Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose the right concealer shade?
For the most natural-looking coverage, choose a concealer that closely matches your skin tone and undertone, especially when covering blemishes, redness, or dark spots. And remember: Your perfect match may change with the seasons. “People run into difficulty when blending and shade-matching, especially when they rely on one shade year-round,” New York City-based makeup artist Tommy Napoli previously told Allure. “We know this is trouble because we are not the same shade in summer as we are in winter.”
If your usual concealer suddenly looks too light or dark, consider when you bought it—you may need a different shade as your skin tone changes throughout the year. For undereyes, you can also go about one shade lighter than your current skin tone for a subtle brightening effect.
What makes a concealer move well with the skin?
Concealers that move with the skin tend to have emollient, moisturizing ingredients that keep the formula flexible rather than letting it dry down into a stiff layer. “Hydrating, rich ingredients like jojoba oil, vitamin E, and petrolatum will allow the concealer to move naturally with the skin,” says Michelle Radow, a makeup artist based in Beverly Hills. That flexibility can be especially helpful around expressive areas like the undereyes, where a drier formula may be more likely to emphasize fine lines or look cakey as you smile, squint, and talk throughout the day.
What concealer looks best on mature skin?
Concealers with hydrating, natural-looking finishes tend to be especially flattering on mature skin because “they create reflection and bounce to the skin and can create the illusion of smoother skin,” says Radow. On the flip side, she notes that very matte finishes can make skin appear drier and duller, potentially drawing more attention to fine lines, pigmentation, and loss of elasticity.
Meet the experts
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best concealers, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors — along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
Now that you’ve concealed, lock in your coverage with our favorite setting products:
