Hiding blemishes, covering up dark under-eye circles, brightening up our complexions: we certainly ask a lot of our concealers, which is why it’s so rare to find the perfect do-it-all product encased in a wand or a crayon. For the ultimate cover-up, you need to make like a make-up artist and switch to an all-in-one palette, with enough shades and formulas for every beauty eventuality.
Whatever your concealment concerns, we’ve rounded up the best make-up palettes out there…
What's the best concealer palette for oily skin?
It’s no surprise that Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage concealer duo, £27.50, is a mainstay in many an A-lister’s beauty arsenal. The two shades can be blended to create the perfect custom shade to match your skin tone, resulting in a natural finish. With more pigment than a typical concealer, it’s got enough staying power to beat an oily complexion.
Yasmin Ferguson, National Make-Up Artist for Laura Mercier, recommends using the brand's Secret Camouflage Brush for a longer lasting finish. 'Mix the two shades on the back of your hand until you find the shade that matches your skin tone. The product is very highly pigmented so only a small amount is needed. Precisely paint feather-like strokes over the concerned area,' she says.
Can I use a concealer palette for contouring?
Yes, yes and yes. If you’ve already mastered the powder contour, the right concealer palette can help you try out the slightly trickier cream contour. Of the six shades featured in NYX’s Conceal, Correct, Contour palette, £10, two are darker, allowing you to subtly define the cheekbones. Simply buff out any harsh edges with a BeautyBlender or a stippling brush (check out our edit of the best here), then choose a lighter shade to highlight.
Another favourite with the beauty blogging community is LaRoc's 15 Shade Concealer Palette, £5.99, which boasts a blendable cream formula that's perfect for a more dramatic contour. A US drugstore brand, LaRoc is hard to come by on British shores, though you can now get hold of the palette on Amazon.co.uk, which is an unexpected treasure trove of international beauty brands.
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Can a concealer palette banish the dark circles under your eyes?
What is the best route to nixing panda eyes? Little in the way of topical treatments can budge them, so your best bet is to embrace colour correction and opt for a yellow toned concealer, to neutralise the purplish hue. Bobbi Brown Senior Pro Artist Hannah Martin recommends that brand’s Creamy Concealer Kit, £25. ‘The creamy formula helps to keep the skin under the eyes hydrated and the setting powder ensures the concealer can be locked in place all day,’ she says.
Wait. What is colour correction?
More than just an Instagram beauty fad, colour correction uses the colour wheel to counteract your skin concerns. On the wheel, purple sits opposite yellow, meaning that a yellow-based concealer is your best friend when it comes to warding off under-eye circles. If you have a fair complexion, you may find that a peachier shade works better for the same purpose. Green-toned products, meanwhile, can be used to counteract redness (good for rosacea or acne marks).
Confused? Beauty brands have done all the hard work for us, with targeted colour-correcting palettes in every shade of the rainbow. Stila's Correct & Perfect All-In-One Correcting Palette, £32.50, is an immpecably packaged beauty hero, while if you're after something a little cheaper, check out the Colour Correction Concealer Wheel, £12.90, from Italian make-up brand Kiko.
Can a concealer palette help cover up acne marks?
If disguising red marks and blemishes is your top priority, a palette is arguably a stronger option than a solo concealer, allowing you to blend a bespoke shade of cover-up that sits effortlessly on your skin, rather than drawing attention to any imperfections. As with oily skin, you should opt for a highly pigmented formula. Make-Up Forever's Camouflage Cream Palette, £23, also features a green concealer to neutralise any redness.
What if I'm on a tight budget?
Luckily, when it comes to concealing, high street brands have really upped their game in recent years: no longer does a tiny price tag mean choosing between cakey formulas and a handful of orangey shades. Topshop Beauty's Concealer Palette, £12, consists of three blendable shades and a translucent face powder, which helps to set the product for a long-lasting finish.
If you're after something even thriftier, look out for E.L.F. The US brand's Complete Coverage Concealer palette, £4.50, features four pigmented shades to target a variety of concealment concerns, and is available for a range of skin tones.
Which concealer palette is best for make-up artists?
It's largely a question of personal choice, although plenty of MUAs, beauty bloggers and industry insiders swear by MAC's Conceal And Correct Palettes, £35, for its long-lasting, highly pigmented concealers in a range of shades. If you're after a real blow-out, there's always Bobbi Brown's dreamy BBU Palette. Comprising a massive 13 shades of Corrector, 14 shades of Creamy Concealer and 20 shades of Bobbi's signature Foundation Stick, it'll also set you back a cool £210. A beauty addict can dream...
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