L’Oreal Visible Lift Concealer Review Is Sad, But It’s Not What You Think

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Crystal Schwanke

Cosmetic Specialist at Glamour n Glow

Crystal has spent years studying cosmetic ingredients and knows all about which products are (and aren't) safe for your skin. If you care about your health and beauty, Crystal has all of the details!

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I didn’t expect to be this excited about writing a L’Oreal Visible Lift Concealer review, but here I am, shouting about it from the rooftops even though it’s borderline annoying to find. Technically, it’s been discontinued. However, I was able to score a tube of it through Walmart.com (from a third-party seller), and you can still get it in a few different places online. 

Dark circles under my eyes have been the bane of my existence since at least fourth grade. No, really. It’s one part allergies, one part genetics (I guess, though I think mine are worse than anyone’s in my family), and one part the need for more sleep.

Concealers tend to be too dark for me, too dry, too visible, get in my eyes and cause irritation, or not offer enough coverage. This one was a pleasant surprise.

So, Quickly, what did I Think?

I think I really need them to start making this again and selling it in drugstores, stat.  It glides on like a dream (I guess that’s why the word “serum” is in its full name, L’Oreal Paris Visible Lift Serum Absolute Concealer). It’s opaque enough for the average person. I could’ve used more color correction in some spots under my eyes, but it performs as well as any of my other favorites, so I can’t count that against it.

The finish looks like radiant skin once it settles down. It lasted through a workout and cutting some especially vicious onions, too (oh, the tears!).  I chose Fair, which looked too yellow for my skin tone at first, but didn’t look too apparent after a few minutes. I would’ve preferred something with a pinkish tint, which is better for color correction on me.

However, I know some people’s circles get more effectively canceled out by yellow. Still, the tint is not strong enough to attribute much of the concealer’s success to it. It’s a concealer, not a color corrector, so it’s trying to match a skin tone more than anything.

I need more of this in my life.  

L’Oreal Visible Lift Concealer Highlights and Key Features

• It doesn’t settle into creases around your eyes.
• It does mild color correction (it’s not an official color-correcting product, so it still comes in skin tone shades rather than yellow, peach, pink, green, etc.).
• It has a brush tip that the product comes up through when you twist the other end.
• It’s lightweight enough that you barely even feel it.
• It blends out nicely.
• It’s designed to brighten and smooth the eye area while covering dark circles.
• It feels moisturizing but not heavy–like quality skincare.
• It comes in a 0.05 fl oz. (1.5 ml) plastic tube.
• The listing at Walmart says it has SPF 20, and the list of ingredients seems to indicate that, as well. However, I don’t see anything about it on the product itself.

What’s to Love about this L’Oreal Concealer

I feel like this is a spin on a poem from 10 Things I Hate About You, but:

• I love how it glides across the skin under my eyes without pulling.
• I love how it plumps the fine lines, not emphasizes them.
• I love how it doesn’t budge when I run or cut onions, even though it doesn’t say anything about being long-lasting or waterproof on the label.
• I love how it feels like skincare.
• I love how it (mostly) covers the dark circles under my eyes, even though I’d prefer to use a separate color-correcting product with it because my circles are especially bad.
• I love how it doesn’t irritate my eyes.
• I love how it melds with my skin when I pat it in with my ring finger.
• I love the satisfying click of the lid when I close it; I don’t have to worry about it popping open in my makeup bag or purse.
• I love how it arrived quickly even though I had to order online through Walmart.

But most of all, I love how it looks like natural, radiant skin and matches my skin tone well enough to blend in.

What Makes Me Say Hmm…

Mostly I’m saying, “Hmm…” because it’s not safe to get attached to this product, and I really want to. Here’s what I don’t like:

• It’s been discontinued, so it’s harder to get than it should be. You can’t pick it up on a whim at the drugstore, and even shopping online and finding out it was coming from a third-party seller raised my eyebrows.
• Because you have to jump through hoops to get it, you also will have to pay more than you would for a L’Oreal concealer. I spent almost $20.00. 
• I’m not a fan of the packaging. I had to twist the end so many times to get any product to come up. Then when I did, it was almost too much at once, which meant I couldn’t use it to smooth the product out in my eye area (it would’ve been handy for the inner corner). And I know a wand isn’t the most sanitary option either, but the brush situation gives me pause, too. It’s not like you can clean it like a regular brush.
• The whole shade range doesn’t appear to be available. There are currently three shades listed at Walmart.com: Fair, Light, and Medium.
• I want just a tiny bit more opacity because I think the coverage could be better. Still, I suspect that would alter the formula and how it applies and wears. I wouldn’t want to mess with those. Instead, I add a little more to the darkest spots.

