Hello there and a very warm welcome to the first in what I hope will be a regular series of Pick Or Purge - where I comb through a particular type of product in my makeup stash and decide what to keep and what to discard.
When I first started makeup, I had no idea what to do with concealers. I thought they were only to be used on blemishes, but each time I tried concealing a spot or two it just looked awful (still does). Then I discovered how they could be used on dark circles and... life was never the same again.
I've been trying out several concealers for a while now, all with the sole purpose of covering my dark circles. It's been a quest, almost. And like any quest, I've had ups and downs... and as a result I have a ridiculous stash of concealers.
My concealer criteria is (1) must be a good shade match, (2) must not be drying (my under eye area tends to run drier than the rest of my face), (3) must have minimal creasing and (4) must wear well through the day.
Pretty simple, right?
I'll be honest and say I haven't found my go-to concealer yet, but there are several that I really like.
My current collection of concealers includes:
- ELF Studio HD concealer in Medium
- LA Girl Pro Conceal HD concealer in Medium Beige
- LA Girl Pro Conceal HD concealer in Warm Honey
- Maybelline Fit Me concealer in Medium
- L'Oreal True Match Crayon concealer in W4-5
- L'Oreal True Match Crayon concealer in W6-7-8
- NYX Full Coverage Concealer in a Jar in Medium
- theBalm Time Balm concealer in Mid-Medium
- MAC Prolongwear concealer in NC35
- MAC Prolongwear concealer in NC42
- Bobbi Brown Corrector in Dark Peach
That's a lot of concealer for a gal, especially when I don't use some of them. So let's evaluate them individually and figure out whether to pick or purge!
ELF STUDIO HD CONCEALER (medium)
A liquid concealer with a thin-ish consistency, it's easy to spread, has medium coverage and is one of my go-to concealers. This was a surprising hit, I really like the texture and the coverage, and I've used it on a daily basis. My only gripe is that it doesn't really last long, which bums me out. In any case, my current tube is almost over, but I don't think I'll repurchase - I want something more!
Final verdict - Purge
LA GIRL PRO CONCEAL HD CONCEALER (medium beige and warm honey)
These are a thick liquid concealer, but they're easy to blend out. I really like these, the coverage is perfect for daily use. I dislike the fact that it creases, but I haven't found any product that doesn't crease on me, so I can't really fault it for that. Medium beige is my winter shade, and warm honey is my summer shade.
Final verdict - Pick
MAYBELLINE FIT ME CONCEALER (medium)
This is a really nice concealer. The shade I have is too light for me, so I've been using it as a highlight, but it takes a lot of elbow grease to make it work. It's got a little less coverage than I like, bu it works really well over a corrector which is something that's important to me.
Final verdict - Purge current tube, but pick in a different shade
L'OREAL TRUE MATCH CRAYON CONCEALER (W4-5 and W6-7-8)
It's a... solid?.. concealer. More like a really thick cream, I guess. It's definitely not on the creamy side, but it still manages to blend out. Again, it does crease, but I find it's easier to blend this out post-creasing than the others. It's also super handy to take with my when I travel. However, I'm not sure of the shades. W4-5 is too light for me, while W6-7-8 only works with my summer skintone. I'm not completely sure what I'm going to do with these.
Final verdict - Pick, but probably only for my purse. Or test out the other shades? Unsure.
NYX FULL COVERAGE CONCEALER IN A JAR (medium)
A very creamy, emollient concealer that buffs and blends out easily, has wonderful coverage and can even work without a corrector. It does crease pretty badly, though. But the coverage... and the ease of use... augh, I can't decide.
Final verdict - Undecided
THEBALM TIME BALM CONCEALER (mid-medium)
A very, very creamy concealer, almost on the slippery side. Not a fan. The shade is also too light for me, so I've been using it for highlighting, but the formula is just so greasy! Probably will work really well on drier skins, but it's a crease fest each time I use it.
Final verdict - Purge
MAC PROLONGWEAR CONCEALER (NC35 and NC42)
These are the concealers I use when I want something to really last on me. They have great coverage, but smell like paint? Still, they're fabulous, but I hate the pump (it always over-dispenses concealer). NC42 is a great shade for me. NC35 is a tad too light, but works really well as a highlighting concealer.
Final verdict - Pick
BOBBI BROWN CORRECTOR (dark peach)
This isn't technically a concealer, but I LOVE IT. Can I just say I will never, ever be without this, ever. I use it on its own to cancel out any dark circles on most days, or use it under a concealer to look bright as a bunny.. I'm almost hitting pan on mine and I'll have to get a backup soon! I know NYX makes an orange concealer, so I'll have to pit that against this at some point in the future.
Final verdict - Pick (hell yeah!)
