I own about 20 different concealers. Truth. I actually counted them not long ago, and I was surprised that I had accumulated so many! But I also found out that there’s now a name for having so many different concealers: a concealer wardrobe! I am definitely on trend.
It’s certainly not necessary to have 20 different concealers, but there is a method to my madness! A concealer wardrobe consists of different types and forms (e.g. crayons, liquids, creams, solids) in different shades (e.g. light, medium, orange or lavender or green) for different concealing tasks. See, it actually makes sense.
I promise I am not going to write long reviews of each of my concealers, but instead I’ll let you know which I use for what. Here are swatches so you can see the differences among all my options.
Covering Up My Dark Circles
To cover the dark circles under my eyes, I will sometimes use two different concealers. First, I use Tarte Colored Clay CC Under Eye Corrector in Light/Medium. It’s a peach shade that neutralizes the blue of the shadows. Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Fair Golden is also a peachy shade that’s darker than my skin tone, and I’ll sometimes reach for that one because of the easy to use tube. Second, I’ll apply a lighter, brighter liquid concealer like IT Cosmetics Hello Light Brightener from Eyelift In A Tube, my budget option Maybelline FaceStudio Master Conceal, or the ultra-smooth Smashbox 24 Hour Spot CC Concealer in Fair/Light. I apply it in a triangular shape to brighten and highlight my eyes.
Concealing My Sun Damage
To hide the dark spots that my foundation doesn’t cover, I use a variety of concealers depending on my mood. Sometimes I use a crayon like Amazing Cosmetics Perfection Stick in Fair. Other times, I use IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye in Neutral Medium from the dual-sided Eyelift In A Tube because it’s easy to dab it on with the wand, or I’ll use the tube version of Bye Bye Under Eye with my Amazing Cosmetics concealer brush or my finger. Sometimes, I’ll use Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in any of three shades that I own, the long-wearing Becca Ultimate Concealer in Praline or budget NYX Above and Beyond Full Coverage Concealer in Light.
Contouring
Concealers, especially concealer crayons like Amazing Cosmetics Perfection Stick Cover and Contour in a darker shade, make fabulous concealers. I apply Amazing Cosmetics crayon in Medium along the sides of my nose, under my cheek bones and along my jawline to give my square face a more sculptured effect. Then I’ll use the lighter shade Perfection Stick in Fair or Becca Ultimate Concealer in Praline to highlight the tops of my cheeks for a little brightness. Easy peasy.
Eye Brightening
In addition to brightening my under eye area that I mentioned above, I often reach for my NYX Wonder Pencil in Light to line my lower waterline. It gives me a more natural awake look than using a white eyeliner.
Touchups
I like to carry the Amazing Cosmetics Perfection Sticks with me in my purse makeup bag in case I need to touch up during the day. I bring both Fair and Medium (gotta be prepared!), and it’s so quick to just draw some on and smooth it with my finger.
So there you have it. I’ve actually gotten just about all of my concealers at Ulta Beauty! My local Ulta Beauty is a free-standing store with a gigantic window at the front that makes it easier to select shades in natural daylight. Plus they carry so many different brands at all price points. That’s why I’ve ended up with so many concealers!
Have you tried any of these concealers? Which are your favorites?
Disclosure: Ulta and one of their clients provided a few of the concealers mentioned, but in all honesty, I owned 20+ concealers prior to this post and I bought them all myself from Ulta Beauty! As always, any product mentioned is one I’ve used myself and feel confident in recommending!
Concealers are so amazing! My Favorite is Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer and then IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye and ALSO Benefit Erase Paste!
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With my extensive collection, I still haven’t tried UD Naked Skin concealer or the Benefit Erase Paste. How have I missed those two?!
Argh, I discovered that I only have five full-sized concealers (not counting samples in beauty boxes). Awful, aren’t I? A disgrace to the name of beauty junkie. I need to try the Amazing Cosmetics concealers. They look like they are full-coverage and my acne marks and dark circles cannot do with anything less.
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Yes, the reason I got started with Amazing Concealer is that they’re full coverage and they stay on! Now, I’m finding that I also adore the Amazing Perfection Sticks tho’ they’re not as long lasting as the cream.
