This year’s exciting class of concealer launches has been nothing short of innovative. Beauty giants and newcomers alike are developing concealer formulas that go beyond makeup, packing in skin care ingredients too. From double-duty coverage to silky textures and skin benefits, these concealers are doing it all. But with so many great launches out there, it can be hard to pick the right one. That’s why I tested and reviewed 14 of the top concealers that launched in 2023.
Across the board, I found that canceling out any traces of dark under-eye circles, unwanted texture or fine lines was surprisingly easy to master with the concealers. Not only that but the hydrating ingredients in each of the formulas enhance the complexion and can improve the skin too. “The focus used to be centered on coverage, tone and texture. But now, with improved ingredient innovation and formulation techniques, it’s become more and more possible to add significant skin care benefits to a category otherwise known to be only able to ‘hide’ imperfections instead of ‘improve’ them,” notes cosmetic chemist and Sweet Chemistry skin care founder Alec Batis.
For example, hyaluronic acid and caffeine are commonly found in under-eye creams to soothe and plump the skin. These skin care ingredients were also featured in the concealers I tried, showing the skin-ification of high-performing makeup. Batis says hyaluronic acid “attracts moisture and has a cushioning effect leading to a reduction of the wrinkle depth, [and] also [offers] a pleasant moisturizing film [that] forms on the skin’s surface.” Meanwhile, caffeine is a great choice for depuffing the area.
With the right shade of concealer, blending out just a dab of any of these new formulas can instantly awaken the complexion. You can either choose a true match or go with a shade that brightens. “To highlight and brighten, use a concealer that is two shades lighter,” says Cara Lovello, a New Jersey-based makeup artist. If you’re looking to cover up dark circles under the eyes, Lovello advises using a concealer that has a yellow undertone rather than a pink undertone.
From hiding the aftermath of a night of wonky sleep to achieving a creaseless finish, this year’s new concealers promise to brighten and blur. So, I put them to the test to see if they could soften the deep hollows underneath my eyes and keep the area hydrated throughout the day, all while soothing my rosacea and eczema-prone skin.
If there’s one quality that sets apart a concealer from the rest, it’s a formula that’s full coverage enough to act as its own base (no foundation needed), yet still feels light and airy, and the Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Concealer fulfilled that very requisite. This creamy formula settled better and better against my combination skin as the minutes went on, actively depuffing my entire under-eye, reducing redness and leaving my skin looking plump and airbrushed from every angle. I’m often hesitant in reaching for full-coverage concealers because I find that the more mattifying the formula is, the dryer my skin will look. The Triclone Skin Tech Concealer didn’t take away from my dewy preference and gave my final look a demi-matte finish that didn’t contribute to highlighting any preexisting dry patches.
As Lady Gaga previously told CNN Underscored, what differentiates this clean concealer formula is the inclusion of biotech caffeine, a depuffing cure that performs on both a short-term and long-term scale. I also took the chance to conceal the dark areas around the outer corners of my lips since the inclusion of niacinamide helps brighten the skin. For this area, I experienced seamless and subtle concealing with no flaking or dry patches forming. There are 31 shades to choose from, with each tone subcategory — such as fair, light, light medium, medium, medium deep and deep — having at least five shade options attached to them. I did have trouble easily gliding the applicator in and out of the concealer tube when doubling up on pigment, but it was far from a deal breaker.
On a bare face (aside from skin care prep and sunscreen, of course), the Keys Soulcare It’s like Skin 2-in-1 Concealer melted into my skin with a light and buttery consistency. While it didn’t completely erase the redness on my cheeks, this concealer neutralized the color of my complexion and lasted from morning to late afternoon. I consider this concealer a perfect stand-alone product for no-makeup makeup days. “It’s Like Skin balances the essence of Keys Soulcare with its multifunctional benefit. Whether you use it to simply spot correct or all over [the face] to provide light to medium coverage, the flexibility allows you to own your power by creating your own coverage preference,” says Shirley Pinkson-Mañas, head of education for e.l.f. Beauty.
