We Asked Real Women to Try 34 Popular Concealers, and Our Winners Start at $7

The beauty world is flooded with celebrity-owned brands that make us wonder if their products really work or if they’re just trying to capitalize on their name and likeness. Lady Gaga fans can be assured the newest Haus Labs By Lady Gaga concealer works, especially for those seeking a concealer with buildable, medium-to-full coverage in a wide shade range.

Our testers gave it a near-perfect average rating after it blurred their skin, brightened their under eyes, and covered their dark spots, discoloration, and acne scars — sans foundation. The naturally dewy finish “looks like my skin but way better,” one tester said. Despite its thick, creamy texture, it “sits and blends beautifully without looking cakey,” Soh explains, an effect best achieved using a sponge or concealer brush and lightly setting with powder.

After two weeks, our real-world testers were most impressed by its lasting power after a full day (or evening) of wear without creasing under their eyes, emphasizing texture, or settling into pores. It’s branded as a natural, hydrating concealer, but we wish it was more hydrating. It eventually looked dry without proper skincare prep and setting spray, particularly when faced with colder weather. 

Shades: 31 | Coverage: Medium | Finish: Natural | Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, fermented arnica, hyaluronic acid complex

We’re big fans of Tarte’s Shape Tape concealers and clearly not alone: With 30,000+ five-star Ulta reviews, this concealer is fan-crazed for its easy-to-use jumbo applicator, blendable formulation, and 16-hour wear. “It’s a powerhouse concealer,” says Soh, fueled by its Tape technology of mango butter to blur fine lines and licorice root to brighten dark circles. All this is to say it lives up to the hype, especially for those with oily skin.

“It’s everything I want in a concealer: creamy, blendable, buildable, long-lasting, full coverage, brightening, and smoothing,” one tester said, who liked how the oversized applicator provided plenty of thick formula to conceal, brighten, and contour, only needing a tiny dab. After blending with a beauty sponge, her complexion looked “years younger” and “perked up” with a natural finish that stayed all day with or without setting spray. 

Our lab tester was initially skeptical but later surprised by how much she liked utilizing the matte coverage as a base beneath eyeshadow. She appreciated the wide shade range and travel-size option since the full-size tube is more costly and might be too bulky for smaller bags. 

Shades: 36 | Coverage: Full | Finish: Natural Matte | Key Ingredients: Shea butter, mango butter, licorice root | Best For: Oily and combination skin types

Colourpop takes pride in its budget-friendly makeup and value sets, so it’s no surprise that it made our list as one of the most cost-effective options. It’s our highest-scoring concealer under $10, with testers loving its hydration and creamy, “breathable” feel that dried quickly and didn’t crease or look cakey. 

That said, while it offered natural results, they didn’t last. Our real-world tester noted significant fading by the end of the day and needed a safety net of foundation to conceal her blemishes. The buildable coverage leans more light than full, making it great for those with fewer skin imperfections. Despite its lack of longevity, this is an affordable find for anyone needing a creamy, moisturizing concealer that smooths skin and won’t settle into fine lines. 

Shades: 30 | Coverage: Full | Finish: Natural | Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid and coconut water | Best For: All skin types

This Live Tinted skincare-inspired concealer is great for mature skin thanks to its anti-aging ingredients that simultaneously hydrate, brighten, treat, and conceal. 

This creamy, hardworking formula was easy to apply with the precision sponge applicator and melted into the skin for a naturally radiant finish. Our testers each gave it a perfect score for coverage, for though it’s light, it was still enough to cover their dark spots. Our real-world tester experienced lasting all-day wear (even after a visit to the sauna!), crediting the concealer’s texture and how nicely it layered for those results. 

Her only wish is that she’d used the brand’s shade match quiz to find a slightly lighter shade for brightening. “I would recommend this to anyone looking for a high-quality concealer that feels nice on your skin,” she says — particularly for those dealing with dry skin, hyperpigmentation, dark spots, or undereye circles. 

Shades: 20 | Coverage: Medium to full | Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, hyaluronic acid complex, bakuchiol, caffeine, and vitamin C | Fragrance: None

Our most affordable concealer comes from e.l.f. Cosmetics, the drugstore brand known for duping (often effectively) costly beauty products. Like the 16HR Camo Concealer, this hydrating option is suitable for mature skin because of its lightweight feel without “noticeable creasing or caking,” according to one tester. 

