Concealers are a must in every makeup routine. With a good concealer, any makeup can look like a ‘million dollars.’ I have decided to test the praised NYX’s HD Concealer to see if it’s as good as they claim.
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What Does It Offer?
HD Photogenic Concealer Wand is a drugstore concealer that is said to cover any imperfection on your face. Discoloration, under-eye circles, and acne should be a thing of the past with this product. It should give your face a natural-looking coverage while ‘photoshopping’ anything you don’t want on it.
This concealer isn’t supposed to look obvious or cakey. It comes in 11 shades, so it should be suitable for most skin tones. This should be one of the best concealers available for a price range of less than $10.
What Is the Product Like?
The product comes in a transparent plastic tube with black letterings and a black cap. The applicator is connected to the cap and is shaped like a doe foot. This is my favorite shape for concealers with a sponge brush, as it makes everything very precise. I bought it in shade ‘fair,’ as it seemed like the best choice for my pale skin. It has some pink undertones, which I am not really fond of as my skin is neutral, but it isn’t too bad. If you are warmer than I am, you should pick a darker shade, such as ‘medium.’ To be honest, I don’t think 11 shades are nearly enough for a concealer, but I don’t really have a problem with colors, as long as the product is pale enough for my ghost-like complexion.
The application is very easy and precise, as I have expected. One dip goes a long way, and the product blends well if you use a blender or your finger. When it comes to under-eye circles, a little goes a long way, and it does a great job. My under-eye circles aren’t puffy, but they can become pretty dark, and just one layer of HD Concealer can cover them completely. At the same time, it’s very lightweight, and you won’t feel it on your skin at all.
Another thing that I quickly noticed is that the product oxidizes quite a lot. It would be best if you bought a shade lighter than you need. Otherwise it might look too dark. At the same time, it doesn’t give flashbacks, so you can enjoy taking photos while wearing it. The downside is that it does crease quite a bit, but you can easily avoid this by setting it with powder.
The product is said to have a medium-to-full coverage, but it leans more towards the medium. It does a great work of covering under-eye circles; however if you have acne, you might be disappointed to hear that this product isn’t so great for hiding them. Without layering, HD Concealer won’t really cover extreme redness. Luckily, it layers excellent, and it won’t become cakey.
HD Concealer has a satin finish. It isn’t matte or dewy, making it look completely natural. It stayed on my dry skin for more than 6 hours without moving one bit. It does fade, but it isn’t too noticeable. Also, it won’t ruin the texture of your foundation, as everything is effortless to blend.
This concealer is considered a dupe for the much more expensive NARS concealer. As someone who used both, I can confirm they are very similar performance-wise. The most significant difference is their price range, and NARS concealer does have slightly better coverage, but not too much.
You can use this product as a highlighter, as well. Its satin finish looks great on the high points of your face. I wouldn’t advise it for contouring, as this step is supposed to be done with a matte product.
Ingredients
HD Concealer has mostly good ingredients, and very few of them made me raise an eyebrow. It has Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, which is an excellent skin conditioning ingredient for sensitive skin. It also contains Vitamin E, a known antioxidant, and Glycerin, one of the best skin moisturizers.
However, this product does contain several ingredients that may trigger acne. These include Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Coconut Oil, and Sorbitan Olivate. Euphorbia Cerifera Wax is quite decent for skin conditioning, but, sadly, it isn’t recommended for people struggling with fungal acne. Coconut Oil serves as a skin mask, protecting it from environmental changes; however, once again, it isn’t for people with sensitive or oily skin.
The ingredient list makes me believe that this product was intended to be used by people with dry skin. As someone with skin more dehydrated than average, I can confirm it performs excellently on me. However, if you have oily skin, you might need to test it yourself before you are entirely sure this product is for you.
Before and After
This concealer does a great job covering under-eye circles, no matter how dark they are. At the same time, it leaves your skin looking as natural as possible.
The shade range could be a bit better, especially with darker tones. They have three color correcting shades, though, which is a nice touch.
The product is considered dupe for NARS’ concealer.
Is It Vegan And Cruelty-Free?
NYX is a cruelty-free drugstore brand. It isn’t 100% vegan, but it has a lot of vegan options. I am happy to let you know that HD Concealer is indeed vegan, and it doesn’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products. Great for NYX!
Conclusion
All in all, HD Concealer is a great vegan option for anyone who is searching for a naturally-looking concealer. It does a great job of covering under-eye circles and most blemishes. It’s straightforward to blend, and even though you might need to layer it to cover up acne or zits, it’s very blend-able even if you’re using your fingers only. I would prefer if it had a few more shades, but this is a common problem with many brands.
I wouldn’t recommend this product to people with oily, acne-prone skin due to a few ingredients in it. For everyone else, however, this truly is one of the best drugstore concealers you can find.
