Eenie meenie, minie, mo… It’s mind boggling how many concealers there are to choose from, so I figured why not put together a post to help break down six top-notch natural concealers and how they perform.
One word about concealers: I prefer concentrating on the dark or discolored areas only, rather than taking my concealer right into the eye area. To me, treading on the delicate orbital zone is a surefire way of getting makeup stuck in creases and looking crepey. The other issue with placing concealer all the way around my eyes is that it makes my almond-shaped peepers seem even smaller. That’s not the look I’m after.
Anyway, this isn’t a how-to on how to apply it. I think that over time and playful experimenting, you find the makeup that you’re most comfortable wearing and the way to wear it. I just thought I’d share what works best for me, especially as I develop more fine lines. (Woohoo! Go 46-year-old skin!) I’ve linked to a post and a video by pro makeup artist Kristen Arnett below to cover the how-to part.
Just so you know, I’ve tried others but these are the ones that made the cut.
Best for blemishes
When I’m looking in the mirror and gasping at the new red dot on my face, Dr. Hauschka’s Coverstick is my Rx for pimples that catch me off-guard during the day. It’s the ultimate camouflage stick that also treats blemishes with naturally anti-septic tea tree oil and manuka oil, as well as wound-healing vitamin E. The formula never dries out my skin, but it does provide emergency coverage. I wouldn’t say that the zit heals much faster, but it does give me instant redness relief where I need it most without further aggravating the angry red dot. I don’t leave home without this one!
Most pigmented
Newly repackaged from a tube to an eco-friendlier glass jar, the award-winning Hynt Beauty’s Duet Perfecting Concealer comes in a range of shades: dark, fair, light, medium, and tan to match many different skin tones—which is really important in a product that must blend seamlessly. It’s not a highlighter, after all, so the last thing you want it to do is draw attention to the part of your face you want concealed.
This vegan cream is highly pigmented and only needs a tiny dab to achieve full coverage. It can also be mixed with a moisturizer to create a customizable foundation or warmed on its own between fingers and stipple onto areas that need coverage. It wears really well, doesn’t look cakey later in the day, and keeps skin moisturized with a lovely selection of butters and oils like cupuacu seed butter, avocado oil, jojoba oil, as well as aloe vera to soothe skin. This is more opaque than some of the other options, so if you want full and creamy coverage, this is your pick. (Kristen’s video that’s linked below will show you exactly how to apply it perfectly to conceal under eye dark circles. I watched the video last night and tried it today, and it worked incredibly well. My circles vanished!!)
Best on-the-go
I’ve got a soft spot for a sweet compact and NU Evolution nailed it with the Camouflage Crème. The flat black case with mirror (a really nice mirror, I might add) easily slides into a small purse which makes it indispensable during a night on the town. The creamy formula makes this concealer glide on nicely, blend well, and offer a matte finish. It’s more sheer than Hynt Beauty’s Duet, so for fuller coverage it’s best to layer onto specific spots and blend.
Best all around
Studio 78 Paris Anti-Dark Circles Concealer is hands-down my favorite because it never ever ever creases and it does not budge. It is not creamy like most of the others, so the best way to apply it is to put your finger in the jar for a few seconds to warm up the product and then use a finger to press into areas that need coverage. Even for such a matte formula, it doesn’t dry out my skin at all and won’t vanish midday (which can be an issue sometimes). It’s also EcoCert certified which means that most of the ingredients are organic—20 percent are sourced from organic farming—and they benefit skin. It contains highly acclaimed squalane as the first ingredient and organic shea butter which accounts for why it’s totally non-drying. Another bonus: 100 percent of the packaging is biodegradable and recyclable.
Studio 78 Paris does have one fatal flaw, however. The cover tends to break off and won’t reattach without the aid of a rubber band or tape. This slight inconvenience doesn’t keep dedicated users like the Green Product Junkie and me away though. This manufacturing defect is a deterrent to carrying it around with me during the day, though, as I’ve had a few mishaps. It turns out, an open concealer is no friend to my handbag. Other than that, this is my go-to daily concealer.
Most moisturizing
W3LL People’s Bio Correct Concealer is easy to smooth onto skin thanks to its mousse-like texture and skin-loving formula that’s packed with organic algae, coffee, pomegranate, and anti-aging peptides. It’s more lightweight than some of the others and can be layered for fuller coverage. Not much is required for decent coverage, but I did have to play around with dispensing the right amount in the beginning until I got the hang of it. I think this is a great option if you love a slightly lighter, creamier texture and a small tube which is more hygienic than the finger in the pot option. A tube preserves the integrity of the natural product from light and air exposure too.
Great for oily skin
For oily or breakout-prone skin, I reach for Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar. Aside from the great name, this concealer has a lot to recommend itself (including being loved by Well Beauty Blog where I first read about it a while ago). For one, it comes in three peach-toned hues and one yellow option to camouflage redness. I’ve read that peach is the recommended color to neutralize dark circles, not yellow which can make the color worse (blue under-eye circles + yellow concealer = green monster. Conclusion: that’s a no, unless you’re going for that). Secondly, this powder also works well on scars though I recommend moisturizing well underneath a powder. That said, when my skin is acting up and is particularly clogged or dealing with an onslaught of blemishes, I steer clear of creams because they may contain irritants and head straight for products with fewer ingredients and zero emulsifiers. That’s where a powder really comes in handy as it’s gluten free and only contains mica, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, silk powder, silica, magnesium stearate, boron nitride, iron oxides.