At the end of this, I'm going to stay with:
- Bobbi Brown Corrector
- MAC Prolongwear concealer(s)
- LA Girl Pro Conceal HD concealer(s)
I'm still on the fence about the L'Oreal True Match crayon concealer and the NYX concealer in a jar, but the rest of them I will be discarding. That will bring my concealer to a more manageable amount!
Do you have a favorite concealer, or are you still on the search for 'the one'? Do you have any recommendations? Comment below and let me know!
When I first started makeup, I had no idea what to do with concealers. I thought they were only to be used on blemishes, but each time I tried concealing a spot or two it just looked awful (still does). Then I discovered how they could be used on dark circles and... life was never the same again.
I've been trying out several concealers for a while now, all with the sole purpose of covering my dark circles. It's been a quest, almost. And like any quest, I've had ups and downs... and as a result I have a ridiculous stash of concealers.
My concealer criteria is (1) must be a good shade match, (2) must not be drying (my under eye area tends to run drier than the rest of my face), (3) must have minimal creasing and (4) must wear well through the day.
Pretty simple, right?
I'll be honest and say I haven't found my go-to concealer yet, but there are several that I really like.
My current collection of concealers includes:
- ELF Studio HD concealer in Medium
- LA Girl Pro Conceal HD concealer in Medium Beige
- LA Girl Pro Conceal HD concealer in Warm Honey
- Maybelline Fit Me concealer in Medium
- L'Oreal True Match Crayon concealer in W4-5
- L'Oreal True Match Crayon concealer in W6-7-8
- NYX Full Coverage Concealer in a Jar in Medium
- theBalm Time Balm concealer in Mid-Medium
- MAC Prolongwear concealer in NC35
- MAC Prolongwear concealer in NC42
- Bobbi Brown Corrector in Dark Peach
That's a lot of concealer for a gal, especially when I don't use some of them. So let's evaluate them individually and figure out whether to pick or purge!
ELF STUDIO HD CONCEALER (medium)
A liquid concealer with a thin-ish consistency, it's easy to spread, has medium coverage and is one of my go-to concealers. This was a surprising hit, I really like the texture and the coverage, and I've used it on a daily basis. My only gripe is that it doesn't really last long, which bums me out. In any case, my current tube is almost over, but I don't think I'll repurchase - I want something more!
Final verdict - Purge
LA GIRL PRO CONCEAL HD CONCEALER (medium beige and warm honey)
These are a thick liquid concealer, but they're easy to blend out. I really like these, the coverage is perfect for daily use. I dislike the fact that it creases, but I haven't found any product that doesn't crease on me, so I can't really fault it for that. Medium beige is my winter shade, and warm honey is my summer shade.
Final verdict - Pick
MAYBELLINE FIT ME CONCEALER (medium)
This is a really nice concealer. The shade I have is too light for me, so I've been using it as a highlight, but it takes a lot of elbow grease to make it work. It's got a little less coverage than I like, bu it works really well over a corrector which is something that's important to me.
Final verdict - Purge current tube, but pick in a different shade
L'OREAL TRUE MATCH CRAYON CONCEALER (W4-5 and W6-7-8)
It's a... solid?.. concealer. More like a really thick cream, I guess. It's definitely not on the creamy side, but it still manages to blend out. Again, it does crease, but I find it's easier to blend this out post-creasing than the others. It's also super handy to take with my when I travel. However, I'm not sure of the shades. W4-5 is too light for me, while W6-7-8 only works with my summer skintone. I'm not completely sure what I'm going to do with these.
Final verdict - Pick, but probably only for my purse. Or test out the other shades? Unsure.
NYX FULL COVERAGE CONCEALER IN A JAR (medium)
A very creamy, emollient concealer that buffs and blends out easily, has wonderful coverage and can even work without a corrector. It does crease pretty badly, though. But the coverage... and the ease of use... augh, I can't decide.
Final verdict - Undecided
THEBALM TIME BALM CONCEALER (mid-medium)
A very, very creamy concealer, almost on the slippery side. Not a fan. The shade is also too light for me, so I've been using it for highlighting, but the formula is just so greasy! Probably will work really well on drier skins, but it's a crease fest each time I use it.
Final verdict - Purge
MAC PROLONGWEAR CONCEALER (NC35 and NC42)
These are the concealers I use when I want something to really last on me. They have great coverage, but smell like paint? Still, they're fabulous, but I hate the pump (it always over-dispenses concealer). NC42 is a great shade for me. NC35 is a tad too light, but works really well as a highlighting concealer.
Final verdict - Pick
BOBBI BROWN CORRECTOR (dark peach)
This isn't technically a concealer, but I LOVE IT. Can I just say I will never, ever be without this, ever. I use it on its own to cancel out any dark circles on most days, or use it under a concealer to look bright as a bunny.. I'm almost hitting pan on mine and I'll have to get a backup soon! I know NYX makes an orange concealer, so I'll have to pit that against this at some point in the future.
