A Beauty Editor’s Honest Review of the Hourglass Concealer

wdc tv news staff January 10, 2025

23 4 minutes read

I have a love-hate relationship with concealer. Yes, I love the fact that I can use it to cover up any blemishes or dark circles when I'm feeling a little self-conscious, but almost every concealer I've tried settles into fine lines, clings to dry skin and creases within a matter of hours. Years of working in the beauty industry has meant that I've found a handful of products that truly work for me, so whenever anyone recommends a new concealer, I'm always a little bit skeptical.

That being said, there's one concealer that I have heard multiple beauty editors rave about for years now, and I am still yet to put it to the test. This iconic product launched in 2020 and took social media by storm, and I'd even go as far as to say that it's become somewhat of a makeup bag staple. What concealer am I talking about, I hear you ask? None other than the Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer.

With my dark circles looking as tired as ever, I decided to reach out to my friends at Hourglass and ask them if I could put the concealer through its paces this January. Soon enough, a range of shades arrived at my door and I've been putting the product to the test for the last week. If you're intrigued to see how I've been getting on, keep on scrolling for my full review…

Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer Review

The Hourglass concealer on a white table

The Formula

Let's kick things off with one of the most important aspects, which is the formula. I have combination skin but at this time of year my skin is incredibly dry. In fact, my under eyes have been so dry and flaky this January that I've been avoiding applying concealer all together. So, as you can imagine, I was hoping for a hydrating formula that wouldn't make this problem worse. Luckily for me, this concealer is pretty much weightless on the skin. It has a super creamy, nourishing formula that blends like a dream and doesn't feel cakey or heavy. It is full coverage, but the concentrated formula means that you only need one or two dots of the concealer for each under-eye. When it comes to blemishes, one dot of this should do the trick.

What makes this concealer really clever is that it contains microspherical powders that work to blur and brighten the skin while also adding a smoothing effect. Plus, it's crease-resistant, long-wearing and waterproof. I haven't tested the waterproof part myself but I fully intend to put the product through its paces this summer, too.

Hourglass concealer swatches on the back of a hand

The Packaging

I wouldn't normally comment on a concealer's packaging that much, but this particular wand deserves a special mention. Yep, Hourglass have designed a super flexible applicator that allows the wand to hug the contours of your face for a more precise finish. Pretty cool, right?

The Shades

Now, onto the shades. There are currently 22 shades on offer to suit a range of skin tones, and there are options for cool, warm and neutral undertones. I wasn't quite sure what shade I would be, so I used the foundation shade match quiz on the brand's website to help make things a bit easier.

I managed to narrow it down to three shades, and in the end I used a mix of Creme, a fair shade for cool undertones, and Cotton, a fair shade for warm undertones.

Hourglass concealer packaging on a white table

The Verdict

Before Using the Hourglass Concealer

Junior beauty editor Grace Lindsay before applying the Hourglass concealer

After Using the Hourglass Concealer

Junior beauty editor Grace Lindsay after applying the Hourglass concealer

So, how did I get on with this concealer? As mentioned above, I have been avoiding applying concealer all together as my under eyes have been so dry from the cold weather, but amazingly this product didn't cling to any dry patches of skin. Instead, it blended into my complexion seamlessly and felt super creamy and comfortable to wear. Did it completely get rid of my dark circles? No, but I'm pretty sure no product can. However what it did do was brighten my under eyes and cover up the discolouration around that area. I felt so much more confident after applying this concealer and my makeup looked more airbrushed as a whole.

One thing I was keen to test was how this concealer lasted throughout the day. My concealer always creases under my eyes, so I didn't have high hopes. However, I was pleasantly surprised. It didn't crease at all during my 8 hour day in the office, and after getting the tube home there was only a few creases to be seen. While I wouldn't say that it's fully crease-resistant, it definitely has impressive lasting powers.

While I only have positive things to say, it's important to note that this concealer is expensive. At £34, it's not the kind of product that you pick up in Boots on a whim. However, thanks to the super concentrated formula, one tube of this will last you for such a long time that it's a worthwhile investment in my opinion.

Pros: Creamy formula, easy to blend, doesn't crease easily or cling to dry skin

Cons: More expensive