Full-Coverage Concealers for *Almost* Flawless Skin

We usually associate full-coverage complexion products with heavy makeup, potentially cakey-looking skin, and lots of creasing!

Well, I’m willing to take the risk because I’m dealing with everything a person can deal with regarding under-eyes.

I love me some salty snacks before bed so I wake up to puffy eyes every day (no regrets there). My screen time is borderline unhealthy, so of course I have dark circles. And I’m not getting any younger either, which means I have fine lines all over!

So a full-coverage concealer does a lot of work when I want to smooth things out under my eyes. It’s not only the most versatile eye makeup product, but it’s also the best replacement for foundation.

That means finding the right one might take an equal amount of time and effort. That’s why I wanted to list my all-time favorite full-coverage concealers, my surefire, trusted goodies, if you will, for when you don’t want to bother experimenting!

These are the concealers you can rely on always! Because trust me, a good full-coverage concealer is like a confidence boost in a tube! A few swipes here and there, and you’re glowing like an angel ready to take on the day or the grocery store.

Whether you’re looking for an under-eye makeover or a blemish-free face, here are my favorite full-coverage concealers for almost flawless skin.

Best Full-Coverage Concealers

1. Tarte Shape Tape Full-Coverage Concealer

At this point, this is pretty old news. But I wanted to include this for anyone who doesn’t have the patience to try and try and try! This is a safe bet! The safest actually. It’s a cult-favorite full-coverage concealer that has been a staple for anyone who’s been able to afford it on the regular. It can cover all types of skin problems such as acne and pores.

And it’s incredibly energizing for the eye area as well. It has a natural matte finish that suits really well with oily skin or if you need something sweat-proof for summer. Shade-wise, while I recommend always trying the shade in the store, I can say that for my medium skin tone with neutral undertones, shades 22N and 22B have been working great!

Coverage: Full
Finish: Matte
Shades: 38
Size: 0.33 oz/ 10 ml
Good to Know: Vegan, cruelty-free, waterproof, paraben-free

2. Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer

Contrary to Tarte, this one has a slightly more radiant finish. But it’s not dewy or wet, it’s very natural. So it will work for you even if you have oily skin! It’s incredibly rich and creamy and applies and blends like a dream, creating this consistent and even coverage! It’s also super flattering for my aging under-eyes with fine lines because it has this smoothing and blurring effect.

It almost makes my eye area look tighter and more lifted! With one single swipe, you’ll see that it draws a curtain on those dark shadows and wrinkles and gives you a second skin. Use it for fresh-looking eye makeup or drag the concealer down toward the cheeks to do your makeup without using foundation!

Coverage: Full
Finish: Natural radiant
Shades: 50
Size: 0.25 oz/ 7 ml
Good to Know: Vegan, talc-free, cruelty-free, paraben-free

3. Clinique Even Better All-Over Liquid Concealer + Eraser

And for my sensitive skin girlies, though the others are equally gentle, this is a reliable concealer free of anything that might cause watery eyes. Layer it on as much as you like! It’s matte, incredibly resistant to creasing, and stays on my skin all day! Plus, it’s got this sponge applicator tip.

And trust me, it’s not a gimmick! I actually use that side of the concealer to shape my eyebrows, brighten the browbone, and blend the concealer on the inner corners of my eyes. It dries down reasonably fast, but blends in with my skin perfectly.

Coverage: Full
Finish: Matte
Shades: 32
Size: 0.2 oz/ 6 ml
Good to Know: Fragrance-free, paraben-free

So these are my trusted full-coverage concealer favorites that I think are worth stashing all year round in case I run out. I love these because high coverage also means I don’t need to color correct in advance.

If you’ve never used a full coverage concealer before, or you can’t make them work for you, or you don’t know how to use one, here are some pointers on how to choose and use one.

And if you’re still figuring out which type of concealer works best for you, here’s everything you need to know about concealer, from textures to finishes and beyond.

How to Choose a Full-Coverage Concealer

Shade

The key to a perfect concealer shade match is two steps: shade and undertone. Shade is the color of the pigments in the concealer, so it needs to be a good match for your skin! The right concealer needs to be 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone.

This way, it helps brighten your under-eyes, but the color won’t look out of place when you want to cover imperfections on the face, either. If your concealer is too light for your skin, it can reveal dark circles you didn’t even know you had! If it’s too dark, it might look muddy on you.

Undertones

Just like a foundation, concealer also has undertones, so you need to keep that in mind. Most concealer shades come in 3 different versions to accompany three undertones: cool, neutral, and warm. So for example, you might have a shade match like Light with cool undertones.

Or something like Medium with warm undertones. Some brands use the words C, N, and W to describe the undertones, if you’re looking to shop online. But if you’re a makeup newbie, buy your concealer in-store to cover all the bases.

Skin Type

Choosing the right concealer, especially when you have acne-prone skin, is incredibly important. The wrong formula can give you blemishes out of nowhere! So if you have oily skin, lots of blackheads, and enlarged pores, go for an oil-free concealer or an option that is clearly marked non-acnegenic or non-comedogenic.

Also, go for matte finish concealers as radiant finish options can give you unnecessary shine by reflecting light, giving you a greasy-looking finish. If you’re on the drier side, radiant finish concealers that pack lots of hydrating ingredients will work better for you! This ensures you don’t deal with dry, patchy, and flaky skin.

How to Apply

1. Use Very Little

I know it’s super satisfying when you swipe a good amount of concealer under the eyes, but that baby creases! So, no matter what you’re trying to cover up and conceal, less is more! You don’t need to apply much because it’s a known fact that full-coverage concealers tend to be thick and rich. It means little goes a long, long way!

2. Apply in Dots

While people these days apply concealer with one swipe on the inner corner and another one on the outer, I prefer going in with dots under the eyes. Two dots on each eye are enough for me. If you apply too much, it can look patchy and emphasize dry areas, which is impossible to fix unless you’re willing to completely remove makeup and redo it.

3. Blend

I prefer blending it with my ring finger or a damp beauty blender. Small, fluffy concealer brushes are also easy to use and mess-free. Blend until there are no visible harsh lines between your cheeks and under-eye concealer.

4. Set

If you want an airbrushed look or you want smoother eyes and a matte finish, consider using a setting powder. However, this is not a must, and it will work better if you have oily skin. It’s because applying makeup on dry skin is already tricky, and powders can cause patchy-looking skin, especially if you have wrinkles and fine lines. In that case, use very little powder or consider using a setting spray instead of a powder.

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