From covering dark circles, camouflaging spots and evening out skin tone these are our pick of the best concealers that really do the job.
All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products.
Once you’ve found the best concealer for you, you feel like you’ve hit jackpot because it’s the one product in your makeup bag that can transform your face in seconds. Arguably more than the best foundation for your skin type. From dealing with dark circles, reducing redness, hiding spots and even adding a little lift and light for some instant contouring, there’s a lot the best concealer can do. It’s just a question of finding it. We asked makeup artist Lisa Caldognetto for her top tips on finding the best concealer:
- Finish is key. Just as with foundations, concealers now come in all kinds of finishes - which can make the choice seem even more overwhelming. In general, if you want to conceal something, whether it’s pigmentation or spots, choose a matte or velvet finish. You don’t want any sparkle or luminosity. That works best for areas you’re trying to brighten, such as under the eyes, or appear more lifted, such as the cheekbones or maybe even along the jawline and forehead.
- If in doubt, go lighter. When swatching concealer shades, if you’re stuck between two shades always opt for the lighter. And consider the undertone, peach/orange will brighten dull areas, golden/yellow will correct redness. It’s much easier to warm a complexion up by applying bronzer or layering your foundation on top to blend the colour in seamlessly and tone down too dark a shade.
- Be realistic. There are some amazing concealers out there but you have to be realistic about how much they can cover up. It may be that you need to apply a colour corrector on the skin to help even out discolouration before then applying concealer on top. You also don’t want to be applying too much concealer in one area because it can end up looking cakey and obvious, everything you don’t want your concealer to be.
- Effective application. When you apply your concealer let it sit and dry down on the skin before blending to get the most coverage from the product. Use a fluffy, medium-sized eyeshadow or face powder brush to load the concealer on and dab it to build it layer by layer. Change to a blending motion to seamlessly blend the edges.
With all of that in mind, here’s our round-up of some of the best concealers out there.
16 of the best concealers
1. The best luxury concealer: Clé de Peau Concealer Stick, £55
Shades: 13
Coverage: medium
Finish: glowy and radiant
Our verdict: Loved by celebs and makeup artists alike, this concealer has quite the cult following - which you would hope when it is far pricier than most others on the market - and it’s mainly down to how stellar it is at concealing under eye circles and darkness without looking cakey or like you’re wearing anything on your skin. It manages to conceal but still feel and look like skin; the holy grail of all things concealer related. It also has amazing staying power, this stuff really doesn’t shift, which again you would expect if you’re paying North of £50 for it.
2.The best budget concealer: Elf Hydrating Camo Concealer, £6
Shades: 25
Coverage: full
Finish: satin
Our verdict: With its over-sized applicator, this is a concealer that you can apply everywhere you need it in a jiffy. It has a slightly thicker consistency but we think that’s due in part to it delivering a full-coverage finish. It contains hydrating skincare ingredients such as sodium hyaluronate and calming rose water and doesn’t crease or flake on the skin making it a brilliant choice for anyone with spot-prone skin that needs their concealer to cover up blemishes, stay put and also soothes angry skin. And all for an absolute bargain price point.
3. The best concealer for under eyes: Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Radiant Concealer, £26
Shades: 30
Coverage: medium
Finish: satin
Our verdict: This is a very impressive concealer indeed - would you expect anything else from the brand that has absolutely nailed achieving the perfect base at home - and while we have suggested it is best for under the eyes, this is because it miraculously doesn’t settle into the creases, we use it all over the face. The consistency is creamy and very easy to blend but the pigment doesn’t fade as you move it around. The shade range is extensive so there really is one for everyone however we think there is some flex within each one and a shade could span two or three skin tones. The wand is small enough to get under the eye and we then buffed the product in with a small concealer brush.
