Bronzing Veil is a beige-brown with a soft shimmer; it’s definitely not even close to being orange. For very fair complexions, it’ll be well-received. For medium to dark, it will hardly show up (better as a highlighter than anything else). It has a soft, finely-milled feel, but it is a little powdery. On its own, it wore for six and a half hours. MAC Sun Dipped is warmer and browner.
Creme Blush is a cool-toned, blue-based cotton candy pink with a semi-matte finish. There’s very little sheen/shimmer in this, so it looks natural on the cheeks, and it does blend out well. The cream blush only lasted four hours on me, and I have normal-to-dry skin (and I was on the drier side at the time of testing). MAC I’m the One is darker and powder-based. NARS Gaiety is a touch bluer and powder-based. MAC Peony Petal is darker and powder-based.
Blush is a cool-toned, bule-based cotton candy pink with a light dusting of silver shimmer over a matte finish. It is very, very close in color to the cream blush in the palette. The pigmentation was good, and it blended well on the skin. It wore for seven and a half hours. MAC I’m the One is darker. NARS Gaiety is a touch bluer. MAC Peony Petal is darker.
Conceal is a light beige with subtle warm undertones. It’s very creamy and wet, and it’s thin with semi-sheer coverage. The dry down time was a little long, and it tended to get caught in fine lines and settle there. For anyone who regularly uses concealer, I don’t think this will be your go-to; if you rarely use concealer or only in emergencies, it might work. Because of the lighter shade, it will be better for lids and under eyes for more complexions, whereas light-medium complexions may find it works all over.
Luminize is a shimmering beige. It’s very, very sheer and more of a faint, dustnig of sheen/shimmer. I tried wearing it on cheeks as well as on the brow bone–you couldn’t really see the brow bone getting highlighted. It seemed a little better on the cheek.
Brighten is a pink-toned, very pale beige. It has a thin, creamy consistency. I used this lightly on the lid and patted over the concealer (that I used beneath my eye). This had more impact on brightening/covering my under eye area more than the concealer.
This is a palette that would be best suited for lighter complexions; I think darker skin tones will find the bronzer to be better as a highlighter, while the concealer and brightener may not be useful at all. Similarly, if you don’t like cool-toned blushes on you, both are very, very blue-based. As a comment for all, I wasn’t overly impressed by the concealer, luminizer, or brightener–I think there are definitely better standalone products on the market that will do a lot more for your complexion. Sometimes palettes knock it out of the park because you get a ton of fantastic products for the price of just a few, and other times, palettes perform decently, but individual products out-perform them. With staples like concealer, brighteners, and the like–I would spend my money on the right shades for your skin tone in excellent formulas.
The bronzer and two blushes are the better part of the palette, but the concealer, luminizer, and brightener are really so-so. They're best for someone who rarely uses these types of products and doesn't have standalone versions.
Product
8/10
Pigmentation
9.5/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
7/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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OCC Skin: Conceal ($20.00 for 8.5 grams) recently launched with twelve shades (which is impressive for a concealer range). There are six yellow-based shades and six red-based shades. Each concealer is packaged in a clear plastic screw-top jar, and inside is the concealer. The concealer is in a hardened block, but it’s creamy to the touch and as you dip your brush in it. The texture isn’t too creamy, which can lead to a lot of settling or sliding around during the day, but it isn’t so dry that it’s difficult to blend out. It has amazing opaque coverage; it will hide just about anything, and it never feels heavy, looks cakey, or requires a lot of product. Just a quick pat of concealer on any area will conceal most imperfections.
Y2 was a good match for me and most of my face; if I want to be really perfect in color, I mix a little of Y1 in, but usually, Y2 is very, very close. I’ve been reaching for this a lot in the past few weeks, because it’s quick, easy to use, and lasts all day. It doesn’t slide around, separate, or crease during the day. I very rarely use concealer, though I’ve been reconsidering as the older I get, the less sleep I get (I wake up 3-4 times a night and get about 3-4 hours total), I have found it has impacted my under-eye areas. I’ve used this underneath the eyes, but I’ve primarily been using this to conceal little imperfections on the skin before running to the store. I love that it looks as natural as my real skin, because I’m not wearing any foundation or tinted moisturizer – just the concealer patted on the areas I needed and out the door.
My preferred application method is definitely fingertips. It warms up the product just a wee bit, and it helps blend the product in effortlessly. I have used OCC’s Concealer Brush (which is what is recommended by the brand), and it works well, but the brush itself sometimes feels too big. I like smaller, more precise brushes for concealer work myself, and then I like a fluffier brush to blend out the concealer (something like MAC’s 217). One thing about application is less is so much more; a little goes a long way–and I’m serious!–use much less than you think. Even if you use fingertips, and you hardly see any on your finger, go with it. You’d be surprised!
