The 11 Best Concealers for Acne Make Your Skin Look Airbrushed—And Won't Clog Pores

Best Overall

Nars Soft Matte Concealer

$32 at Sephora $32 at Ulta $33 at Walmart

Coverage Level: Buildable, full | Finish: Matte | Shades: 30; Light to Deep| Size: 0.22 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No

We couldn’t get enough of this Nars concealer, which is ironic because we truly didn’t need much—a little went a long way. It melted into the skin and delivered buildable full coverage. We found it applied best with a fingertip, as the heat of our fingers helped push it into our moisturized skin for a flawless matte finish.

Unlike many other matte concealers, this one never emphasized our skin texture or looked chalky—it just looked like our skin. It’s perfect for someone looking to skip foundation and create a “no-makeup makeup” look. It’s worth noting that while the formula does dry down somewhat, you will experience transfer if you touch your skin where it was applied. We’d highly recommend using a setting powder to ensure it stays put.

Best Budget

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

$9 at Ulta $9 at Target $8 at Ecosmetics.com

Coverage Level: Medium | Finish: Natural | Shades: 18; Light to Deep | Size: 0.23 oz. | Cruelty Free: No

Oil and wax-free, this wallet-friendly formula doesn’t clog pores (a big plus for acne-prone skin). Instead, its translucent base and lightweight pigments ensure that your skin looks like skin. But make no mistake about it, it still offers plenty of coverage to hide all kinds of imperfections, pimples, and acne scars.

We love the brightening effect it provides that counteracts the darkness of discoloration, though you may need to apply multiple layers of the formula to fully cover very dark marks or super-inflamed spots. The consistency feels like you’re not wearing anything though—it never felt greasy, just the right amount of hydrated. We just wish it was a bit more pigmented to better cover redness.

Best Longwear

Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer

$40 at Sephora $40 at Ulta $40 at Nordstrom

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Natural | Shades: 30; Light to Deep| Size: 0.37 ounce | Cruelty-Free: No

We were blown away by this concealer, which had a shockingly lightweight feel yet functioned like a full-coverage foundation. It claims a 24-hour wear time; we never wore it that long but can attest it held up for 16 hours, even staying put without a setting powder or spray. The targeted doe foot made precise application a breeze, but we buffed it out with our trusty makeup sponge to get the perfect finish. At no point did the formula highlight our skin’s texture—it just enhanced it—and even made it feel a bit more moisturized.

We were particularly impressed by the skin tone of this concealer, which perfectly matched our deep complexion in a way we’ve never experienced with other brands. We loved everything from the product’s performance to the packaging—but if we had to call out one con, it’d be that the cost is somewhat high compared to other concealers of a similar size.

Best Blurring Effect

Makeup By Mario SurrealSkin Awakening Concealer

$29 at Sephora $29 at Kohls.com View on Makeupbymario.com

Coverage Level: Medium | Finish: Natural | Shades: 22; Light to Deep| Size: 0.2 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No

Acne-prone skin can sometimes have a textured look, even if there are no active blemishes, but a blurring concealer, like this one from Makeup By Mario, can help. It has a thick, creamy texture that dries down super fast (we recommend blending out as soon as you apply), and gave us skin that looked like the best version of natural. The applicator is super soft and the perfect size to address undereye circles and smaller dark spots, and the formula did a terrific job masking both.

The blurring effect is legit; the concealer smoothed our fine lines and never creased or clung to dry, textured patches. It can feel somewhat heavy if you don’t blend it out properly, so we suggest starting with less and gradually building up coverage if you need to.

Best For Acne Scars

Sephora Collection Best Skin Ever Full Coverage Multi-Use Hydrating Concealer

$16 at Sephora

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Radiant | Shades: 50; Light to Deep | Size: 0.3 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No

Dark spots and scars left behind by acne can peek through the majority of concealers, but not this one. We only needed one dab of this very full coverage formula from Sephora to completely hide discoloration. It worked well over our extensive skincare routine, never breaking down or pilling, and the color stayed true—and put—all day. It was surprisingly hydrating, too, leaving our skin looking dewy and healthy rather than masked or cakey.

Though the shade range is absolutely massive, you’ll need to put in some legwork to find your perfect match. One tester tried a hue that was described as neutral but ended up being much warmer than anticipated, preventing her from using this as a foundation substitute. We recommend checking this product out in person.

Best Full Coverage

Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer

View on Kevynaucoinbeauty.com $37 at Bluemercury.com $37 at Neiman Marcus

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Dewy | Shades: 16; Light to Deep | Size: .35 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This waterproof concealer is a cult classic for good reason. It’s truly unlike most concealers out there—insanely rich, buttery, and pigmented. Those attributes make it ideal for use on top of blemishes, though it works equally well to knock out dark circles, redness, and more. That said, it’s admittedly a formula that took some getting used to because the texture is so unique—we think of it as more of a concentrate. It’s very thick almost stiff so you only need a pinprick-sized amount to cover most of your face. Despite how rich it is, it didn’t feel heavy on the skin or make us break out.