I only use two concealers, but there are definitely times I feel like neither of them is working for what I need. I need to get something more hydrating for under my eyes, and more pigmented for intense blemishes.
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Take a look at IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye (tube & wand) and also Smashbox 24 Hour CC Spot Treatment for under eyes because they are both hydrating. For intense blemishes, maybe BECCA Ultimate Coverage or Amazing Cosmetics in the tube? There are so many options now, it’s sometimes daunting to choose.
That IS a lot of concealers…but I think I own at least 10 myself, if not more (I haven’t counted, lol). And you’re right, you don’t use each concealer for the same thing, so you need variety in texture, color, coverage, etc. Great post!
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Thanks, Katie! I’m glad I’m not the only one with a concealer stash!
I appreciate learning how you use all your concealers, especially for covering sun damage. That’s one are I still struggle with.
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Some of my sun damage is easy to cover up, but others where the skin actually looks/feels a little different I need a heavier duty, longer lasting concealer. How strange that I use different concealers on different spots!
I loved reading this! I see no problem in owning a bunch of different types of the same product. Hence my need to own about 100 purple nail polishes. We are beauty lovers, after all!
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I love that justification, Jamie. Makes perfect sense to me! Thank you 🙂
I don’t own many concealers, mostly because I can barely find a light enough to match my skin tone, much less a shade or two lighter. My other issue is they just don’t wear well on my oily skin, even using them over primer & foundation. E.l.f. has worked the best for me: I use their Maximum Coverage Concealer – Oil Free in Porcelain for blemishes, and their Studio HD Ligting Concealer in Brightening for dark undereye circles. My BareMinerals Orginal Foundation works really well for blemishes if I use my finger to pat it on. I like Nyx Green CC Cream to cover redness.
I’d like to find one that fills in and helps hide the big creases under my eyes. I’m not even sure if a concealer would do that, or if I need another product.
I’m glad that you’ve been able to find a variety of options that work for your specific skin tone and condition, Rachel. I always got good coverage for all of my dark spots from the original Bare Minerals foundation, but my skin has gotten so dry that I don’t wear the mineral powder foundation very often any more and I miss that about it. I had been eyeing the NYX color corrector palette that has green, yellow, orange and lavender coz it looks so cool. I’m glad the green NYX is covering your redness! I think I agree with you that you don’t need a concealer to hide under eye creasing, but a hydrating eye cream perhaps with dimethicone if you can handle that ingredient??
Thanks so much for your help, Allison! Using a serum under my eyes has helped the creasing quite a bit, so I suspect your right about needing something hydrating. I don’t think my current undereye cream has dimethicone. Fortunately, I’m not sensitive to dimethicone, so I’ll give that a try.
I’ve had such oily skin my whole life, and mostly still do, but I am dryer in spots than I used to be. I’m not at all up-to-date on the best hydrating products.
One’s skin changes throughout different life stages, and it can be difficult to be prepared for it. Trial and error, mostly, right?!
Definitely! I used to wear only one foundation. Now I have a wardrobe depending on what my skin is doing that day. Hormone changes are for the birds. lol
I’m with you on that, Rachel. Yes, hormone changes suck 🙁
What an amazing collection of concealers! To be honest, I don’t know how many I have since they seem to have migrated to different storage areas! The IT Cosmetics Eyelift in a Tube is AMAZING!
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The Eyelift In A Tube is one of my rather recent purchases and I am shocked by how often I use it. I didn’t think I’d need or use the brightener, and boy was I wrong!
I see some faves of mine too! IT, NYX, Tarte and Smashbox are all on my must have list. I need to try some of the Amazing Cosmetics concealers. I haven’t tried them before!
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The Amazing Cosmetics concealers in the tubes are thick, heavy duty, full coverage creams. I am adoring the new Amazing Perfection Sticks – so quick and easy to use but not as long lasting as some other products. The Smashbox 24 Hour CC Spot Treatment is wonderful for under my eyes because it contains some dimethicone, very smoothing. So many good concealers out there!
