IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer ($24.00 for 0.28 fl. oz.) is thickened, liquid-cream concealer that has medium-to-full coverage that doesn’t settle into or exacerbate fine lines underneath the eyes. It’s definitely a full coverage concealer, but it’s spreadable enough that you can get more medium coverage if desired. It brightens and minimizes the shadows underneath the eyes while subtly softening fine lines (they’re still there, but they seem less severe). I like to pat the concealer into place with a fingertip, then buff and blend it out using a fluffy eyeshadow brush. The concealer wears a full nine hours on me (without setting powder).

The brand says that it’s supposed to be a full-coverage, waterproof, “crease-proof” concealer that will also “diffuse the look of lines and wrinkles” and “give a more youthful radiance.” The latter characteristic is apparent; it’s has a definite radiance/sheen to its finish once it dries down, so if you like an ultra-matte finish, you won’t find it with this concealer on its own. It diffuses some lines, but it’s very subtle, on my normal-to-dry skin. There are four shades–Light, Neutral Medium, Tan, and Deep–and that’s the main complaint I have, which is that the shade range could be larger. I’m typically medium in most ranges (perfectly between light-medium and medium, really), but Neutral Medium is too light while Tan is a bit too dark (also worth noting, Tan leans more peach, which can be nice for covering up under-eye circles, but it is quite warm-toned and may not double as an under eye and face concealer if you prefer double duty), so I mix both shades to get a matching under eye concealer. As far as personal usage goes, I like to use a setting powder to further soften my under eye circles, and it’s always worked well with the concealer (never makes it appear dry or caked).

See more photos & swatches!

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer — Neutral Medium

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer — Tan

No concealer (top) / With IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer (bottom)

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer
with Urban Decay Naked Loose Setting Powder

RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up ($36.00 for 0.20 oz.) is supposed to be used as a “foundation or a light concealer” that covers “imperfections and redness.” It is also supposed to be hydrating and healing when worn. It is available in five shades.  The shade I used and is photographed is shade #22.

I can see why reviews on this are divided–some swear by it, others try it and go, “Huh?” If you need heavy, full coverage concealer or have oily skin, it’s not a product I’d recommend to you. If you have a lot of fine lines, it may not be the best for use underneath the eyes. The first ingredient is coconut oil, and you would be correct if your first thought was, “This is going to settle into fine lines and crease instantly,” because it absolutely does. I like it for concealing mostly-healed or post-acne marks, but for under eyes, it requires patience, layering, and powdering. A lot of me feels like this is a concealer for someone who doesn’t really need a lot of heavy concealing; for someone who has fairly nice skin from the get-go. It doesn’t feel heavy, offers moderate coverage, and doesn’t dry out the skin, yet it doesn’t really conceal that well, doesn’t take care of all the darkness, and is prone to creasing and settling into fine lines and nooks and crannies. It doesn’t fully cover imperfections or redness; it reduces and softens, yes, but a light-coverage foundation performs similarly.

To apply it underneath eyes, I took a palette spatua and took a bit of product out and put it on a metal palette, and then I used fingertips to pat it underneath the eye, lightly patting until it was spread out evenly. The creamy, more emollient consistency made it easy to spread and blend, but it is prone to sheering out from the get-go so coverage is more light-medium than full. If you want to layer, it’s best to wait a few minutes or else apply a dusting of translucent powder. If you wait, you’ll need to blend and smooth out the initial layer somewhat, as it will have settled into fine lines/creased to a degree. Otherewise, if one layer is enough, I highly recommend setting with translucent powder after you’ve waited a few minutes (and then re-blended). When I did this, I didn’t see any creasing until after six hours. It seems to be hydrating when worn for the long-haul, but it was very unforgiving if there was noticeable dryness (like flakiness) around or near the eyes–it exacerbated every flake for the first hour and a half of wear, and then after that, the flakes seemed to diminish as the product continued to melt and hydrate the area.

For concealing moderate redness, stray marks, post-acne parks, and the like, this worked well to reduce the appearance, but anything really dark or noticeable wouldn’t be fully concealed. I have normal-to-dry skin, and I didn’t have application issues when I used this on my face like I did when I used it underneath the eyes.  It lasted seven to eight hours on the face, generally. I had some similar settling when I used it around my nostrils, but like with underneath the eyes, if I waited a few minutes, blended again, and then set, it stayed well for six to seven hours. As a light foundation, it definitely works and helps to even out the skin. I don’t find that it’s a practical product for that purpose–if you are actually applying it all over and not just as in some spots–because the jar and amount of product is quite small.

RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up

RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up

RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up

RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up

RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up

RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up

RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up

Bare Skin / Foundation / Foundation + RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up

Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation ($48.00 for 1.0 fl. oz.) is supposed to be a gel-based formula that is “anti-aging, long-wearing” and “awakens your skin to its ideal radiance and clarity.” The coverage is supposed to be buildable from natural to full coverage, and it is supposed to have “supreme hydration.”

I tried Ivory Medium (14), which is most certainly not my shade (it appears to be the second lightest shade in the spectrum). I’ve included a photo below, but it’s a very sheer application so that most my natural skin tone can come through more and ended up having to apply loose powder (in a shade just darker than my natural skin tone) to make it presentable. Ivory Medium has a soft yellow undertone and a natural satin finish. It’s a little lighter than my forearm, which is light-medium. The very first thing you absolutely need to know is that this foundation is heavily fragranced–one of the most perfumed formulas I have tried. I don’t even remember Chanel being this scented. It smelled like stale flowers to me, but I’m not keen on floral scents (there just seemed to be something off about the scent, though), and I loathed wearing this foundation for every second because of the lingering, all-day scent.

From afar, the foundation looks fine, photographs nicely without any flashback. It has a lightly thickened liquid consistency that spreads evenly across the skin and has a wet, cool feel. It’s completely unforgiving to dry patches, though, and I thought maybe it would be more forgiving after a few hours (because this is touted as hydrating), but it just got worse. I have normal-to-dry skin, but this accentuated any dryness to the point where anyone talking to me would notice the foundation clinging to each piece of imperfect skin. Part of this seemed to be ensuring not to apply more than a light layer of product, and the best way to apply this was with a sponge (like a Beautyblender) over a brush, as most brushes seemed to give it a rather streaky finish. I was able to build to about medium coverage, but it starts to look thick and slightly caked on the skin.

It wears eight hours well, and then it starts looking faded/patchy in places (beyond just the drier areas) after ten hours of wear, so the wear-time was good. I wouldn’t say much longer than average, and I live in a dry climate (California), so I can’t say I’ve tested this under extreme conditions.

Marc Jacobs Bright Idea Remedy Concealer Pen ($39.00 for 0.08 oz.) is described as “an all-in-one eraser, brightener, and corrector.” It’s available in nine shades, and the one I tried was Bright Idea, which is a universal shade. It’s a pale pink with warm, pink undertones. It worked well to camouflage dark under eye circles and smudges (I’m wearing it on my left eye, which is on your right). The consistency is thin, not as thin as water but still quite liquid. It offers light-medium to medium coverage, and it takes a few minutes to really set in place. I would recommend applying, and then checking as you continue to do your makeup or get ready to blend the product again, because it will settle into creases as it sets. Once I’ve let it set and blended away any initial creasing, it doesn’t settle into my fine lines for the rest of the seven hours it wears well. After seven hours, the darkness seems to come back slowly but surely over the next few hours. It comes in a click-type pen, and the applicator is made out of palladium, so it is cool to the touch.

Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation

Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation

Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation

Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation

Marc Jacobs Bright Idea Remedy Concealer Pen

Marc Jacobs Bright Idea Remedy Concealer Pen

Marc Jacobs Bright Idea Remedy Concealer Pen

Marc Jacobs Bright Idea Remedy Concealer Pen

Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation + Medium Loose Powder (Bright Idea underneath eye on your right)

Cle de Peau Concealer ($70.00 for 0.17 oz.) is available in four shades and comes in a twist-up stick. I’m reviewing the Ocher shade, which is the shade that I’ve been using for a long while now (seriously, the photos were originally taken last summer). It was my pick for best high-end concealer in the most recent Editor’s Choice Awards.

