I thought I could still review the Essence Stay Natural + concealer, even though I already used mine up completely. But since this is still available and it is quite possibly the cheapest concealer I ever tried, I figured it may still be worth it to share my thoughts. I don’t think I have seen many people talk about this concealer, like ever, so it may be one of those products that is an unsung hero of drugstore makeup, or it could be just a hot mess. Who knows with makeup this cheap? Let’s find out!
Review: Essence Stay Natural+ concealer 10 Tender Rose
The Essence Stay Natural+ concealer I bought so randomly. I just spotted it in my local drugstore after seeing it in their line for years and never giving it much thought. I bought the lightest shade: 10 Tender Rose. Because this is quite possibly the cheapest concealer I have ever tied. At a mere €1.99 a pop, this concealer only comes with 1.5 grams of product, but it does come in four shades and if good, it may be worth a repurchase.
What does this concealer have to offer?
As far as concealers goes the texture of this I loved, but the applicator? Not so much. This is one of those clicky pen type concealers that you twist to push the product out. You can then use the brush tip applicator to smooth the product onto the skin, but it won’t help you blend the product into the skin. While I find it a little less bothersome than a sponge tip, these brushes still seem like a bacteria hazard and so not my favorite. However, what sold me on this is the promise of a lightweight, light coverage that should especially be helpful with covering up dark circles. Sounds like something I might like!
What is the concealer actually like?
For €1.99 I wasn’t expecting much. The texture is quite nice. The twist up works quite well but the more you use this, the more you have to twist it up to use it and get a full application. The shade of this is definitely more of a brightening shade. It’s not as pink as most though and I felt the texture helped with giving me enough coverage but not for the deepest of dark circles. The coverage is definitely more lightweight, but this never looked too thick and creamy and I felt it looked very natural on. This didn’t pull into any fine lines and it kept looking great all day. I was quite surprised by that for how affordable this is.
How does this concealer swatch?
I think here you can see that the concealer has quite a thick texture, which was a surprise to me. Usually in this clicky twist up pens you get very lightweight concealers that do next to nothing, but this has a decent coverage. It not as dewy or glowy as I’d like it to be even though the brand claims this is a hydrating concealer. It is best used by applying a few dots or stripes to the area where you want to apply the concealer and then using the brush with as little product on it as possible to spread the product to a wider area. I then used a sponge to blend the product into the skin which I felt made for the most seamless application.
What is the coverage like?
So here you can see the concealer going on. Image 1 is my under eye area after just foundation, nothing else. Then you can see the concealer the way I like to apply it after blending it out a bit with the brush that comes with the product. The final picture features what this concealer looks like once it is fully blended in. As you can see, there is still a little bit of blueness coming through in inner corner but most of the redness is gone and my under eye looks more even but still natural. For the price this was a good one!
My final thoughts
The Essence Stay Natural concealer is a nice one, but not one I will be repurchasing. While super affordable and generally a good enough product it is also one that is easy to use up. With just 1.5 grams of product, this product lasts about a month if you use it every single day as you are doing your makeup. The only reason why it took me a few months is because I just haven’t been doing my makeup on the daily. And even if it is still affordable buying a new concealer every month isn’t all that sustainable either. Additionally, this only comes in 4 shades, none going further than a light medium so if you have a deep skin tone, you may only be able to use this as a highlighter shade.
Would I recommend the Essence Stay Natural concealer?
This is a pretty concealer for sure! I think you will love this if you are on a budget or if you just don’t want to spend too much on makeup. That said, it may be difficult for you to find your shade, but if you can, you will find yourself a concealer that is affordable and easy to use. It lasts all day long and while it may run out quickly with daily use it may still be worth it if you only use a few dots around the eyes. All in all, this is a good one that greatly surprised me. Definitely a hidden gem at the drugstore.