The best serum concealers blur the line between makeup and skin care, delivering coverage and treatment in one swipe. Unlike traditional formulas that can feel heavy or crease by midday, these concealers are lightweight, flexible, and packed with skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, caffeine, and calming botanicals. They’re designed to move with your skin—hydrating, smoothing, and brightening as they go—so your complexion looks fresh, never filtered. Serum concealers are especially great for under-eyes, acne-prone skin, and anyone who wants skin that still looks like, well, skin. Think: buildable coverage with benefits that keep working long after application.
Ahead, we rounded up the best serum concealers that editors and makeup artists actually love and use in their day-to-day kits and routines—because great skin starts with a formula that does more than just cover.
Our Top Serum Concealers
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Overall: Tower 28 Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer
Why we love it: Tower 28’s Swipe All-Over Serum Concealer combines buildable coverage, tackling everything from blemishes to uneven skin tone, with hydration-forward, collagen-producing, and brightening ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, lysine, and caffeine. There’s also Centella asiatica (cica for short), a K-beauty favorite for calming redness and soothing sensitive skin. “This is one of my favorites because it’s super lightweight and hydrating while still being long-wearing,” LA-based makeup artist Ash K Holm says. New York City-based makeup artist Carly Giglio adds that the buildable coverage not only works under the eyes, but anywhere on the face. And, in accordance with Tower 28’s ethos of sensitive skin-friendly products, Swipe is free of fragrance and alcohol.
Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han
“Tower 28’s Swipe Serum is my absolute ride-or-die concealer. I’ve been using it since it launched in 2023, and it comes with me on every trip. (The highest honor!) I love a skin-care-infused makeup product, and this creamy formula blends in like a dream with a sponge and has never pilled on me even once! This isn’t necessary by any means, but I sometimes use two shades: DTLA (my main shade and what I often use alone) under my eyes, forehead, and chin, and IE on my cheeks and nose. I tend to have more discoloration in the center of my face, so I like a deeper shade in those areas, whereas DTLA is great for brightening and adding subtler coverage to areas that don’t need as much. I always blend out my undereyes and T-zone first, while I let the formula sit for a minute and really meld into especially redness-prone areas (around my nose) and stubborn dark spots (on my nose—one of my worst skin habits is that I’m a stress-picker!). The finish is just perfectly radiant and covers everything I want to, while still looking like skin. It’s also reasonably priced at $24 and one of the best-valued concealers you’ll find at Sephora—trust. (My second-fave concealer, also available there, is almost $60. Eek!)”—Sarah Han, commerce editor
- Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, lysine, caffeine, cica
- Available shades: 20
Best for Redness: Nyx Professional Makeup Bare With Me Concealer Serum
Why we love it: Whether you’re dealing with rosacea flare-ups or just need to hide a stubborn pimple, Nyx Professional Makeup’s Bare With Me Concealer Serum has you covered—literally. Unlike a lot of serum concealers that lean sheer, this one offers just a bit more coverage, making it ideal for hiding redness or brightening dark circles. At the same time, it’s packed with hydrating ingredients, so it won’t cling to dry patches or look heavy on the skin. It actually cares for your skin while you wear it, thanks to soothing cica, moisturizing tremella mushroom, and antioxidant-rich green tea.
“This formula from Nyx Professional Makeup is a go-to because it’s so thin, it barely feels like there’s anything on my skin—but it still has great coverage. I like to apply it with a brush so I can build it up where I need it, but I rarely spend more than a minute blending it out. In my before and after photos, you can see it does a nice job of neutralizing my purple dark circles and covering blemishes (check out my chin!).” —Sarah Felbin, senior commerce editor
- Key ingredients: cica, tremella mushroom, green tea
- Available shades: 17
Best for Dark Circles: Refy Concealer
Why it’s worth it: It makes sense that Refy’s Concealer comes in a serum format—after all, the brand creates tons of makeup formulas that improve how skin looks and feels, not masks it. This lightweight formula is infused with evodia fruit extract, used in skin care for its anti-inflammatory effects—to help brighten and smooth the undereyes, squalane to soften skin, brown algae extract to support collagen production, and hyaluronic acid for a plumper, firmer look. The soft-focus finish blurs without creasing, making it feel like an eye cream and concealer rolled into one.
“I reach for this concealer no matter the situation—night out, daytime base, or whenever my skin just needs a little boost. It does double duty like an eye cream and a concealer in one, with a subtly blurring finish that gives that soft-focus look without creasing. This one never leaves the top of my concealer drawer because it’s usually my first pick.”—Lily Wohlner, commerce writer
- Key ingredients: evodia fruit extract, squalane, brown algae extract
- Available shades: 24
Best Medium Coverage: Make Beauty Skin Mimetic Concealer
Why it’s worth it: Meant to mimic the tone and texture of real skin, each of the 30 shades of Make Beauty’s Skin Mimetic Concealer (a 2025 Best of Beauty Award winner, may we add) hits that sweet spot of super lightweight and buildable-to-medium coverage. The moisturizing, red algae- and adenosine-infused formula disguises dark circles (also thanks to a hit of caffeine), but stays light and creamy enough to avoid creasing, caking, or otherwise drawing attention to troubled areas. Many of our testers loved the look and feel of this formula so much that they’ve taken a page out of Hailey Bieber’s book and use it for more than just their undereyes.