The concealer comes in 40 shades for either a full-face base or just glowingly concealed under-eyes. Upon application and blending, this concealer went from feeling creamy to more water-like, dissolving subtly to look and feel like a second layer of skin. Six hours later, no creases had formed below my bottom lash line, and while it had softened the hollows underneath my eyes, it hadn’t completely blurred them. It’s the type of concealer (and skin tint) that you don’t have to set with powder, featuring a light-coverage finish made with a squalene and niacinamide mix that blends out best with just the tips of your fingers.
Tower 28’s Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer was my first introduction to how hydrating an under-eye concealer can actually feel, and I haven’t looked back since. The beauty of this hyaluronic acid-infused formula is that it truly has a texture reminiscent of a serum, yet it glides across the skin with a medium-coverage, weightless build. It brings brightness to my face almost immediately, keeps my skin hydrated and glowy with or without additional makeup and, yes, manages to completely cancel out my deep under-eye hollows and the redness above my cheeks. When I go for full-face glam, I use a mixture of cream and powder-based products, and this concealer didn’t clash with the blush sticks that came to follow. It didn’t even contribute to the chalky texture (read: dry patches) that sometimes form after I apply translucent setting powder.
Amy Liu, the founder of Tower 28, tells CNN Underscored, “A serum-like concealer designed for sensitive skin is a product I have dreamt of making since day one, but it took years to develop a formula that combined the lightweight texture of a serum with the coverage of high-performance makeup.” As someone who has both eczema and rosacea-prone skin, I’m thrilled Liu’s dream concealer is finally a reality. I no longer have to scour the market for a concealer that doesn’t perpetuate my compromised skin barrier by increasing my dry and blemished areas (a tried-and-true quest we’ve been on until recently).
Along with the inclusion of hyaluronic acid, the ingredients lysine and centella asiatica leaf extract work to protect, alleviate and soothe sensitive skin. Batis mentions that centella asiatica — otherwise known as gotu kola — is rich in antioxidants and has skin-soothing properties, which is beneficial in a concealer formula. What’s more, this cushiony, silicone-free concealer was developed with makeup artist Kirin Bhatty, who helped the 20-shade range flourish.
I’ve been a fan of Yensa Beauty ever since I religiously began to use the Skin on Skin BC Concealer. When the brand launched the new Super Serum Silk Concealer at the start of this year, it was game over. There are peptides in this formula, which Batis shares are an excellent ingredient for sensitive skin like mine.
Plus, it also has the brand’s age-defying complex made with vitamins C and E, bakuchiol and ferulic acid to help boost collagen over time. Yensa Beauty founder Jennifer Yen also felt inspired to infuse the formula with eight superfoods rooted in Chinese medicine and her culture: black sesame oil, black seaweed, black tea, shiitake mushroom, black rice, Korean black raspberry, nettle and chia seed. “The Yensa Super Serum Silk Concealer is a superfood skin care-first [product], which gives the powerful benefits of eye cream,” shares Yen. “Additionally, the concealer feels luxurious on the skin but also delivers full, buildable coverage.”
This formula is intentional, delivers soothing coverage and has never caused my under-eye area to crease or crack on its own or with additional makeup products added on top. I always prefer natural-looking coverage, and this serum concealer allows me to achieve that. After concealing my under-eyes, I go a step further and conceal the blackheads on my chin, simply because I trust this product enough to blend into the skin without leaving those additional areas looking like they were, in fact, spot-treated.
We’ve got tired eyes out here, and somehow Live Tinted’s Serum Concealer helped blur my deeply hollowed under-eyes the most. This concealer has active ingredients that are targeted to conceal and treat hyperpigmentation. As Live Tinted CEO and founder Deepica Mutyala explains, this formula was made to be an effective dark-circle solution: “We wanted to include ingredients like niacinamide, caffeine and bakuchiol to do that work of fading dark spots — and then our hyaluronic acid complex […] makes this formula so hydrating, creamy and just a delicious texture on the skin.”
Don’t expect this concealer to budge once it sets. Beyond proving to blur my greatest concern, I found that I was able to effectively blend away the redness of my rosacea-packed cheeks. “HueSkin Serum Concealer is a lightweight, full-coverage concealer that is clinically proven to significantly improve the appearance of hyperpigmentation and dark spots over time — so it covers and fades,” Mutyala says.