You make me want to go count my concealers! LOL! I’ve tried some of these but not all of them. I agree that we have different needs for our concealers. I enjoyed reading how you use these as you gave me some new ways to use mine. Thanks!
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You’re welcome, Stacie. I can’t believe I own so many. In fact, I should toss a few but I find that I use them all from time to time and definitely for different tasks!
For how much makeup I own, concealer is actually what I have the least of. I have stuck with the same couple of ones for years (primarily Laura Mercier).
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I have the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage. In fact, I should pull it out and let it stay with its brethren, lol. It’s a good one too! If you have found a couple that do the trick, you’re all set!
I love this post, I get asked a lot about concealers. Especially, when I am doing their makeup they don’t always now the difference in concealer and correctors or brighteners for under eye. It can get confusing for sure!
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Thank you, Heather! It is definitely confusing. The funny thing is I sort of naturally built up this concealer wardrobe just through trial and error in order to take care of all my different skin issues!
I am a fellow concealer hoarder, and proud of it! I seriously can’t imagine life without several of mine. A few dabs here and there can make me look well-rested even if I partied all night.
Concealers can be little miracles in the right hands!
I just ordered the BECCA corrector. Fingers crossed… My dark circles are already mocking. 😛
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BECCA has a few different ones. I have the Ultimate Conceal, and it’s pretty heavy duty…meaning full coverage. I also am liking the Tarte CC Corrector, the peach colored one. It does a good job of neutralizing my dark circles. I hope the one you ordered does work for you. I know you’ve been having a hard time with those dark circles. Be gone, dark circles!
I really want to try the Tarte CC concealer because so many people say that its great underneath the eyes. My dark circles are getting so bad!! xxx
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For me, the Tarte CC Concealer does a good job neutralizing my dark circles. Definitely check it out!
I really need to step up my game, I can’t even seem to find one good concealer when I need it!
I couldn’t find ‘one good concealer’, Babi, so that’s how I ended up with so many – all good at different things!
I can’t seem to get enough concealers. I wonder how many I’d find if I cleaned up the stash. IT Cosmetics and Tarte always make me happy and now I’m tempted by Amazing Cosmetics since I haven’t used that in years.
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I love the IT concealers, too, and I’m really enjoying the new Tarte CC Corrector! I’ve had Amazing Cosmetics concealer in a tube for a long time but I’ve had a hard time getting a good color match and now I can blend them (can you believe I’m blending shades of concealer? I need a life). But I love the easy to use Amazing Perfection Sticks. Though they don’t have the longevity of the cream, they’re so easy to use and carry!
Wow, twenty!! I actually only keep 1-2 max in my rotation at all times. I don’t wear makeup everyday and some of mine in the past have gone off before I was able to even make a dent in them. Throwing away expired (hardly used) makeup makes me sad, so I limit myself to 1 or 2 now lol. Right now I’m using Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof concealer and I’ve got my fav NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer unopened waiting to use when I finish the Tarte. I love them both!
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That’s great that you found a couple of concealers that do everything you need them to do!
I only have 4 concealers, I think .. they all work more or less .. haven’t found the ‘holy grain’ .. I’ll keep looking 😉
Monica.
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I don’t think there’s one HG concealer for all uses. The 4 you have are probably fine for solving all your different concealing issues. I carry a concealer pencil with me in my purse makeup bag for touchups but otherwise I do use a bunch of different ones – probably about 4 or 5 most often like you.
I love using different concealers.
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They are helpful for different concealing tasks
I have a ton as well! I love using the green, purple and neutral ones for my skin!
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I’m just getting into the color correctors, but I like the peach-colored Tarte concealer to neutralize the dark tones under my eyes. I received a purple color corrector in a Memebox several months ago, but I’m not sure what to do with it. What do you do with your purple one??
Purple is used to neutralize yellow undertones, so it brightens up your face. I don’t really get dark circles under my eyes, but more of a yellowy cast under them when I’m tired, so I use it there and it brightens up my eye area
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Oh! I am not yellow, I’m pink so I guess I should gift that purple concealer. Thank you, Lisa, for the info!
I need to try some new concealers. I have a few but tend to reach for the same two.
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If the two concealers you have do the trick, you may be all set!
