13 of the Best Waterproof Concealers Money Can Buy
Looking for the right concealer and what to look for in a waterproof concealer? Check out some of the key facts and features recommended by Geneva in this Byrdie article.
Concealer can be a great addition to any makeup routine, but many don't exactly hold up, rain or shine. The moment you start working up a sweat, your concealer is toast— reapplying it is tedious at best, futile at worst. In these moments, what you need isn’t an ordinary concealer, but a waterproof one. “Waterproof concealers are great for those drippy, high-moisture events—weddings, swimming, hot humid days, red carpet events (when they resume), and long days,” says Geneva Fong, makeup artist and creative director of Dome Beauty.
Translation: If you want a concealer that won’t crease, crack, or melt, you’ll probably need to look for something labeled waterproof. Thankfully, waterproof concealers abound—and many of them are worth buying.
What to Look For in a Waterproof Concealer
Style
Concealers are available in many forms, including liquids, creams, sticks, and sometimes, even powders. No type is necessarily better or worse than any other—so experiment with a few, keep track of what you like, and stock up! “Don’t be afraid to play around and experiment!” Fong says. “Unless you’re a cosmetic chemist, you can analyze an ingredient list forever but you won’t really know how a concealer really interacts with your skin until you try it.”
Shade range
Unless you’re using your concealer as a highlighter or contour product, you probably want your concealer to blend into your skin. Anyone who’s bought concealer before knows this can be surprisingly hard to pull off. If you already know your exact shade, great! But if you don’t, consider shopping for a concealer that comes in a wide shade range. This variety should make it easier to find a shade that suits you just right.
Lasting coverage
Reapplying makeup can be a little tedious—and having to reapply makeup frequently can be straight-up frustrating. So it pays to snag a concealer that promises long-lasting coverage. Pay attention to how long a concealer is supposed to last before needing to be reapplied. Usually, this number falls somewhere between 12–24 hours. But it’s worth double-checking the product description to find out.