NUDEST Award Winners: Concealers
For those of us who came out of the womb looking like Serge Gainsbourg with aggressive under eye circles, concealers have been a necessity in our makeup bags since the Kardashians were in grade school. The rise of contouring, especially in the last five years, has transformed concealers into the ultimate product that can be used in a variety of ways, not just to cover any blemish or discoloration.
Here at NUDEST, we’ve taken an innovative new route to find the very best concealers on the market; this is not your average makeup roundup! First, we compiled a list of our favorite products and swatched them on a piece of white paper. An engineer from our team then used lab technology to encode the colors and create lab values, numerical measures of how much light each product reflects. By using this scientific testing method, we’re able to ensure our ranking of concealers is completely unbiased.
As always, promoting products that are diverse and inclusive is our priority. We want to highlight the brands that are making a concerted effort to make their products as accessible as possible.
Here are this year’s NUDEST Award Winners for Concealers.
Highest Number of Shades
Cover FX Power Play Full Coverage Concealer, $30
With 30 different colors to choose from, this vegan concealer has the widest shade range. The long-lasting, full-coverage formula blurs imperfections, shields your skin from pollution and offers a weightless, color-true wear, all without creasing.
Darkest Shade
Cover FX Power Play Full Coverage Concealer, $30
It’s obvious that Cover FX knows what they’re doing when it comes to makeup inclusivity. In its whopping 30 diverse shades that conceal, contour and highlight, this line offers the darkest shade option for the deepest skin tones. Shade “P Deep 5” is described as being made for the deepest, rich blue-hued skin with pink undertones.
Lightest Shade
Cover FX Power Play Full Coverage Concealer, $30
This product in the shade “White” is as close to a true white as a concealer gets, making it the perfect choice for those with the fairest coloring. It also performs fabulously as a white base for creative eyeshadow looks.
Greatest Shade Range
Cover FX Power Play Full Coverage Concealer, $30
This category recognizes the brand with the biggest difference between its lab values of the lightest and darkest shades within a single product collection. The fact that Cover FX includes that near-white concealer in its lineup plays a major role in the numerical gap between its shade options.
Best Customer Rating
Lancôme Creamy Concealer Maquicomplet, $31
This beloved concealer has a creamy liquid texture that beautifully provides natural-looking coverage that minimizes blemishes, dark circles and other imperfections. The secret is the product’s light-diverting formula and hydrating botanical complex infused with antioxidants that reduce environmental damage.
First Place Overall
Cover FX Power Play Full Coverage Concealer, $30
Of course, it’s no surprise that the Cover FX concealer has taken the top spot on our list with its vast range, nuanced shade choices and commitment to exploring diversity. It also offers four undertone options, pink, neutral, golden and golden olive, creating even more product variations to shade match to.
