A little while ago, I came across news of a new concealer from Bobbi Brown. It got me a little excited, because I have a thing for concealers (as much as I have a thing for all makeup really LOL!) and I really really wanted to know if it might live up to my favouritest ever concealer.
I do realise I often do myself a disservice by comparing every new concealer I come across to my favourite concealer, but I can’t help it. I’m a) human and b) biased LOL!
This new concealer is the Bobbi Brown Instant Full Cover Concealer. I first got to try it in my box of goodies as an Elle Malaysia guest judge for their beauty awards, and I later received a lovely press kit, with a lovely silk eye mask, that you see above. I still haven’t quite gotten the hang of wearing an eye mask to sleep – tips? Don’t say just put it over my eyes 😛
The thing you see, is that when I first got hold of it, there was no accompanying literature, so I tried it out without expectation. But I really wanted to know if it might live up to my secret expectation to supersede my holy grail concealer.
I have to say that sadly, it falls short in many regards, not least of which I’ll share with you here.
The Bobbi Brown Instant Full Cover Concealer, as the name implies, promises you full coverage, and if the press and promotional blurb is to be believed, is formulated for the undereye area, so you can fake 8 hours sleep even though you’ve just had 5. Stop browsing Instagram before bed! It’s a black hole! 😛
It promises high pigment, high coverage, and a brightening effect to flatter your under eye area. Now, this brings even higher expectations, for a product that goes on the under eye area should be light and not accentuate fine lines that we are wont to have in that delicate part of our facial skin.
Here’s where I ran into the first problem – the Applicator.
While the applicator is a sponge tipped applicator, it is not angled. It is just a round-tipped sponge applicator, with no real estate space for the concealer to grab onto. This raises a few problems, because you cannot easily swipe it on, so you dot it on. I also find the applicator a little hard, so there it isn’t very comfortable to use, and it does not grab enough product.
The second problem I ran into is the more important one – the formula. Part of the reason the concealer itself does not stick so well to the rounded applicator is because it is thick and dry. This concerned me, because a formula like that goes on skin tends to cake up.
I was sort of right. When it goes on the skin, the Bobbi Brown Instant Full Cover Concealer is first fairly creamy (if you can get enough on – you need a few dots, or persevere and swipe) but it is thick and dry and dries quickly on your skin. So, you have to work quickly to blend. However, it feels sticky and tacky, and doesn’t seem to quite dry down. Yes, I realise it’s quite oxymoronic, but that’s how it feels.
I first used my fingers to blend, and it didn’t work very well. I then tried using a damp sponge, which helped a little, but is a little too much work. I also tried using a brush, which I found hard to work with, because of the thick formula. The brush was sort of just moving it around my skin.
Which brings me to my third complaint – it isn’t full coverage at all. I know what full coverage is. If you want a really good full coverage concealer, the Make Up For Ever Full Cover concealer is pretty amazing. I recently tried it again, and was blown away.
This Bobbi Brown Instant Full Cover Concealer is, for me, just medium coverage at best. If I have very prominent dark circles (thanks insomnia!) the shadow shows through. If I try to use it on my pigmentation, the shadow shows through. What it does seem to help with is blemishes. If you have spots, this one seems to help cover and neutralize redness.
My shade is Warm Ivory, which is a light, slightly warm toned neutral colour. The swatch is as above, made using the applicator (which have I reminded you, is pretty shit – and I say this politely) On right, if you can see it, is a blended out swatch. Now, if it is full coverage, you will see a patch on my skin, but you can’t because it blends into my skin. It’s confusing and frustrating.
For the under eye area, which Bobbi Brown targets this concealer at, I’m afraid for me, this is a no go. The thick, dry, tacky formula tends to sink into any fine lines you may have. Also, because of the light coverage, it doesn’t do very much for any dark under eye circles. Does it brighten? Yes, a little. Pick a shade that’s a touch lighter than your skintone – just a touch. But for coverage, there is none. Don’t bother.
