High end or high street: concealers

So far in my high end or high street makeup challenges (lipsticks and mascaras), it’s been a pretty 50:50 split over which products perform the best. Today I’m testing out three different budget concealers (helped along by the arrival of what can only be described as the largest spot in the world) – which one will be awarded the top performer place? Read on to find out.

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer £4.19*

This concealer has become a bit of a beauty blogger holy grail item and after using it for a few days I can see why. The formula is creamy and blends well into skin, covering blemishes and red spots easily. It doesn’t look cakey and the doe foot wand applicator means you can easily use it on the go. I tend to dab a little on and either blend with my finger or a small concealer brush and set with a small amount of powder. It lasts really well, giving a good 8 hours coverage before needing a top up. I used the shade ‘fair’ which was a good match for me, but if there’s one downside to this product, it’s that it only comes in 4 shades. This is quite common with high street brands so is more of a general moan, but I think it would be good if they introduced another couple of shades.

Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer £7.99*

Healthy Mix is the most liquid concealer of all three that I tested and I have to be honest, I found it a little troublesome. The packaging means that you have to squeeze the product out before using it, which meant I often ended up with a lot more than I needed. That said, this is a very good, lightweight concealer that doesn’t leave your skin feeling like it’s been caked on. I only got about 6 hours wear from this, so you will need a mid afternoon top up, and the shade ‘Eclait Clair’ (aka light) was a tiny bit orange for me.

Bobbi Brown Face Touch Up Stick £19*

The most expensive of the bunch, this comes in an expensive feeling metal tube that twists up to reveal the product (think narrow lipstick case). While in the packaging it looks much more solid, it actually feels very creamy to the touch and blends into skin well without leaving any obvious concealer signs. Wear time is good, lasting about 8 hours and I didn’t experience any creasing or patchy bits. This is another product that works well blended with either fingers or a brush, and the shade match is just perfect. There are 19 shades to choose from, making it a good choice for an exact match.

So which concealer wins top spot? I think the Collection concealer is a total bargain – at £4.19, it definitely deserves first place. The packaging might not be uber glam, but the product inside is fantastic and I would quite happily use this in place of more expensive brands. Bobbi Brown comes a very close second – if you want something slightly lighter in texture that can be easily built up, then I would recommend this, but you will be paying a lot more for it.

What’s your favourite concealer?

*PR samples