4. The best concealer for full coverage: Bobbi Brown Skin Full Cover Concealer, £26
Shades: 23
Coverage: full
Finish: velvety
Our verdict: As you might expect with Bobbi Brown this concealer aims to create a flawless base that looks natural and like your skin. And even though this is full coverage, it does all of that without looking or feeling heavy and cakey. This is in part of the texture, it’s buttery and creamy and blends brilliantly but doesn’t crease into lines. It comes with a tapered wand that allows you to move it around under the eyes really easily and also makes contouring with it an absolute cinch. It will cover whatever you need to conceal and the tones really do take into consideration nuance within shades.
5. The best concealer for a matte finish: Vieve Modern Radiance Concealer, £22
Shades: 20
Coverage: medium
Finish: matte
Our verdict: We’ve described this as matte, which it is, but it doesn’t leave your skin looking flat and dull. This is all thanks to it containing skin hydrating hyaluronic acid which plumps and smooths the skin as you apply it so your left with your skin looking slow, but in no way shiny or sparkly. This means it’s ideal for using all over the face however it does have a slightly thicker consistency so you might want to warm it up slightly before applying it to make it a bit more bendable or you can even add a little bit of your regular moisturiser to sheer it out slightly.
6. The best concealer for brightening: Sculpted by Aimee Satin Silk Longwear Concealer, £16
Shades: 16
Coverage: full
Finish: glowy
Our verdict: If adding some luminosity and brightness to your skin is your key concern then this dinky concealer is what you need. It contains light-reflecting particles that help light bounce off the skin more effectively making your complexion look more radiant. Ideal for under the eyes, to lighten pigmentation patches or to add some highlight to cheeks and on the forehead but probably not the best option for anyone looking to conceal spots.
7. The best concealer for using all over the face: Monika Blunder Beauty Blunder Cover, £45
Shades: 12
Coverage: full
Finish: natural skin finish
Our verdict: A true multitasker this creamy, fairly thick, pot can be used in its most intense form as a concealer, sheered out as a foundation or used to contour and shape the face. In all three ways it is excellent but as a concealer it really stands out because it does exactly what you want a concealer to do; hides stuff. It’s great for evening out patches of pigmentation, taking the redness and anger out of spots and for brightening up under the eyes. It is highly pigmented so a little really does go a long way. We recommend taking a small amount onto the back of your hands and then buffing it onto the skin with a brush.
8. Best concealer for sensitive skin: Benefit Bright On Concealer, £21.50
Shades: 12
Coverage: Full
Finish: radiant
Why we love it: It’s the closest thing we’ve found to a skincare concealer hybrid, we’re calling it 'concealercare'. Benefit has offered up some great concealers over the years, I don’t know many women who haven’t tried the iconic Cakeless Concealer at some point in their makeup lives, and the newest member of the Boi-ing concealer family isn’t letting the side down. It has a serum-like feel, it’s sheer in consistency so it really moves with the contours of your face, so it looks ultra-natural. It’s also packed with red algae extract and vitamin C which are great at hydrating (and brightening) skin, it’s even got emollients to soothe sensitised skin - win!
9. Best concealer for dark circles: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, £24
Shades: 22
Coverage: Medium
Finish: radiant
Why we love it: Nars’ award-winning concealers are a makeup bag staple for MUAs and beauty editors alike but this one might just take the top spot.
So often when you apply concealer under the eyes, it turns cakey pretty quickly or pools in the natural creases of your eye area. Not this bad boy. The creamy texture is almost like a second skin so it melts in and brightens the area without sitting heavily on the most delicate part of your face. It’s light-reflecting so corrects any under-eye discolouration but has a lovely dewy finish so looks natural.
10. Best concealer for dry skin: Glossier Stretch, £15
Shades: 12 shades
Coverage: Light to medium (it’s buildable)
Finish: dewy
Why we love it: This little pot has a high moisture content which means that it mimics the texture of your skin so it doesn’t sit in fine lines or look heavy - great news if you have dry patches, which tend to catch concealer and make it look flaky.
Glossier makeup artist Celia Burton recommends blending this into any areas of natural darkness of the face – so under the eyes and around the nose and mouth. This will help give that ‘real skin’ finish. However, mega fans of the dewy finish of this concealer have reported using this all over their face in place of foundation.