I have not felt so frustrated with a concealer in a long time. I had high hopes for this, primarily because I’m usually quite happy with Bobbi Brown base products. They have a good basic range, with lots of shades from light to dark, and the base makeup have, for the most part, worked very well for me. This one, I feel is a dud.
To make it better, I suggest first changing the applicator. This one is crap. Perhaps then it might help the product adhere better, and apply better to the skin and perhaps then, we might pick up enough product to apply for higher coverage, as promised. I’d also lighten the formula and make it more creamy and less tacky. Perhaps then, it might live up to my holy grail. Till then, it’s back to the drawing board, Bobbi Brown!
IN A NUTSHELL
The Bobbi Brown Instant Full Cover promises to hide evidence of lack of sleep and dark circles, with a high coverage, highly pigmented formula. However, I find this promise to fall short. The applicator is disappointing, as it does not pick up and deposit sufficient product each time, the formula feels tacky, dry and thick, and it sheers out when blended on skin. For this reason, I do not find it to be high coverage at all. It does seem to work better for concealing blemishes and redness. But for shadows or under eye dark circles, it falls short and sinks into fine lines. Deal breaker for me.
PROS: Small compact packaging, Covers redness, 15 shades from light to dark
CONS: Pricey, Applicator is not serviceable as it does not pick up enough product nor allow it to be spread on skin, The formula feels thick and tacky but dry and heavy, Sinks into fine lines, Low coverage for shadows and dark circles
WHO WILL LIKE THIS: I’m not sure
PRICE: RM136 | US$30
WHERE TO BUY: Bobbi Brown counters and stores, Sephora (US), Nordstrom, Selfridges
I saw this video on the Bobbi Brown website, and I thought to share, because I wanted you to see how they use it, but more importantly, I wanted to draw your attention to minute 0:17.
Notice how the skin on the under eye area drags as he stripes the concealer on the skin. This is because the formula is thick, and the applicator does not pick up enough product for it to slide onto the skin. Purely the fault of the applicator in my view, and I’d recommend they change the damn thing 😛
I have another tube in the shade Warm Natural, which is too dark for me and it is unused. So, if you’d like to try this for yourself to see if you’d like it or if I’m right, mention it in a comment below (Malaysia only sorry) 🙂 If more than one, I’ll do a random pick. It should suit someone with a medium or tanned skintone better.
Have you tried this new Bobbi Brown concealer? Do you have a favourite concealer?
I do, as you well know because I wax lyrical about it so often LOL! But what’s yours? 😀
Paris B
Sigh…… Sometimes it really baffles me when established brands can get it so wrong.
Thanks for the review. At least potential buyers will be aware of what they are getting.
You and I both. But I don’t think this will deter buyers because some people rely on the word of the SA, and some buy, because their favourite YouTuber/Instagrammer posts a pretty picture of it LOL! 😀 Nevermind, you and I know better 😉
I have such high expectation of the review just because it’s Bobby Brown. Another one that bites the dust.
What if you dilute it with some facial oils? I often seen Beauty Youtubers add oils and foundation to their brush before buffing out to smooth finish.
Yep, I too add a drop of oil into my thicker foundations, to give it more slick and moisture. But I won’t for concealers because I use too little and oil makes it too slick and causes it to slip. It’s my personal preference though 🙂 I think the fault is really in the applicator. It doesn’t pick up enough product and that makes it hard to work with.
Hi! I would like to give it a go myself if you still have it to give out!
On another note, you said the sponge helped a bit?
I wonder how it would turn out if it was used with a colour corrector, followed by a generous layer of concealer blended out with a beauty blender/read technique completion sponge (which is my preference) and set with RMCA no colour powder?
I wonder if a) it will still be tacky? b) if it will set in lines or smooth out c) whether the coverage will be great then?
I’ve tried concealers from Tarte and urban decay. So far I don’t like them because it settles into my fine lines. sigh… So far, I love the Makeupforever HD concealer the most.