Silk Naturals happens to be one of my favorite mineral makeup companies because of the addition of silk powder which draws moisture from the air and gives a dewy finish. From my experience of using it over the years, the combination of silk powder with minerals helps the makeup set better and wear beautifully during the day. (Sally B’s Skin Yummies is another brand that I recommend that has a great color selection and uses silk powder.)
How to apply
Finger or brush? That is the question. Personally, it varies depending on the amount of time I have (let’s be honest here) or on the formula. I use my finger mainly because it warms up the formula which helps it melt onto skin. Sometimes, unless I’m super careful, a brush can grab too much product and then I’m left wiping down the excess. But when I do have more time, this is one of my favorite brushes by Kjaer Weis.
For an excellent makeup lesson on how to apply it and how to choose the right color for you, head right on over to celeb makeup artist Kristen Arnett’s Green Beauty Team for a pro’s tutorial on choosing the right color and a brand new video on how to apply it.
Which brand do you love that I’m missing? Let me know in the comments! Also, I totally forgot to take pics of swatches, so make sure you’re following me on Facebook and/or on Instagram where I’ll post a photo as soon as I can.
What a great and informative post! I have loved your blog for years and your post are still the best! My hereditaty circles are bad, so I am looking for full coverage, and Hynt Beauty is my Holy Grail concealer for sure! For powder, I recently started using Pure Anada foundation as an under eye concealer as it is certainly pigmented enough to do that (I should also state that I put it on top of oil, I use tamanu oil as my under eyes “moisturiser” now, and this is a winning combo, stays put all day and what’s more important for us ladies on the wrong side of 30s and onwards, it does not crease in the slightest!) I plan to pick up their corrector powder with my next order. Their cream concealer is great too, but I need to get the shade right, the sample I’ve had was way too light for me, the joys of internet matching yourself, huh? 🙂
Renata, what a nice comment! You put such a huge smile on my face. Thank you! I hope you realize that there is no “wrong side of ’30s.” I’m on the right side of close to 50 and feeling groovy!! 😉 Your routine sounds AMAZING. I’ll have to check your Insta to see which tamanu oil you’re loving. Pure Anada is a brand that I’ve got to explore too. Thanks!! XO
I have been loving the W3ll people concealer! I have heard really good things about the Silk Naturals sleep in a jar as well. I didn’t know they used silk powder in their products! Their price point and quality really makes them such a stand out brand.
Agreed, Marie! Silk Naturals has also been around a long time and has an amazing color selection. It’s fun that they make dupes of popular brands that contain a slew of synthetic ingredients too. XO
Great video reference! I’ve decided recently to learn how to use concealer. Love hynt beauty, just bought the Au Naturale concealer!
Hey, Melissa! Glad you enjoyed Kristen’s video. I love learning application techniques from the pros. I think I tried a sample of Au Naturale a while back but don’t remember much about it. Let me know how it works out for you! Thanks. 🙂
Thank you for this post! I’ve been on the quest to find the most effective yet clean concealer. I have to agree with you that Dr. Hauschka is my go to because it provides great coverage and blends perfectly into my skin. I have found that while some other concealers may cover well, they don’t blend as well into my skin, leaving a very noticeable outline. So Dr. Hauschka coverstick is great for a minimalist like me who doesn’t wear foundation. The only problem I have with it is that I noticed it contains “parfum” in the ingredients. I really feel that it is unnecessary and is a downside to this otherwise natural and clean concealer.
Thanks for sharing, Dori. Actually, “parfum” in this case means natural essential oils. Here’s what the Dr. Hauschka info page shares: What is the “fragrance” or “parfum” listed in your ingredients?
Dr. Hauschka fragrances are carefully composed, proprietary blends of the purest, highest quality essential oils. European regulations require that we list our pure essential oil scents as ” Parfum” while in the US the required declaration is “Fragrance.” No synthetic fragrance or perfume ingredients are ever used to scent Dr. Hauschka products. (Source) In Europe, the INCI (stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) requirements are different than in other locations. 🙂
Thank you so much for explaining that! I am so relieved!! How exciting that I can be completely satisfied with this great product!
It would be great to see swatch comparisons! Thanks for the helpful post-concealors are so hard to choose!
Would love to see swatch comparisons!
I would love an updated version of this article. I actually have tried all of these concealers and found you hit the nail on the head with the description of each. Unfortunately now my bag staple, Dr. Hauschka, has changed the formula drastically. The new coverstick is now concealer and contains Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, and Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate which are big no no’s in my book. Not to mention Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil which on my face is a comedogenic nightmare! I know there are so many natural brands out there but an on the go, natural/organic, bag staple concealer is definitely a needle in a haystack so to speak.