The 10 Best Drugstore Concealers for Every Skin Need
Updated: Oct. 26, 2022
We rounded up the best budget-friendly concealers for dark circles, blemishes and more—all available at Canadian drugstores, all under $20.
We love having a concealer in our makeup arsenal to help hide things like breakouts and late nights—and we don’t need a pricey one to get the job done.
“The science and technology behind concealer has definitely increased, and there are some great options at the drugstore level,” says Shobana Lakkavally, a Toronto-based makeup artist and on-air beauty expert.
Which concealer should you choose? According to Lakkavally, that depends on what you’d like to use it for. “You’re not going to use the same concealer to cover your undereye [circles] as you are to cover up a blemish,” she says. That’s because they can require different formulas and shades. For example, you may want to choose a concealer that’s a little thicker to cover a blemish, and a little lighter than your natural skin tone to cover dark circles.
To help you find the right drugstore concealer, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best ones, all under $20.
Best Drugstore Undereye Concealer
Fake a good night’s sleep with this multi-tasking concealer that hides dark circles while also hydrating the eye area. Infused with the power combo of caffeine and vitamin C, it perks up the undereye area, working to reduce puffiness and brighten dark circles. It has a lightweight texture made to be layered—and to last—and promises 24-hour coverage that won’t dry out. Comes in 11 shades.
Revlon ColorStay Skin Awaken 5-in-1 Concealer, $16, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Best Drugstore Concealer for Dry Skin
E.L.F.’s popular Camo Concealer is formulated with avocado oil to hydrate the skin and kaolin clay to keep any shininess at bay. It’s creamy yet light, with a matte, crease-proof finish that lasts up to 16 hours. Its formula is highly-pigmented, which means you see instant results—blemishes are camouflaged, dark circles erased. Comes in 24 shades.
E.L.F. 16hr Camo Concealer, $8, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Best Drugstore Concealer for Oily Skin
This shine-controlling concealer is our pick if you’re prone to oily skin. It has an airy texture so you can layer it to full coverage, and it dries to a matte finish that lasts up to 24 hours. It’s a solid choice for anyone during hot weather (or a hot night out) since it’s humidity-, sweat- and heat-proof, meaning it won’t melt right off. Comes in 20 shades.
Rimmel Stay Matte Concealer, $10, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Best Drugstore Concealer for Mature Skin
Formulated for older skin, this concealer is infused with the powerful trio of hyaluronic complex for hydrating, vitamin C for brightening, and niacinamide for reducing fine lines. It comes with an applicator, a cooling ceramic wand, which acts like a mini-facial tool to depuff bags without damaging the sensitive eye area. It’s lightweight with natural-looking coverage that you can layer to hide dark circles and redness. Comes in eight shades.
CoverGirl Simply Ageless Triple Action Concealer, $11, walmart. ca
Best Drugstore Concealer for Darker Skin Tones
NYX is known for creating concealers that win across all categories, but we had to single out Can’t Stop Won’t Stop for darker skin tones specifically. There’s a good amount of choice within the browner, deeper shades—some brands may offer a lot of shades overall, but the variety skews lighter. The texture is light on the skin, ideal for layering, while still offering full matte coverage that doesn’t get cakey or crease. It brightens up the eye area and stays put for up to 24 hours. Comes in 22 shades.
NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Concealer, $15, nyxcosmetics.ca
Best Full-Coverage Drugstore Concealer
If 24-hour, full-face, never-budge coverage is what you’re after, a waterproof concealer is for you. This is L’Oréal Paris’s most deeply pigmented formula with a wide range of shades that camouflage redness, scars, blemishes, and more. The extra-large applicator makes it easy to distribute more of the product at once. It’s non-greasy and crease-proof and can be used all over the body. Comes in 24 shades.
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer, $20, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Best Drugstore Concealer for Dark Spots
This award-winning and best-selling concealer can cover dark spots and can be used to contour your face. It’s formulated with invigorating goji berry, which boosts blood circulation, and Haloxyl™, an anti-inflammatory mix of active ingredients, which tones and plumps skin, especially around the eye area. With over 160,000+ Amazon ratings and a 4.4. star -average, you know people love it. Comes in 14 shades.
Maybelline Instant Rewind Concealer, $14, walmart.ca
Best Drugstore Concealer for Blemishes
This oil-free concealer is ideal for covering acne because it won’t clog pores, and the ultra-lightweight texture lets skin breathe. Coverage is natural, but still pigmented enough to hide blemishes and mask redness. Fit Me is known for having a wider range of options for deeper skin tones, which is a bonus. Comes in 12 shades.
Maybelline New York Fit Me Concealer, $13, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Best Drugstore Concealer Stick
A concealer in stick form is convenient for quick touch-ups and contouring. Almay’s formula is gentle, creamy and won’t dry out, making it ideal for unexpected blemishes and sensitive skin. It’s crease-proof and light enough to layer, with medium coverage that lasts up to 12 hours. Comes in eight shades.
Almay Skin Perfecting Comfort Concealer, $12, amazon.ca
Best All-Around Drugstore Concealer
This concealer does just about everything—blurs blemishes and covers dark circles while hydrating skin. It contains caffeine that brightens and tightens and can be layered for more coverage. What makes this an all-around fave are the antioxidant, anti-blue light and anti-pollution ingredients that help combat daily exposure to computer screens and toxins in the air. All that, and it’s gentle enough for sensitive skin. Comes in 18 shades.
Revlon PhotoReady Candid™ Antioxidant Concealer, $12, shoppersdrugmart.ca
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