I would love to try the Tarte concealer, have heard such good reviews on it. I love NYX concealer for drugstore brand and LA Colors, those are my budget picks.
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I don’t have a local source for LA Colors so I’m not familiar with theirs. The peach-toned Tarte concealer really does help cover my dark circles. I just got it but I love it already!
I don’t wear a concealer O.o I guess I probly should? hahah
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If you don’t have any skin issues you need to cover up, be happy!
Truth be told, I’m slowly turning into concealer freako. I have to count my stash… BRB
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😀 Glad I’m not the only one who’s drowning in concealers!
I think my collection is about the same size as yours. Best to be prepared for any and everything!
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That’s right, Bailey! Sounds like we’re both well prepared 😉
I am a concealer junkie too. I love the new one from Smashbox that you mentioned.
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The Smashbox 24 Hour CC Spot Treatment is really nice. The formula is so smooth. Give me dimethicone any day!
Concealers are so essential for a variety of things. I enjoy them for eyes now and then when I didn’t get sleep and my eye lids look really dark 😀
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I use tinted primers to cover my red eyelids so maybe I should count them as concealers too since that’s another reason I’m using them!
I love all the swatches. It really helps to see what is peach toned, what is yellow toned, etc. I gathered mine up today and was surprised to see how many I have since I only regularly use three. But the problem was in having to buy them all to try them out for color.
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You’re absolutely right, Shelley. I have concealers for different seasons for when my skin has a bit of a tan and for dead of winter. It’s endless!
Haha you can always justify 20 concealers 😛 color correcting, brightening, blemish hiding… the list is endless!!
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Absolutely!!
I have a bunch of concealers, too. I confess I wish I had ONE that did everything, though! lol.
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I remember the days when I only had one concealer, but then I didn’t have as many skin issues I was trying to cover up, lol
i have a ton of concealers. lol i have an overflowing wardrobe lol
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I’m relieved that I’m not the only one with a million concealers!
Out of all these I’ve only tried the Smashbox one, which I do remember liking.
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I just got the Smashbox 24 Hr. CC Spot Treatment so I’ve only used it a few times, but I love how smooth it makes my skin.
I have a few concealers but only use two of them because I they do an amazing job covering up those dark circles of mine. I can understand why someone would have so many though. There are so many ways to use them.
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I’ve ended up with so many because I have a hard time finding the right shade sometimes, plus my skin tone changes color with the seasons. And then some forms work better than others for certain tasks. Justifications on my part. You are lucky that 2 do the job for you!
I have a feeling I’m the only person on this planet that doesn’t know how to use concealers =P I use a concealer palette from Catrice, just because it has both green & pink shade, the two I regularelly use. With concealers that match (or should match) my skin tone I always do an awful job =P
Xoxo, Nyx
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It’s tough, Mala, to find a good match! Look at all the different shades I’ve got! And what matches my skin tone changes with the seasons, lol! The Catrice palette sounds great! I wish we had Catrice in the US
Whoa, that’s a lot of concealers!!! I actually only have one but I don’t use it the way I’m supposed to. I only use it to brighten up my lids lol! I usually prefer to layer on foundation over acne and scars where I need it.
No rules, right? If layering foundation works, keep doing it! I do try layering foundation over my dark spots sometimes, but there is something different about the consistency of concealer that does a better job for me covering dark spots and lasting longer.
Thank you for sharing! I too have, ahem, a few concealers. Not as many as you, but if I add all my primers to my concealer collection, I think I’d match up to you. It’s funny how we get hooked on a product and realize that we can’t live without them.
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I’m glad I’m in good company, PJ! Thanks for your “confession”! It’s true: there are just some products you can’t live without and without a lot of them!!
I don’t own any of these concealers bu do have a variety for different reasons. I like stick/crayon types because they apply easily and cover well. I use one for brightening on top of another one and, of course, have one for correcting dark circles too. Thank-you for this fun and informative round-up. 🙂
I agree with you: sticks/crayons are my favorites too. But I must say, I’m getting partial to the Tarte CC Color Correcting Spot Treatment. It really helps cover my dark circles 🙂 Glad to hear you believe in concealer wardrobing too!!