Beauty: My Favourite Concealers

Concealers. You name the brand, and I've tried it. Liquid, cream, drugstore or counter, I don't discriminate: if it's a great product, I'm all over it. Or more appropriately, it's all over me. Of all the contents of my many makeup bags, drawers and cupboards (I'd be a bag blogger if I only had one makeup bag...), it's probably the one I'd fight hardest to keep, as having skin that looks clear and even-toned is my biggest basic beauty goal.

Despite several months of blogging, this is my first comparison post, and given that I've owned just about every concealer on the market, I thought it would be a pretty good place to start!

I should point out that, although Estee Lauder Double Wear is in the photo, it's not reviewed here. I've only had it a couple of weeks and not sure it makes it into my 'favourites' list quite yet! Thanks to Holly for pointing out the potential confusion!

Affordable and effective: Maybelline's Pure Liquid Mineral Concealer, £6.19This one is an old favourite of mine. Super affordable and long wearing, it gives great coverage and unsurprisingly, it works fantastically well with the Pure Mineral liquid and powder foundations, both of which I'm a fan of. It only comes in three shades, so you may not get a perfect match, but its definitely worth a swatch to see if this works for you. I tended to only use this under my eyes, but got great results with it.

MAC Select Cover-Up and Studio Finish, both £13.50This is more a question of texture preference and purpose than anything else, as the Select Cover-Up is a liquid, and Studio Finish a cream. Studio Finish has the advantage of being water-resistant, so it's perfect for holidays, and Select Cover-Up has a nice, brightening effect yet gives good coverage. Invest in a brush for Studio Finish (Boots No. 7 concealer brush is great value)

Benefit LemonAid, £16.50

Although not strictly a concealer (it's an eyelid brightener/primer), I couldn't miss this one out. A sweep of this over lids leaves them looking bright and fresh, and it's also a great base for your eye makeup, so this is a good product to have anyway. It also has another use not mentioned on the box. This yellow-tinged product is fantastic at neutralising particularly dark circles on fair skins better than any concealer alone can. You need to add a layer of flesh-toned liquid concealer or foundation on top of it (it leaves the skin looking abnormally bright otherwise) but I guarantee it perks up even the sleepiest eyes!

And now for my holy grail concealer...

Giorgio Armani High Precision Retouch, around £27.50This liquid is the daddy of all concealers for me, and having tried several other products since using it, I can't see myself straying. Dark circles are blasted with a hit of vitamin E and the product contains pearl which diffuses light and gives skin a radiant boost. It conceals brilliantly, and is just an all round fantastic product. Yes, it's pricey, but it lasts and lasts. Definitely my number one.

So, those are my favourites: what are yours?