The beauty industry has convinced you that the best concealers are expensive—and they couldn’t be more wrong. Even though costly concealers are fantastic, there are many more reasonably priced choices tucked away on the shelves in your local drugstore, just a few aisles over from your vitamins and laundry detergent. Regardless of price, concealers are the unsung hero of our beauty procedures because they perform all tasks given to them.
“Concealers are such a versatile tool; they can be used for coverage, eye shadow priming, highlighting, and sculpting,” celebrity makeup artist Kirin Bhatty tells ELLE.com.
The best drugstore concealers hit all its claims: Camouflage pimples? Check. Hide dark circles? Double-check. They work so well that your friends will ask if you’ve just stopped reading the news. So while we can’t fix everything in this world, we can offer the best drugstore concealers you can pick up in the drugstore beauty aisle, ahead.
1
Best Overall
e.l.f. Cosmetics
16HR Camo Concealer
2
Best For Dark Circles
Neutrogena
Healthy Skin Brightening Eye Perfector, SPF 25
3
Best Dark Spots
Wet n Wild
Mega Last Incognito All-Day Full Coverage Concealer
4
Best For Contouring
Black Opal
True Color Flawless Perfecting Concealer Toast
5
Best Affordable Option
L.A. Girl
HD Pro Concealer
6
Best Hybrid Formula
Milani
Conceal + Perfect Longwear Concealer
7
Best Longwear
L’Oréal
Infallible Full Wear Waterproof Concealer
8
Best Anti-Blue Light Formula
Revlon
PhotoReady Candid Antioxidant Concealer
9
Best Lightweight Formula
Maybelline
Fit Me Concealer
10
Best For Summer Weather
NYX Professional Makeup
Hi Definition Photo Concealer Wand
11
Best For Mature Skin
Maybelline
Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer
12
Best For Priming Eyelids
Revlon
ColorStay Concealer
What should you look for in concealer?
Similar to shopping for foundation, finding the perfect concealer shade is extremely important. Understanding your undertones will help you pick the best option for under-eye brightening, seamless contouring, and spot-concealing impurities. Celebrity makeup artist Allison Kaye suggests doing the concealer test.
“When looking for a concealer, swatch it on the back of your hand to make sure it looks even and smooth, and then run it under water for a waterproof test,” she says. This ensures your concealer will stay put throughout the day and won’t settle into fine lines or enhance the appearance of skin texture.
How do you find the best shade?
“You can choose the shade depending on what your goal is. If you want to just simply cover, choose a shade that matches your skin tone or foundation. If you want to cover, brighten, and create a contoured effect, choose a concealer 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone/ foundation,” Kaye explains.
Allison Kaye, Fort Lauderdale-based celebrity makeup artist
Kirin Bhatty, Los Angeles-based celebrity makeup artist
Nerisha Penrose is the Beauty Commerce Editor at ELLE.com. Since joining ELLE.com in 2017, she has interviewed countless skincare professionals and has personally tested the latest and greatest products across makeup, skincare, and hair care.
Nerisha Penrose
Beauty Commerce Editor
Nerisha is the beauty commerce editor at ELLE.com, covering all things beauty (and fashion and music).