Essence Stay Natural Concealer in Soft Nude

Let's talk concealer. Here's the assorted info on mine:

First, I use concealer interchangeably with foundation meaning, at any given time, there is either concealer OR foundation in my beauty kit. I don't feel the need to have both as I find them too bulky to lug around all day. Second, when I buy concealer, my specific intention is to apply it to my eyelid and undereye area to cover up dark circles. Third, I try to avoid thick concealers for my undereye area because it takes so much dabbing to even the color out. That eventually leads to more wrinkles.

As far as my experience goes, heavy concealer formulas are good for banishing fat blemishes, but tend to look cakey around the eyes. Therefore, my ideal consistency is a light cream or liquid that has medium coverage. Then I can dust a layer of powder on top to set.

When I went out to SM Makati for a makeup run, I found Essence Stay Natural Concealer Pen (PHP 149) that fits the above description of what I look for in an undereye concealer. There are four shades to choose from: two cool tones and two warm tones. I've wanted to try a pen-type concealer for so long because it's so slim and handy. How can I resist the PHP 149 price tag? 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Stay Natural Concealer[/caption]

The first time I tried the pen, I had to twist repeatedly to get the contents out. Just when I thought I had a busted pen, the liquid started to color the white brush. As per the advice of other bloggers, I didn't rub the pen all over my eyelid/undereye but dotted it along the area instead. Then I blended with my ring finger and topped with powder. Other users argue that touching the brush directly to the face ups bacterial development, but I don't plan on dabbing it on my blemishes anyway. It's strictly for my dark circles only.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="574"] You can still see the dark circles up close, but less pronounced than usual. (I'm wearing Stay Natural Concealer and Gel Eyeliner, both from Essence Cosmetics.)[/caption]

Like I said, it's a medium-coverage concealer, so it doesn't hide all my "sins". However, being true to its name, the coverage does look natural. Natural like "I didn't get to sleep as long as I wanted, but at least I don't look haggard. That's good enough for me." It's a go for everyday use. Just don't forget the setting powder, or you'll be faced with color that collects on the creases of your eyes. Then the wrinkles look more obvious.

Overall Rating: 4/5. It's a standard liquid concealer with increased value-for-money, because of its low price and convenient packaging.