5 Ways to Improve Your Concealer Game + Dear Klairs Creamy & Natural Fit Concealer Review

Ahh, makeup. I actually started my Asian Beauty journey not in skincare, but in makeup with Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream. Recently, I’ve been on the hunt for this staple of makeup wardrobes around the world: Concealer. My favorite drug-store concealer was discontinued and is now a true holy grail (though still available online). Anyone else loved the Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer? 😦

Anyway, enough of that. These days, brands like Dear Klairs (or simply Klairs) are making more makeup that is friendly for folks with skin sensitivity, giant pores, redness, and more; their philosophy is based on the belief that makeup should look like “My Skin But Better” (MSBB). I’m hoping this means skincare is globally beginning to matter just as much as or more than makeup as a way to improve the appearance, and most importantly the health, of your skin. Woohoo!

The Klairs Creamy & Natural Fit Concealer recently fell into my lap, so I thought I’d share some ways I’ve amped up my concealer game over the past several years, along with my experience of this concealer. As you’ve probably noticed by now, I’m quite lazy frugal, so I like to extend the usefulness of makeup and skincare products as much as possible!

I’m not going to go into complex color correction quite yet here—you usually need different types and colors of concealer for various parts of your face. For instance, purpley undereyes will need something different from redness around your nose, and the corners of your mouth something else entirely! Nah, this post is for those of you who, like me, mainly want to cover up undereye circles and are fine with simply “fading” (not entirely concealing) blemish spots.

(This is part one of two in a pair of Dear Klairs makeup reviews. Part two is my review of Klairs’ BB cream!)

This product was provided by Wishtrend for review. All content on A River Lily reflects my honest opinion. This post contains some affiliate links. Check out my Policies and Transparency page for more info. 

The Claims

The main features, from Wishtrend’s product listing:

• “Natural coverage
• Soothing formula
• Hydrating.”

The rest of the product description touts its “natural ingredients” and, like most Klairs products, the fact that it’s great for sensitive skin. It claims to “conceal pores, blemishes, redness, and any target areas.”

Ingredients List:

List below is from Wishtrend. Be aware that this has silica in it, which some folks are sensitive to. Interestingly, it has titanium dioxide which is used in sunscreen. However, don’t think you can get away without actual sunscreen! A full layer of proper sunscreen all over is pretty much the only thing that guarantees proper coverage for any substantial sun protection.

See Cosdna for more details. Those with 1 or higher “Acne” or “Irritant” value, as well as a red “Safety” value, are bolded*:

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Silica, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Yellow Oxide Of Iron, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Bentonite, Sodium Chloride, Black Oxide Of Iron, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Red Oxide Of Iron, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Chlorphenesin, Talc, Xanthan Gum, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Fragrance, Tocopheryl Acetate, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Extract, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Hibiscus Mutabilis Flower Extract, Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract

*Note that these values do not indicate universal truths. The amount of ingredient actually in the product, as well as the product’s overall formulation, greatly affect the potential for irritation. Not everyone will be sensitive to these bolded ingredients, and you may be sensitive to ingredients that are not bolded. Every individual’s skin may react differently. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).

The Evidence

Performance:

To use, I apply a moderate amount to my target areas using the applicator wand, and very lightly tap with my fingers to blend. I wait about five minutes to let it set a little with just the heat of my skin (or with baking, if I have time—more on that later!), then I move on to foundation.

This concealer is on the matte side of the liquid concealer spectrum. However, it’s not drying at all; maybe it does indeed have some “hydrating” properties as Klairs claims (sodium hyaluronate and castor oil, perhaps?). In any case, if your skin is on the dry side, you should use a moisturizer under all makeup anyway! I’m still quite wary of makeup that claims to do double-duty as both makeup and skincare product.

TIP #1: The best foundation is healthy skin.

Of course this tip would be first on the list. I’m a skincare blogger! Honestly, though, there’s really no beating the best foundation there is. To best achieve this, don’t forget to moisturize at least 5 minutes before putting on makeup. (If you use sunscreen, that adds at least an extra 15-minute wait.) I like hydrating toners like Hada Labo’s Gokujyun or Shirojyun Lotion, light essences, or very lightweight moisturizers, depending on your skin type. This assures your skin isn’t so dry that your makeup will fall into and highlight the cracks and creases.

The coverage is light- to medium-weight. It’s not perfect—like I said earlier, this is good for making blemishes “fade” without going through the effort of completely hiding them away. And I’m totally fine with that! It goes very well with Klairs’ “MSBB” appeal.

TIP #2: Counter your dark circles with triangles, not more circles.

You’ve probably heard of this by now, but let’s talk about the details. I like to do a wide-ass, upside-down right(ish) triangle from the outer corner of my eye, nearly to the sides of my nose, and the inner corner of my eye to close it up. I don’t know about you, but the area around my tear ducts need some serious help. Here is roughly what I’m describing:

You can also simply make the triangle point straight down or slightly to the left, depending on your face’s needs. (image from toryshulman.com)

Why do we do this triangle shape? Basically, it blends in better with your skin. Which is the point of concealing, right? This goes with the advice to conceal around a spot or blemish that you want to conceal, not just on top of it. Don’t be tempted to mimic the shape of the very thing you want to hide! If you draw a semicircle on top of your dark circle, you’re just going to see…well, a slightly lighter semicircle floating on your face. This triangle shape helps your undereyes actually look like a part of your face. Don’t forget to blend the edges! I like to vary things a bit and do some vertical streaks within an imaginary triangle shape, if that makes sense.

Here it is in action, mainly on my undereyes. My skin is approximately NC35:

Before (note the undereyes, pores, overall mild spottiness/redness, and dat awkward red spot). Hello, unruly eyebrows!

My usual area of application

Blended

With Laneige BB cushion!

