We test concelear sticks for all budgets – from Vichy to Shiseido

MINIMAL but sophisticated make-up brand Merit has finally launched in the UK.

For me, it’s stand-out product is its concealer stick.

So here I pit it against cheaper options to gauge its worth.

Budget

VICHY Dermablend SOS Cover Concealer Stick, £15, lookfantastic.com: The packaging makes this stick look premium.

And being from Vichy I expected it to be packed with skin-nourishing ingredients – but it isn’t.

There aren’t many shades either, and the lightest was still a little dark for my pale skin.

That said, it offers more coverage than any base product I’ve ever tried, so if you have spots or scars to conceal, add it to your arsenal.

It’s much thicker than the other two I tried, and almost impossible to blend out, so you can only use it to spot conceal.

Mid-range

Shiseido Synchro Skin Correcting Gel Stick Concealer, £29, boots.com: I’ve used the fluid version of this almost daily for the past six months, so I had high hopes for this.

It goes on smooth and doesn’t crease in the fine lines under my eyes, but I couldn’t find quite the right shade match so I had to mix a couple to avoid tell-tale tide-lines.

The medium coverage means I have to use it over a foundation, but it layers really well with my go-to and I can use it for touch-ups during the day without causing any patchiness.

My only gripe is how delicate the stick is – I assume it’s down to the gel consistency, but every time I use it I’m worried I might snap it.

Luxury

Merit’s The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick, £40, meritbeauty.com: Technically this is a foundation-concealer hybrid so you might expect less coverage – but that’s not the case.

It’s the most fluid and easy to blend of the three options, which makes it easier to layer over any blemishes, covering them without it looking or feeling heavy.

It’s quite dewy, so I worried it might disappear too quickly but with a translucent powder on top it lasts the whole day (those without oily skin will probably not need setting powder).

I’m obsessed.

Pick of the week

FRENCH beauty retailer Sephora finally returned to the UK after exiting in 2005, opening its first store in London this week.

With stands from celeb and influencer brands like Make-up By Mario and Refy Beauty alongside classics like Bobbi Brown, YSL and Elemis, it’s a beauty lover’s paradise.

Nowhere near Westfield White City?

Shop at Sephora.co.uk and look out for a store near you in future.