10 Best Concealers for Every Skin Color

Concealers are a key part of a full face of makeup. They work to even out skin tone while also covering imperfections. While they’re not mandatory for every makeup look (especially if you’re one of those people blessed with perfect skin), they can go a long way to enhance the undereye area, minimize blemishes, or diminish discoloration caused by scars or hyperpigmentation. 

As with other complexion makeup categories, concealer isn’t a one-size-fits-all affair. Some concealers work as a color corrector, while others can reduce the look of undereye bags or skin imperfections. And more importantly, just like foundation, coverage levels can vary widely. So if you’re thinking of incorporating concealer into your makeup routine, we’ve rounded up some of the best concealers for every skin type and tone.

Best concealer overview

• Best overall: MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
• Best multipurpose: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
• Best contour: Tarte Shape Tape Concealer
• Best longwear: Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer
• Best for blemishes: BareMinerals Blemish Rescue Skin-Clearing Spot Concealer
• Best for undereye: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer
• Best drugstore: L.A. Girl HD Pro.Conceal
• Best splurge: Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Concealer
• Best lightweight: Kevyn Aucoin The Etherealist Super Natural Concealer
• Best for fast applications: Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer

How we chose the best concealers

To compile this list, we researched manufacturer specifications, including shade range, coverage, longevity, recommended skin type, and more, to create a shortlist of the top concealers. Then, we combed through detailed product descriptions, ratings, and reviews to find the best concealers for each category.

Our picks for the best concealers

MAC Cosmetics is known for its variety of shade options, so it’s no surprise this product offers 16 color options (but if we’re being honest, the deep-to-dark offerings are a bit thin). The coverage is high, and the finish is matte, so it’s a perfect choice for oily skin. It works to cover both blemishes and undereye circles as long as your skin isn’t too dry. This fluid formula comes in a bottle with a pump, which is both convenient and sanitary.

More importantly, the brand promises that this concealer won’t crease, cake, or streak. It’s resistant against transfer, humidity, and sweat — ready to go as long as your day requires.

Size: 0.3 fl oz | Shades: 16

With 30 colors in the shade range to suit a broader range of skin tones, these concealers work for all kinds of coverage and have a cult following for a reason. The doe foot applicator is perfect for precision application, including contouring and highlighting. 

The formula is creamy and buildable with medium to full coverage. It’s also humidity- and sweat-proof, transfer-resistant, and water-resistant. And because the finish is natural, it works for almost all skin types.

Size: 0.5 oz, 0.22 oz | Shades: 30

This vegan concealer is the holy grail for influencer beauty gurus thanks to its high coverage. Unlike many other high-coverage concealers, the formula is very creamy and blends super easily, but the dry-down is semi-matte, so it doesn’t cause any creasing. It’s perfect for the undereye area but also works well for contouring as a cream highlighter. This liquid concealer comes in a tube with a doe foot applicator and 35 color options, including a decent selection of deeper shades.

Size: 0.33 oz | Shades: 35

No one wants a concealer that gives up a few hours into the day. So if you’re looking for the ultimate in longwear, 24 hours is solid. 

This concealer claims it won’t budge or crease. And most importantly, it’s infused with minerals and emollients that make application and blending significantly easier. 

With 22 colors in the shade range, there’s a commendable section targeted toward deeper skin tones. You’ll get a doe foot applicator for more precise application and easy blending. This liquid concealer is also fragrance-free, which is ideal for those with sensitive skin, as well as waterproof and sweat-resistant.

Size: 0.25 oz | Shades: 22

Whether you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, it’s normal to be hesitant about slathering on a heavy concealer. At best, it’ll look cakey or unnatural, and at worst, it can clog your pores and encourage further skin issues. However, BareMinerals’ Blemish Rescue concealer works to heal, not harm, sensitive or blemish-prone skin. 

This mineral concealer contains skin-friendly ingredients to help blemishes heal quickly and never come back. Tea tree oil targets the acne bacteria, kaolin clay mattifies the skin, and aspen bark extract helps calm redness. The coverage is long-lasting, and the stick form makes for an easier application process since you can apply it precisely where needed. Unfortunately, this concealer only comes in nine different shades. 