TIP #3: Try baking your undereyes! 

I’m sure you’ve heard all about “baking” by now, too. For everyone else, basically, “baking gives you that airbrushed look and all-day, long-lasting coverage using a setting powder. This will practically guarantee you’ll never look tired again. Of course, don’t forget to sleep regularly and stay hydrated, and all that… Here are the basic steps for baking:

1. Apply concealer as usual.
2. (Optional) Apply another layer of concealer where you just applied it.
3. PACK A S*** TON OF POWDER ON YOUR BRUSH. All-caps because this is hella crucial. I love mineral powder, so I use either bareMinerals Mineral Veil or Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder. Dust it on the desired area, like your life depends on it. DO IT.
4. Wait about 5-10 minutes. Ideally you should wait 15 minutes, but I know not everyone’s got time for that. Anyway, while you wait, you can do other things like pack your lunch, attend to your pet or child, or catch a Pokemon.
   • Reasoning: Like setting powder usually does, the powder will sink in and get “baked” on your skin just with the power of your skin’s heat. The powder is packed on for that extra fixing power. The downside is, try not to laugh or do anything that will crease your undereyes during this wait time—it will make those creases stay, too!
5. ???
6. Profit.

Here’s how meejmuse “bakes” her eye makeup (skip to 7:38 for the how-to):

As you can see in my photos above, the concealer did indeed diminish the appearance of my pores and redness. It didn’t totally cover that bright red spot under my eye, but it doesn’t really intend to, and I didn’t ask it to. That’s a job for a heavier-coverage concealer, like a creamy or stick concealer. You probably noticed that I could have used it around my nose, which has some spider veins (they’re more visible in photos than in real life!). This concealer is excellent for that too.

Also, I’m surprised that this concealer’s only shade actually worked for me. I’m just on the darker half of the NC spectrum, but since you should use concealers a shade lighter for your undereyes anyway, it ended up very nicely on me.

TIP #4: Use the concealer to highlight, too.

I unknowingly did this all of the time in high school… I was not always in a mood to do a full face of makeup—too busy teenage-angst-ing for that—so I would use my concealer for other purposes, and sometimes even in lieu of using any foundation at all. (Little did I know I was using the wonderful, now-discontinued Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer, to which I owe credit for my face not looking like a five-year-old’s art project.) I absolutely love it when products work in multiple ways without sacrificing quality. Here’s how I like to faux-highlight:

• Above the eyebrows: Swipe a line of concealer right along the top of your eyebrows for cleaner-looking brows. Do this before you fill in your brows, if you do.
• Browbone: This is a nice, mellowed-out alternative to a highlighter or light eyeshadow.
• Nose: Hey, maybe you also have a spot on your nose. Might as well sweep the concealer in a line all along down your nose, right?
• All around the lips: This is best done right before applying your lip color for some crisp lines and a clean look. It will make that color POP. You can literally conceal all around your lips, or you can: Trace that “V” of your cupid’s bow, draw the corners of your mouth, and finish by lining juuust below your bottom lip.
• Blend, blend, blend!

I’ve actually been complimented on my skin (not my makeup—mah skin!) while wearing just the concealer and setting powder on my face! Just yesterday, I put this on at high noon, decided it was too f***ing hot to use my medium-coverage Missha BB cream, and just set it with my trusty Innisfree powder. I walked around a mall (both in- and outdoors) for the Pokestops and Pokemon, took a bus, worked on my Comic Con Honolulu costume, retouched my concealer just a tad, then went to dinner. And it apparently looked totally fine throughout.

This is a huge compliment toward the power of this unassuming MSBB concealer. I’ve been quite happy using this on both light makeup days and full-face days. It’s versatile and does the job. Plus, it’s great to have in your bag when you’re on the go! Even on my full-face makeup days, I’ve found that spot-concealing with this is perfectly fine in lieu of redoing my entire face. As I like say: Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat.

And for my last trick:

TIP #5: Know when not to conceal.

Don’t worry; be happy. You don’t have to conceal every little thing all of the time.

Personally, I don’t conceal everything unless it’s actually distracting. Actually, if I conceal everything all of the time, then on mornings when I’m short on time or days when I simply don’t feel like using much makeup, it would actually be distracting (for me, too) to suddenly have a visible scar or spot. Hope that makes sense!

Value:

This is $14 on Wishtrend (plus shipping; ships free with orders $69+). At just slightly more than your average drugstore price, I’m quite satisfied with this.

It’s also sold by Wishtrend Amazon-fulfilled at under $17, but you do get free shipping on orders $49+ or with a Prime membership.

The Verdict

Gonna keep this summary simple: The Klairs Creamy & Natural Fit Concealer is matte, light-to-medium coverage, and pretty much all I need on light makeup days. I love that it’s MSBB, as I am not a fan of the cakey makeup look. In this rare achievement, I would recommend this for all skin types. Unfortunately, it only comes in one shade; I would not recommend this for anyone darker than about NC35~40.

My rating is based also on comparing with my experience with mineral concealers, which feel just as light (though are not always as matte as this) and offer even better concealing power than this. That being said, at this price point, this is an excellent deal.

Overall Rating: 4 / 5

Rating system:
5 / 5: HOLY GRAIL STATUS. I dare you to pry this from my cold, dead, kpop-glowy hands.
4 / 5: I really liked this! Would repurchase until I find a better alternative.
3 / 5: So-so. Unimpressive results, but may work better for others with different conditions.
2 / 5: Would not repurchase. Possibly caused some issues for me, but may work for others.
1 / 5: This lied to me. It did nothing that it said it would, and caused some issues.
0 / 5: Do not buy this. No one should have to suffer the way I did.

Hope you found this review and these concealer tips helpful! What would you add to this list? Do you have a current favorite concealer?