin!) and oily skin (we love a matte finish skin look). Sometimes it’s full-coverage for all-day glam. Other times it’s going the minimalist route and sidestepping foundation altogether. In other cases, we just need to film a good TikTok. Either way, everyone has their trusty cover-up of choice in their arsenal of beauty products.
We've talked about concealer products before and how to apply it using our favorite products for masking or brightening under-eye circles, but today we're diving deeper into the best full-coverage concealers you can use to cover up acne, hyperpigmentation, and other skin concerns with glowing Ipster reviews from past Glam Bags and picks from a celebrity makeup artist. Keep reading to discover the best concealers you can use to cover, blend, and buff with confidence.
Trace Watkins is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist. His clients include Bachelor’s Hannah Godwin and Hannah Brown, actress AnnaLynne McCord, singer Pia Mia, and writer Anna Todd.
This radiant and creamy concealer = skin magic (once you try it, you’ll see what we mean). It’s pigmented enough to cover tattoos but lightweight enough to prevent creasing and caking. "This blends really well and doesn't sit in creases," says one Ipster. Another leaves no doubt about it: "The best concealer," she says.
A paraben-free formula full of natural ingredients, this concealer is also cruelty-free, ultra-blendable, smooth on the skin, and, oh—wildly affordable! "Great coverage, that lasted for most of the day. Worked for under eye circles as well as other places on my face to even out skin tone and hide redness," says Ipster @sarcasticplastic.
No concealer roundup is complete without this OG pick that's so versatile, you can even use it as a foundation. Very little goes a long way with the rich formula of Tarte Shape Tape™. As Ipster @Khiarra80 puts it, "For REAL full coverage–I apply three to four dots and blend with a beauty blender all over my face for a dewy glowing complexion that lasts all day!"
Shea butter and mango seed butter make this concealer oh-so blendable and hydrating for your skin. Plus, it contains licorice root extract to brighten up dark spots. "This concealer is a good one to have on hand for when you need a lot of coverage or to help define around lips or eyebrows," says Ipster @ugottabekittenme.
"This is by far the best concealer I've ever used," one Ipster wrote. "I have recurring issues with acne and this never dries out or looks cakey on my blemishes. I doubt I will ever find anything that works better."
This liquid concealer is especially effective for oily, acne-prone skin types that tend to feel heavy in a full face of makeup. Use it to conceal, correct, contour, and highlight. You'll get 24 hours of coverage that won't break down–even if you take a quick dip in the pool or dash through the rain.
When it comes to travel-friendly products, this convenient concealer stick tops our list with its magnetic packaging, which makes it so you never have to worry about losing the cap in your makeup bag. It also comes with a blender tip to make applications even more easy and convenient for on-the-go use.
"It's so quick to use walking out the door to school or work," one Ipster said. Not to mention, the hydrating gel-cream formula goes on like a liquid and flexes to create buildable coverage for different skin needs. Creasing? Not with this baby. Toss it in your makeup bag to cover up under-eye circles whenever you need to, without worrying about looking cakey or having to apply touch-ups throughout the day. Pro tip: For quick contouring and sculpting, reach for a shade that’s one to two shades darker than your skin tone.
This multitasking concealer corrects, conceals, brightens, and blurs all at once with its convenient cushion-tip applicator. You can achieve anything from medium to full coverage with this buildable formula, and you’ll be obsessed with how it helps smooth away fine lines and irregular texture with special soft-focus powders. It’s just the right amount of brightening with a demi-matte finish, and it even contains skin-loving ingredients like turmeric extract and camellia seed oil to hydrate, nourish, and tame inflammation.
"I cut out foundation to help my skin and this was my holy grail," says Ipster demidearest. "It lasted a long time as well and gave enough coverage without looking cakey."
Looking for even more skincare benefits in your daily concealer? This formula features YENSA's unique 8 SuperBlacks Essence, a complex that includes black sesame oil, black seaweed, black tea, shiitake mushrooms, black rice, Korean black raspberry, nettle, and chia seeds. Together, these ingredients provide anti-aging benefits, while brightening and smoothing skin, calming redness, and more. While your skin transforms from the inside out, this crease-free concealer also provides full coverage that feels super lightweight on the skin.
For one Ipster, this formula checks all the boxes. "Full coverage, not too dry, very comfortable to wear, doesn’t feel heavy, doesn’t crease too easily, and it’s also a pretty good substitute for eye shadow primer (perfect for cut creases). Overall very good product," she says.
Dark circles? See ya! This buildable, full-coverage concealer is packed with illuminating pigments that easily conceal dark circles and hyperpigmentation (so no one has to know that you stayed up late watching Netflix again). "It brightens up my bags and I've been able to tap it into the corners of my eyes for a little brightening when I forget to put a dab of highlighting eyeshadow there," says Ipster okmyway.
With a dewy finish and a brightening boost for your entire eye area, it's no wonder this concealer has become a daily go-to for so many Ipsters. After trying out this formula, one Ipster describes it as "brightening, non-irritating, and everything you could want from a concealer."
This high-coverage concealer offers the best of both worlds: staying power and total comfort. It's water-resistant, transfer-resistant, and will stay put for up to 16 hours—but it's also creamy, ultra-blendable, and extremely comfortable on the skin. This longwear concealer also features a wide shade range (up to 31 shades, to be exact), meaning there's a shade to match every skin tone and undertone, plus plenty of colors to choose from for contouring and highlighting.
"I love the product and the shade," says one Ipster. "It gives me that snatched under eye look I want to achieve."
This concealer and corrector sends your dark under eye bags packing. It's made with a unique anti-aging and brightening active called Synovea HR, which evens out and boosts your skin tone while protecting against environmental stressors. It also contains granpowder lumiere, a light-reflecting substance that reduces the appearance of wrinkles and pores. So basically, consider this your go-to brightening concealer that also does everything else.
This creamy, full-coverage formula does just about everything you want your concealer to do. It brightens dark circles, expertly covers blemishes, and tames redness and discoloration with just a touch of product. The vegan, paraben-free, and phthalate-free formula goes on smoothly thanks to an innovative applicator made for ultra-precise application—and it feels comfortable all day, thanks to the brand’s signature hydro-boost complex.
"This is an extremely full-coverage formula," one Ipster says. "I love it. It’s perfect for eyebrow cover when doing drag, and even better for under the eyes or to brighten any area of the face. The formula dries pretty fast so I would recommend blending one section at a time before applying product to the full face and then blending."
This popular concealer has been compared to the iconic Tarte Shape Tape™ for its powerful coverage, sans the cakiness. Celebrity makeup artist Trace Watkins is a big fan! “It’s full coverage with a natural finish—basically the best of both worlds,” he says. “Also, it can be used to conceal, contour, and highlight.”
If you want to keep your glow under control, Watkins believes this is one of your best bets. “It’s full-coverage with a soft matte finish,” he says. “But it’s a lightweight formula that won’t cake or crease.” Plus, we love that it can be used not just under your eyes, but all over your face to get a flawless, even finish.
Who needs Instagram filters when you’ve got one built-in right here? Watkins says he loves Hourglass’ Vanish™ Airbrush Concealer because it’s “longwearing, waterproof and natural-looking.” And we can’t blame him. Who wouldn’t want a product that provides a magical blurring effect we usually only see on through our phone screens?
Dark circles? Don’t know ‘em! This product comes highly recommended by Watkins, and is known to get those annoying under-eye bags concealed in seconds. You think an under-eye cream can’t do much? Think again. “I love that it’s also a cream concealer with a natural, dewy finish,” he says.
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