These drugstore concealers rival my favourite spenny formulas – and they're half the price (2025)

You would have been hard-pressed not to find this in the makeup bag of a ~youth~ in the early 2010s. I was one of 'em! To this day, I regard this as one of the best concealers period, let alone the best at the high-street. The creamy consistency blends into any foundation I've ever tried to pair it with, and offers up medium coverage that generally covers anything I need but without making my skin feel heavy and cake-y.

Many people call it a dupe of the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, which clocks in at over quadruple the price, and they definitely have similarities, IMO. They're both really lightweight, with a slightly radiant finish and add moisture, especially for dry under-eyes. And both are oil free, which my acne-prone skin <3s.

Glowing customer review: "I absolutely love this concealer so much! All you have to do is blend it out and immediately set it with a good setting powder and boom, no creases! The thickness is perfect, not so thin that it doesn’t have good coverage, but not so thick that you can tell you have concealer on. As long as this is your right shade, it looks like you’re not even wearing makeup!"

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Before a beach day, I just swiped this concealer all over my spots to feel more put-together. Consider me shocked when the day was over, and my concealer was still intact. Like I got splashed by the ocean, and fully swiped on multiple layers of sunscreen... and my skin was still even 10+ hours later.

The matte finish looks surprisingly natural too (aka it doesn't look flat or cake-y on my skin), so it's great whether to throw on with some sunscreen or to do a full-glam situation with foundation, blush, bronzer, the works.

Glowing customer review: "I’ve been using this concealer for a couple years now, and I absolutely love it. It’s the best affordable concealer I’ve ever used. I quickly learned that a little goes a long way so you don’t have to apply a lot. It is also fairly waterproof and stays in its place for a good amount of time without touch-ups."

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Collection’s Lasting Perfection Concealer – yes, the one we were obsessed with in 2010 – was given an upgrade in 2025 and our obsession has returned! It now has a more inclusive shade range as well as a bigger, doe-foot applicator, but the full-coverage, creamy and radiant formula remains the same. It covers everything from a pimple to a spot of redness, plus it layers well without looking dry or cakey.

Glowing customer review: “I’ve been using this since Zoe Sugg got me onto it! I’m absolutely loving how it can be used as a base when I’m not up for wearing foundation. It’s so hydrating without feeling greasy on my very oily skin! Will be re purchasing.”

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If you’re looking for a budget concealer that covers all bases, Rimmel’s Multi-Tasker Concealer comes highly recommended by us (hey, your Cosmo beauty team) and influencers alike. The formula offers high-coverage concealing, but it still has a natural and slightly satin finish that elevates my complexion. In does a great job at knocking back redness or a pimple, but I love to use it under my eyes to brighten and lift.

Glowing Customer Review: “This concealer is amazing! It gives full coverage without feeling heavy or cakey. It blends easily and works great for under eyes, blemishes, and even contouring. The applicator is super convenient, and it lasts all day. Definitely one of the best drugstore concealers I’ve tried!”

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I can wax lyrical about this product. Firstly, I’ve spent more on a boujee latte than this concealer. And secondly, the formula is simply perfection for dewy, glass skin. No it won’t cover a pimple, but it will help to knock back redness and brighten your under eyes to leave an awakened, radiant sheen. It’s also one of the most enjoyable concealers to apply; the cooling metal applicator de-puffs while the serum-like texture seamlessly sinks into my skin.

Glowing Customer Review: “Skin silk concealer is such a wonderful concealer. Buildable coverage and brightens the under eye area. The wand is easy to use, a staple in my make up bag!! I highly recommend!”

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TikTokers cannot stop raving about this concealer for how full coverage it is without looking dry or crepe-y. You only need a tiny bit (truly, just a dot in the inner corner of your eyes will spread to cover your entire under-eye), and you can build up the coverage to be extremely full if you layer it. (However, the more you layer, the heavier it can feel, according to reviewers.) With 25 shades that range from super-fair to deep-dark, it's pretty easy to find the right match for your skin tone too.

When I first apply it, it has a natural finish, but it stays matte throughout the day – even when my oils start to peek through my foundation on other parts of my face. It fully passes the longevity test, as I don't need to touch it up, even after 10+ hours of wear.

Glowing customer review: "This is the best concealer I have ever used. It looked orange at first, but blended perfectly. I am 70, so I rarely find a concealer that doesn’t make my wrinkles look worse, this doesn’t."

