Best Concealer: The 2023 Glam Beauty Awards
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Concealer may not be the flashiest product you keep in your makeup bag, but it has a pretty important job to do. This is especially true if you struggle with acne, scarring, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, or stubborn undereye circles. That's not all concealer can do, however. Some makeup wearers purchase concealer in three shades — one for covering blemishes, one for brightening and highlighting, and one for contouring. Others use it in place of an eyeshadow or lip primer.
For the purposes of the 2023 Glam Beauty Awards, we tested 10 popular concealers to see how well they handled what we consider to be their basic duties — covering blemishes and brightening dark undereye circles. Here's a list of the best five of the bunch, plus what you can expect from each one and where you can purchase any that sound promising to you.
Read more about the 2023 Glam Beauty Awards methodology and all the top picks here.
Best Overall: Tarte Shape Tape
Tarte Shape Tape concealer took the world by storm in 2016, and has been a diehard favorite of YouTube and TikTok beauty gurus ever since. Like most classics, it consistently stands at the top of its class for a reason. Of all the concealers we tested, Shape Tape managed to provide the fullest coverage with the most natural matte finish and staying power. If you're looking for serious coverage for major dark undereye circles, redness, or blemishes, this is the one for you.
According to Tarte's website, their waterproof concealer formula contains shea and mango butters for hydration and licorice root for skin brightening and color correction. Once you apply it, it will stay put for 16 hours and won't crease, cake, or settle for at least 12 of those hours. This concealer is also vegan and dermatologist tested, so you don't have to worry about questionable ingredients.
Purchase Tarte Shape Tape on Amazon for $19.97.
Best matte finish full-coverage concealer: NYX Professional Makeup Can't Stop Won't Stop Full Coverage Concealer, 24Hr Matte Finish
Do you consider shine your personal enemy? We've got the concealer for you. NYX Professional Makeup Can't Stop Won't Stop Full Coverage Concealer, 24Hr Matte Finish had the strongest matte finish of all the concealers we tried. The coverage was full and long-lasting without even the slightest hint of shine or glow showing through, making it perfect for blemish coverage. A darker shade would also be perfect for a liquid contour that won't budge all day.
NYX claims that the vegan formula is highly pigmented, blendable enough for seamless undereye coverage, and lasts 24 hours. We don't necessary disagree with any of those claims. However, there were a few areas where the concealer fell a bit flat. While its coverage remained full all day, the formula did begin to settle into fine lines a bit around the six-to-eight hour mark. We also noticed that all the lighter shades appear to lean a bit towards the warm/yellow side, so if you're an ultra cool-toned babe, keep that in mind.
Purchase NYX Professional Makeup Can't Stop Won't Stop Full Coverage Concealer, 24Hr Matte Finish on Amazon for $9.49.
Best lightweight full-coverage concealer: COVERGIRL TruBlend Undercover Concealer
If you love full coverage but can't stand makeup that feels heavy, we highly recommend giving COVERGIRL TruBlend Undercover Concealer. For a concealer that offers so much coverage, this formula feels truly weightless. The finish is more of a natural creamy matte than the uncompromisingly flat matte of the NYX Professional Makeup Can't Stop Won't Stop Full Coverage Concealer. It blends easily, making it suitable for covering both blemishes and undereye circles.
This concealer comes in a wide array of 30 shades that includes warm, cool, and neutral undertones. However, the lightest shade does lean a bit warm. While TruBlend's cruelty-free formula will provide all-day coverage, we found that it did begin to slightly crease and settle into fine lines and develop a slightly cakey finish after about eight hours. If you're looking for a lightweight full coverage concealer for the average workday, this could be the one for you. If you have very light, cool-toned skin or need flawless coverage for more than eight hours, you may want to keep looking.
Purchase COVERGIRL TruBlend Undercover Concealer on Amazon for $7.48.
Best satin finish concealer: Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer is a great concealer option for people who want full coverage without a matte finish. Rather than a flat shine-free, dewy, or iridescent finish, this liquid concealer provides a truly skin-like appearance. According to Hourglass Cosmetics, the formula does include microspherical powders that reflect light enough to brighten skin without appearing shimmery. While the company's website claims that one to three dots of product is enough for full coverage, we found that it took a couple of layers to truly achieve it.
The shade range of this concealer is a bit more limited than most of the others on this list. While it technically offers 22 shades, the lightest light and the darkest dark seem a little underwhelming. The lightest cool-toned shade, for instance, was still significantly too dark for our tester. If you're searching for a natural finish with buildable coverage and don't have ultra-pale or very dark skin, this is a solid concealer for you.
Purchase Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer on Amazon for $36.
Best hydrating concealer: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Instant Eraser Multi-Use Concealer
Searching for a moisturizing concealer that's effective but still subtle enough for a no-makeup makeup look? This is undoubtedly the one for you. Of all the concealers we tested, this one was the most hydrating, naturally dewy, and buildable from sheer all the way to full coverage. While only 18 shades are offered, the lightest and darkest shades seem much farther apart than can be said for some of the other concealers we tested. If your skin is on either extreme of the light-dark spectrum and you've struggled to find a match in the past, give this one a try. The formula is also available in two specialized shades meant for layering — one for brightening and one for color correction.
Since Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Instant Eraser Multi-Use Concealer is so creamy, blendable, and moisturizing, it does require some finesse for covering blemishes. After applying the concealer to each blemish, you'll need to let the formula dry completely before either adding another layer or covering with foundation. Otherwise, it has a tendency to melt away.
Purchase Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Instant Eraser Multi-Use Concealer on Amazon for $8.80.