Hi! Today, I'll be talking about the Colourpop No Filter Concealers in the shades Light 18 and Medium 26. Colourpop's official product description on their website is: "Our full coverage concealer was formulated with soft blurring pigments to give you a creaseproof, matte finish. No filter needed." Right now it comes in 30 shades, with 5 shades per 6 skin depths ("fair," "light," "medium," "medium dark," "dark," and "deep dark") in a mix of warm and cool undertones, including some "neutral warms" and "neutral cools" (which -- just FYI -- don't show up when you filter out "warm" or "cool" undertones in the product listing). I would definitely agree with the claim of full coverage, so you don't need to apply much product to get decent coverage.
These swatches are all on bare skin (no primer, no foundation). In the second photo, I used Light 18 under my eyes and Medium 26 around my nose. I purposely did not use much product because a skin-like, "natural" base is my preference.
Light 18 is described as a "golden warm concealer for light skin tones." Medium 26 is described as a "golden warm concealer for medium skin tones." Light 18 and Medium 26 are right next to each in the "golden warm" spectrum, meaning Light 18 is the deepest golden warm shade of the "light" category, and Medium 26 is the lightest golden warm shade of the "medium" category. On me, Medium 26 is about the same to a little deeper than my skintone, while Light 18 is lighter than my skintone. So, for me, Medium 26 is best for spot concealing, Light 18 is best for under my eyes and as an eyeshadow base, and a mix of the 2 works for all over my face. They dry down to be matte and a little darker than they are on initial application.
âKeep in mind that Colourpop expanded the shade range after the initial launch, so some older reviews from the initial release of the No Filter Concealer might say a different shade name, and some shades on the website will say what the shade name was "previously known as" (for example, Light 18 was "previously known as" Light 20).
The doefoot applicator is flat with 2 sides that you can use to apply, compared to most doefoots which are wedge-shaped and only have 1 side you can use to apply. I feel like this flat doefoot makes it easier to not over-apply product, which I prefer, but I don't think it makes the biggest difference in the world.
The outer packaging has held up quite well over time; none of the writing has come off, and any product that gets onto the white plastic cap can be pretty easily wiped off. The glass tube is quite chonky, which is a little deceiving because it doesn't actually come with a huge amount of product. The No Filter Concealer is marketed as having 4.0 g/0.14 oz of product, while the elf Camo Concealer has 0.203 oz, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind has 0.2 oz, Maybelline Fit Me has 0.23 oz, and Tarte Shape Tape has 0.33 oz. âI got mine back in December 2018 -- meaning I've been using them for about a year and a half -- after hearing Andréa Matillano (one of my favorite makeup YouTubers) rave about the formula all the time. These concealers were a lesson in remembering to take into account how other people's preferences and skin types differ from mine when getting product recommendations from influencers. However, they are also products that I have changed my mind about over time, so I have some advice on using this formula and what does and doesn't work (for me, at least).
Table of contents if you're looking for something specific:
phase 1: what didn't work :(
I have dry skin, and I quite rarely wear complexion products. I knew these things. I also know that at the peak of Andréa's love for the Colourpop NFC formula -- unlike me -- preferred a matte, full coverage base. I knew this!! Yet, even armed with this knowledge and these conflicting preferences, I still purchased these concealers.
When I first got them, I tried to ignore the problems I had with the formula because I was still in the consumer mindset of "I just used my money to buy these new shiny things, so I will ignore any problems with them so that I don't feel like I wasted my money." However, as time passed, I had to reconcile with the fact that I just didn't like how they looked on me. The formula looked crusty, drying, etc. on my dry skin, particularly as the day wore on. It especially looked textured and cakey on my eyelids as an eyeshadow base, which was not a problem I'd really had with other foundations/concealers (at least not to this extent). Also, I would have notable creases in my undereyes, which also was not a common problem with my other concealers. Lastly, I wasn't used to the full coverage, as I would use more product than was necessary, exacerbating the heaviness and cakeyness of the formula. Regardless, I think I should note that all of these issues of texture weren't noticeable from far away or in selfies, but they were apparent enough from close up that it would bother me whenever I looked in the mirror.
