Yahoo LifestyleWe Tested 26 of the Best Under-Eye Concealers — These 9 Are the Winners
- 1/11
We Tested 26 of the Best Under-Eye Concealers — These 9 Are the Winners
Concealer is one of the most effective makeup products you can use, instantly helping even out your skin's tone whether you're wearing foundation or not. But not all coverups are created equal: Some are better for blemishes and dark spots, some for redness and others specifically for the under-eye area. Since the skin under the eyes is among the thinnest on the body, it tends to be dry and fragile, so it requires gentle concealer formulas that won't irritate, yet provide enough coverage for issues like dark circles and can spread easily over fine lines.
In order to find the best concealers, our analysts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab partnered with professional makeup artists to test 26 best-selling formulas, from drugstore concealers to high-end picks. They were assessed on attributes including application, texture, look and feel of skin during use and coverage level, culminating in 546 data points that were meticulously evaluated to create this list of the best under-eye concealers you can buy for dark circles, wrinkles, dry skin and more.
Our top picks:
You can read more about how we evaluate concealers in our lab and consumer tests — plus everything you need to know to shop for your perfect cover-up— at the end of this guide. Looking for more ways to improve your eye area? Check out our guides to the best eye creams and the best under-eye patches for your money.
courtesy - 2/11
1) Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer
Estée Lauder
nordstrom.com
$30.00
Estée Lauder’s magic wand of creamy coverup was a star in the GH Beauty Lab's under-eye concealer test, effortlessly evening out skin tone. In Lab evaluations, the formula earned the top score for dispensing, texture and spreading easily on skin, plus high marks for smooth coverage. “It's good for general coverage, too,” makeup artist tester Dana Rae noted. Makeup artist Birgitte Philippides agreed: “A really nice concealer that can be used on everything.”
• Coverage: Medium
• Number of Shades: 22
• Size: 0.25 oz.Estee Lauder - 3/11
2) Instant Age Rewind Eraser Multi-Use Concealer
Maybelline New York
amazon.com
$7.97
A GH Beauty Lab test winner and Lab expert favorite, this softening, blendable Maybelline concealer featuring a handy sponge-tip applicator hides dark shadows, but won't go cakey or fade fast. The drugstore bargain formula scored high for providing dark circle coverage, not caking, being long-lasting and looking natural. Testers also emphasized its smoothness and how moisturizing it was. “It blended so easily into my skin without looking cakey or settling in my fine lines and covered my dark circles,” a tester remarked. “Not drying and hid minor wrinkles well,” another said.
• Coverage: Medium
• Number of Shades: 18
• Size: 0.2 oz.Maybelline New York - 4/11
3) Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer
IT Cosmetics
nordstrom.com
$13.00
Disguise even the most stubborn dark circles with this powerful IT Cosmetics concealer, a GH Beauty Lab test winner that lives up to its name. The waterproof formula earned an impressive perfect score for providing full coverage and comes in an extensive shade range. Made with a plethora of skincare ingredients, it's "great for severe undereye discoloration and dark marks,” makeup artist tester Erica Whelan reported.
• Coverage: Full
• Number of Shades: 24
• Size: 0.4 oz.IT Cosmetics - 5/11
4) Radiant Creamy Concealer
NARS
nordstrom.com
$14.00
A GH Beauty Lab test winner, this silky Nars concealer effectively covered not only the under-eye area, but also redness and blemishes without caking in wrinkles. In Lab testing, it received one of the highest marks for not settling into fine lines and all testers found a match within its impressive range of shades. Gentle but mighty, the coverup’s soft wand applicator and even softer texture meant it “didn’t dry out skin,” a tester said. Another noted, “It blended so well that you couldn't tell I was wearing it.”
• Coverage: Medium
• Number of Shades: 30
• Size: 0.05 oz.NARS - 6/11
5) Age Perfect Radiant Concealer
L’Oréal
amazon.com
$8.49
Good Housekeeping Seal star L’Oréal Paris’s creamy concealer, infused with softening glycerin, vitamin E and sunflower seed oil, is a cover-up specifically for mature skin. In a study, users found the formula felt moisturizing on skin and 79% of women found it instantly minimized the appearance of dark circles, GH Beauty Lab data analysis confirmed. “Good coverage and good match to my skin tone,” says GH Beauty Lab Executive Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D. “Gives nice soft focus under the eyes.” GH Beauty Lab Chemist Danusia Wnek added: “A natural coverage that brightened my undereye very well, feels lightweight and doesn’t settle into fine lines or dry out skin.”
• Coverage: Medium
• Number of Shades: 16
• Size: 0.23 oz.L'Oreal Paris - 7/11
6) Effacernes Waterproof Protective Undereye Concealer
Lancôme
macys.com
$31.00
No worries about dreaded concealer creasing under the eyes with Lancôme’s formula, a GH Beauty Lab test winner. In Lab evaluations, it rated the least likely to settle into lines, least cakey and was the longest-lasting, plus it ranked highly for dark shadow coverage. “It's lightweight and does conceal various skin concerns, including under eye dark circles,” one tester reported. “It did not cake up or feel heavy in the wrinkles or creases of my skin."
• Coverage: Full
• Number of Shades: 11
• Size: 0.52 oz.Lancome - 8/11
7) Softlight Clean Dewy Hydrating Concealer
Rose Inc.
sephora.com
$30.00
Conceal dark shadows and even tone while keeping dry skin hydrated with this “soft-focus” Rose Inc. coverup, a GH Beauty Award winner. GH Beauty Lab expert evaluations found the formula, made with moisturizing squalane and vitamin E, gives lasting coverage that blends well. “Doesn’t dry out skin” or “settle into lines,” two testers commented.
• Coverage: Medium
• Number of Shades: 20
• Size: 0.36 oz.Rose Inc - 9/11
8) Studio Finish Concealer SPF 35
MAC Cosmetics
ulta.com
$24.00
Hide everything from dark circles to redness with this GH Beauty Lab test-winning concealer pot from MAC Cosmetics, available in a wide range of shades to match a variety of skin tones. It provided the best coverage of all concealers evaluated, and every tester found the right shade for her skin. Boosted with protective SPF, the cream “spread easily” and “looked natural and felt like I had nothing on,” testers said. “The best concealer I have ever used,” one raved.
• Coverage: Full
• Number of Shades: 23
• Size: 0.35 oz.MAC Cosmetics - 10/11
9) RMS Beauty Un Cover-Up Concealer
RMS Beauty
nordstrom.com
$36.00
Made of naturally-derived mineral pigment in a coconut, castor and jojoba seed oil base, this rich cream coverup from RMS Beauty, a GH Beauty Lab expert favorite, melds into fragile undereye skin to cover and brighten. “I have extremely dry skin and eczema on my under-eye area, and this gives coverage that makes the delicate skin look hydrated, not parched and really doesn’t feel or look like makeup," one GH beauty editor says.
• Coverage: Sheer to medium
• Number of Shades: 16
• Size: 0.2 oz.RMS Beauty - 11/11
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Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab
