Beauty Battle: Which Concealer Will Come Out On Top?
Beauty Battle: Which Concealer Will Come Out On Top?
I’m not always successful at getting enough rest at night. My mind has a habit of turning on as soon as I turn out the light, and I’m left lying awake and buzzing until I can finally will myself to stop thinking about everything that needs to be done and just sleep already. While I work on improving my sleeping habits, I’m left with under-eye circles to contend with, the telltale sign that a restful night was not enjoyed. To combat the luggage beneath my lids, I turn to that one little miracle product that fixes most problems: Concealer.
After July’s post about cruelty free mascara, a number of you requested that I tackle concealer next. As this is a staple product in my makeup repertoire, I was more than happy to oblige. Once again, I’m pitting two CF drugstore finds against each other – read on to find out which one wins.
Above: Me, sans makeup
This is my personal tube of NYX HD Photogenic Concealer. I like this brand’s line of vivid lipsticks and balms, so I was curious to try out this product. I’ve been using the HD concealer for a couple of months, and I’ll be honest, it’s not my favorite. While it does provide substantial coverage for both the under eye area and scars, I find it to be a bit too thick, and by the end of the day the areas where I’ve applied it tend to look chalky and seem to accentuate the small wrinkles at the corners of my eyes. I’ve had the best luck with this concealer when I’ve used a damp blending sponge to apply it, and while it may not be the best for everyday, light coverage, this would be an excellent product to use for a more dramatic look paired with foundation. It’s important to note that while this brand is certified cruelty free, it is not billed as natural or organic.
Next up is Pixi Wakeup Concealer, a gel concealer formulated to soften lines and brighten the overall eye area. I had high hopes for this product, especially because the founder, Petra Strand, started the company with a mission to create a fresh-faced, well-rested look, which — now you all know — is my end goal. The applicator of this concealer is a small brush from which the product is dispensed, which I preferred compared to the NYX wand applicator, though it took some time to figure out (an embarrassingly long time, actually). Once I did figure it out, the concealer went on smoothly, provided ample coverage, and still felt light. Compared to the NYC concealer, which settled into lines after just a few minutes, Pixi Wakeup Concealer still looked dewy after a few hours. My one complaint with this product would be the smell, while it doesn’t have a fragrance, the product did give off a clay-like smell, which could bother some. It seemed to dissipate after a few minutes though.
Pixi on the left, NYX on the right
So, what’s the verdict? This round goes to Pixi Wakeup Concealer, which didn’t turn chalky and stayed looking fresh throughout the day. However, I’m still not completely satisfied and will continue my hunt for the perfect — preferably natural — CF drugstore concealer. Do you have a recommendation? Let me know in the comments!