Photos for Comparison

Pics, or it didn’t happen, right? Here, I’ve included photos to show how my dark circles looked before concealer, after applying concealer under one eye, and then with concealer under both eyes. It looked freshly applied for hours.

How to Decide if You Need this Particular Concealer

• Do you have dry skin and/or fine lines or creases under your eyes?
• Are your circles somewhat light, but you still want to cover them?
• Do you find the area under your eyes looking dull, or are your eyes deep-set and creating a shadow in that area?
• Do you frequently find that concealers are too dry, thick, cakey, or pull too much when applying them?
• Do concealers tend to slide around under your eyes and never want to blend or stay put?

Suppose you answered yes to any (or more) of the questions above and you’re lucky enough to find a tube of L’Oreal Visible Lift Concealer in your shade, yes. In that case, I do recommend that you try it.

I recommend going back and stocking up on it if you like it, too, because you might not be able to find it in a few months or so. This will buy you time to find a suitable replacement option.

As for me, I’m sad I found this option after it’d been discontinued. I would stick with it indefinitely, adding a color corrector when and where needed. Now I need to continue my quest for the perfect concealer. 

Other Options to Consider

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

This one used to be one of my favorites, and I can see similarities between it and the L’Oreal Visible Lift. It’s hydrating and creamy, but it’s more opaque. There’s less “glow” and more “coverage,” but it doesn’t look dry or cakey under the eyes.

This one is thicker and more opaque than the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, listed below. Still, it does feel almost fluffy and serum-like when you blend it under your eyes.

Makeup Revolution Eye Bright Concealer

Here’s another concealer that brightens the area under the eyes, not just hides dark circles. It’s available in eight shades, more than you’ll probably find in the L’Oreal option at this point, and it’s about half the price. The applicator’s a little odd, though, and if you don’t like the brush option on the L’Oreal one, you probably won’t like this one.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

This one costs more, but it’s been my go-to for several years. It isn’t the most opaque concealer out there, but it’s got a little more pigment than the L’Oreal Visible Lift.  I like it because I can wear it with or without foundation. Sometimes concealers with too much coverage look too obvious when you want to go mostly bare-faced or use a tinted moisturizer.

This one is creamy, blends well, stays put, and doesn’t add any problems under my eyes. It’s not quite as glowy as the L’Oreal one, but it comes in a ton of different shades (30, to be exact), and you can even try the mini size for around $14.00.

ColourPop Pretty Fresh Hyaluronic Creamy Concealer

Who doesn’t love a good dose of hyaluronic acid under their eyes? If you’re unfamiliar with this ingredient, here’s a quick explanation: It’s good for drawing moisture in and plumping up your skin, so it’s perfect for filling in for the L’Oreal Visible Lift option.

Choose from 28 shades. It provides full coverage, but it’s not heavy, plus on top of the hyaluronic acid, there’s coconut water–extra hydration. 

L.A. Girl HD Pro Concealer

Love that brush applicator? You might enjoy using L.A. Girl HD Pro Concealer. This one was lightweight and relatively easy to apply once I got product up into the brush (it took a while, like the L’Oreal one did). It’s thinner, so in my experience, it wasn’t ideal for covering very dark circles. It was also drier than the L’Oreal Visible Lift.

If your lids are oily and you don’t quite need medium coverage, it’s worth a try. Many people swear by it, but it didn’t work well for me. If you’re a babe on a budget, you’ll also love that it costs about $5.00. There are a whopping 31 shades, too.

e.l.f. Creamy Camo Concealer

This one’s popular for a reason. It comes in 24 shades, costs $7.00, and hydrates your skin even while providing full coverage.

Obviously, this one will cover better than the L’Oreal Visible Lift, but it focuses less on brightening. However, you’ll still be able to hide those circles and look more awake without amplifying the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

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Where to Buy It

Sadly, it’s not available everywhere L’Oreal cosmetics are sold. I had luck at Walmart.com, and I saw it listed on Amazon and eBay, as well. It’s not ideal, but at least it’s available.

FAQs

L’Oreal Visible Lift Concealer Review: Should You Try It?

If you can find it in your shade and won’t be completely shattered when stock runs out and you can’t get it anymore, yes, buy it and enjoy it while you can.  This is the closest thing to a perfect concealer I’ve found for disguising under-eye circles without creating more problems (creasing, discoloration from an imperfect match, or a cakey finish, for example).

If you’ve been burned too many times by falling in love with a product only to have it yanked away when it was discontinued, and you don’t wish to repeat that experience, I totally understand. It’s the story of my life regarding skincare products.

In that case, think about what draws you to the L’Oreal Visible Lift Concealer, and then check the list above for another option that shares those qualities.