You know those women that wake up and look well-rested and have zero redness or dark circles? Yeah, I’m not one of those women. I’m the lady that gets 10 hours of sleep and drinks a ton of water and STILL wakes up with dark circles. Concealer isn’t just a makeup staple for me- it’s an absolute necessity.
I have the added struggle of having the fairest skin ever, so not only do I need a good concealer, I also need a LIGHT concealer. We’re talking one shade above pure white. So while drugstore concealers may be great, I have yet to find one that works for me. I know there are some obscure brands that may work, but at the end of the day, I need something I can get at Target, Walgreens, Walmart, Sephora or Ulta.
So with that in mind, I rounded up the newest and lightest concealers I could find and tested them out. Let it be known that the concealer I have used for years is the NARS creamy concealer in Chantilly. That’s the concealer I used in my highlight and contour video. I filmed that exactly three years ago and after 140k views, it’s still one of my most popular tutorials. I still love the NARS, so everything I’ve been trying needed to be light, easy to blend and build for more coverage and stay on all day long.
swatches top to bottom: Bye Bye Under Eye, Tarte Shape Tape, NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer, Too Faced Born This Way, NARS Creamy Concealer
Let me first note that ALL of these concealers are great. If one doesn’t work for you, try another. These options are significantly better than the ones I had several years ago. All I could use was a Smashbox stick concealer that was literally white. (They don’t even make it anymore.) So if you try one and you don’t like it, please try another. All have a slightly different color and texture, so I’m sure you can find one you love!
Born this Way by Too Faced in the shade “fairest” Although light enough, this was the most watery of the 5 and didn’t cover my dark circles as well as the others. If you don’t like a super thick formula- this is a great choice.
Tarte’s Shape Tape in “fair” This is a great option if I have a bit of self-tanner on. The doe foot applicator is large and distributes a fair amount of product. Creamy and opaque, this is my go-to if I have a bit of color and am using a darker foundation.
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in “Chantilly” This has been my favorite for years and still has a solid place at the top. Lightweight, creamy, and provides a lot of coverage, this is a solid choice.
NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer in “Chantilly” This was a recent addition to my beauty routine after a suggestion by my friend Meeghan. She vouched for it and I can see why she loves it so much. It melts into your skin and still looks like skin! This is what I use to cover redness, spots, discoloration, etc. I don’t use it under my eyes as much because of the product I’m mentioning next.
IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye in “Light (Ultra Fair)” They get points for the “ultra fair” name because it is in FACT made for us super fair ladies. This is my favorite out of all of the concealers I tried becauses it is creamy, you don’t have to use much at ALL (no really), and it’s super light! I can build it if I want to, but typically I don’t need to add more because there is so much coverage. I cannot even begin to tell you how awesome this stuff is. I described it as LIFE CHANGINGLY GOOD, and I stand by that. My dark circles virtually disappear after I use it. I’m in love. Just don’t use too much- a little goes a loooooong way.
Not pictured: the Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Ivory. It is similar to the Bye Bye Under Eye, but a bit lighter! I love that too!
Let me note that while applying the concealers I always washed, hydrated and preped my skin with a primer before I added the concealer with the fingers (it warms the color up so it distributes better). I then dab it under my eyes and blend out. If you need to use a damp beauty blender to help with that you can. I then ALWAYS set my eyes with a loose setting powder.
My favorites:
- RCMA no color powder
- Laura Mercier Invisible setting powder
For glow:
- Bye Bye Pores Illuminating pressed powder
- Elf Cosmetics illuminating palette. (I use the yellow shade to set my under eye concealer)
I will film a tutorial video to accompany this post soon but wanted to get this out for you all that have been requesting it.
Thanks, I always have a hard time finding the perfect consealer!
THANKS so much! I was due for a new concealer and wanted to try something different. I too am in the same boat of no matter what I have dark under eyes. However, I swear it’s my veins showing through. I take fair to a new level – translucent! 🙂
Loved this post Adriele! ???? I ordered the Nars creamy concealer from the Sephora spring sale and received it today! Soooo excited to try it!! ?
I’ve used Nars and Tarte shape tape in the past, but I’m ready for something different. I’m super interested in the Bye bye under eye concealer. Can’t wait for the video!!
The Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define has been compared to Tarte Shape Tape. Some say it’s a dupe and some say it’s not quiet as good. But looking at the swatches online it appears that the Makeup Revolution is offered in lighter shades than Tarte’s! So I will be checking that out in store soon!! Just thought I’d let you know it’s something to check out if you are doing any drugstore makeup videos soon.