(And don’t forget to study up on our tips for how to apply concealer the right way. For a pared-back look, however, you can skip the foundation entirely and opt for concealer only. “Concealer is already a thicker consistency, so having a bit of foundation as a base allows you to use less concealer-thus creating a more natural finish,” she says. Unless she’s forgoing foundation altogether, Jaikaran always applies that first. “The color should disappear right into the skin.” The exception: Those with deeper skin tones make have a darker shade around the perimeter of the face than in the center, so she suggests swatching your forehead and nose, too, to ensure you get the right match. When you’re shade-matching, swatch “three similar tones that look closest to your complexion on the lower cheek area,” says Gerstein. “As a pro makeup artist, I have to take into consideration different formulas for clients with allergies, intolerances like gluten, and sensitive skin,” she says. Longevity is also a factor, as is the formulation. “It must have a smooth and creamy texture that is easy to blend into the skin without feeling heavy or cakey,” she says. She also considers the coverage and texture. “Although I wish there were, there’s not a one-size-fits-all, holy-grail product because each face is different-skin type, skin tone, concerns-and even within your face, you may not cover a blemish with the same product you might, say, brighten under the eyes with.”Ĭelebrity makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran looks for five qualities in particular, starting with the shade range and what undertones it includes. “The concealers I reach for time and time again hit the mark in tone, texture, and coverage,” says celebrity makeup artist Suzy Gerstein. Best Longwear: Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring 24H Hydrating + Radiant + Correcting Creamy Concealer, $37.

Best Clean: RMS Beauty Un Cover-Up Concealer, $38.Best Luxury: Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Face and Under-Eye Concealer, $39.Best Drugstore: Maybelline Super Stay Active Wear Liquid Concealer, $13.Best Overall: Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer, $32.It can make it look as if you got a full night’s sleep (when you barely got hours), fake flawless skin (when you just got another period zit), and even replace the need to wear foundation when you think you can’t go without it (you can). But the right concealer can change your routine in all the right ways. For something so basic, finding the best concealer can often feel like signing up for every dating app at once: overwhelming.

Hydrating coverage concealer