First up, let’s discuss packaging. A chic black pen, no bigger than a felt tip, it’s the perfect size for all make-up bags and even a coat pocket. On first use, it takes a lot of clicks before the product comes out, but it distributes much less than your usual doe-foot applicator found on most concealers – it’s much easier to control how much you use and can be applied with just one hand and blended with your fingers.
Secondly, the formula is an impressive cocktail of ingredients boasting a long list of benefits as a skincare-make-up hybrid product. It has been made with TFC8 – trigger factor complex – AKA Augustinus Bader’s patented “supernutrient” that is the central pillar for the whole Bader brand. It’s a mix of vitamins, lipids and peptides, which addresses skin concerns such as fine lines and wrinkles, redness and hyperpigmentation to name a few.
This concealer also contains a peptide called acetyl hexapeptide-8 to tackle wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, polyglutamic acid to boost hydration and elasticity, and squalane, a lightweight antioxidant oil. In a nutshell, it claims to improve your skin health with continuous use. I tested it for a few days so can’t speak to that, but I’m keen to wear it regularly to see if I spot a difference in a few weeks.
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It has a surprisingly thick texture, yet feels weightless once blended. The promise of light-to-medium coverage is accurate, and it leaves a very luminous, but not overly dewy finish. I would recommend using it sparingly, a small dot under the eyes is enough. The first time I used this I made the mistake of drawing on three swipes and found it to be far too thick and it left me looking ghostly. Instead, apply a tiny dot for the most flattering results.
Even paired with my go-to base product, Kosas bb burst (£34, Spacenk.com), I was pleasantly surprised by how well it covered up my dark circles and redness on the tops of my cheeks with a single light layer. It’s definitely one I would wear without foundation too, on days when I fancy a lighter make-up look.
While you can blend it out easily with your fingers, I prefer to use a small, dense brush and find it seamlessly spreads across the skin and stays put, without feeling too drying or too wet. Its instantly brightening, and impressively long-wearing, it never looked cakey and held up well for hours of wear. Small but mighty is the best way I can describe this.
However, while I think it delivers on its promise of easy application and a radiant, skin-like finish, it’s extremely expensive. It will last you a long time, but £64 is a lot to part with. Also, keep in mind that while it claims to be compatible with warm, neutral and rosy undertones, the 16-piece shade range is developed with predominantly neutral undertones, so if you plan to add this to your make-up bag, I’d recommend taking the shade match quiz on the Victoria Beckham Beauty website.