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I am convinced Tiktok sleuths can find out anything. Show them the corner of a bottle, and for sure, they’ll find out which product it is—exactly how the internet found out that Hailey Bieber kept using a certain serum concealer—Lancôme’s to be exact, identified by its slender white cap.
Vogue’s Favorite Serum Concealers
- Best for Dark Circles: Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Serum Concealer, $29
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Tower 28 Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer, $22
- Best Drugstore: L Oréal True Match Radiant Serum Concealer, $16
- Best Clean: Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer, $32
- Best Light Coverage: Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen with TFC8, $68
The Rhode founder and certified trendsetter that she is, Bieber’s long been on the serum concealer train. I rewatched her last Beauty Secrets video from 2022, where she whipped out the Kosas Revealer Concealer. “I love that it’s creamy, hydrating, and leaves just this dewy finish on the skin,” she says moments before swiping the product on. I can imagine that she shares a similar sentiment with the aforementioned Lancôme—to perfect her signature glazed donut complexion. And smart on her part, per celebrity makeup artist Buster Knight, “Serum concealer is not only more fluid in texture, but more of a hybrid between skincare and makeup. The pigment tends to be lighter, so it’s perfect for someone who doesn’t want heavy coverage and wants the benefits of moisture while wearing."
As such, the formulas tend to have ingredient lists that read off like your favorite serums and face creams. Per pro makeup artist Lauren Martinez, expect things like “hyaluronic acid to help bind water to the skin and glycerin to help keep the skin moisturized throughout the day” in these concealers which can “help prevent the skin from looking dry and cakey throughout the day.” Martinez adds that these nourishing agents can also help brighten and heal the skin too—perfect to veil breakouts or dark spots where skin is most sensitive. And of course, with the hydrating properties in mind, serum concealers are great for those with dry skin (or simply require a bit of extra moisture in the wintertime).
Serum concealers, as the name suggests, are more fluid- or liquid-based than some of the creamy pigments you might be accustomed to; and often apply better with the fingers than your arsenal of brushes and sponges. “I like to dot the concealer on and then wait about 20 seconds for it to ‘set’ before tapping it into the skin,” Martinez explains. If you prefer not to use your fingers to blend, Knight recommends a Beautyblender.
“If you want the serum concealer to brighten and hydrate, I’d probably advise not to set it with powder,” he continues. “If you want hydration benefits but want more coverage you could layer a stronger concealer on top and set with a setting powder.” Not to worry though, Martinez has a few tips if you can’t imagine leaving the house without setting your concealer. Those with dry skin can lightly mist a makeup brush with setting spray then continue blending. “For normal/combination skin, I’ll use a lightweight finishing powder on a small fluffy brush to lightly tap and roll over the undereye to set. If I’m setting a blemish, I’ll lightly press powder on top with a velour puff so I don’t disrupt the concealer and uncover the spot.” That way, you can ensure the concealer stays put without losing that hydrated skin finish.
With this in mind, I’ve started to rethink my own makeup routine. As my skin gets drier through the waning temperatures, perhaps I trade in my velvet-finish, blurring concealers for their serum counterparts? Below, a look at the best serum concealers to shop—according to Vogue editors and celebrity makeup artists.
Best for Dark Circles: Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Care Glow Serum Concealer
- Why We Love It: If you want something richer, or simply want to follow Bieber’s lead, I encourage you to try this option by Lancôme. “More of a concealer than skincare, this product gives more coverage with a thicker texture,” says Knight. “[It’s] great for a makeup wearer who wants a little more from their under-eye concealer.” Its composition is 81% serum-based—made up of hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and peptides. It’s also left a lasting impression on Vogue’s senior beauty editor Margaux Anbouba who has recently started using it again. “It’s so thin and light but still somehow has the high-coverage power of regular formulas,” she tells me. “It immediately melts into my skin and blurs away my oh-so-deep-and-dark circles.”
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, peptides
- Shades: 24
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Medium
- Size: 0.43 fl. oz
Best Light Coverage: Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen with TFC8
- Why We Love It: Though Victoria Beckham Beauty’s latest launch is not a serum concealer by name, it has all the qualities of one. Crafted in partnership with Augustinus Bader, this is powered by the skin-care label’s TFC8 complex alongside peptides, polyglutamic acid, squalane, and rosa damascena flower water to treat skin as you wear it. The texture here, in my opinion, is still serum like (sort of like a lightweight eye cream)—perfect for people interested in an anti-concealer concealer.
