Makeup: see 11 expert- approved concealers that are much better than facetune

If you need a little help achieving flawless skin (who doesn’t?), our guide to finding the best concealer to add to your makeup bag should be a good starting point. We’ve tried and tested dozens of concealers to bring you our edit of the best of the bunch.

Liquid or cream concealer?

When starting your search for the best concealer, start by identifying your main skincare concerns. On the whole, there are two main options in the concealer category—liquid concealers that double as highlighters to brighten and conceal dark circles and mask areas of uneven texture or dry, flaky skin; and creamy concealers that mask imperfections such as redness or blemishes. You can also find liquid concealers to mask imperfections and creamy highlighting concealers.

Anna Priadka, Nars lead stylist sums it up for us: “It depends on what coverage you want, liquid potentially gives a lighter coverage and creams will give a fuller coverage. I prefer creams as you can really mould the texture into your skin, which is key if you are using them under the eyes, as you want the most realistic skin texture possible.” So if you’re after a more thorough, seamless skin blend, finding the best cream concealer is your goal, whereas a barely-there touch-up can be achieved with a standout liquid concealer.

Hero ingredients

Priadka also talks us through a couple of things to look out for when shopping for the best concealer: “Vitamin E and anything that has blurring technology in it,” are major keys to concealer shopping, according to Priadka. “Vitamin E is a good long-term ingredient for areas with fine lines such as the eyes, and blurring technology will make these lines less apparent.” Look for silicone in your concealer if it’s that photoshopped blur you’re after.

Application tips

When it comes to erasing blemishes and imperfections, apply and blend your chosen concealer underneath your foundation, and then finish with the tiniest (seriously, just a teeny dot) right on the spot after applying your foundation and don’t blend.

Lisa Potter-Dixon, head makeup artist and brow expert for Benefit Cosmetics has given us her tips for concealing under the eyes. “I love mixing concealer with an eye cream. This gives you a super hydrated finish that is less likely to crease,” Lisa tells us. (Read our guide to eye creams for dark circles.)

“The skin around the eyes is 40% thinner than anywhere else on the face,” she explains. “To combat this, conceal the eyelid as well as the under-eye. Beauty blenders are fab for getting an airbrushed finish. Use the micro mini version to blend in those hard-to-reach spots. To set your concealer, dampen the sponge, dip into translucent powder and pat over your concealer. Benefits Agent Zero Shine is perfect for this as its peach hues help to diminish darkness.”

Hopefully, you know what you’re looking for now—so click through our gallery and shop our guide to the best concealers, below.