Both testers found it blended well with their fingers but suggest using a brush or sponge since a little goes a long way, and the sizeable doe-foot applicator can provide a lot of product. It concealed their blemishes and brightened their under eyes all day, but ultimately, it didn’t deliver the advertised hydrating benefits. Our lab tester said it looked a little “chalky” on her dry skin even after moisturizing. 

This concealer is worthwhile for normal, combination, and mature skin because of its value and lasting coverage. However, we recommend using it with an effective moisturizer underneath, like this equally affordable one from Burt’s Bees.

Shades: 20 | Coverage: Full | Finish: Satin | Key Ingredients: Sodium hyaluronate and rose flower water | Best For: Dry, combo, and normal skin types

Our best-for-acne NARS concealer is well-hyped and lives up to the praise. Soh calls it “the OG” and his “firm favorite, all-around concealer for many years,” adding that its “beautiful coverage just does the job well.” 

Our testers agreed, both giving its medium buildable coverage a perfect score. One said it covered discoloration and “made the red around my blemishes fade into my natural skin color.” For less smooth blemishes, the other said, “You can tell there’s concealer on top, but it gives nice coverage without looking too cakey.” They loved the applicator size, which delivered just the right amount of product, and how easily the formula blended into skin with a sponge or brush. 

It held up 90 percent of the day but then settled into fine lines and clung to dry and oily areas. Despite its creamy consistency, it’s more on the drying side, so it might work best for those with normal or combination skin who need an easy, quick fix to mask pimples as soon as they arise.

Shades: 30 | Coverage: Medium | Finish: Radiant | Key Ingredients: Mineral-tone balancing powder, light diffusing mineral powder, a multi-active botanical blend | Best For: All skin types

The magic of this Mac Longwear Concealer is in the name. Its full-coverage, matte formula lasted well beyond a full day’s wear and gave us hydrated, smooth skin without creasing or emphasizing texture. “My skin looks better and better as it wears on,” said one tester, impressed by how it completely covered her dark spots, erased blemishes, and restored balance to her face. 

The pump dispenser took time to get used to, but our real-world tester liked how she could squirt a pea-sized amount of the thick, liquidy goodness onto the back of her hand before using her fingers to blend it into place easily. It “worked well” to conceal and brighten her undereye and overall felt “lightweight” and “natural,” like she had no makeup on at all.  

It’s one of the highest-scoring concealers we tested, delivering on its promise to lend 24-hour coverage that’s ideal for long days and events, but it also (tragically) offers the fewest number of shades. 

Shades: 16 | Coverage: Full | Finish: Matte

Our top natural-looking concealer technically has a radiant finish, but it makes skin look like a brighter and more hydrated version of itself, particularly for under eyes. 

Our testers appreciated how this creamy, buildable formula quickly dried, easily blended, and thoroughly concealed their discoloration and dark circles but agreed that “a little does not go a long way.” It didn’t spread across the skin like they’d hoped, forcing them to return to the tube for more product — though they did like the sponge wand’s just-right size for precision. It held up “pretty well” during the day without creasing or settling into fine lines. Still, one tester suggests using a good facial moisturizer underneath as it accentuated dry patches of her combination skin. 

The reviews are admittedly a mixed bag, with some calling it a “holy grail” product and others disappointed by its slight shimmer. That said, we still think it’s a worthwhile option for those seeking a crease-free, under-eye brightening concealer for every day. Consider using the brand’s shade finder to find your best match. 

Shades: 30 | Coverage: Medium | Finish: Radiant | Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and golden vitamin C | Best For: Dry, combo, and normal skin types | Fragrance: None

If you want to achieve effortless all-day radiance and are willing to pay a little extra, then this Armani Beauty concealer might be for you. It received a perfect score in the lab for its natural luminous finish, light-to-medium buildable coverage that concealed dark circles and spots, and crease-free, stay-put wear. Soh describes its texture as “soft” and “velvety” and feeling “creamy” and “weightless.”

