I love using concealers to spot-cover, color-correct, as a base for eyeshadow, and sometimes to highlight and contour the features," Lujan tells Byrdie. A cult botanical favorite, Ami Colé is a brand to obsess over. The concealer, designed as an evolution of the brand's beloved Skin-Enhancing Tint, offers medium, buildable coverage in 12 shades designed specifically to match undertones in melanin-rich skin. Active naturals like baobab seed extract, pumpkin seed extract, and hibiscus extract add hydration to the formula for a buttery-smooth application and satin finish. Just be mindful if you have patchy, dry skin as some testers found it did cling to those areas.

It also contains shea and mango butter which gives it a hydrating finish on the skin. Best of all, it’s vegan, cruelty free and dermatologist tested. If you are sensitive to fragrance though, we’d advise doing a patch test before use. A better question is, what doesn't concealer do? The main purpose of this makeup mainstay is to cover blemishes, such as pimples, scars, and dark under-eye circles. Additionally, you can use concealer to color-correct for things like hyperpigmentation and general redness. People also use it for highlighting and contouring. From the brand known for its no-makeup makeup, Glossier's Stretch Concealer was designed for those averse to dry, creasy, cakey formulas. It contains beeswax, cocoa butter, and jojoba oil which make it easy to layer. The dewy finish adds dimension so you can build on coverage as needed. Our only complaint is that you have to put your finger inside the small tub to remove the product. We’d prefer a more hygienic application tool, or we’d advise using a Q-tip. This brightening concealer was our top choice for darker skin tones and during testing we found that it did an excellent job at covering discoloration, due to its peach undertone. Our tester also found that it was great at concealing hyperpigmentation and spots, lasting throughout the day without creasing or transferring onto clothes. It has a slightly chalky texture, however, so a touch of lightweight eye cream would have helped to create a more dewy finish. We’d also like a wider selection of medium shades.Thanks to skin-loving botanicals, a tone-balancing mineral powder, and tiny light diffusers, this all-star concealer does an amazing job covering dark circles, correcting redness, and hiding blemishes for up to 16 hours. We also like that it comes in a mini size. Some testers do note, however, that it can be a little too drying on more mature skin.

Using a shade a level or two lighter than your natural skin tone, swipe your More Than Concealer under your eyes and blend out to conceal dark circles and help brighten your under eye for a youthful, lifted look. Beauty Bakerie offers incredible products for shaping and contouring in shades for every skin tone. Their concealer matches a range of contour colors and highlight hues, while its texture-blurring formula makes it easy to add dimension. The bottle is a little on the small side, but testers say that you only need a small amount of product – a little goes a long way.It can be tough to achieve a totally crease-free finish, especially under the eyes, but Tarte Shape Tape is up for the task. Available in 25 shades, makeup artist Sophia Nawabi says she'd recommend this moisturizing waterproof concealer to people of all skin tones. Plus, she adds, "A little bit goes a long way," as the product is easy to manipulate with fingers for a smooth application. While there are many stellar options on the market, Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer is a reigning champion. Dubbed the best by makeup artists and beauty fanatics alike, the award-winning formula does everything from contouring and highlighting to color-correcting. Like foundation, concealers offer different finishes, including matte, radiant, natural, and soft, as well as varying levels of coverage (sheer, medium, and full). "I personally like a moisturizing fuller-coverage concealer, as it can be sheered down or built up depending on your concerns," says Sesnek. When conducting our own testing, we found this concealer creased very minimally. You should be able to eradicate this completely by applying it with a beauty blender or adding a fixing powder. Its creamy texture also lends itself well to drier skin types. Our only bugbear was the applicator sponge which we worry may get a little unhygienic over time. Ideally, we’d like it to be removable so it can be cleaned.

Concealer can also be used as a cream highlighter on the bridge of your nose, lower forehead, brow bone, cupid's bow, upper cheekbones, or chin. Celebrity makeup artist Erika La' Pearl explains, "You want a concealer to give the skin a bit of brightness while eliminating any dark circles, concealing redness, and covering up any dullness on the face." Not only does it give your skin a natural and soft finish," says former Byrdie Editorial Director Faith Xue, "but it's also the easiest product to use with any beauty tool of your choice—fingertips included." During testing in our lab, we found that the texture was super lightweight (with the consistency of water) which made it good for applying in light layers. It also covered dark marks well and didn’t look cakey or crease – even when coverage was built up. We found that the color correctors within this range also worked best with a concealer on top rather than applied on their own.We stand behind Fenty Pro Filt'r for those who prefer a shine-free finish. We love how this formula uses glycerin to attract hydration in the skin without leaving behind a heavy, oily texture. In addition, the formula is sweat-resistant, offers full-coverage, and glides on smooth with a soft-focus matte finish. This concealer also comes in 50 different shades to suit all skin tones and undertones. When it comes to creating a fresh, wide-awake look, concealer is essential. Designed to be applied after foundationand before setting powder, its number one job is to cover under-eye circles, pimples, dark spots, and scars. But masking blemishes is far from the only thing concealer does.

The proper way to apply concealer depends on the formulation and what you're trying to achieve. Having said that, it should generally be applied after foundation. Using the included applicator, your fingers, or a makeup brush, apply the cream or liquid anywhere you want to conceal or highlight. "If you feel it's a bit dry under the eyes, I would mix it with an eye cream," says Nawabi. Depending on what you're trying to achieve, the undertone for your concealer might be different than your foundation. For instance, if you have olive skin, your foundation might have neutral undertones, while your concealer may have peach undertones to correct for dark circles. When it comes to affordable long-wear makeup, L'Oréal's Infallible line is tough to beat. This waterproof concealer covers blemishes with ease and lasts for up to 24 hours. Just a heads up—it dries super fast, so make sure to blend it immediately.Next, get to work blending. Sesnek recommends tapping it out with your fingers first and then using a sponge for a seamless finish. Lastly, Lujan says, "You can always set it with a little loose setting powder to adjust the level of radiance."