SEASONAL CULL: Concealers...

Haven't talked too much about concealers in the past, nor created a different blog category in years. And given that Spring is the perfect time of year for a clean out, I'm kicking off this brand new series with a reassessment of my concealer collection. I reckon most gals will admit to hanging onto a whole lot of unnecessary clutter, and I am 100% guilty of first degree hoarding, especially when it comes to make up...

I do my best to keep similar items in the one place, but I was a trifle embarrassed when I gathered together all of the above cover-up tubes and sticks for the photo - crikey I don't even remember buying half of these! So where to begin? Well I started by putting aside the ones I'm currently using, swatched the rest to determine which ones were still viable, and then split them into "these colours don't work" and "potentials" - this meant I could toss quite a few upfront, and lessen the headache of what to keep...

Above are the ones I ditched, although I did check the coverage before they landed in the bin just in case the formula was a good one, and all I needed was a different shade. I find that yellow-based concealers work best for me, and these are all quite pinkish, so out they went, which left me with the ones below. Already a major improvement, but now for the acid test - which ones actually do what I need them to do?...

Everyone's concealer needs vary - I don't have dark circles, but I do have pigmentation that I absolutely MUST disguise, particularly around my lipline, plus I find that my foundation (any foundation!) simply doesn't stick to the centre section of my nose. Haven't been able to figure that one out yet. It's not like I touch it throughout the day - even by the time I finish my makeup, somehow or other it's gone! So I need something that will stay put to disguise my freckly flaws in this most central part of my face. I also have spider veins around my nostrils, which always show up as reddish patches in photos, so once again I need 100% coverage. I'm fortunate that I rarely get blemishes - probably once or twice a year a pimple rears its ugly head, so a concealer that's a good skin tone match and is dense enough is all that's required to deal with those pesky eruptions...

And lastly, I have huge under eye bags - I manage to disguise them in photos with the right lighting and using the camera flash, but if you saw me in real life, you'd say "oooh yeah, they're real bad!". So I also need a concealer a few shades lighter, which I then apply to the area beneath the bags that is in shadow in an effort to diminish the bulges (thanks Wayne Goss!). It really makes a difference, but takes a bit of practice because you have to be very precise, and can't blend it out or else the whole effect is lost...

In summary, here is my criteria:

• 100% coverage of dark pigmentation
• Long lasting
• No creasing around the eyes
• Exact skin tone match
• Plus a 2 or 3-shades-lighter skin tone match
• As natural as possible
• Readily available
• Reasonably priced

So here's my assessment of the 14 potentials, from left to right - I've highlighted the best... 

CROP Natural Concealer Pencil - Medium & Light (RRP $16)

Love these - excellent coverage, the pencil format makes these perfect for outlining and dotting onto spots or pigmented areas. I use the light one around my lips and the medium for touch ups on the rest of my face...

Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer - Ivory & Soft Honey (RRP $10.50)

Good coverage, tends to crease a bit in oily areas, not quite the right shades for my colouring...

Maybelline Master CONCEAL Camouflaging Concealer - Light/Medium (RRP $15.95)

My most recent discovery - this stuff is AMAZING! Perfect shade for me, barely any creasing, total coverage. No wonder this is almost always out of stock at Priceline. Only yesterday I managed to find the Light version, which is why it's not in the above photo...

Maybelline FIT Me Concealer - Light & Sand (RRP $14.95)

Very good coverage, however it does crease a little, doesn't seem to last all that long either, but it comes in a wide colour range...

Rimmel Match Perfection Skin Tone Adapting Concealer - Natural Beige (RRP $13.95)

This has a brush applicator which I like, but the coverage isn't enough for my dark spots, and I find it tends to go on a bit streaky and creases after an hour or so, only 3 shades available...

SAVVY Liquid Concealer - Light (RRP $4.99)

The cheapest of the lot, and while it's a good colour match, it's too sheer for my needs...

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer - Light (RRP $38)

Holey guacemoley, this is the bomb! Yep it's $38, but I have never EVER found a concealer that doesn't crease, covers EVERYTHING, and lasts all day, but this is it. I bought Light which is very very light and too pale for anything but my eye bag diminishing trick, but I've just ordered the medium from Sephora. You will not believe the coverage! The tube has the tiniest nozzle I've come across, and at first I thought it was a manufacturing fault because it's a struggle to dispense even the smallest amount. But it's intentional - you only need (literally) a microscopic quantity. I swear if you want full coverage, no creasing and all-day longevity, then this is the concealer for you. I figure the tube will last me 3 times longer than anything else, which makes it totally affordable...

NATIO Natural Cover Concealer - Skin Tone 2 (RRP $14.95)

Sponge applicator, pretty good colour match, but seems to stay shiny even when it dries so you'll need a setting powder. Creases quite a bit, only two shades available...

Rimmel Wake Me Up Anti-Fatigue Effect + Radiant Glow Concealer (RRP $14.95)

I can't find the shade name on the tube anywhere, but I'm guessing it's Classic Beige (there's only three to choose from). Reasonable coverage, but not enough for me and doesn't build up evenly, contains teeny little sparkles for "illuminating" the under eye area, but I need to disguise rather than accent...

ModelsPrefer Argan Infusion Liquid Concealer - Light (RRP $9.99)

This is thicker than most of the others of its kind, covers redness very well but creases under the eyes, doesn't last more than a few hours, and there's only two shades in the range - it surprised me though, it's a lot better than some bigger brand names...

Face of Australia Lasting Finish Concealer Stick - Neutral (RRP $9.45)

Again only comes in two shades. I was using this primarily around my lips before I discovered the Crop one that I prefer. Creases when applied under the eyes, medium coverage, blends well though...

So after this major Spring clean, here are my keepers, and my HG's ♥♥♥:

You've no idea how GOOD I feel after doing this! I've reduced 24 products down to five, and freed up a whole bunch of space in my kit. I plan to repeat the process with my foundations, blushes, eye shadows, eye liners and lip products so watch this space - I admit the lippies will be my greatest challenge, but I figure if I do it gradually by shade families, it won't be quite so painful lol...

Do you do a seasonal cull of your makeup, or only your wardrobe?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

P.S. Linking this to the always brilliant Ingrid's Monday Madness Link Up Party ♥...