I tried 4 drugstore concealers that people rave about, and the best one is $8

• I’ve tried four drugstore concealers that beauty lovers rave about online.
• Each costs between $6 and $12.99 and is sold at stores like Ulta Beauty and Target.
• My two favorites are from e.l.f. and Maybelline. They concealed my blemishes and lasted all day.

If there’s one beauty product that most people can agree on using, it’s concealer. 

I rarely go a day without wearing at least a little, and I’ve experimented with dozens of formulas over the years.

Out of all those I’ve tried, I’ve stayed most loyal to e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Hydrating Camo concealer, using it on and off since 2020.

But as TikTok and other social-media platforms like to remind me, there are a lot more options on the market. So I decided to test some of the most popular concealers over the course of a week.

I quickly learned what all the hype is about.

I tried 4 concealers that cost between $6 and $12.99 each

Though there are dozens of concealers that TikTokers use, I chose the four drugstore options that most commonly appear on my For You Page: L.A. Girl’s $6 HD Pro Conceal, Maybelline’s $12.99 Instant Age Rewind Eraser, NYX’s $12 Bare With Me Serum, and e.l.f. Cosmetics’ $8 Hydrating Camo concealer.

All four can be purchased directly from the brands on their respective websites or at stores such as Ulta Beauty and Target.

I tested each concealer multiple times, applying each one over the same products in the same order every day. I started with moisturizer, then added foundation, followed by concealer and light powder. 

I love how many concealer shades L.A. Girl offers, but the product felt too heavy on my skin

At $6, L.A. Girl’s HD Pro Conceal is the most inexpensive concealer I’ve seen discussed widely online. The product has been around for years and is sold in 42 shades — including ones meant to highlight and color correct.

The concealer looked OK on my skin from afar, but it also felt heavy — as if I had applied an extra layer of foundation to my face.

I also found that it clung to dry patches on my skin throughout the day and didn’t cover my acne all that well.

I was most eager to try NYX’s Bare With Me concealer serum

The $12 product from NYX is undoubtedly one of the most popular concealers on TikTok, with videos about it having millions of combined views. 

The product is sold in 17 shades, made with ingredients like tremella mushroom, and doubles as a serum.

In my experience, the concealer fulfilled most of its promises: It concealed my acne, decreased the appearance of my dark circles, and hydrated my skin. I was especially impressed with the latter, as I noticed a natural glow on my cheeks and forehead.

I did notice that NYX’s concealer began to crease and become cakey on areas like my chin after wearing it for a few hours. After being re-blended with a beauty sponge, though, the product looked good as new.

The best internet-viral concealers are made by e.l.f. Cosmetics and Maybelline

I’ve been using the e.l.f. Cosmetics Hydrating Camo concealer for years, and I continue to love the product.

The concealer — sold in 25 shades — hydrates my skin and feels lightweight while still providing full coverage to my redness, acne, and dry patches. You also can’t beat the $8 price tag, in my opinion.

That said, I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I loved Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Eraser. The concealer — sold in 16 shades — has the lightest formula out of the four I tried. I especially love that my skin is left with a vibrant glow every time I use it.

Still, I don’t rely on it as much as the e.l.f. Cosmetics option. I mainly reach for Maybelline’s concealer on days when my acne isn’t flaring and I want medium coverage.

If I were only to choose one concealer out of the four I’ve tried, I’d stick by my longtime favorite: e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Hydrating Camo concealer.

I’ve found this option to be the best for everyday use, as it’s light enough to wear with other makeup but also full-coverage enough to wear on its own. 

That said, I found things to appreciate about the other three products I used, and I’d argue that each is worth trying depending on your preferences.

So while there are countless TikTok beauty trends that I’ll be avoiding, viral concealers won’t be one of them.