Concealer Madness Ep. 1: Etude House Surprise Essence Concealer

Hi girls! How was your weekend? Mine was spent in a busy haze. Spent the Saturday with relatives and Sunday working on the Ukay Manila Store. Whew.

Anyway, I'd like to launch something new today. It's called Concealer Madness, where I'll be featuring the hottest concealers every Monday for the next four weeks. Let's kick Episode 1 off with my current favorite: the Etude House Surprise Essence Concealer!

I got this because I didn't want to use up my high-end concealers (MAC and Shiseido) too soon. I needed a cheap, everyday concealer that functions as well as expensive ones. When I visited Etude House some weeks ago and swatched this, I was hooked! It was affordable at P298 and the coverage was obviously good. I've been using this since then and I'm telling you, this is such a great deal.

Why this is awesome:

• Cheap! You can't beat the price at P298.
• The coverage is medium to heavy. I only need to dip into the tube twice to cover my whole face - blemishes, eyebags, uneven areas and all. The tube is small but you only need a little.
• Convenient to use since it's got a doe foot applicator. No need to bother with a brush. Just dot it where you need it an gently pat to set it.
• Doesn't slide off or cake on me, and I have combination-oily skin.
• Looks natural when applied. I got the darkest shade (there are only two) and it blends into my skin perfectly. Here's photographic evidence:

Check out how opaque it is! I applied this on bare skin.

Blends beautifully on my NC35 (light medium skin with yellow undertones)

What I don't like about it:

• There are only two, yellow-toned shades. I'd say they're only suitable for NC35 skin and lighter. That's kind of irritating considering the products were brought to a country dominated by morenas.
• Has a smell I don't like. Can't describe it exactly, but it has this strong cosmetic smell. Kind of like The Face Shop's foundations and concealers actually!

Overall, this is a good concealer for those on a budget. The quality is up there with high-end ones so I will definitely buy this again!