Final verdict - Pick (hell yeah!)
At the end of this, I'm going to stay with:
- Bobbi Brown Corrector
- MAC Prolongwear concealer(s)
- LA Girl Pro Conceal HD concealer(s)
I'm still on the fence about the L'Oreal True Match crayon concealer and the NYX concealer in a jar, but the rest of them I will be discarding. That will bring my concealer to a more manageable amount!
Do you have a favorite concealer, or are you still on the search for 'the one'? Do you have any recommendations? Comment below and let me know!
To tackle such irregularities, I rely on concealer. As the name says, a concealer hides the imperfections giving an even skin. While I was looking for a perfect concealer for my skin type and skin tone, I decided to give a try to MAC Pro Longwear Concealer NC42. Read on to know if this is the best concealer. I’m a Mac NC42 going to an NC44 during summer. I’ve tried all the foundations in the list myself. Here are all my Mac NC42 foundation dupes! From drugstore to high-end. Before we’re moving on to the list, a quick disclaimer. Finding the perfect foundation match will be different for everybody. Nobody’s skin tone is exactly the same.
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Finding the right foundation shade is always a struggle, especially for brown skin girls! Even after fifteen years, I’m still struggling and it usually takes me hours at Sephora. There have been plenty of times where I came home with a foundation shade that was way too light or the colour looked weird on my skin tone. I’m a Mac NC42 going to an NC44 during summer. I’ve tried all the foundations in the list myself. Here are all my Mac NC42 foundation dupes! From drugstore to high-end.
Before we’re moving on to the list, a quick disclaimer. Finding the perfect foundation match will be different for everybody. Nobody’s skin tone is exactly the same. When trying out a new foundation, I advise testing the colour in store to be sure. Especially when it comes to expensive high-end foundations.
*Updated July 2020
Mac Cosmetics NC42/ NC44 foundation dupes
![Nc42 Nc42](/uploads/1/2/6/2/126299087/894993419.jpg)
L’oreal True Match – #W6.5 / #W7
Maybelline Fit Me – #320 / #330
Estee Lauder Double Wear – #4N1 / #4N2
![Care Care](/uploads/1/2/6/2/126299087/666380061.jpg)
Concealer For Nc42 Skin Care Products
Milani Conceal & Perfect Foundation – #7 / #08A
Fenty Pro Filt’r Foundation – #300 / #330
Makeup For Ever HD Foundation – #Y415 / #Y405
L.A. Girl HD Pro Coverage Foundation – Tan / Soft honey
Concealer For Nc42 Skin Care
L’oreal Infallible – #320 / #330
Go-to foundation
Lately, my go-to foundation is the Milani Conceal & Perfect foundation in shade 7 or 08A. This foundation is super affordable, has a great staying power, a nice consistency and it looks good on my combination skin. I mix this foundation with a little bit of Revlon Photoready Skinlights in Bronze Light during summer to get a better match. A little goes a long way when using this foundation. This combination is perfect for everyday use and it’s so affordable. Milani Cosmetics is definitely one of my favourite drugstore brands.
High-end foundations
For special occasions, I’m using my Make Up For Ever HD Foundation in Y415. During winter I mix it with a little strobing cream in Peachlite from Mac or the L.A. Girl Pro Coverage Foundation (check out my review here) in Soft Honey when I’m not that tan. For summer this shade is a great match. I tested it during a hot summer day and I love how it looks on my skin. Even after a few hours and after sweating it still looks beautiful.
Matte foundations
During summer I sometimes reach more for my matte foundations like the Maybelline Fit Me (great affordable drugstore foundation!) or the Fenty Pro Filt’r foundation. In summer my combination skin gets a little more oily. Therefore I prefer to wear a more matte foundation to prevent my foundation from sweating off my skin immediately. I find the Fenty Pro Filt’r foundation too be a little difficult when it comes to the perfect shade and the foundation is a little too dry for my skin. So I end up mixing it with a tiny bit of strobing cream. The shades do change colour after applying, but the coverage is good.
Dewy foundations
For winter my skin definitely needs a foundation that is more moisturising. I always use a rich moisturiser underneath it, like the Elizabeth Arden Visible Cream. The foundations that I love for winter are the Make Up Forever HD foundation, the L’oreal True Match (less staying power but affordable) or the Mac Cosmetics Fix Fluid.
NC42 foundation dupes
To look for other foundation shade dupes, you can check out www.findation.com. This website is a huge help when looking for a comparable shade in another brand. You just fill in the brands and shades you are currently using and you’ll get a complete list of other brands that are comparable!
I hope this Mac Cosmetics NC42 /NC44 foundation dupe list will be helpful when buying the right shade. Any other shades that should be added to the list? Please let me know in the comments below!
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