Caffeine takes the spotlight in Makeup by Mario’s SurrealSkin Awakening Concealer. I indeed noticed a full-coverage blur that covered, lifted and firmed up the entire under-eye area. Caffeine “is a natural alkaloid found in over 60 plants worldwide and known as a mild stimulant of the central nervous system,” Batis explains. “It’s effective in its antioxidant and lipolytic activity for eye-depuffing properties and for helping to reduce the look of dark circles.”
You’ll catch on to the brand’s Lift & Lock technology quickly, as this self-setting quality mattifies the skin almost instantly. Once you’ve blended out the concealer, it’s there to stay, locked and loaded. However, it wasn’t quite as hydrating as I would have preferred. Once the concealer completely sets, the finish feels almost powdery, so it may flake slightly if you go back in to buff out the first spread of pigment more.
I found the SurrealSkin Awakening Concealer’s mattifying power to be the most helpful for my oily T-zone. My forehead tends to shine bright by midday, and brushing out a dab of the concealer between my brows and the middle of my forehead helped keep my T-zone shine-free until it was time to wash my face.
I was most impressed by this concealer’s multi-angled applicator tip, as it allowed me to precisely apply just the right amount of product to the inner corner of my eyelid without getting any pigment on my lashes or in my eye. Plus, its curved and pointed tip inspired some outer-temple sculpting as well.
Lancôme’s formula boasts an 81% serum base, so it’ll cover, conceal and treat the skin barrier with hyaluronic acid, ceramides and peptides all at once. This concealer settled into the tear trough beautifully while remaining virtually undetectable, allowing me to build up the coverage to my liking. Keeping its creamy consistency in mind, I’m glad my complexion didn’t feel cakey after applying two dabs of pigment to fully soften out and blur my under-eye hollows. (It does lean toward more of a medium-to-full-coverage finish.) Once I felt the area was fully concealed, I only noticed a subtle crease by the inner corner of my under-eye.
Shade 335W was the perfect shade to match my warm skin tone, a testament to Lancôme’s collaboration with makeup artist and shade-matching expert Sheika Daley, who participated in developing the shade range of Lancôme’s new concealer offering.
By far the most lightweight yet high-impact concealer I’ve tested, Gucci Beauty’s Concentré de Beauté Concealer seamlessly camouflaged my under-eyes and made me feel as if I was stepping out with completely bare skin. This recent launch by the prestige house is perfect for those who prefer a natural finish. Using the antioxidant black rose oil and hyaluronic acid, this product also protects and hydrates the skin. “We love antioxidants for their ability to protect the skin from free radicals and help maintain its elasticity,” Batis explains.
Because this concealer’s texture is silky, the finish leans toward dewy, and I found the color match to be quite impeccable. In regard to wear time and blemish coverage, not an inch of surface area around my recent breakouts appeared flaky or dry after several hours of putting this concealer to work. Plus, the packaging is a gift in itself, with Gucci Beauty’s signature pink and green floral petals and vines adorning the concealer’s top.
Drugstore concealers never failed me growing up, which is why I expected nothing less from this $12 option from Flower Beauty. Launched earlier this year in 12 shades, the Get Real Serum Concealer is all about removing unwanted texture and “energizing” the skin with a harmonious blend of shea butter, sunflower seed oil and vitamins C and E. For those who look to a concealer formula to help blur hyperpigmentation, Batis mentions that concealers infused with vitamin C derivatives (like this one) are less irritating on the eye area, more stable than L-ascorbic acid and work to brighten the complexion.
It took a double buff-up of pigment to completely blend out the formula against my skin, though I found that spreading it out with my fingertips helped me best achieve a smooth, full-coverage base rather than going in with a dense blending brush. See the mild redness around the outer crease of my nose? Flower Beauty’s Get Real Concealer helped cover up most of it and didn’t cause the dryness to penetrate through the concealer or patches to form.
