One descriptor I will not be using when it comes to the new concealer from Laura Mercier is “creaseless” or “crease-proof”. In fact, both are terms I hate using when discussing any concealer. Why? Because all concealers crease.
Our skin, the body’s largest organ, is a constantly moving, folding, living thing. Put make-up on its surface – especially something malleable and heat-responsive such as concealer – and watch it move, fold and respond to your skin in return. Concealer is not Polyfilla (although there’s an idea for a new type of product!) and so it’s unfair to rate its performance as such. Our skin creases, and thus so does our concealer.
Despite this perceived imperfection, concealer is one of my most beloved beauty products. I will not leave the house without applying a little concealer or, at a minimum – a swipe of corrector. It’s a product I have become very reliant on as I age for helping to disguise hollowness and dark circles. It also smooths and brightens an often perennially exhausted-looking under-eye.
A good concealer is often the catalyst for how good I look or feel on any given day, and I know many of you feel the same. In anticipation of this column, I conducted a small survey on my Instagram account. Some 64 per cent of participants said they wear concealer daily, and 72 per cent said it’s an essential part of their make-up routine. Unsurprisingly, our weighted relationship with concealer has made it one of the fastest-growing categories in the beauty industry. According to Allied Market Research, the concealer market is projected to reach a whopping $12 billion (€11.1 billion) in 2031. That’s a lot of concealer sales.
This leads me to one of the most recent: Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Concealer (€36.50 from Brown Thomas). Available in 22 shades, this is a concealer (and indeed, a brand) that embodies the term “your skin but better”. Laura Mercier pioneered the “flawless face” approach to make-up way back in the day, creating beautiful, lightweight formulas that accentuate the skin and deliver natural-looking results, and happily, the approach endures 28 years later.
[ Skincare during pregnancy: What to use and what to avoidOpens in new window ]
This concealer stands out from others because of its skin-first, silky-smooth formula. The brand says it’s “powered by more than 85 per cent skincare ingredients”, which explains the delightfully fluid texture. It all but glides on to the skin and practically self-blends – so little is the effort involved in the application. It also responds well to all application mediums (my weapon of choice is a small, dense concealer brush).
Once applied, it settles without setting, remaining luminous while holding fast to the medium coverage it delivers. No clogging or caking, no exacerbation of dry patches, no dreaded dryness that often elicits a well-meaning “you look tired” comment from someone you love, just indisputably smooth, even, radiant under eyes. “Weightless” isn’t in the product name for nothing, either. This is a whisper-light formula that feels comfortable and hydrating. In a nutshell, it’s a joy. A dewy, medium-coverage, beautifully packaged joy.
The brand claims it’s long-lasting, waterproof and crease-proof. I can get on board with the first two, but the latter? I think you know the answer.
This week I’m loving . . . Brow Aid Masterstroke Brow Trio
Another product I reach for every day is a brow pen. My brows require daily attention as they’re thin, sparse and home to splodges of faded pigment from old microblading. Something I regularly experience with brow pens, however, is inconsistent ink flow. The pen either deposits too much pigment or very little at all. Brow Aid Masterstroke Brow Trio (€32 from www.browaid.com) has solved this issue. The creation of brow queen Kim O’Sullivan, this multifaceted pen provides an even, consistent flow of pigment, helping to create natural-looking brow strokes and a perfectly defined arch.
