I have made it quite clear over the years, that one of my missions in my role as a beauty editor is to locate the best concealer on the market to help improve the appearance of the tenacious bags under my eyes. And once I do find it, shout about it from the roof top. Three weeks ago, I completed my mission and I can now comfortably retire. The impressive formula that has ended my quest? Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Concealer.
The best concealer for dark circles should be brightening and camouflaging in equal measure. It should melt into the skin seamlessly, not sit upon it obviously. And the new concealer from celebrated make-up artist Gucci Westman ticks every one of those boxes.
When the brand got in touch to tell me that there was a concealer on the way and ask whether would I like an exclusive sneak peek, my reply was: "Yes please, gimme gimme gimme." I have been a fan of the brand since it's initial launch back in 2018 and I'd go as far as to say that my make-up bag is about 75% Westman Atelier products. But there was something missing - a concealer. So what took so long?
"For me, it was important to get the formula and texture right before we launched," says brand founder Gucci Westman. "I wanted to make sure it delivered at artistry level whilst also working for everyday. I used my years of experience as a make-up artist to understand what exactly I wanted from a concealer and my main priority was creating something that melted into the complexion and looks just like skin."
Newsflash: she nailed it.
My dark circles are a daily aggravation. Some people can't imagine leaving the house without a slick of mascara, for me it's concealer. So purple and unrelenting are my shadows that I often have to use an under eye brightener or a colour corrector as well. So my demands are high. I need decent coverage, longevity and a natural-looking finish. After three weeks of using nothing but the Westman Atelier concealer, I can confirm that all of my needs are met. It goes above and beyond to please me.
This is one hardy complexion product - its staying power is incredible. I like to test a lot of products on the back of my hand, as well as on my face, and it didn't budge even a little bit after a whole day's worth of hand washing. The same goes for under the eyes. Because my dark circles are my biggest bugbear, I often reapply once, maybe twice, during the day. With this one, I didn't feel like I had to. Once I applied it in the morning, it was still there in the evening as I went to remove my make-up before bed.
You might think that because of this, the formula is thick and paste-like - wrong, it's like a tinted serum, but with impressive colour payoff. It goes on beautifully - either directly from the doefoot applicator or, as I like to do, patted in with my ring finger - which diffuses the medium-to-full coverage best thanks to the warmth of my skin. It has a demi-matte finish, which means that you get a brightening effect too, which is all someone with very tired-looking eyes wants. I've not used a colour corrector or an under-eye brightener since. And rather cleverly, it has a blurring effect on the skin too, which means that I've been using on blemishes too with great success. There are 16 shades - from light, medium, tan and deep.
And how does Westman recommend applying the concealer? “I like to dot concealer at the very inner corners of my eyes to neutralize darkness, and again at the outer corners for a little lift," she says. "To soften skin redness or pigmentation, I apply only where it's needed, so the integrity of the real skin always shines through."
If, like me, you are already a devoted Westman Atelier admirer then you know that the brand is synonymous with luxury beauty. Every single one of the products is considered and has been formulated to work with the skin not against it - they are the ultimate skincare make-up hybrids. Take for example, the Vital Skincare Complexion Drops - a beautiful lightweight skin tint that works much like your best face serum and is the epitome of your skin, but better. Or the Vital Skin Foundation Stick, with skin-calming actives in its formula, which I'm sure most fans of the brand have been using to conceal blemishes and dark circles in lieu of a concealer. And the concealer is no different. Not only does it contain hyaluronic acid for hydration and firming and peptides for collagen support and improving crepiness, it also has a whole plethora of ingredients inside that are clinically shown to reduce dark circles in just four weeks. And whilst I can't comment yet on whether using the concealer has actually brightened my under eyes - three weeks isn't quite long enough - I trust in Westman's formulations.
It's not cheap, at £45 not everyone is going to be keen on the price. However, when it comes to beauty products that I rely on as much as I do concealers I am willing to invest. When something works as well as this does for me, it's a complete no brainer.
In conclusion, this concealer is so good, it was worth the six years wait.