“I only use concealer under my eyes, so I look for formulas that offer enough coverage to hide my perpetual dark circles but won’t settle into my mid-30s fine lines. My ideal concealer also needs to last at least through the workday because I simply do not have the time (or fortitude) to reapply. This one hits all those points, with the bonus of a doe-foot applicator that fits perfectly into the inner corners of my undereyes.” —Kara McGrath, former content director
- Key ingredients: red algae extract, adenosine, green coffee extract, caffeine
- Available shades: 30
Best Light Coverage: The Concealer Pen by Victoria Beckham X Augustinus Bader
Victoria Beckham X Augustinus Bader
The Concealer Pen
Why we love it: Victoria Beckham and Augustinus Bader teamed up to create the skin-care-forward concealer of our dreams. Lightweight, blendable, and super hydrating, it’s packed with Bader’s TFC8 complex—a mix of amino acids, vitamins, lipids, and next-level molecules that help skin look more radiant and renewed over time. Rose damascena flower water calms irritation; polyglutamic acid pulls in hydration; and the formula sticks around for up to eight hours without sinking into fine lines or pores. Plus, the tapered nylon brush makes precision a breeze, whether you’re perfecting undereyes at your vanity or touching up on the go. Like all brushes, this one can get a bit dirty, so the brand recommends a quick rinse with some dish soap when product starts to pile up.
Tester feedback from Wohlner
“I literally used this concealer pen down to the last drop—and that’s saying something, given how many I test. It manages to feel like skin care while looking like makeup, hitting that sweet spot of luxury and performance. It delivers both nourishing benefits and seamless coverage that never sinks into my fine lines or pores. Some days I skip primer entirely because it just glides on like a dream without moving. And, I love the built-in brush applicator too because it feels like I’m painting my face” —Lily Wohlner, commerce writer
- Key ingredients: TCF8, rose damascena flower water, polyglutamic acid, squalane, hydrolyzed rice protein
- Available shades: 19
Best for Mature Skin: Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Lift & Flex Concealer
Danessa Myricks Beauty
Yummy Skin Lift & Flex Concealer
Why we love it: Infused with caffeine, orchid flower, and cica, Danessa Myricks Beauty’s Yummy Skin Lift & Flex Concealer isn’t just a concealer—it’s a hydrating powerhouse with a soft, natural-matte finish that feels weightless on skin, which is especially great for those with fine lines and wrinkles. In fact, Lansing, Michigan-based makeup artist Kierra Lanice Wray calls it “the Holy Grail concealer for aging skin—it keeps you looking radiant and effortlessly fresh.” Lake Sanu, a London-based makeup artist, confirms that “It glides on smoothly without settling into lines and sets perfectly with just a touch of powder.” It can also be used to brighten undereyes, cover redness or dark spots, or sculpt and contour your features (with the help of deeper shades). Easy, done, bought.
“I’m so impressed with how hydrating this concealer feels—no dryness and zero creasing in the fine lines that are starting to creep in around my eyes. It’s amazing at neutralizing the redness around my nose, too, and the Centella asiatica (a staple in so many K-beauty favorites) calms my sensitive skin instantly.” —Christa Joanna Lee, contributing commerce writer
- Key ingredients: caffeine, orchid flower extract, Centella asiatica, ku shen extract (anti-inflammatory), echinacea extract (anti-inflammatory, antibacterial), purslane extract (hydrating, antioxidant-rich)
- Available shades: 20
Best Brightening: Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer
Ilia
True Skin Serum Concealer
Why we love it: Another go-to for Holm is Ilia’s True Skin Serum Concealer, a brightening formula powered by vitamin C. “I’m a new mom, and the dark circles are so real right now—this one’s a staple in my rotation,” Holm says. Editors and readers alike (it’s won three Reader’s Choice Awards) love how effortlessly it glides on, thanks to its silky texture, and the buildable coverage means you can swipe for a sheer, natural look or layer up for fuller coverage. It also packs antioxidant-rich Persian silk tree bark, known for reducing signs of fatigue in the skin (i.e., puffiness, dullness, and dark circles) while shielding against environmental stress, and mastic, which is a natural resin from the mastic tree, known for its mattifying and oil-controlling properties.
- Key ingredients: vitamin C, mastic, Persian silk tree bark
- Available shades: 20
Best for Dry Skin: Armani Luminous Silk Hydrating & Brightening Concealer
Armani Beauty
Luminous Silk Hydrating & Brightening Concealer
Why we love it: While Armani’s Luminous Silk Hydrating & Brightening Concealer isn’t necessarily marketed as a serum concealer, it delivers ample skin-care benefits (brightening and hydration) alongside radiant coverage. “It’s one I always have in my kit,” says Holm. She nods to glycerin for long-lasting hydration, vitamin E to strengthen the barrier, and caffeine to boost circulation and reduce undereye puffiness. Like its sister formula, the Luminous Silk Foundation, this concealer evens out the skin like a dream and has become our go-to for both natural and full-glam looks.
- Key ingredients: glycerin, vitamin E, caffeine
- Available shades: 22
Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients should you look for in a serum concealer?
Holm has skin-type-based advice: “If you’re super dry, ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin will give you that added hydration; if you’re dealing with dark circles, look for a concealer with vitamin C; if you have puffy eyes, caffeine and peptides can help firm things up,” she says. Giglio adds that plant extracts (such as Centella asiatica) are also super popular in serum concealers because they aid in skin conditioning.
What are serum concealers best used for?
Holm recommends serum concealers to people who have really dry skin or a lot of undereye darkness, since they do double-duty of enhancing the skin while providing coverage.
With her clients, she uses serum concealer when they need buildable, medium coverage but are going for a more dewy, natural glow. Both serum concealers and traditional concealers provide nice coverage for issues like redness or discoloration, but Holm says serum concealers have the added benefit of time-tested skin-care ingredients.
Meet the experts
How we test and review products
Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?
For our review of the best serum concealers, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, cosmetic chemists, and professional makeup artists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For more on what’s involved in our reporting, check out 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.
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