Review - Lacura Concealer Pen, £3.59

A lovely friend of a friend introduced me to the Lacura Beauty range back in August. We were wandering around Aldi in a Wembley industrial park, as you do, looking for something for the annoying, wheat-free person (me), who doesn't do scran-from-a-van to scoff before heading on to see TAKE THAT!! (woo - Mexican wave). Though my mind was giddy from hunger - and the anticipation of seeing Howard et al. - I did note M's throw-away comment that the Lacura concealer was really quite good. 

One woman's 'quite good' is another woman's 'can't live without.' If you're ever just sick and tired of looking sick and tired then this could be for you. Having tried scores of under eye concealers in my career as a beauty journalist, Lacura's is - for the money - my current no-contest favourite.

The packaging alone must be worth 3 quid; it has the luxury look and feel of casing at the top-end of the market. The brush tip is good quality and holds its shape, the formulation is fluid but thick enough to deliver excellent coverage that doesn't go patchy. There's a good level of light reflection and it makes an excellent base for eyeshadow. 

Superb value: the packaging alone looks worth - £3.59

But, and here's the rub, despite being a fab little product there is still some dark shadow show-through. Very few under eye concealers completely cover unless you go for heavy (read: obvious), camouflage or have time to add in colour correction first - see the end of the post. I'm going to hop on my high horse here and say that it's absolutely OK for a face to retain a bit of natural shadow. There's nothing more unnatural and frankly odd-looking than an under eye area blanked out with a ton of concealer. It can actually make your eyes appear smaller. 

Below is my very first attempt at a before and after picture. The sun came out briefly so the lighting did change in the bathroom - and I am no David Bailey - but I reckon that my exhausted eye looks a whole lot fresher. What do you think? Would you try/have you tried Lacura? x

                          

                                 Oh sigh, bleary eye

  

Oh my, perkier eye

* Lacura Beauty is available at Aldi stores nationwide.

TIP: paint concealer under the eyes and leave to sit for 30-seconds to allow the product to 'grab.' Then, gently press into the skin with the pad of your finger or stipple over the area with a flat, synthetic concealer brush. The idea is to keep the product where you applied it rather than moving it out to the sides of the eyes. Don't forget to apply to the shadows in the recesses nearest the bridge of the nose and also at the outer corner of the eyes where the lash lines meet and there can be redness and discolouration. 

Also recommended:

* Benefit Erase Paste, £19.50. This is my go-to concealer for those periods of child illness/extreme sleep deprivation. It has a thick, tacky consistency meaning it stays put where you need it most but softens out onto the skin to a coverage level that, whilst fairly heavy-duty, isn't cakey. I love the fact that as the day wears on - and make-up fatigue sets in - you can press over the area with your finger tip and it blends back to being as good as new. Available in three shades which all have a 'melon' undertone to neutralise darkness. 


* Garnier Caffeine Anti-Dark Circles 2-in-1 Roll-on, £9.99. An oldie but still a goodie. Instant brightening results and deceptively effective coverage. On a truly tired day it's not enough for my dark circles but if you don't really wear make-up and simply want something to freshen up your eye area it's worth a go.


* Bobbi Brown Corrector, £17. The product for super-hard to conceal shadows. Corrector is a cream base - with either a pink or peach undertone - applied beneath concealer to counteract the appearance of stubborn discolouration. Available in 11 shades spanning most skin tones it's the big-guns option for when you need serious help. If you are a Bobbi foundation fan you can check out your match via the online Face Shade Guide. Otherwise, I'd recommend braving the counter bare-eyed for a professional colour corrective consultation.