NYX Concealer Line Guide: How Well These Products Cover?
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This NYX concealer line guide is relatively short and sweet because NYX doesn’t have a ton of concealers to consider. That said, what they do have is a stunning (albeit small) collection of stellar formulas that can conceal, highlight, contour, and color-correct.
Their shade range is impressive, too, so if you have trouble finding the right shade, the NYX concealer line is worth a look. Bonus: None of them cost over $15.00.
NYX Concealer Line Guide: An Overview
NYX doesn’t have the widest variety of concealers–most other brands certainly have more to choose from–but they do have some interesting options, including a color-correcting palette, which is something you won’t find in every brand.
Here’s a rundown of what they have:
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Contour Concealer
There are 24 shades of this vegan, best-selling concealer with a slanted applicator, and they range from very light (Pale) to very dark (Deep Espresso). You can expect to pay less than $10.00 for a tube, too, so it’s a deal.
It’s a multi-tasking matte formula that you can use to hide imperfections or contour your face. There’s even a matching foundation, so you can take the guesswork out of what works best with this one and how to match your shades.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Highly pigmented
- It lasts for up to 24 hours
- It has a matching foundation line
- It can be used for contouring the face, too, because it’s matte
Cons
- It doesn’t always last all-day
- A matte finish may not be what you’re looking for if you’re using it to highlight, have dry skin, or prefer to use a foundation that isn’t matte.
- Some people find that it oxidizes on their skin.
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HD Photogenic Concealer
This is an interesting, inexpensive concealer that comes in 23 shades, three of which are color-correcting shades (yellow, lavender, and green). There’s a solid range of shades, from very light (Alabaster) to very dark (Deep Espresso). It comes in a tube with a wand applicator that has a slanted tip for precision.
Pros
- Wide range of shades
- Can choose just one color-correcting shade if that’s all you need, as opposed to buying the whole Color Correcting Palette with several color-correcting shades that focus on different things
- It has an emollient formula, so it won’t look dry under your eyes or on top of your foundation (which can especially be a problem with matte shades on top of illuminating foundations).
- It looks like natural skin
- The least expensive of the NYX concealer line
Cons
- The color-correcting shades can be surprisingly pigmented and may not work on all skin tones because they’re too overpowering, especially if you want to use them under foundation with light-to-medium coverage.
- Some users say that it does cake on the skin and may cling to dry spots and flakes.
- It oxidizes on some people.
- Some people find it hard to blend out.
Color Correcting Palette
This palette has six shades. Three of them are close to foundation shades with a bit of peachiness to counteract blue and purple tones (like under the eyes). The other three are yellow, green, and lavender. These can be mixed and matched as necessary to achieve the results you want.
Yellow is useful in canceling purple and even some red tones. Green is better at canceling stronger red tones (blemishes and sometimes even rosacea). Lavender is perfect for neutralizing unwanted yellow tones. It brightens the skin in general.
Pros
- Lots of colors to choose from, so you’ll be able to conceal just about anything
- The shades that are similar to foundation shades may be too dark for fair skin tones or too light for deep skin tones (but on the other hand, you may be amazed by how well these color-correcting shades neutralize undertones without standing out)
- Can be layered
- Good coverage
Cons
- Not as inexpensive as the others (still under $15.00, though)
- You may not need all the shades, so you’ll have some unused colors you paid for
- It may not last all-day
NYX Dark Circle Concealer
This one isn’t available on the NYX website, so there’s a chance you won’t be able to get it for much longer. However, it’s still available on Amazon, so if you already know it’s good for your skin or think you’ll love it, it may be wise to scoop one up before they’re gone and then continue your search for the perfect formula.
This one is available in Fair, Light, Medium, and Deep. It comes in a jar. If you’ve ever tried Erase Paste and liked it, you might like this one as a less expensive alternative, at least for a little while. There are some similarities in coverage and the undertones they use to hide dark circles.
Pros
- Thin consistency that still covers well
- Inexpensive
- Corrects color and conceals well
Cons
- May be discontinued
- Only four shades
- It comes in a pot and it’s drier than you might expect, so you’ll need to put your finger in it to get the product out
How to Use a Color-Correcting Concealer
Take a good look in the mirror to determine the tones of what you’d like to correct in your skin. Then think about the color wheel and choose a color-correcting concealer in the shade opposite that. This method helps neutralize the color of your skin. Here’s a quick guide:
- Peach/orange (and sometimes pink) cancels blue tones
- Yellow can cancel purple
- Green covers red
- Blue brightens a sallow complexion
- Pink brightens a dull complexion
- Purple/lavender can cancel yellow tones
With your finger or a brush with densely packed, synthetic bristles (I prefer the ones that look like small paddles), apply a light layer of the color-correcting concealer to the target area. You can build from there if you need more. Blend the edges of the concealer, so it seems to fade naturally into your skin, then apply your foundation or a skin tone shade of concealer (again, a light layer) on top.
