For years, concealer has been my desert island beauty product. Pretty much every morning, you’ll find me in the mirror swiping, dotting, blending — even if I only have five minutes to get out the door. But as committed as I am to brightening my under-eyes and evening out my complexion, finding a formula I’m equally devoted to is a completely different story.
Some weeks, I want all the coverage I can get. Others, when my skin is behaving, I just want something quick, light, and low-maintenance. After years of bouncing between the two, I’ve realized my perfect concealer probably lives somewhere in the middle: a serum-like texture with plenty of pigment — two things I’ve never been able to find in the same bottle. That was until I tried the new Marc Jacobs one.
The Nude Awakening Concealer pairs a lightweight formula with serious coverage, plus a brush applicator seemingly made for my rushed morning routine. And after wearing it for the past two weeks, I haven’t even thought about reaching for another concealer in my makeup bag. Ahead, my full review.
Fast Facts
- Price: $36
- Best for: Medium, buildable coverage with a radiant finish.
- Rating: 4.8/5
- What I like: It feels super lightweight on my skin, stays put throughout the day, and comes with a generous amount of product in the tube.
- What I don’t like: The applicator picks up a little too much product.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Nude Awakening Concealer
ICYMI, Marc Jacobs Beauty made its much-anticipated return to Sephora earlier this summer with an entirely new lineup — and some very cute packaging to match. Now, the Nude Awakening All-Over Concealer is the first to join the bunch, topped with a 3D daisy detail that runs throughout the reboot (and, of course, is a longtime calling card of Marc Jacobs perfumes).
Inside the bottle, there’s a blend of niacinamide to help soothe the skin; hyaluronic acid for hydration; and ginkgo biloba to help de-puff. Combined with a mix of lightweight silicones like trisiloxane, the serum-like formula promises a lightweight feel and wear up to 24 hours, with medium, buildable coverage.
The brand also claims it’s waterproof, transfer-proof, and crease-proof. Perhaps most impressive, though, is the applicator. Instead of a traditional doe-foot, the concealer has a slanted brush tip made with actual bristles, which — in theory — distributes the concealer more evenly and makes it easier to cover large areas of your face in a shorter amount of time.
My Review
First things first: This concealer is huge. When I first opened the box, I couldn’t get over the size of the tube. At exactly half an ounce — double the amount of a standard concealer — I immediately felt like I was getting my money’s worth. (An increasing rarity these days.) It takes up a little more space in my makeup bag, sure, but at least I won’t have to replace it anytime soon.
Good thing, too, because since this concealer came across my desk two weeks ago, I’ve been using it every day — mostly because of how lightweight it feels once it’s on. One of my biggest icks is feeling like I have a layer of makeup sitting on top of my skin. Even when I doubled up for full coverage, the formula didn’t look heavy. Instead, it does exactly what I want a concealer to do: blur my redness and dark circles without becoming cakey.
The finish also hits the right balance for my combination skin. It’s not overly matte or dewy, but just glowy enough to keep my face looking fresh — especially on the drier areas under my eyes and on my forehead. I’ve also yet to see it separate on the oilier areas around my nose and cheeks, where a little setting powder made everything look airbrushed.
The brush applicator deserves some credit for that smooth finish, too. It does pick up quite a bit of product, so I had to scrape off some of the excess along the sides before applying — but once you get the right amount, the bristles make it easy to swipe on thinner layers and place the product exactly where you want it.
It also ended up streamlining my everyday makeup routine. I usually blend out my concealer with my fingers before going in with a beauty sponge, but the brush did some of that work for me. I could skip straight to my beauty blender, and it hardly took any time to even everything out.
As for how it actually wears throughout the day? While I didn’t exactly test the 24-hour claim, I can say that it stayed put through a few *very* long New York Fashion Week days. (Very Marc Jacobs, of course.) After running around the city from morning until night, it still hadn’t settled into any fine lines or gotten crusty around my dry patches. In fact, I looked a whole lot more awake than I felt.
The Verdict
As much as I love lightweight concealers, I sometimes don’t want to compromise on coverage. Marc Jacobs’ Nude Awakening Concealer is the rare formula that gives me both. It feels like next to nothing on my skin, but still tackles my dark circles, redness, and even acne with ease. Plus, it held up through days without creasing or getting patchy — enough that it’s quickly earned a spot in my everyday makeup routine.
At $36, it might be a splurge, but it’s one I’d happily make again. The details — from the brush applicator tip to the daisy-adorned packaging — make it feel every bit as elevated as you would expect from a designer brand. And with a full half-ounce of product, the price feels more than justified.
Basically, this is the kind of concealer I can reach for whether my skin is having a good day or very much not.
