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What you need from a concealer is collaboration — a concealer that yearns for recognition, that signposts its presence through chalkiness, is no good to anyone.
A lazy concealer that gets bored and decides to make itself cosy in wrinkles is unhelpful. And a work-shy concealer that just buggers off after a couple of hours? Well, you can keep that, too.
I find concealers tricky. I don’t like creamy textures in pots because I find they perch on top of skin/blemish/shadow in a gauche way. And I find under-eye concealers problematic because they exaggerate lines. I like ’em liquidy, silky and blendable.
Also, at this time of year, I’m incredibly hive-y. They pop up without warning and I then need to cover them quickly because they look like the plague. And there’s also the pigmentation and hormonal chin spots. Sexy.
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But Laura Mercier’s Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Concealer is a true troubleshooter. Like liquid skin. Matte and velvety, it gets the job done so heroically that I can discreetly apply it without a mirror — which is a first.
Laura Mercier has always been good at skin: she was early in the primer and tinted moisturiser space and her formulations feel authoritative and wise. This concealer is featherlight and elegant but muscular. It commits to the problem. I know a product is good when I panic if I leave home without it. Immediate dependency. I sense that this is the start of a meaningful relationship, as long as I’m not too needy. Oh.
Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Concealer, £24, at spacenk.com