4 Multi-Purpose Concealers That Do It All

By Kristin Corpuz
Photo-Illustration: Binlin Cao
Photo-Illustration: Binlin Cao
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I'm one of the few beauty writers I know who would consider themselves foundation-averse. Despite how much I love testing beauty products, as a girl with dry, eczema-prone skin, I've just never liked the way foundation lays on my face.

For that reason, the concealers I keep in my makeup bag have to be the absolute best of the best: they need enough coverage to correct my problem areas, but have to be sheer and blendable enough to melt effortlessly into my foundation-free skin. Call me Goldilocks because I want my concealer formulated not too thick nortoo watery — it should be right in the middle. It should never look cakey or like I have makeup on; I want a concealer that leaves my skin looking like my skin, just a little better.

After years of hunting and endless testing, I've found four multi-purpose concealers that are now on heavy rotation in my makeup routine. They check all the boxes for what I need in a concealer, and even better, are all easy enough to blend out on the go — perfect for someone like me who always wants to put on the quickest face possible. Here's why I love them.

Hourglass Vanish™ Airbrush Concealer
Sephora

Hourglass Vanish™ Airbrush Concealer

Hourglass Vanish™ Airbrush Concealer ($38)

I can safely say that I have not restocked a makeup product more than I have this concealer. It has a uniquely-shaped applicator: the wide, flat part is perfect for covering more real estate on my face, while the pointy tip can get those more precise, delicate areas like around my eyes and nose. Even though it's a full-coverage concealer, it still has a natural, skin-like finish, thanks to the microspherical powders that are encapsulated in the formula. Like the name suggests, it really does make my skin look flawless and airbrushed.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
Sephora

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($32)

For anyone like me who has been binging beauty tutorials for the past decade and a half, you know what a legendary product this is and why it's a staple in everyone's makeup bags. The buildable coverage makes this a flexible product for both no-makeup makeup and full glam days. It has a really creamy formula that blends out effortlessly — even with my fingers, when I'm really in a rush — and contains a proprietary blend of active botanicals that hydrate skin throughout the day so the finish never gets cakey or flakey.

Merit The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Foundation and Concealer Stick
Sephora

Merit The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Foundation and Concealer Stick

Merit The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Foundation and Concealer Stick ($38)

As a girl who's often applying makeup from the backseat of a ride share on my way to an event, I love a product that comes in a stick formula. And I love it even better if it does more than one thing. Enter The Minimalist from Merit, which is the ultimate beauty-lover-on-the-go coverage product. It takes all the best parts of both a foundation (its spreadability) and a concealer (its coverage) and puts them together in one, super easy-to-apply formula. I hardly ever need a brush when I use it; my fingers are enough. I also love using a darker shade of this as a contour and bronzer stick because of how easy it is to apply.

Tower 28 Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer
Sephora

Tower 28 Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer

Tower 28 Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer ($22)

My dry skin makes a lot of complexion products sit weirdly, so I love when makeup looks and feels like skin care. Packed with hyaluronic acid, centella asiatica, and lysine, this is a sensitive skin-friendly concealer that applies like a hydrating serum — just with a bit of coverage. It's a true medium coverage formula that allows skin to shine through, perfect for light glam and no-makeup makeup days. It leaves skin looking bouncy and plump, with a radiant, glowy finish that wears well throughout the day.