Hiya! I’d be happy to send it to you 🙂 Drop me an email please? 🙂 Yes, a damp sponge does help a little better in my view. I’m not sure if layering it will help to be honest, because it might end up being too thick. But it depends on the sort of look you are comfortable with. I don’t generally use correctors and layers so I just go at it with a concealer and expect it to work as it should LOL! 😀 I actually quite liked the Urban Decay naked concealer. I thought it was nice. I haven’t yet tried Tarte. I haven’t tried MUFE HD Concealer, but their full cover is amazing! But then MUFE does very good products in general. Very underrated as a brand.
Loved to try this. I never use concealer so this will be a good chance to try and see whether I like it before spending on a concealer.
Hi Christine, sorry you just missed this. I’ll wait and see if the other reader wants it, and if not, I’ll drop you a note ok? On a brighter note, perhaps you don’t need a concealer! 😉
Thanks ?
I bought mine in Warm Ivory. At first use, I was disappointed. I bought it without trying, you see. I know, I seem to have that problem LOL! I agree with all the points you mentioned here. However, I’ve been using it every day for the past month and I actually like it more and more. I don’t need to cover much, just some redness and some dark circles which are not shockingly bad. It gets the job done. What I actually like about it is what I also hated about it initially. The texture. I hated that it’s so friggin dry. I could only pat it in to blend it out. But now, I like that it’s dry because it’s not easy for me to over apply. Maybe because I don’t use a lot of product to begin with, and with the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, I find that I can apply way too much and then it looks cakey.
Ah, sorry for the long essay here.
You know, if this was a product given by PR, people would say I’m waxing lyricals just to be sent stuff. But I bought it myself, and this concealer grew on me 🙂
Hey, good to know it works for you, or that you got it to work! 🙂 I think as beauty junkies we buy a lot of stuff without really trying them out before hand. After all, that’s what makes us junkies 😛 What I liked with the Nars concealer is that I could control it more easily due to the creamy texture, with just a few dots on my skin. With this one, I find I have to keep dotting, to actually get any coverage, and then it all sheers out somehow LOL! Oh well, I’ll just keep at it since it’s there 😀
I have yet to see a good review for this concealer and if I did I would be highly dubious of it! Everyone online has defiantly come to the agreement that the packaging for this leaves a lot to be desired, but the formula isn’t that good either. For me I found the under eye coverage pretty decent but it creased like crazy under my eyes while on the face it just looked fake and poorly concealed blemishes.
Oh well, my major point of interest is to whether something like this would have ever been released if Bobbi Brown had not stepped down last year.
Hi Lu, thanks for chipping in! You know I came across a lot of positive raves for this product, which left me wondering if they were using the same product I was LOL! You raised a very interesting point about whether Bobbi herself would have allowed this product to be sold. Her regular creamy concealer isn’t bad. The serum one, while light, released under her care, was pretty decent too. So yes, maybe she might have vetoed this. But then, as a makeup artist, maybe she’d have found a way to get it to work too 😀
Good review! It’s weird because it’s my holy grail concealer. The Nars one never worked so well for me. I really tried to like it, but it never was a love story (more like meh lol). This new Bobbie Brown concealer covers what I need to. I confess I don’t have strong dark circles, but I recommended it to a friend that has more dark circles and she also love that concealer. Lately, that mostly all I’m wearing on my skin. and it stays nice all day, no ugly creasing. The thicker formula actually allows me to use a very small amount under my eyes. I mostly blend with a brush though. I don’t know if that would make a difference. To me the formula is dry enough that it doesn’t crease in 30 secs but moisturizing enough so the concealer doesn’t cake up. I even really enjoy the applicator that makes dotting so easy! I guess I’m quite alone with that positive experience haha.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Kim 🙂 I guess it just did not sit well with me nor suit my preferences, but it’s not to say of course, that it won’t suit everyone, as you have just demonstrated! I’m very happy it works for you, and that you chose to share your thoughts – it helps others who may come across this decide if it might work for them 🙂