Size: 0.06 oz | Shades: 9

If you’re looking for the ultimate undereye concealer — one where a little goes a long way — IT Cosmetics’ Bye Bye Under Eye concealer is a fan favorite. Don’t be fooled by the tiny squeeze bottle, as you don’t need that much to achieve serious coverage that’ll have you wondering if you ever had undereye bags or dark circles to begin with. 

Along with being a concealer, it promises to give you 24 hours of full coverage to tackle redness, age spots, dark circles, and even broken capillaries. The infusion of peptides, hydrolyzed collagen, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid improve wrinkles’ appearance, complete with a creamy texture that’s easy to blend and richly pigmented.

Size: 0.4 fl oz | Shades: 24

It’s easy to get carried away with makeup and pay the equivalent of a car payment on new supplies if you’re not careful. But if you’re a beauty on a budget, you don’t have to miss out on great makeup just because your wallet doesn’t allow for splurges. L.A. Girl has you covered with their cult fave, HD Pro.Conceal. This massive collection of concealers, highlighters, and color correctors is wallet-friendly and offers serious coverage. 

The hybrid formula is a mix between cream and liquid but applies with the built-in squeeze brush applicator. It blends beautifully and offers an expansive shade range. You can easily find L.A. Girl cosmetics at most drugstores, big-box retailers, and beauty supply stores, making them an accessible option that brings beauty to the masses.

Size: 0.28 fl oz | Shades: 43

You already know that when Muva, the queen of makeup, releases something new, there are very few negatives to be found. So when Sublime Perfection Concealer (part of the Skin Fetish collection) came out, we had to test it. While we admit that it’s a splurge, this Pat McGrath Labs concealer is an interesting combination, as it’s full coverage and lightweight. 

This leaves you with a great liquid concealer that’s easy to blend but can also fully cover any blemishes or imperfections you wish to minimize. It comes with a doe foot applicator which makes for easy placement. Meanwhile, because of the lightweight texture, this pick isn’t cakey and wears well throughout the day. With 36 colors, it offers a solid shade range that leaves you with a radiant matte finish and can be used to cover dark circles and hyperpigmentation or for contouring.

Size: 0.16 oz | Shades: 36

Named after the makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin who created the modern blueprint for face contouring that became popular backstage at New York Fashion Week and later around the world, this brand is well-known for creating innovative and effective products. 

The Etherealist Super Natural Concealer is a lightweight, buildable concealer that offers a natural satin finish without feeling heavy on your skin. And a doe foot applicator makes application easy. 

More importantly, this formula is infused with both vitamin E and jojoba oil for added moisture. But buyer beware: There are only 10 shades, meaning this product doesn’t have a lot of options for people that fall into the dark-to-deep category. Plus, it sets quickly, which means that you need to work fast to blend it out; otherwise you can be left with a splotchy effect.

Size: 0.15 oz | Shades: 10

In truth, this product has been around for a while. But Maybelline is enjoying riding the resurgence wave thanks to a now-viral TikTok showing people using the Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer as the go-to product for the infamous sunglasses contour trick. We’re not saying you need to use that much product to conceal and contour, but we do think this concealer is ideal for beauties that are short on time and want to keep their makeup vanity clutter to a minimum. 

The biggest draw for this product (beyond that the formula that has received rave reviews) is the fact that it features a built-in antimicrobial cushion tip that works as an applicator and blender to effectively create a flawless finish. Conscious beauties will like that this is a vegan formula that conceals and moisturizes, offering up to 12 hours of crease-resistant coverage. With 18 shades, including a brightener and neutralizer, this is a commendable drugstore option that’s reasonably priced and provides effective results.

Size: 0.2 oz | Shades: 18

Conceal away

Even if you’re not the type who uses concealer to contour or as a lid base for bolder shadows, it’s always good to have this product in your arsenal. A good concealer can help to brighten your face as well as blur and camouflage minor imperfections. And thankfully, you don’t always have to break the bank to achieve the look you’re after. Consider checking out our best overall pick, the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, as a starting point. If you’re on a budget, L.A. Girl’s HD Pro.Conceal is a solid choice. 