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Listen, I've tried concealers that cost more than dinner and a movie – yet this is, hands down, still the best at brightening up my under-eyes. It's got the creamiest formula of anything I've tried (so much so that I'd liken it to softened butter), so it just glides and blends with zero effort, even with my fingers. And it comes in a handful of brightening shades with varying undertones, including a peach and orange hues for disguising under-eye bags and pink-toned shades to brighten.

I just twist the packaging to dispense some product onto the built-in sponge, dab it on my under-eyes, and blend with my fingers or a beauty sponge. It quickly spreads to make my under-eyes look moisturised, while the medium coverage conceals any darkness that could make me look tired. I basically look more awake in a single swipe of product. And JSYK, 179,000+ reviewers swear by it too.

Glowing customer review: "I use this on my dark under eye circles and to highlight. I love how easy it is to apply with the soft cushioned applicator. It goes on easily/smoothly, is easy to blend with a finger, looks natural on the skin, and doesn't cake up too much in my little under-eye creases. The applicator is also great for applying as a contour or highlighter."

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After I started prescription retinol for acne and my skin was dry, flaky, and peeling, I slathered this serum concealer all over my face for some coverage because it finally made my skin look healthy, not patchy. Soothing ingredients like centella asiatica and green tea extract in the formula also help calm down and de-puff my skin a lil.

The consistency is so thin that it spreads easily, meaning I only have to use a pump to cover my entire face. I blend it out with a beauty sponge usually – since I like the sheer, dewy finish – but I can blend out the edges with a brush to give me a bit more coverage on dark spots and zits.

Glowing customer review: "This is my holy grail. Gives decent coverage and hydration without being heavy or cakey. Blends out beautifully. Works for my fair skin. This also works great as a foundation, as you can spread it easily and sheer it out."

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Normally, my concealer will just melt off my sweaty, oily face – but this one passed the summer test. I dab the full-coverage, thick cream under my eyes and zits, then blend out with my fingers or a concealer brush by tapping, not swiping. The matte, skin-like formula immediately sets – no powder required to keep it in place. It truly doesn't budge once it dries down, which is why you def have to blend quickly to avoid it getting patchy.

Glowing customer review: "This is the first time I purchase this Milani concealer and I have to say that it is better than some of the high end concealers. It does last, covers dark circles perfectly, easy to apply and blend, and the colours go well with my skin tone. It is worth the purchase."

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Okay, sure, every drugstore concealer naturally is going to be fairly budget-friendly. But this one? It's on a whole 'nother level. But what it lacks in cost doesn't show in the formula at all, as this creamy, full-coverage concealer fully holds up to much more expensive formulas I've tested. It's extremely full coverage, disguising my darkest under-eye circles with a bb dab of product.

FWIW, this concealer comes in a slew of shades and undertones, which has made it supremely viral (lookin' at you, 40,000 five-star reviews) as a contour, highlighter, and colour corrector too. Grab the green shade if you're looking to cover up red pimples or scars, yellow for purple scarring or darkness, lavender for brightening, or orange for blue-hued dark circles.

Glowing customer review: "This stuff is no joke. First of all, I was shocked that I got the right colour on the first try. Second of all, it is just an amazing product. Such a good value, and I wear it almost every day now because I like it so much. I like that it blends super smoothly and I only have to use a tiny bit."

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Check the shade range.

Obviously, finding the right shade for your skin tone is of the utmost importance when it comes to the best concealer for you. Usually, drugstore concealers don't have as wide of shade ranges as higher-end options, so when in doubt, opt for a slightly lighter shade (it's always easier to darken something after you've put it on then to lighten it).

Sometimes, you might prefer to go one shade lighter for your under-eyes to brighten them up a bit. Or you can go for a brightening or color-correcting shade, like one with pink or peach undertones to counteract dark circles. Green concealer is also great to bring down redness.

Assess your go-to coverage level.

You've got options when it comes to coverage: sheer, medium, and full coverage, to be specific. If you want to hide everything, then def choose a full-coverage formula, but note these are usually thicker and can err on the matte side more often. But if you don't need serious coverage, a lighter-weight, medium concealer is great to have on hand, since you can always layer it to increase the opacity.

Determine your preferred finish.

Similarly, you've gotta consider your ~lewk~. Are you a dewy, glowy goddess? Then, choose a radiant concealer that'll look bright and fresh on your skin. Or if you like a velvet-y, full-glam vibe, a matte finish concealer will look softer and cloudlike. When in doubt, opt for a combo of the two with a natural-finish concealer that looks like skin.