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One of the first products I ever stole from my mom's makeup bag in middle school was the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer. The second I noticed the eggplant circles under my eyes, I wanted them to disappear, and the iconic duo of flesh tones fulfilled my desire. The concealers' creaminess and opacity were unparalleled at the time, and I was so excited when I was finally able to buy my own Secret Camouflage.
As I got older (and became a beauty editor), other concealers started making their way into my makeup routine as my relationship with makeup shifted. I cared less about covering up my dark circles — now, they remind me of my grandma — and more about having an even base for bold eye makeup looks. Honestly, Secret Camoglauge became a nostalgic beauty product memory alongside Lip Smackers, Pink Sugar, and Art Stuff Roll-on Glitter.
Trends from my childhood are coming back around fashion and hair-wise, so it was only a matter of time before Secret Camouflage made its way back to my makeup routine. Now, it's in the form of its new iteration: the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer Duo Stick.
The 2021 form of the two different-but-coordinating shades is a double-ended stick instead of pans. In a world more hygienic than ever due to COVID-19, this update is much welcomed in my book. You don't have to dip a dirty sponge, brush, or even finger into the concealers repeatedly. You just glide them onto skin directly from the stick – and the pigments smooth on like butter, might I add. They are just as creamy, if not creamier, than the original, so the stick doesn't skip or tug at the thin skin around your eyes.
Devon Abelman in shade 2C
Makeup is a lot more transparent these days to let the results of our skin-care routines shine through, and the new Secret Camo follows suit, too. It blends out just as easily and seamlessly as it applies. (I do so with the Monika Blunder Beauty Hybrid Cream Brush.) I have a habit of layering on concealer before and after I do my eye makeup, and no matter how many times I return to the stick for more, the new formula never cakes up or creases. In fact, it seemingly melts into skin and feels more weightless than the original formula ever did. (If I knew what it would be like to wear eye masks as a teen, I would have compared the concealer's thickness to those.)
One of the stick's sides is labeled Brighten while the other is Correct. In my shade, 2C, the first is lighter and pinker, and the Correct side is warmer and peachier. Having two shades in one convenient tube is very handy for executing New York City makeup artist Colby Smith's undereye concealer technique.
First, I blend the Brighten side onto the inner corners of my eyes, out to the part of my undereyes directly under my pupils. Then, Correct goes onto the outer half of my undereyes. "This [makes] your skin look like skin," Smith previously explained to Allure. "There will be fewer fine lines and dryness under the eye. Also, the skin in that area is delicate, so less is more."
I also dab the Correct side onto my breakouts. The small, round tip helps me pinpoint them, so I'm not overwhelming my skin with more product than it needs. This "creates the illusion of no product being present," London-based makeup artist Valeria Ferreira says.
And I'm not the one loving the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer Duo Stick. Allure's editorial assistant, Gabriela Thorne, is a fan, too. Typically, she reaches for liquid concealer formulas, but the new stick "makes some points," she says. "I like how easily they cover up my dark marks; Just a swipe here and there with a little blending, and I'm good to go."
Gabriela Thorne in shades 5N and 6N
Thorne's shade of choice is 6N, but she also keeps 5N around for her undereye area. "I didn't find the difference between the brighten and correct shades to be that large, so I used them interchangeably," she adds.
With that in mind, you can mix and match them to create just the color you need for whatever you're trying to conceal. Basically, the little stick lets you play makeup artist for a moment, and I'd be lying if I said that's not the vibe Teen Devon always dreamed of.
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer Brighten & Correct Duo
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