The 5 best lightweight concealers for cake-free coverage

The last thing any of us want right now is a heavy concealer. Going to the grocery store is the most glamorous (read: only) outing of the week, and when it’s warm and humid you don’t want to feel a ton of makeup on your face. Though I love to keep it simple with a tinted moisturizer and a lightweight concealer, I’ll admit that “lightweight concealer” kind of sounds like an oxymoron. Though the point of concealer is to, ahem… conceal, that doesn’t mean it needs to lay on thick like frosting.

“As it gets warmer, the less layers the better, and the lighter the layers, even better yet,” says Jeannie Vincent, a Boston-based makeup artist. “Warmer temperatures mean increased perspiration, and if you happen to be blessed in the same way that I am, you sweat pretty much exclusively from your face. It’s a gross feeling only made grosser by adding heavy, cakey layers on top. When it’s warm, you want something that feels breathable.”

Dana Delaney, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist says the amount of coverage you get varies from product to product. “There are some lightweight concealers that can give you a medium to fuller coverage while still feeling light,” she says. The best part of lightweight concealers is that they look more natural, Vincent adds. “You end up with skin that looks like skin vs skin covered in makeup.”

Delaney says to keep things really light, you can ditch your foundation and multitask with your concealer. “You can use a lightweight concealer in a sheer way all over the face,” she says. To make it even lighter, Delaney says you can mix your concealer with a light moisturizer or sheer sunscreen and use it like a skin tint.

To get the most out of your concealer, Delaney says that as always, you should moisturize and use an eye cream. “A lot of people think you don’t need hydration in the warmer months because it’s warmer—that couldn’t be more untrue,” she says. “While you won’t be using your usual rich moisturizer like you do in the winter, you still need something to hydrate the skin. Especially since you’ll be spending more time outdoors in the sun. Nicely prepped skin is often times more important than makeup!”

These are the best lightweight concealers you can buy

1. SHISEIDO SYNCHRO SKIN SELF REFRESHING CONCEALER, $31

Delaney loves this concealer, because it provides medium-to-full coverage while still feeling light. “I love this concealer for its long wearing abilities,” she says. “It just stays put.”

2. ILIA TRUE SKIN SERUM CONCEALER, $30

Vincent is a huge fan of this concealer. “There is a nice shade range, it offers medium but buildable coverage, without drying up or getting cakey throughout the day,” she says.

3. KEVYN AUCOIN THE SENSUAL SKIN ENHANCER CONCEALER, $48

This creamy concealer is packed with jojoba oil to keep your under eyes moisturized. It’s lightweight which keeps it from deeply settling into lines and pores.

4. WELL PEOPLE BIO CORRECT MULTI-ACTION CONCEALER, $23

“[This concealer] was one of the first green beauty concealers to really get the job done,” says Vincent. “It’s light but offers nice, natural coverage.”

5. RMS Beauty Un Cover-Up Concealer/Foundation, $36

This creamy light-to-medium-coverage concealer is one of Delaney’s favorites. “I really love sheering this one out for a light coverage anywhere on the face,” she says.