I've Tried 10 Concealers in 2024—This One Vanished My Dark Circles Like No Other

Welcome to Deep Reviews—your one-stop destination to discover the absolute best products and brands the beauty industry has to offer. The Who What Wear staffers you already know and trust will research, test, and review the market's most sought-after and buzzed-about products to see which formulas (of the hundreds up for consideration) are worth your hard-earned money and attention. You can expect honest, uncensored feedback and no-BS recommendations our hard-to-please testers endorse without reservations.

The majority of our Deep Reviews will feature our editors' honest, ultra-hot takes on entire product categories or multiple products from a particular beauty brand, but every so often, we'll sprinkle in a special single-product format called Honestly, I Love It. As the name suggests, these reviews will hone in on one standout beauty formula our editors can't shut up about. This time around, I'm highlighting Danessa Myricks Beauty's Yummy Skin Lift & Flex Hydrating Concealer ($30).

Is it just me or has almost every beauty brand recently released a new concealer? Judging by my targeted social media ads, it's definitely a phenomenon. Since no concealer is created equal and my friends welcome my unsolicited beauty takes, I'm taking this as an opportunity to test out some of these new arrivals. Honestly, my standards are pretty high these days. I love a concealer that's creaseless, hydrating, soft matte, creamy, and long-wearing, but lately, brands have been stepping up their game with unique new formulas. Notably, Danessa Myricks Beauty has been at the forefront of innovation in the makeup space, and the Yummy Skin Lift & Flex Hydrating Concealer is the newest addition to the brand's collection of one-of-a-kind beauty products.

As you can see, I naturally have pretty dark and hollow under-eyes. I even look tired on those rare days when I'm super well-rested, so I need a concealer that will not only brighten my dark circles, but also make my face look lifted and refreshed. My prayers were answered when this concealer launched.

After blending the product under my eyes and on my problem areas with a flat brush, I could instantly see the lifting powers at play. I went from looking half-asleep to wide awake in a matter of seconds. I'll let you be the judge, but once I added powder and finished my typical makeup routine, it looked like I'd gotten under-eye filler (and that's a good thing).

I will say that this product is a lot smaller than I expected, but it's pocket-sized and perfect for touch-ups. This is also probably the smallest applicator I've ever used, but it serves a purpose. The doe-foot applicator has a targeted tip and a curved reservoir well that gets those harder-to-reach areas, so I felt in control of my concealer placement when using it. And though it's a bit controversial to use concealer on your entire face, this product was designed for that purpose. Trust me, I asked Ms. Danessa Myricks myself. And what a relief—I'd been breaking that beauty rule for years, and now I have the official stamp of approval.

I'm going to be honest—sometimes I don't look at the ingredients when trying a buzzy product. I'm often sold on the before-and-after photos alone. But when it comes to Danessa Myricks Beauty, I don't even have to worry about that. I just know the ingredients are going to be effective. This medium-coverage concealer is formulated with hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and nine plant-powered ingredients. This product even has caffeine to brighten and tighten your face.

I typically go for concealer shades that are two to three shades lighter than my skin tone for a brightening effect, but that wasn't necessary with this one. The shade match was unreal—I found my perfect match out of 20 shades, which is a rarity when shopping online for complexion products. I only have three words: made for me. Oh, and I can't forget about how luminous and clear my skin looks. I'm glowing without looking oily and it doesn't even look like I have product on—what more could I ask for?

This is the brand's first-ever concealer. What were some non-negotiables you had when creating this formula?

Danessa Myricks: Launching our first concealer was a nail-biting experience because I definitely wanted to get it right. I've been cataloging all the concealer wish lists from all my pros and beauty besties from around the world, and I really wanted to make everyone's concealer dreams come true. Our audience has very high expectations of our Yummy collection. Everything Yummy is very skincare-forward. It looks, feels, and works like skincare with a beautiful makeup result. This concealer could be no different. It's packed with nine plant-powered ingredients plus hyaluronic acid, vegan squalene, and vitamin E. Hydration was always the top request. No one loves a dry under-eye. The challenge was creating a hydrating concealer that has adequate coverage, stays put, and has a natural matte finish. This concealer was clinically proven to significantly improve hydration for eight hours.

Concealer is no longer just for the under-eye. Concealer is used in so many ways in our beauty routines—from covering, correcting, brightening, [and] lifting, [to] bronzing, sculpting, and more. It was extremely important to me that this concealer look completely natural with undetectable coverage, regardless of where it was applied on the face. I wanted a concealer [that made] foundation optional. This buildable, flexible coverage allows you to easily go from a no-makeup makeup look to full glam and still look completely natural.

As a makeup artist for over 24 years … I know the expected performance level required of a concealer to make it into a pro's [makeup] kit, and it was important that this concealer exceed the mark.

Anti-aging is listed as one of the benefits of this concealer. Can you tell me a little bit more about the ingredients that make up this product?

The ingredient story for this formula is very robust. The intention was always that this concealer would give flexible coverage while hydrating and nourishing your complexion. We have six skin-loving ingredients [for] lifting and correcting … caffeine to support brighter and tighter skin; Centella Asiatica which moisturizes and strengthens skin barrier function; purslane extract which reduces inflammation and hydrates; and [ku shen] extract to improve microcirculation and combat darkness and discoloration. We have six additional ingredients to support smoothing and [flexibility]—sodium hyaluronate, vegan squalane, aloe extract, echinacea extract, orchid flower extract, and vitamin E.

What makes this concealer stand out from others on the market right now?

There are a few unique things about this concealer. It's a medium-to-full coverage concealer that looks like skin. What's more, you can achieve all the coverage you need [with] just a couple of dots. It [gives] fuller, natural coverage using the tiniest bit of makeup. This concealer sets without powder to a natural matte finish. It can be worn undetectably with or without foundation. For those who prefer a fresher finish to the skin, powder is optional. This concealer is strategically designed to be used all over the face with natural flexible adhesion that moves with all the expressions of the face. It's a high-performance concealer jam-packed with skincare.

There are six ways to use this product. Do you have any application tips and tricks for beginners?

For beginners, apply one to three tiny dots to the targeted area and simply tap to blend with your fingers. Build coverage if needed. For a more natural look, apply a shade close to the natural skin tone. For a brightened, more lifted effect, choose a tone one to two shades lighter than your skin tone.

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