11. Best concealer for acne: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, £5.99
Shades: 15
Coverage: Medium
Finish: natural
Why we love it: A high street hero that’s worth the hype. This popular concealer is lightweight but still packs a punch on the coverage front. Because it’s oil and wax-free it doesn’t suffocate the skin and it’s non-comedogenic so won’t clog pores – always a bonus. The small applicator is a great size for pinpointing any blemishes and applying just the right amount of coverage so that skin isn’t overwhelmed with excess product.
12. Best concealer for oily skin: Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer, £31
Shades: 10
Coverage: Full
Finish: natural skin finish
Why we love it: A creamy formula wouldn't be our usual recommendation for oily skin types but this twist-up stick is totally weightless and does a remarkable job of keeping oil at bay throughout the day. And, because of the creamy texture, it helps to keep skin hydrated too. Best of all, it’s mega long-lasting so even if you usually find that your makeup is sliding off your face by lunchtime, this should see you through lunch, dinner and dancing!
13. Best concealer for contour: Nyx Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Contour Concealer, £8
Shades: 24
Coverage: Full
Finish: matte
Why we love it: If you’re planning on staying out all night then this is the concealer for you - the brand claims it has 24hr staying power! Admittedly we haven’t tested it for that long but we attest to the fact that it lasts all day with minimal creasing and minimal touch-ups. Unlike lots of full-coverage concealers, this doesn’t feel thick or heavy. It actually has a fairly thin consistency so is great for creating some shade and highlight. It does dry very matte though so if the skin is on the drier side we’d recommend mixing with your eye cream or moisturiser.
14. Best concealer for mature skin: Trish McEvoy Correct and Even Full-Face Perfector, £40
Shades: 5
Coverage: Medium-full
Finish: satin
Why we love it: If you think we've got to be joking to suggest spending £40 on a concealer, you obviously haven't tried this. It's GTG's editorial director Victoria's favourite for her 50+ skin. It brightens, corrects – whether that’s under-eye discolouration, pigmentation or spots - and smooths out lines, thanks to its almost prosthetic but cake-free coverage. It really does give you a second skin, says Victoria. You can use this all over the face in targeted areas and it blends in seamlessly. Trish advises using it to create her trademark ‘triangle of light’ (an inverted triangle from your eye to the centre of your cheek) to wake up the area. There are four light to dark shades plus an ‘Extreme’ orange tone, which is actually an under-eye corrector (put your normal concealer on top).
15. Best concealer for coverage: Anastasia Beverly Hills Magic Touch Concealer, £31
Shades: 25
Coverage: Full
Finish: matte
Why we love it: Full disclaimer, this is my personal favourite on the list. It gives mega duty coverage and has a large applicator so, on good skin days, I pop this under my eyes and around my nose and mouth and skip the foundation. It’s super pigmented hence it’s my go-to when I’ve stayed up binge-watching Love is Blind. Even though it gives great coverage, it’s fairly hydrating so you don’t need to worry about any caking. You may need to do some in-store testing though because the shades are quite confusing, I’m four shades higher in this than my usual concealer shade (so instead of a seven I wear 11).
16. Best concealer for colour correcting: KVD Vegan Beauty Good Apple Lightweight Full Coverage Concealer, £19.55
Shades: 32
Coverage: Full
Finish: satin
Why we love it: Last year the KVD Good Apple Full Coverage Foundation went viral on Tiktok for its seemingly magic ability to cover literally everything but feel like barely-there makeup when you were wearing it. So, we were pretty excited when a concealer in the same range launched this month. Just like the foundation, the concealer is infused with antioxidant-rich apple extract and raspberry stem cells, which are both hydrating ingredients that contribute to the second-skin finish. It caters for different undertones rather than focusing on skin tones so you can use for any colour correcting concerns; go for yellow or golden undertones if you want to balance out any darkness under the eyes, or choose a peach or copper undertone to perk up any dull discolouration in the face.