As mentioned, it’s a very unique formula, and if you’re not willing to put in the work, you’ll likely be frustrated by it as it is not as easy to blend out as your typical concealer. However, we promise that if you stick with it, you’ll love your results—try warming it up between your fingertips, which will help it melt into your skin.

Read Full Review: Reviewed: I Tried the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

Best for Fair Skin

Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer

View on Amazon $75 at Nordstrom $75 at Saks Fifth Avenue

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Seamless | Shades: 12; Light to Deep | Size: 0.17 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No

This beloved stick was once only available in a handful of shades, but now comes in a dozen; the fairest shades offer some of the best undertone options we’ve seen in this skin tone range. (If you’ve struggled to find the exact right shade of fair neutral, chances are you’ll find it in this concealer.) The super smooth, creamy formula is full coverage, with an airbrushed finish that makes texture disappear. This formula also contains SPF 27, which is a nice bonus.

The only downside of this cult favorite concealer formula is the price for what you get. But if you’re not on a budget and are in the market for a hardworking, long-wearing concealer, it’s 100% worth a try.

Best Shade Range

Tarte Shape Tape Concealer

View on Ulta $32 at Ulta $32 at Tartecosmetics.com

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Natural | Shades: 37; Light to Deep | Size: 0.33 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes

You’ve likely seen plenty of videos on social media of this product being used to contour. And yes, it’s a sculpting powerhouse, but we’d be remiss not to mention how well it actually conceals. The buttery texture seeps right into the skin and then stays put, with the full coverage formula hiding everything that needs hiding for hours on end. It comes in a whopping 37 hues, including lots of options for those with olive complexions, which are not always easy to find.

The name “Shape Tape” isn’t just referring to the fact that this product can be used to carve out your features. It also speaks to the formula’s shapewear-like properties—this concealer actually appears to lift and tuck where we apply it (try it and see for yourself). However, it’s a heavier concealer than most, so be prepared for that if you’re used to something more lightweight.

Best Lightweight

NYX Professional Makeup Bare with Me Concealer Serum

$11 at Amazon $12 at Ulta $11 at Target

Coverage Level: Lightweight | Finish: Natural | Shades: 17; Light to Deep | Size: 0.32 fl oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you have very dry skin, you may find that a lot of concealers designed to hide acne don’t have enough moisture, exacerbating flakiness and texture that only calls attention to breakouts. This concealer from Nyx Professional hits that perfect balance of being lightweight, hydrating, and easy to blend while still offering great coverage. We found that we only needed a small amount of product for great coverage, and it doesn’t dry down too quickly after application. This gives you time to blend it in and move to the areas you need it most. Better still, while it does leave a lovely moisturized feel and somewhat radiant look, it still stays in place and lasts all day.

We do wish the shade range was a bit broader, especially in the darker tones, but it’s fairly new, so hopefully the brand will offer more soon.

Best for Dark Skin Tones

Black Opal Brightening Concealer

$11 at Ulta $11 at Target $9 at Walmart

Coverage Level: Medium | Finish: Luminous | Shades: 21; Light to Deep | Size: 0.17 fl oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Creamy and hydrating, Black Opal’s Brightening concealer is one of our favorite concealers. It did an excellent job of covering breakouts and discoloration and matched our peachy undertone seamlessly. We also tested it on other areas of our face as a spot treatment and to cover hyperpigmentation and it provided ample coverage for both.

It performed pretty well throughout the day and we experienced no transfer or fading, but a base of moisture would definitely help to keep the overall look more hydrated. Our only complaint is that we’d like more shades, especially in the medium tone range.

Best Matte

Milani Conceal + Perfect Concealer

$10 at Amazon $11 at Ulta $10 at Target

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Matte | Shades: 18; Light to Deep | Size: 0.17 fl oz. | Cruelty Free: Yes

If you’re looking for a concealer with absolutely zero sheen, we highly recommend this pick from Milani. It’s one of the highest coverage options here and you only need a dot of product to cover dark spots, redness, and blemishes. It’s also surprisingly hydrating despite its fully matte finish.

When testing it, we found it blends best by either using a damp beauty blender or your fingers. It does crease a little due to the thickness of the formula, so it needs to be set with a powder for the best finish. It looks incredibly natural on the skin and doesn’t cling to dry spots, which we loved. We did find it can pill if applied on top of SPF or a heavy moisturizer, so we suggest using lighter skincare products when using this one.