My All-Time Favourite Concealer Isn't Actually... a Concealer
Amy Clark is Adore Beauty's former Senior Editor and co-host of Skincare School the podcast (and self-appointed beauty road-tester!). Amy's worked as a journalist, beauty editor and podcaster for several years, previously writing and talking about all things beauty at Mamamia and You Beauty. When she's not writing honest, no BS product reviews and taking selfies 'for work', you'll find Amy eating halloumi in a hair towel turban and... taking more selfies.
If there's one makeup product that deserves some annual leave, it's concealer.
Masking dark circles, disguising blemishes and hiding sleepless nights, many of us rely on concealer to get our faces through the days we'd rather be snoozing in bed.
Or I know I did, until I came across a product that delivers the coverage of a full-coverage concealer and the immediate brightness of an illuminating concealer, with the crease-free natural finish of a sheer concealer.
Oh, and this product isn't actually... a concealer.
Yep, I've found a concealer unicorn and now I don't use anything else.
It's called the Bobbi Brown Skin Corrector Stick and the old pot version has been upgraded to a chic, convenient stick that's ridiculously easy to use.
But hang on, what is a corrector and how can you use it instead of a concealer?
Keep scrolling for my Bobbi Brown Skin Corrector Stick review, with before and after photos to show you how it works its magic.
What Is a Corrector?
Colour correcting products are designed to counteract and neutralise different tones on the skin.
You can watch how makeup artist Val from Marie Lou Makeup uses a colour corrector in this video below.
Correctors kind of work like a colour wheel.
For example, green theoretically cancels out red. Orange or peach offsets brown or green-tinged shadows. Yellow neutralises blue and purple.
But there's more to an excellent colour corrector than slapping on something in a green tube or reaching for the wrong shade of concealer.
Corrector should work with your skin tone to enhance it.
What Is the Bobbi Brown Corrector Stick?
Bobbi Brown Skin Corrector Stick promises to be a full-coverage dark circle eraser designed to brighten under-eyes and neutralise discolouration to cover even the darkest of circles.
Bobbi Brown Skin Corrector Stick is everything I loved about the original pot corrector, but in a magnetised bullet you can swipe on and blend out.
Like any good long-wear concealer, it's waterproof, sweat-proof and humidity-resistant, and lasts for 12 hours.
But unlike some other long-wear concealers, the creamy but high-coverage formula infused with conditioning skincare ingredients is really easy to blend and won't crease.
How to Choose Bobbi Brown Corrector Shades.
OK cool, but how am I meant to figure out which corrector shade is right for me?
Excellent question, and I don't blame you for being confused because this product comes in 12 shades ranging from a extra light bisque to very deep peach.
The first step is to choose your corrector base by looking at the colour of your dark circles:
- Purple and blue tones = Bisque.
- Green and brown tones = Peach.
Swipe across on this Instagram post to find your undertone match.
Next, choose a corrector shade that matches your usual concealer/foundation shade.
These range from Extra Light, Light, Peach, Bisque, Dark, Deep, Rich and Very Deep.
The darker or green/brown your undereye area is, the peachier or red toned the corrector will be to neutralise those shades.
If this is you, you might find you get a more natural finish by applying corrector only in the areas you're dark and layering a small amount of your favourite concealer over the top.
Bobbi Brown Corrector Review.
When I heard Bobbi Brown was changing their corrector, my stomach dropped because there's nothing worse than when your favourite product is discontinued.
But I shouldn't have worried because the new stick corrector is as good, if not better than the original pot.
Why exactly am I obsessed with this concealer that's not a concealer?
Let's start with the delightful texture.
This product is luscious and creamy, but very light, silky and bouncy on the skin.
Wondering how to apply Bobbi Brown corrector? It's simple.
You can literally swipe it straight onto the skin and blend with your finger, or blend with a brush for more precise application.
The formula is illuminating, but not shimmery. My shade is Extra Light Bisque.
I like to apply a small amount of this product around my entire eye area - inner corner, under the eye, over the lid, under the brow bone and in the upper inner corner where the eye meets the bridge of the nose.
Then, I lightly tap the product into the skin before gently feathering the edges with a small, soft concealer brush.
The results are instantly brightening, with a high-coverage yet skin-like finish that makes you look like a person who sleeps well.
Here's my before and after wearing the Bobbi Brown Corrector, and no other makeup products!
See how lifted and bright the eye area becomes, without looking like you're wearing a high-coverage concealer?
You really only need a small amount of product, so start small and layer the product to build your desired coverage.
The traditional purpose of a corrector is to neutralise dark tones before applying concealer.
What this means is if you prefer to still wear concealer over the top (or are using a dark or deep peach shade that gives a red-toned finish), you can layer with a light to medium coverage product instead of your heavy duty full-coverage concealers for a natural, non-cakey finish.
That said, this product on gives me enough coverage when worn on top of my usual foundation or on bare skin.
If I have a long day ahead of me or know I'll be out and about in the heat (like at a wedding), I'll set the product using the tiniest amount of a luminous translucent powder applied with a small, fluffy eyeshadow brush.
But probably my favourite way to wear this product is on its own without foundation or concealer.
Especially on hot or humid days when you'd rather embrace your natural skin dewiness (re: sweatiness) instead of layering on multiple base products.
It's my ultimate no makeup makeup secret weapon.
As I would with concealer, I blend the product outwards and down the edges of my nose where I get a bit of redness in place of foundation or tinted moisturiser.
Add brow gel, a bit of blush and tinted lip balm (or tinted lip balm dabbed on my cheeks as a blush if I'm in a hurry), and I look polished and alive, but not done up.
To conclude my love letter, this little stick is absolute gold for anyone with dark circles who can't be effed applying full-coverage concealer.
It's fast, fool-proof and takes me from corpse to functioning human in less than 30 seconds.
Not even my morning coffee can do that.
You can find more tips for concealing dark circles in our helpful YouTube video below!
Want more tried and tested makeup product recommendations? Check out these helpful stories below!