HOW I USUALLY APPLIED:
PHASE 2: EXPERIMENTATION, but STILL NOT GREAT :/
phase 3: what does work! :)
Here, I mixed both shades to use as a foundation. This shall be a MOTD to be posted on my Instagram soon. Full disclosure: I did Photoshop a stray eyelash/eyebrow hair that was on my cheek.
Fret not, this story has a (relatively) happy ending! In the past several weeks, I have discovered a better way: instead of using a small fluffy setting brush, I've been using a dense foundation brush (specifically the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush/RT 200). I usually don't like this dense brush because when I've used it in the past to apply foundation, it made my base look more textured than it would with a sponge, so it was a pleasant surprise that it works well with the Colourpop No Filter Concealers! Whoo, minimal crustiness!
I can still use Light 18 as an undereye concealer and Medium 26 as a spot concealer, but lately, I've mostly enjoyed mixing the two shades and focusing it just in my general center-of-face region; it's worked fine as an eyeshadow base. I also used it once all over my face as a foundation, which looked great and "natural" (both in terms of the texture and the shade match), which is something I NEVER thought I would say about any concealer! I know that this technique is something that Andréa historically has loved to do with the Colourpop NFC formula, but for me personally (as someone with dry skin and who just, in general, doesn't really wear foundation/prefers the look of my foundation-free skin), I had always thought that a concealer, especially the Colourpop No Filter Concealer, would look WAY too heavy and cakey on me as a foundation. So, the fact that I actually liked how my skin looked really is a testament to how well using a denser brush works.
HOW I APPLY NOW:
shade/formula comparisons
Swatch of Colourpop Medium 26 on top/close to ear, CP Light 18 on bottom/close to chin, and comparison swatch in the middle; these unblended swatches are also on bare skin.
*Maybelline is a brand whose products are tested on animals when required by law. It would definitely be cool if they stopped doing that.
THE VERDICT: WILL I REpurchase?
Ultimately: no.
I'm thankful I eventually found a way to be happy with this formula, won't have to "hate pan" these concealers, and broadened the ~horizons of my makeup technique~, but at the end of the day, I don't really wanna have to make stuff work when it comes to complexion products -- a category that doesn't bring me joy like color cosmetics do; my ideal concealer wouldn't require any brushes. Also, though the formula isn't straight up unflattering anymore (like when I was having the issues of cakeyness), at the end of the day, a matte complexion just isn't my personal preference. So, instead of repurchasing the No Filter Concealers, I'd rather try out something else that has a natural-to-radiant finish. Regardless, I don't feel like I wasted my money or anything, especially now that I've found a way to enjoy how it looks on my skin. Plus, when I bought them, I was still really figuring out my makeup preferences, so it was worth it to try out something inexpensive. They're currently $7 USD each on the Colourpop website, though I only paid $4.20 (haha) for them during a sale; if you're ever wanting to buy from the Colourpop website, I highly recommend waiting for a sale, since they do them so often. Anyway, it's still a good reminder to try out different application techniques and tools instead of immediately writing a product off, since straying from my default techniques/tools isn't always my first thought! It's important to acknowledge that even with the few stores that will let you return cosmetics, most of them don't/can't resell them to other customers for hygiene reasons -- so they'll just take whatever you returned and throw it in the trash. Testing out a different technique/tool not only could prevent you from completely regretting purchases or wanting to return products, but it could also help you get more joy out of the stuff you already have! TL; DR: formula was cakey with a sponge, a fluffy eyeshadow brush, and a fluffy setting brush; was better when using a dense foundation brush. Still wouldn't re-buy because I don't prefer a matte base.
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6/29/2023 07:11:59 pm
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about @glowyminoI have dry skin and very dry and textured lips. I also have a medium-light skintone (somewhere in the realm of NC25-30) with strong warm yellow/olive undertones. I have a tendency to prefer a glowy, lightweight base and color cosmetics in shades of a warm undertone. Read more about me in the about page! Archives
May 2024
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