How to pick the right concealer for you

The right concealer can be the difference between masking blemishes like dark circles or highlighting them. Knowing the purpose for your concealer purchase, as well as how to pick the right color depending on that purpose will go a long way towards helping you find the right option for your needs and skin shade. 

Purpose

• Contour. Contouring is an effect used to enhance the shape of your face. You’ll want to pick concealers with staying power in a shade that’s only one or two lighter tones than your normal contour shade. 
• Undereye. Most undereye concealer applications want to conceal and brighten. So you’ll want to pick a shade that’s only one or two lighter than your real skin or foundation shade. 
• Hide blemishes. If you’re trying to hide blemishes, then you want a contour that’s a near- perfect match for your foundation or actual skin tone. Picking a shade that’s too light or dark will call more attention to the area you’re trying to cover. 
• Color correction. Color correction means that you’re going to be using very vivid colorful concealer to cancel out darkness or sallowness that’s currently present in your undertone. Depending on your skin tone, this means you’ll be picking red/orange, lavender, green, or yellow. 

Finish

• Matte. As the name implies, this is the flattest of the finishes and won’t offer any shine. But if you struggle with dry skin, a matte finish may call attention to dryness or wrinkles and fine lines. This finish might be better for people with oily skin. 
• Natural/satin. This is essentially a “your skin but better” effect. It offers a subtle bit of sheen, usually because there are hydrating ingredients included in the formula. 
• Radiant. Radiant often replaces words like “dewy” or “glowy.” This means that you have more sheen than a natural finish but not so much as to look greasy or oily. Radiant is typically not a good fit for people with oily skin. 

Formula

• Liquid. The most common concealer formula is liquid. Liquids are ideal because they’re usually easy to apply and can be blended easily for an undetectable finish. Liquid formulas can range from lightweight to heavy. 
• Cream. Cream often tends to be the formula of choice for contouring or more heavy-duty concealing tasks. While effective, it’s important to note that cream has a tendency to settle in fine lines, especially depending on the setting powder you use. Note that cream concealers can be packaged in tubes or as sticks. 
• Pressed. While not quite as popular as the other two formulas, a pressed concealer requires using either your hands, a brush, or a blending sponge to apply and blend it out. 

Additional Considerations

• Longevity. Not all concealers are created equal. And depending on your skin type and usage goals, you’ll want to choose accordingly. If you want to avoid frequent touch-ups throughout the day, opt for a longwear formula. 
• Skin type. Not everything is for everyone. If you have oily skin, prioritize an oil-free formula. Meanwhile, if you struggle with dryness, formulas that incorporate hydrating ingredients like jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E are better choices. 
• Applicator. This factor is going to depend on your experience with applying makeup. An all-in-one solution that has an applicator that doubles as a blender is ideal if you’re just starting out. Meanwhile, people with more experience may be fine using an applicator to apply concealer and then using a brush or sponge to buff and blend. 

FAQs

How do I choose a concealer for my skin tone? 

Choosing a concealer for your skin tone depends on your goals. For hiding blemishes or hyperpigmentation, you want a concealer that matches your skin tone (if you don’t wear foundation) or is as close as possible to your foundation shade. For the undereye area, pick a concealer that’s one to two shades lighter than your normal concealer for a brightening effect. If you’re using concealer to highlight when you contour, pick a shade that’s one to two shades lighter than your normal concealer.

What are different concealer colors for?

Concealer colors are usually meant to color correct — especially if you struggle with hyperpigmentation. The color you pick depends on your skin tone and undertones. Orange color correctors work best for deeper skin tones to cancel dark spots, while green correctors cancel redness. Lighter skin tones with dark circles match with pink correctors, while yellow correctors are ideal for fair skin tones with purple undereye circles. And finally, we recommend a purple corrector to cancel yellow tones and brighten the skin on fairer skin tones. All other shades are traditional complexion concealers meant to mimic the look of your actual skin tone. 

What’s the most natural-looking concealer?

The word natural is relative, as some people may like the look of a full-coverage concealer. However, a satin or natural finish concealer generally looks the most natural. Choose a medium-coverage liquid formula that isn’t as heavy and is less likely to settle into fine lines or highlight imperfections by becoming cakey. This is best achieved by picking the right color.