I really appreciate OCC’s commitment to their customer base (both professional and consumer) and quality; these concealers took two years to develop to be David’s (the founder) “perfect” concealer. It’s not too creamy, lasts all day long, doesn’t crease, and works even when my skin is a little dry. The coverage is fantastic; totally opaque but can be sheered out if you need lighter coverage.
There's so much to love about this concealer: a great balance between creamy and stiff so it wears well and all-day without creasing or sliding around underneath the eye, opaque coverage that's still able to be blended out, and a large color range.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Urban Decay will add four shades of 24/7 Concealer Pencils ($18.00 for 0.12 oz.) this spring to extend the shade range. I have to test out the formula, though I don’t make any guarantees when or if I will review (I’m more focused on clearing out the holiday backlog and then focusing on limited edition spring shades). Meanwhile, I thought I’d get swatches up! For shade descriptions, see this post. I suspect these will make their way online in the next couple of weeks.
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer (clockwise, from the top: Warm Beige, Natural, Natural Tan
Hiding Shadows with Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit ($32.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a launch of a familiar product–but it’s been tweaked and improved. They made the formula more concentrated–a little goes a long way–so you can something more opaque. It’s also less creamy, so it won’t settle fine lines. The shade range (both the concealers and correctors) was also been improved so they would match each person better. The compact was designed to be small and made that way for portability. This review is just for the Creamy Concealer–Bobbi Brown also has a Corrector (which I will review later), but if you want to go for the full arsenal, it is best to apply the color correcting product first, followed by the concealer, and finally set it with powder.
I received three shades to test: Warm Beige, Natural, and Natural Tan. In the past, I’ve used the Light-to-Medium Tint of Bobbi Brown’s Tinted Moisturizing Balm, and both Beige and Warm Beige are recommended–but I’m definitely on edge of Light-to-Medium (Medium was only a touch too dark). Honestly, swatching the three together showed just how subtly each would change. Warm Beige definitely has those warm, yellow tones but it has a beigeness to it that isn’t as apparent in Natural, which almost seems lighter than Warm Beige (but yellower). Similarly, Natural Tan is a shade darker than Natural, but it starts to look almost orange on my skin (because it’s not a shade match).
I settled on Warm Beige as my match, and I think it worked out well. It added some warmth to my under eye area, which has some shadowing from tired eyes. There are fourteen shades (ranging from Porcelain to Chestnut) to choose from in the Creamy Concealer range. All of the concealer kits, except Porcelain (which includes a White Powder) are paired with a Pale Yellow Powder. Bobbi Brown also put a step-by-step guide and video on their website. There is also an excellent shade guide for how to match the Corrector and Creamy Concealer shades, which I thought was well-done and helpful.
I really liked the Creamy Concealer, which had a smooth, creamy consistency that applied opaquely and blended out easily. It was creamy without being like butter; there was some stiffness to it that enabled it to stay in place and instantly settle into fine lines. It is rather opaque but blends out slightly, though it seems like a heavier concealer overall. I did experience some creasing after five hours when I did not set it with powder at all; if I set it with powder (Bobbi Brown’s or something else), it lasted all day (twelve hours).
I wasn’t won over by the Pale Yellow powder, though. It does help set the concealer, but I felt that it did seem to be too dry (or perhaps, not fine enough) of a powder to work well for my under eye area. It also kicked up a lot of powdery dust every time I went to use, and I didn’t like how some of the excess powder migrated into the concealer well.
The kit is $32, while the concealer on its own is $22, but the concealer in the kit is 0.05 oz. while individually it is 0.06 oz. The included Pale Yellow powder is 0.06 oz., which is also available on its own at $34 for 0.38 oz. The value of the kit is $18.33 worth of concealer and $5.37 worth of powder–a total value of only $23.70.
If you tote your concealer around regularly, perhaps the convenience aspect will be worth the $9 you pay to have them together, but it’s a rather hefty convenience charge. I will also concede that you cannot buy the powder for less than $34 on its own (since it doesn’t come in such a small size individually). I will note that online it states that there is 0.21 oz. worth of product, but the back of my compact says 0.05 and 0.06 oz. (and the size of the pan is the same as the individual ones).
I think the concealer works well, and it did a nice job of covering my under eye circles while subtly brightening the area. I wouldn't call it a brightening product, but it did add warmth and lightness to my otherwise shadowy under eye area. Because I didn't love the powder, I do hope Bobbi Brown will consider offering Concealer and Corrector kits in the future--I think those would be more useful together. Please note, the rating is ONLY for the Creamy Concealer. The Pale Yellow powder would score 7.5, 8, 7, 9, 4, and 4 - for a score of C+.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
7/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
MAC Prep + Prime Highlighters ($23.00 for 0.12 fl. oz.) are a new and permanent product that will release in-stores on April 7th. There are three shades: Bright Forecast (mid-tone peachy coral), Light Boost (soft yellow cream), and Radiant Rose (light shell pink). They come in a twist-up, pen-type applicator. These highlighters are designed to provide a “sheer wash of color to highlight, brighten, and perfect.”
