What are the ‘holy grail’ makeup products for a fiftysomething beauty director? I’ve found a few – a mascara that cheats the look of false lashes, a lip plumper that gets mistaken for fillers and a totally foolproof smokey eye crayon, for starters – but the ultimate ‘sweet spot’ concealer has proved a little more elusive.
By ‘sweet spot’, I mean a product that has enough coverage to soften dark circles but a texture discreet enough not to give the game away by creasing. And you know what? I reckon I might just have found it: Studio 10 Brightening Boost Serum Concealer.
It’s the latest arrival from a brand that might not be the most high profile, but it sure knows how to flatter a mature lady. Studio 10 is an unapologetically midlife-centric makeup company, and its new concealer is a prime example of its ‘age positive’ ethos. As brand founder and makeup artist Grace Fodor explains: ‘Grown-up skin needs hydration, so I wanted a concealer that would brighten and offer coverage without caking.’
Obviously, it’s not the first time I’ve heard this sort of promise, but from where I’m sitting – in front of a terrifyingly candid Beautifect magnifying mirror – it seems to do an exceptional job.
Even the best, most sparingly applied concealers tend to form a little line of pigment below my eye as soon as I smile, and require multiple dabs before I can feel confident I’m not going to crease up again. This product, though, seems to form a flexible veil over my undereye, which moves with my expressions, rather than getting left behind in a weird makeup furrow. It’s pretty magical.
The texture is somewhere between silky and stretchy, and seems to have the pingy quality of fresh Spanx. Or maybe a pair of fancy Lululemon leggings. Either way, it clings as it moves, but in a really, really good way.
Featherlight, flexi concealer does tend to have a trade-off in terms of coverage, although I’m generally inclined to take slightly more visible dark circles over the definitely visible undereye creasing you get with really heavy-duty formulas.
I will concede that Brightening Boost doesn’t have the opacity to erase panda eyes, but the coverage is enough to make the undereye area look so much fresher and brighter without looking at all makeup-y.
In fact, there seems to be a knock-on effect to my whole face. When I looked at my before and afters, my entire complexion appears brighter, even though I swear there’s no filter and no other makeup involved beyond the concealer, which I applied to my undereyes, lids and nose.
It’s available in nine shades, and while I’ve only tried it on my complexion, I’d imagine that the stretchy nature of the formula would allow it to expand over a broad range of skin tones. It also lasts well. I’ve just done a quick mirror check, a full 10 hours after applying it this morning, and it’s still looking fresh without any crease lines. Thank you, my flexible friend!
By the way, if you’re experiencing creasing with your own concealer, makeup artist Hannah Martin shared a tip with me for minimising the problem: ‘Apply your concealer very sparingly and leave it to dry for a minute. It will blend better if you do that. Use your ring finger or a brush to work the product in, then at the very end of your makeup routine, use a cotton bud to blend any excess gathered in fine lines.’ You’re welcome.
