Every make-up expert I know is raving about this unique new concealer—as a spot-prone beauty editor I understand they hype

Ask any beauty editor for a list of their favourite beauty products and I’ll hazard a pretty confident guess that you’ll find at least one make-up product from Lisa Eldridge in the lineup. From her iconic lipsticks to her cult skin tint, I’ve yet to try a product from Lisa’s eponymous brand that hasn’t instantly earned a permanent place in my daily make-up bag. And it’s easy to understand why. With over 25 years working as a professional make-up artist, Lisa seems to instinctively know not only what makes a good product, but has an innate understanding of what the make-up bags of everyday consumers might be missing. Case in point, her latest innovation: the Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting Pencil. A product so unique and useful that it has already gone viral. Here's why...

If you already have a whole stash of the best concealers at your disposal, ready to cover up dark circles or disguise spots then you might think that you have no need for another concealer. I’ll admit that I felt the same. However, if like me you’re prone to blemishes then you’ll know all too well the struggle of wanting to dial down the appearance of breakouts (particularly when they’re pretty hefty ones) while still wanting your skin to look fresh and natural. This concealer helps you to achieve exactly that. Based on Lisa’s signature pinpoint concealing technique, it’s an ultra-precise concealer that directly targets spots and redness while allowing the rest of your skin to shine. To say that I’m impressed would be an understatement.

My honest review of the Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting Pencil

THE FORMULA

Despite the teeny-tiny tip of this concealer, the first thing to note about it is that this stuff is seriously pigmented. A thick, creamy gel texture, just the smallest swatch of product packed a major amount of coverage. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s cloying or heavy in any way. The brilliant thing about the Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting Pencil is that it glides onto the skin and blends out with minimal effort. I don’t tend to get on hugely well with concealers in stick or pencil formats—I gravitate towards liquids and creams—so I wasn’t sure whether this would feel drying or drag on my skin. It does neither. It’s genuinely so buttery smooth that no skill at all is required to blend out the edges and help it mesh with your skin. (Luckily for me, who is not at all talented in the make-up application department!). One thing to note though is that it is self-setting, so it does dry down quickly, so blend soon after application and build up if necessary. So, how exactly do you apply this concealer for best results?

THE TECHNIQUE

As I mentioned previously, this concealer is based on Lisa’s very own pinpoint concealing technique which she created early on in her career after dealing with adult acne herself and went onto become a signature technique which she’s renowned for in the industry. To use the Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting Pencil you simply twist it up and scribble it directly on and over the area that you’re wanting to camouflage. For me, this tends to be blemishes and small areas of redness that are often the result of old breakouts or inflammation in my skin.

The key to creating a natural look is not to simply draw a precise circle over a spot, but use a scribbling motion to create rough edges that you can then blend out using your fingertips. This technique means that the product edges mesh with your skin and there aren’t any harsh lines or noticeable boundaries between the product and the rest of your face. It’s as simple as that—scribble it on and blend out the edges. For areas that need a little more coverage you can simply go over the area again with more of a stippling motion to add a little more opacity. It’s really that simple and while it does require a little more precision than my usual slapdash concealer technique, it actually means I’m using a whole lot less product on my face than I usually do.

THE RESULTS

Before applying the Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting Pencil.

This is my skin after cleansing and moisturising and is how I’d describe my skin on a pretty good skin day, actually. You can see that there’s some redness on my cheeks and nose (this is typical during the cold weather for me) and there’s a bit of a breakout on my chin, some spots of pigmentation from old acne, as well as some spots of pigmentation on the tops of my cheeks. Typically, I’d just slap a bit of liquid concealer over all of these areas and blend it out with brush—much like a skin tint.

After applying the Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting Pencil.

This is after applying the Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting Pencil to those aforementioned areas—I have no other make-up on my face other than a bit of lip balm. Honestly, I am so happy with how my skin looks here. As someone that has dealt with acne since I was a teenager and still has frequent breakouts, I have always struggled with wanting to embrace my skin as it is, but also wanting to cover up areas that make me feel less confident. This concealer means that I can really precisely target spots and little patches of redness without covering my skin entirely. At a glance, it looks like I might just be blessed with skin that looks like this—and the beauty is that most of it is my natural skin. But the precise coverage and pigment of that concealer means that I’ve only had to apply the smallest amount of product exactly where I need it. Of course, some people might prefer more full coverage all over or might still spot areas on my skin that they’d prefer to cover, but for me this is perfect.