Honestly, it’s life changing is a regular series where we talk about the weird and wonderful possessions we can’t imagine life without. Think of it as an ode to the mundane, bizarre and, sometimes, wholly unnecessary products in our lives.
Ladies and gents, I’ve found The One. I was briefly committed to others: the ever popular Touche Éclat by YSL, and coverups by L’Oreal, Clinique, Estée Lauder and Clarins. But none of these compare to what I genuinely believe is the holy grail of concealers.
Every six months or so, when my supply runs out, I treat myself to a new tube of Terrybly Densiliss Concealer from By Terry. It costs a pretty penny – £45 to be exact – but I suck it up. For me, this must-have makeup item is one I genuinely wouldn’t want to live without.
I’ll start from the beginning. Until very recently my skin has always veered on the dry side (I’ve since been using cleansing oils, nice Body Shop face creams and Nigella-approved oils and the situation has improved somewhat). But still, I’ve always been prone to dryness – especially come winter.
In my early twenties I went through a phase of trying different concealers but no matter what their formula, or what they promised to do, they’d always made the bags under my eyes look like a harsh environment. Think, the desert. And no amount of eye cream seemed to help.
It was only when I received a voucher for Space NK that I considered branching out and trying a brand I’d never heard of before. I was wandering around my nearest branch, wondering what to spend my voucher on, when I came across the By Terry makeup stand and realised I was in the market for a new concealer.
I’ll be honest, I thought the concealer would cost about £20 – the price of my voucher – so I took it to the till without checking how much it would set me back. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was a whole £25 more expensive. I’m not really sure what took over me but I decided to go ahead anyway – I figured it was worth the punt. And I’m so glad I didn’t put it back on the shelf.
The brand has a lot to say about its product, much of which doesn’t make any sense to me – there’s a mention of ‘mimetic factor’, which imitates the action of proteoglycans (essential for elastin and collagen synthesis). Nope, me neither.
It’s described as a “featherweight, full-coverage concealer” with a “doe foot” applicator. It disguises dark circles, brightens the eye area, while “actively firming and plumping the fabric of fragile skin”.
I’d say the concealer provides medium coverage. It’s quite glossy when you dab it under your eyes and, as a result, doesn’t have that instant drying effect that can lead to cracked under-eyes. I like that the coverage is enough to reduce the darkness drastically but not remove it completely. I never want to end up looking like I’ve caked on thick, skin-coloured paste under my eyes. 2D isn’t me.
Like other concealers I’ve tried, it does wear off as the day progresses (I’m yet to find one that has immense staying power). By about 3pm on a typical working day I’m left looking a little tired. By 5pm I need a top up – if I’m going for after-work drinks, that is. If not I couldn’t care less.
The product’s major downfall, which saddens me, is that it only comes in six shades – not a great start when you think just how many skin tones there are. And indeed, the world. This is where brands like Fenty Beauty are taking other beauty providers to the cleaners. We tried Fenty’s Pro Filt’r concealers here.
The price of By Terry’s concealer is pretty startling. But about five years ago I weaned myself off foundation – something I started wearing at school and which actually, I believe, made my skin more prone to rashes and break-outs. And since I’ve stopped shelling out for foundation, I feel I can offset the money on something else. And that something is a decent concealer.
Would I recommend this product? Absolutely yes, I would. It’s good for those who prefer a more natural look with a nourished under-eye. It also lasts a fair while – I use the concealer daily under my eyes, around my nose (which is prone to redness) and to cover up the occasional zit, and end up buying a new 7ml tube every six months or so. That works out at £7.50 a month or 26p a day.
It’s now now one of five core makeup items I use every day, alongside Benefit’s Sugarbomb blusher, Collection 2000′s Fast Stroke eyeliner, Revlon’s Super Lustrous Matte is Everything lipstick (shade: Rise Up Rose) and an eyebrow pencil I don’t know the name of. My concealer is like one of the Avengers, but for my face, and I won’t be swapping it out in a hurry.