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Whether you’re using them to conceal, contour, or brighten, the best lightweight concealers will give you buildable coverage without creasing, looking cakey, or suffocating your skin. When in doubt, reach for a liquid formula, which will wear more naturally than thicker concealer creams and sticks that tend to contain heavier ingredients like wax. You can look for concealers that are formulated with lightweight moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to ensure that the texture will be more hydrating, and there are even concealer-serum that feel completely weightless (though the coverage tends to be sheerer).
How you apply your concealer impacts how light (or heavy) it will feel on your skin, too. Start by hydrating the skin under your eyes either with a touch of moisturizer or eye cream. This not only gives your concealer more staying power, but it also helps plump up and smooth your skin to minimize creasing and caking. Even the lightest concealer will feel heavy if you're globbing it on, so always start by applying a few dots and continue to build upon that if you need more coverage. You can use your fingers or a concealer brush to tap (never rub) the concealer into your skin until it's blended out, or you can use a damp beauty sponge, which will also help keep the concealer feeling light. To finish, set your concealer by dusting the lightest layer of translucent powder over your skin.
Shop The Best Lightweight Concealers
In a hurry? Here are the best lightweight concealers:
- Best Lightweight Concealer With A Full-Coverage Finish: Anastasia Beverly Hills Magic Touch Concealer
- Best Lightweight Concealer With A Matte Finish: NYX Can't Stop Won't Stop Contour Concealer
- Best Lightweight Concealer With A Natural Finish: Milani Conceal + Perfect Longwear Concealer
- Best Brightening Lightweight Concealer: Revlon ColorStay Skin Awaken 5-In-1 Concealer
- Best Lightweight Concealer Serum: ILIA True Skin Serum Concealer
Just because a concealer is lightweight in texture doesn't mean that it has to be light on coverage. Anastasia Beverly Hills Magic Touch Concealer has a buildable formula that uses light-reflecting ingredients to help neutralize the appearance of tired skin and promote a luminous glow instead (so it’s a particularly great choice for the under-eye area). Hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, sunflower seed oil, and glycerin give the concealer a smooth finish and help prevent creasing or caking. It's also a vegan and cruelty-free product that's free from common irritants like fragrance, alcohol, and parabens.
Coverage: Medium To Full Shades: 25 Noteworthy Ingredients: Glycerin, Sunflower Seed Oil, Vitamin E, Hyaluronic Acid
Relevant Review: “I cannot say enough good things about this concealer! It blends like an absolute dream, the color is perfect makes my eyes nice and bright [...] and it doesn’t crease. Out of all the [concealers] I have tried this one is by far my favorite.”
For a full-coverage option that's less than $10, NYX’s Can't Stop Won't Stop Contour Concealer is a lightweight liquid formula that's waterproof. Among the 17,000-plus five-star ratings on Amazon, multiple reviewers report that the vegan and cruelty-free concealer isn't drying. But because it has a matte finish and isn't formulated with tons of hydrating ingredients, it's a particularly good choice for oily skin types or those who are looking for a spot-concealing formula that's budge-proof.
Coverage: Full Shades: 24 Noteworthy Ingredients: Vitamin E
Relevant Review: “Can't go wrong with this, especially for the price! I like how lightweight it is, and you only need a little bit!”
Not quite matte, but not quite a dewy finish either, this Milani Conceal + Perfect Longwear Concealer will cover up blemishes and discoloration without creasing. Despite the concealer's long-lasting and water-resistant formula, it contains shea butter, hyaluronic acid, and olive fruit oil to keep skin hydrated, while polyphenols and cocoa peptides help protect skin from environmental damage.
Coverage: Full Shades: 18 Noteworthy Ingredients: Shea Butter, Olive Fruit Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin
Relevant Review: “I love this concealer! Perfect match for my dark complexion! Very light, yet covers my dark spots completely. I don't like wearing a lot of makeup, so I love that I can put a little of this on my problem areas and it blends seamlessly! Comparable, if not better than my Mac foundation for a fraction of the price! I will definitely be purchasing again!”
If you primarily use your concealer to brighten your under eyes or as a highlighter, this Revlon ColorStay Skin Awaken 5-In-1 Concealer may be the one for you. The buildable concealer is a long-wearing formula infused with caffeine and vitamin C to help brighten and perk up tired eyes. The concealer doesn't contain potential irritants like parabens, phthalates, or fragrance, and it comes with an antibacterial sponge tip that you can apply it with.
Coverage: Light To Medium Shades: 19 Noteworthy Ingredients: Glycerin, Caffeine, Vitamin C
Relevant Review: “This works very well. It is the best concealer I have ever used under my eyes. It doesn't take much and looks natural.”
ILIA took the skin care benefits and weightless, satiny texture of a serum and combined them with the camouflaging abilities of a medium-coverage concealer. The result is the brand's True Skin Serum Concealer, which helps to brighten and smooth skin as it color-corrects with aloe leaf juice, vitamin C, and silk tree extract. Mastic gum extract in the formula also helps to mattify skin, making this a multi-tasking concealer that also works for spot-concealing.
Coverage: Medium Shades: 18 Noteworthy Ingredients: Aloe Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Vitamin C, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract (Silk Tree Extract), Mastic Gum Extract
Relevant Review: "I have drier skin and all other concealers have been too thick! This goes on like silk, and the shade is perfect for my pale skin."
About The Author:
Marissa DeSantis has worked as a beauty writer and editor for nearly 10 years. Her pieces can be found across print and digital publications like Bustle, Evening Standard, Teen Vogue, and InStyle.