Cle de Peau’s Concealer is definitely a cult favorite, and for many, worth the splurge–but it is breathtakingly expensive for many. (And there are definitely readers who are not impressed by it.) I’m not dedicated to concealer, as I’m usually too lazy about it and find foundation covers enough for my needs on a day-to-day basis, but when I do reach for concealer, it is most often for this (even when I find others that I love). This has a creamy consistency that goes on evenly and smoothly, remains blendable long enough to smooth it over the skin but doesn’t settle into fine lines while you wait for it to dry down. It sets shortly after, and then it lasts eight to ten hours on me without settling into my fine lines or creasing. It has buildable coverage from medium to full, so you can apply as much (or as little) as needed for a particular spot or area. It works well for my under eye circles and darkness by softening the lines underneath my eye as well as brightening and concealing the darkness.

The one advantage this has is that it’s very portable, and the other is that it looks good on bare skin without foundation as a companion. Sometimes when I have a blemish or healing blemish but don’t plan on wearing foundation, I can dab this on quickly, blend with my fingertip, and I’m good to go. It’s also great for touching-up faded foundation on long days out and about (this was a go-to when we were in Vegas and would be out all day). I can get dry around my eyes, and this helps keep them looking less dry (overall) and never emphasizes their dryness.

I would say I use this about once or twice a week with two to three dabs for each application, and I’m not even half-way through my tube. I think that if one were to use this on a more regular basis, you would still see it last a few months. I hadn’t slept well (about two hours a night) for three nights in a row this past week, so I was like, “This would be an excellent moment to really test and photograph under-eye concealers!” which motivated to finally review this product. Few products live up to their hype, but Cle de Peau’s Concealer absolutely did. It is a product I would (re)purchase, but don’t tell Mellan I spent $70 bones on it or else he’ll have a fit!

See more photos & swatches!

Cle de Peau Concealer

Cle de Peau Concealer

Cle de Peau Concealer

Cle de Peau Concealer

Cle de Peau Concealer

Cle de Peau Concealer

Bare Face / Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation + Cle de Peau Concealer

Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation / Foundation + Cle de Peau Concealer

The Secret to No Makeup Makeup is Makeup

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette ($39.00 for 0.65 oz.) includes a bronzer, cream blush, powder blush, concealer, luminizer, and brightener.

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.

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

OCC Skin: Conceal (Concealer)

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.

Shades as described by OCC:

• R0 is the palest red-based skin tone.
• R1 is a pale red-based skin tone.
• R2 is a medium-light red-based skin tone.
• R3 is a medium-dark red-based skin tone.
• R4 is a dark red-based skin tone.
• R5 is the darkest red-based skin tone.
• Y0 is the palest yellow-based skin tone.
• Y1 is a pale yellow-based skin tone.
• Y2 is a medium-light yellow-based skin tone.
• Y3 is a medium-dark yellow-based skin tone.
• Y4 is a dark yellow-based skin tone.
• Y5 is the darkest yellow-based skin tone.

OCC Skin: Conceal

OCC Skin: Conceal — Red-Based Shades

OCC Skin: Conceal — Yellow-Based Shades

Bare Skin / OCC Skin: Conceal (underneath eye)

OCC Skin: Conceal — Red-Based Shades

OCC R0 Skin: Conceal

OCC R1 Skin: Conceal

OCC R2 Skin: Conceal

OCC R3 Skin: Conceal

OCC R4 Skin: Conceal

OCC R5 Skin: Conceal

OCC Skin: Conceal — Yellow-Based Shades

OCC Y0 Skin: Conceal

OCC Y1 Skin: Conceal

OCC Y2 Skin: Conceal

OCC Y3 Skin: Conceal

OCC Y4 Skin: Conceal

OCC Y5 Skin: Conceal

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencils

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.

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencils

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencils: CIA, DEA, FBI, NSA, ATF, DOD, KGB, MI6

Urban Decay CIA 24/7 Concealer Pencil

Urban Decay DEA 24/7 Concealer Pencil

Urban Decay FBI 24/7 Concealer Pencil

Urban Decay NSA 24/7 Concealer Pencil

Urban Decay ATF 24/7 Concealer Pencil

Urban Decay DOD 24/7 Concealer Pencil

Urban Decay KGB 24/7 Concealer Pencil

Urban Decay MI6 24/7 Concealer Pencil

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).

No Concealer / Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer

Warm Beige, Natural, Natural Tan

Pale Yellow Pressed Powder (the same in all three kits)