One of our real-world testers echoed similar sentiments, saying it “quickly became one of my favorite concealers.” Another found the applicator too small and the coverage too light, making it wear off throughout the day. However, the first tester blended hers with a concealer brush because “it loses less product and gives a full coverage effect.” In contrast, the latter used a sponge, which could’ve picked up more product and contributed to the lighter, short-term coverage. 

Its hydration-boosting glycerin is a plus for those seeking extra moisture, but it lacks medium and deep shades. It’s pricey, but we think it lends a believable lit-from-within look. 

Shades: 21 | Coverage: Medium | Finish: Radiant | Key Ingredients: Glycerin, caffeine, and vitamin E | Best For: Dry, combo, and normal skin types

Those with oily or combination skin can benefit from this oil-free mattifying concealer to manage shine without clogging pores (we triple-checked the ingredients). Unlike the liquid concealers we tested, this is a cream formula, which Soh says lends higher coverage to mask imperfections — and boy did it. 

Our tester watched her melasma, redness, and discoloration disappear, using little effort to dab her finger in the tiny pot and blend the buttery texture into place. It also brightened her under eyes and gave a soft, skin-blurring, matte finish without feeling chalky or dry. It stayed put during the day but did settle into her under-eye area after a few hours and wore off in oilier zones, which could be remedied with a primer or setting powder. Overall, it’s is a solid choice for those who want extra coverage without foundation.

Shades: 30 | Coverage: Full | Finish: Matte | Key Ingredients: Peptides, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants | Best For: All skin types

We already knew we’d love this concealer’s wide shade range, which led our testers to near-perfect color matches, but we were eager to test its longevity. It claims to resist creasing, fading, sweat, and humidity — likely via its long-wear ingredients like undecane and lauroyl lysine and variations of dimethicone to repel moisture.

Our tester found it “held up well” without oxidizing or emphasizing dry spots or texture, but it did settle into her pores a little, and “there were a few creases throughout the day,” which could be due to her struggle to set the creamy, hydrating consistency. That said, she was fond of its angled applicator and medium, easy-to-build coverage that concealed age spots, brightened under eyes, and blurred skin.

Since it mostly lived up to our long-lasting hopes, we think it’s worth it for those confident in their setting-powder abilities and those with thirsty skin needing a natural-looking, hydrating concealer.

Shades: 50 | Coverage: Medium | Finish: Natural | Key Ingredients: Prickly pear cactus extract, sodium hyaluronate, and Persian silk tree extract | Best For: Normal and dry skin types

This Tiktok-viral concealer has celebrity fans like Hailey Beiber and Kate Hudson using it to conceal, hydrate, and brighten their skin. But does it live up to the hype?

Yes! Both of our real-world testers have dry skin and appreciated the moisturizing benefits. They felt the medium coverage did “a good job” covering their dark spots and undereye circles, particularly since “other concealers can dry [under eyes] out even more.” It layered well over foundation and tinted moisturizer and stayed put all day with or without powder. 

Another green flag: The brand recently added ten new shades to help more wearers find their best match. Our only quip was with the larger applicator wand that picked up excess product, but it was easy to wipe back into the open tube before applying. 

One of our testers now uses this as her everyday concealer and highly recommends it for “under eyes and spot coverage, especially someone with dry skin who prefers minimal makeup.” Soh agrees, suggesting it for those “looking for a soft, glowy finish.” 

Shades: 38 | Coverage: Medium | Finish: Radiant | Key Ingredients: Caffeine, pink algae extract, hyaluronic acid, peptides, arnica, and panthenol | Best For: All skin types

The beauty of this Makeup Forever buildable concealer is that you can “build” or layer its light, almost sheer formula to your desired coverage without it appearing cakey. This may sound tedious to some, but it’s an excellent option for achieving an effortless no-makeup makeup look. 

We loved its naturally radiant, hydrating finish that melted into skin without feeling greasy and how it smoothed and blurred our testers’ skin and brightened their under eyes. However, it didn’t fully cover discoloration, making it best suited for those having a good skin day or blessed with minimal imperfections. 

Shades: 20 | Coverage: Light to Medium | Finish: Natural | Key Ingredients: Jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid, and snow mushroom | Best For: All skin types