Bright Forecast is a soft peach with subtle orange tones. The peachy tones of this shade are good for brightening and lightening dark under eye circles without creating a green cast (that yellow-based correctors can cause). I found this one did the best to minimize my dark under eye circles while still looking natural.
Light Boost is a pale beiged yellow. Yellow is good for lightening darkness. This would work well as a subtle cheek or brow highlighter on those with yellow undertones.
Radiant Rose is a soft, pale pastel pink. Pink helps to brighten the skin tone. It can also be used to brighten the under eye area, like Benefit’s Eye Bright. This shade felt more opaque than the other two, and when I used it underneath my eye (without concealer on top), it was a little pale on me. I loved it more as an eyeshadow base and brow highlighter.
The Prep + Prime Highlighters come in a click-type brush pen that takes several initial twists to release the product, but after that, you should only need a couple clicks to dispense the product. Over time, I’ve become less of a fan of brush-type products, just because I hate the way the brush feels and looks as you use it and the product seems to just sit in there. I’d much rather use a separate brush that you can wash without fear of getting water back into the product. I did find that while it can be easily applied onto the skin with the applicator, blending and application went better using a fluffy brush like the 217 for small areas (or fingers).
I applied each shade over my cheeks and under eye area, because I really wanted the effect to stand out. I felt like when I just did the under eye, it was difficult to really see what was going on. I wouldn’t normally use these as I did for the swatch photos, but I figured what good are photos if you can’t spot the difference? These have a subtle effect, and if you layer concealer over them, the effect is even harder to pick up–not necessarily in a bad way (like, ooh, so subtle it’s not worth it), but it’s a subtle, natural effect that works well and looks lovely. More like, “Oh, you look pretty today, did you cut your hair?” kind of way.
These wore really well for me, and I even used Radian Rose as an eyeshadow base. It looked really beautiful as a brow highlighter and lid brightener by itself, but it also held up as an eyeshadow base, too. I didn’t notice any fading and certainly no creasing or settling into fine lines over eight hours of wear.
There are numerous brands with highlighter pens, including:
Dior (Sun Beam may be comparable to Bright Forecast; Roseglow to Radiant Rose)
Fresh(nothing seems comparable in color–these are skintone shades)
Fusion Beauty (nothing seems comparable in color–these are skintone shades)
Givenchy (Moon Light seems most comparable to Radiant Rose)
Guerlain (nothing seems comparable in color–these are skintone shades)
Sephora (#01 seems like Radiant Rose, #02 seems like Light Boost; #06 seems like Bright Forecast)
YSL (Light Peach seems comparable to Bright Forecast, Luminous Ivory to Light Boost, and Luminous Radiance to Radiant Rose)
These can help correct and brighten but they won’t necessarily conceal on their own. Bright Forecast can help a good deal with under eye circles, but it’s not opaque, so for some, it may be enough on its own. They’re definitely comparable to cult-favorite YSL Touche Eclat. Sephora also seems to offer a very comparable color range in their variation on the highlighter pen, and at $12 a pop, it might be worth trying (overall Sephora ratings show it to be good, though I have not tried it myself, so I cannot weigh in).
MAC is roughly half the price of the higher-end highlighter pens, and they seem to provide double the product (I saw many listed at 0.05 oz., a couple closer to 0.10 oz.), so the product seems to be priced in line with quantity and MAC’s price range.
These are easy to use, difficult to mess up or go overboard with, and work well to brighten, lighten, and add radiance for brows, eyes, or cheeks (depending on your skin tone!).
Product
8/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Becca Compact Concealer($38.00 for 0.10 oz.) is an item I picked up when HauteLook had a Becca sale, so I was guessing on my shade… and I guessed wrong. Becca has quite the impressive shade range–I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many for concealer in particular–and the shade I chose was Toffee. It has stronger yellow and orange undertones, and in general, it was a couple of shades too dark for me (for reference, my arm is about NC20 or a little lighter).
The Compact includes two different formulas; one side offers medium-coverage while the other side offers full-coverage. It definitely is opaque and very creamy, but it is a thicker formula overall. It works best when warmed up between fingers and patted on, because then you can work out the consistency and get a more even application without over-applying the product. I found it would crease a little bit if I wore it thick, but if blended out to a thin layer (which is still plenty pigmented), it didn’t crease at all. One compact will surely last quite awhile, but the $38 price tag is daunting.
I wasn’t able to do a full test on this product nor provide before/after photos as it a completely wrong match for me.
Welcome to Swatch-all-idays! To start 2011 off on the right foot (or post, as it may be!), Temptalia is going through a backlog of products we have photographed, swatched, and often tested but in a slightly different manner. Quick reviews may be partially incomplete, such as a blush may only be swatched on the arm rather than shown on the face. It is our hope that what we are able to provide is still helpful!
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
Product: 26/30
Value: 7/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: It seems like a decent concealer, but it may be a better concealer if you need a very opaque one — because this is definitely one of the fuller coverage ones I’ve tried.