A quick note: For what it’s worth, and in case you’re new to concealer in general, this is how to apply any shade, not just color-correcting ones.
You may find that using the color-correcting concealer under foundation alone will give you the desired effect if the color-correcting concealer isn’t especially pigmented once it’s spread across the skin. In some cases, however, you’ll want to double up and use a foundation with a matching concealer on top.
Do You Need a Color-Correcting Concealer?
Not everyone needs a color-correcting concealer. In many cases, a concealer that’s close to their foundation shade is enough.
So when might you want one?
- If you have redness in your skin, whether it’s rosacea or something else
- If no concealer ever seems to be a match for your dark undereye circles, no matter how pigmented people say it is
- You want to brighten your complexion without resorting to an illuminizing foundation, either because you just prefer a satin or matte look or because your skin is too oily for those types of foundations
- Your complexion is dull and could use a little extra warmth and life
- You have unwanted yellow tones in your skin or feel your skin looks sallow
When Should You Skip The Color-Correcting Concealer?
- You value using the smallest number of products possible on your face. In this case, you may just want to pick up a lightweight, pigmented concealer, letting it do its job as well as possible and calling it good.
- What you want to cover is a texture issue more than a color issue once you really analyze it (in that case, you may prefer a primer under your makeup instead of an extra concealer).
- The color is widespread (for example, rosacea can show up on cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin) and wearing all of that concealer doesn’t feel great and is difficult to blend. In this case, you may benefit more from a tinted (green or yellow) moisturizer or primer. If it’s dullness, not redness, look for a pink or lavender moisturizer or primer to use under your foundation.
FAQs
Question: How do I Choose a NYX Concealer Shade?
Answer: Start by thinking about where you want to use it and the intensity of the imperfection’s color. If you want to use it all over your face for a variety of things, you’ll need to find a shade that matches the depth, undertone, and finish of your foundation as much as possible.
If you want to wear it under your eyes only, you can go with a brightening, illuminating formula with a peachy/pink undertone that’s a tiny bit lighter than your foundation (though it can also be the same depth as your foundation).
If you need to cover very dark circles, intense redness, or you just want to brighten your skin even more than what an illuminating foundation can do, you can look into a color-correcting concealer. Experiment with it under your foundation, but be prepared to need a separate concealer shade that’s close to your foundation, as well. You may need to layer them to get the desired effect.
Question: Which is the Best NYX Concealer?
Answer: The Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Contour Concealer is the best because of the wide range of shades, its ability to multi-task (use it anywhere on your face), and how long it lasts. It’s a little more expensive than the HD Photogenic Concealer, but it’s still less than $10.00.
Question: What is the Lightest Shade of NYX Concealer?
Answer: If your skin’s the fairest of the fair, you’ll probably like the Pale shade from the Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Contour Concealer line. It’s extremely light. Another option would be Alabaster from the HD Photogenic Concealer Wand.
Question: How Do I Choose a Concealer Shade?
Answer: The safest bet is to look for a shade that has the same depth and undertones as your foundation. That will allow you to use the concealer wherever it’s needed. If you are only covering blemishes, stick with that method.
If you are covering dark circles or redness, there are other things you can do. You can choose a shade that’s about one shade lighter than your foundation color for dark circles. You can even go slightly pink or peach compared to your shade (don’t go too far off). To cover redness, you can try a green color-correcting concealer topped with a foundation-matching concealer.
Question: Is NYX Dark Circle Concealer Discontinued?
Answer: It isn’t on the NYX website, so there’s a good chance it has been discontinued. However, you can still find it on Amazon. If you’d prefer to shop directly from NYX or in person, you may be able to achieve a similar effect with the Color Correcting Palette unless you’re very fair. There are three shades that look similar to the shades that were available in the Dark Circle Concealer.
The key, in any case, is to get a shade with good coverage, a creamy consistency, and a peachy undertone to cancel out the blue/purple in the undereye circles.
Question: Should Concealer be Lighter than Foundation?
Answer: In some cases, it’s fine to go a little lighter than your foundation, but it’s not a rule or guideline you should stick to across the board. You can go a little lighter under your eyes if you’re trying to brighten dark circles, but if you’re covering blemishes, you’ll need the same as your foundation to do the trick. Otherwise, you’re just putting a spotlight on them.
Shopping the Line of NYX Concealers
Sometimes it’s nice not to have a lot of choices. This is one of those situations. NYX really has everything covered. There’s a matte formula that you can use to cover imperfections or contour with, a more emollient, creamy formula for those with dry skin or a preference for non-matte foundations, and color-correcting products to disguise just about anything.
The shade range is wide enough within the two main concealer lines (excluding the color-correcting palette with six shades that should work on most skin tones) to work in that regard, too. They’ve done a good job of making sure every basic wish regarding a concealer’s finish, performance, and shade has been accounted for.