- Key Ingredients: TFC8 complex, acetyl hexapeptide-8, polyglutamic acid, squalane, rosa damascena flower water, hydrolyzed rice protein
- Shades: 16
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Light-to-medium
- Size: 15 mL
Best Clean: Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer
- Why We Love It: Ilia really shines in the clean complexion category—just take its acclaimed Super Serum Skin Tint for example. Its take on the serum concealer delivers medium coverage and a natural, skin-like finish—utilizing stabilized vitamin C, mastic, Persian silk tree bark, to brighten, correct, and improve skin over time.
- Key Ingredients: Stabilized vitamin C, mastic, Persian silk tree bark, aloe
- Shades: 20
- Coverage: Medium
- Finish: Natural
- Size: 0.16 oz / 5 mL
Best for Sensitive Skin: Tower 28 Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer
- Why We Love It: The biggest wins of Tower 28’s serum concealer according to Martinez? It’s acne-safe and clean. “I love that it contains lysine because that’s a powerhouse amino acid for repairing skin and building collagen, perfect for covering blemishes and cold sores as it will help with healing!” I, on the other hand, am most drawn to the inclusion of centella asiatic leaf extract which is known to calm skin sensitivities—a godsend in frigid weather.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, lysine, centella asiatica leaf extract
- Shades: 20
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Medium
- Size: 0.22 fl oz / 6.5 mL
Best Shade Range: Kosas Revealer Concealer
- Why We Love It: I’ve been a Kosas Revealer Concealer fan for years, and as I look to revamp my makeup assortment this winter, it’s the first formula I’m going back to. I’m most drawn to its creaminess (though this blends like a serum)—imparting a veil of medium coverage whilst a cocktail of caffeine, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and arnica hydrate, soothe, and depuffs the skin. “This concealer is an award winner for a reason,” says Martinez. “It’s a staple for clean beauty lovers and very user-friendly. A small dot is all you need to instantly brighten and conceal.”
- Key Ingredients: Caffeine, pink algae, hyaluronic acid, arnica, peptides
- Shades: 38
- Finish: Radiant
- Coverage: Medium
- Size: .18 oz / 5.3mL
Best Drugstore: L’Oréal True Match Radiant Serum Concealer
- Why We Love It: Of course your favorite drugstore has a great serum concealer. Thank you, L’Oréal! “This concealer is affordable, acne-safe, [offers a] huge shade range, and has some amazing ingredients like vitamin E, niacinamide, and glycerin,” Martinez notes. “It also contains multiple forms of silicone so it will blur fine lines and imperfections and wear for 16+ hours.”
- Key Ingredients: 1.5% hyaluronic acid, caffeine, niacinamide
- Shades: 24
- Finish: Radiant
- Coverage: Light-to-medium
- Size: 0.33 oz
Best Buildable: By Terry Hyaluronic Serum Concealer
- Why We Love It: Knight is impressed by the gorgeous, fluid texture of this serum concealer. “This concealer is full of rose water, and therefore soothing and hydrating, and like all By Terry products, smells incredible,” he says. You’ll get buildable coverage with this one—start light and layer on until you veil dark circles, pigmentation, and blemishes to your liking.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, brightening magnolia flower complex, caffeine
- Shades: 12
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Light-to-medium
- Size: 0.20 oz
Best Blurring: Refy Brightening And Blurring Serum Concealer
- Why We Love It: Per Knight, “Refy does skincare-makeup hybrids well. Its products are usually blendable and dewy with enough coverage to wear alone.” This one is for those who want moisture but also a filter-like, blurred finish. Its treatment properties come from phytosqualane plus evodia fruit and brown algae extracts to brighten, smooth, and plump the undereye with consistent use.
- Key Ingredients: Squalane, evodia fruit extract, brown algae extract
- Shades: 24
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Light
- Size: 0.15 oz
Best Brightening: Tula Radiant Skin Brightening Serum Concealer
- Why We Love It: “This formula contains niacinamide which is great for brightening, so this formula would be great to use over post-inflammatory pigment left from acne scars,” Martinez explains. “The alpha-glucan oligosaccharide in this concealer helps to support the microbiome and strengthen the skin barrier to help prevent future breakouts and irritation.” One of the thicker formulas on this list, expect medium-to-full coverage without weighing skin down.
- Key Ingredients: S6Pro Complex, rainbow seaweed, niacinamide, peptides, caffeine
- Shades: 20
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Medium-to-full
- Size: 0.18 fl.oz / 5.40mL
Meet The Experts
- Buster Knight is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Millie Bobby Brown, Lauren Sanchez, and Kris Jenner.
- Lauren Martinez is a Nashville-based professional makeup artist who specializes in red carpet and editorial makeup.