The third edition of Tarte’s iconic Shape Tape concealer, the Shape Tape Radiant Concealer, launched this summer. Of course, it features Tarte’s tape technology, which is found within their entire concealer range and is included to smooth and lift the under-eyes. This concealer is the original Shape Tape’s counterpart, so expect a luminous, lightweight finish instead of a pristine, matte look. The star here is this formula’s photoluminescent complex, which the brand tells CNN Underscored, can convert UV light to blue light in order to neutralize under-eye darkness and enhance a soft focus finish.
What I loved most about this golden tube was the subtle glint it gave my upper cheekbone and inner eye crease, proving that its medium-coverage consistency can, in fact, help one’s natural skin tone radiate at its best. I didn’t want to take away from the balmy shine this vegan formula gave my complexion, so I went without face powder all day and still noticed no creasing had formed.
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Right before I was about to go in with my tried-and-true IT Cosmetics blending brush, I realized how easy it was to simply glide Beauty Pie’s Superluminous Serum Concealer across my skin with just my fingertips. Without buffing it into the skin, this concealer still blended out effortlessly. I would even consider its consistency similar to that of a silky eye cream because it formed such a sheer coat against my skin.
After using this concealer, I did gravitate toward applying a layer of a more-medium-coverage concealer as well, given that, on its own, this concealing serum doesn’t completely blur the area. This concealer contains horse chestnut flower extract and hyaluronic acid, which is responsible for adding moisture to the skin and improving dark shadows. As it gives off a true dewy finish, I nearly applied this formula to my entire face because of how lightweight, sheer and filter-like it is as it dissolves into the skin.
Lusciously matte and convenient for on-the-go concealing, Urban Decay’s Quickie 24-Hour Waterproof Concealer stunned with its dense dual-ended brush and doe-foot applicator (and quite huge tube). While the purple-coated built-in brush was useful for spreading product out along my under-eyes, I still found myself best blending the concealer into the skin with my go-to concealer brush (though that doesn’t take away from how resourceful this built-in tool can be for spot-correcting).
The consistency is creamy and a bit thick, without leaving the skin feeling overloaded with product, so I’d recommend it for full-face makeup days. This concealer is effectively tear-proof to. Once I added eyeliner to my bottom lash line, my watery eyes didn’t cause the concealer to separate as I finished my look. As long as your skin is fully hydrated beforehand, especially in the winter, you’ll get the most out of this full-coverage, long-wear option. As previously mentioned, I typically don’t go for full-coverage formulas, though Urban Decay’s clinically tested launch was the key to a subtly matte look all day long.
With Iconic London’s Radiant Concealer & Brightening Duo, you’ll get a cream-based crayon and a liquid concealer in one product. The concealer crayon gave me a good grip for under-eye brightening without it blending into a stark hue. With the liquid end, I was able to finely sculpt the outer edge of my eyes and temples. I also utilized the brightening crayon to highlight my upper cheekbone since it gives off a slight sparkle. You can, of course, use both sides on the same area by layering the crayon and liquid textures on top of each other. (Don’t worry, the final look won’t end up cakey — I put that to the test.) The results seemed to last all day too. When I went to refresh my makeup for dinner, I was impressed at how bright and even my skin tone looked and how fully concealed my under-eyes remained.
Along with having the ability to brighten the complexion, the crayon is formulated with caffeine, which helps with puffy under-eyes. You can build up the coverage with any of the 18 shades or keep the finish natural with just one glide of the pigment.
This hyaluronic acid-infused, clean formula concealer glides on with a medium coverage and gentle serum-like properties. I found myself reaching for it on a day when I just wanted to soften my tear-trough area without it looking completely concealed and on another when a full-face dewy finish was the mood. The concealer feels hydrating and weightless on the skin, and it provides more than enough coverage to go without foundation or a tinted moisturizer at the start of its wear time.
However, I wish that the concealer’s lasting power was longer; I found I had to add a dab of pigment six hours later for a vivified touch-up. Also, it may crease after a few hours unless you set it with powder. Even so, the Best Skin Days Treatment Concealer grants the versatility to go as minimal as you’d like while still achieving brightness, or you can opt for a generous coat without it feeling thick in texture.