Beautyblender, the brand behind that iconic pink makeup sponge, now makes a $26 concealer — I asked a makeup artist and a dermatologist to test it out

• Beautyblender, known for its iconic pink makeup sponge, has officially launched a $26 liquid concealer.
• I sent my dermatologist a tube to test, and she was super impressed with the ingredient list, which includes skin-plumping hyaluronic acid and peptides.
• I sent another tube to a top makeup artist, and she was swayed by the whipped texture and how easily it covered up blemishes and dark spots.

My friend Lauren works for Beautyblender, the company that created the iconic egg-shaped makeup sponge, and she rang me up recently to say she wanted me to test their new concealer. Lauren has sent me a lot of products over the years, but this time she was really excited.

"You have to try this under your eyes," she said, certain about its ability to brighten up the area and help me look more awake.

So I checked out the new Bounce Airbrush Liquid Whip Concealer ($26 at Sephora), and have to admit, I was immediately impressed by how good it felt to use. I usually use stick concealers, but they can be drying and hard to blend. This one, especially if you're using a damp Beautyblender sponge, melts into the skin nicely, and the whipped texture is like putting a light meringue on your blemishes and spots.

The buildable-coverage concealer includes hydrating, skin-nourishing ingredients

Also impressive are the skin-loving ingredients in the formula, including peptides, polymers, and hyaluronic acid. Curious, I asked my dermatologist, Dr. Alexis Young, an Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology in the Department of Dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center, if there were any benefits to having these ingredients in a concealer.

"Peptides and polymers in topical products can stimulate the production of skin-plumping collagen," confirmed Dr. Young. "Yet, it's incredibly difficult for peptides to penetrate the top layer of skin before being broken down by the skin's enzymes or being blocked by the tight spaces between the skin's cells. Luckily, this concealer contains tetrapeptide, a technologically advanced peptide that allows for deeper penetration of active ingredients — like the moisturizing hyaluronic acid found in this product."

What the concealer is like to use

Having passed the ingredient test (and having enjoyed using the concealer myself), I asked a top makeup artist, who normally has up to five different concealers in her kit, to give it a try and share her thoughts. She even took some photos for me.

"This concealer is especially impressive for brightening the undereye area," says Kelli Bartlett, the Artistic Director at Glamsquad, who primed her skin with a hydrating eye cream before applying the concealer (she used SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex), and then lightly dotted the concealer in a "U" shape under her eyes before blending with a sponge. "The concealer dries down naturally, which means it doesn't need to be set with powder," she notes.

Not surprisingly, the brand suggests you use their Beautyblender sponge to blend the concealer. "Although a brush or your finger will do, the sponge is the perfect tool to blend and distribute the concealer," Bartlett notes. "When used correctly (wet) the sponge will absorb less makeup, distribute the product more evenly, and leave the skin with an airbrushed finish."

With 40 shades to choose from, Bartlett suggests picking a formula one shade lighter than your natural skin tone for concealing blemishes, dark spots and circles.

The concealer can also be used to highlight and contour: "To highlight, choose a color two to three shades lighter than your skin tone and swipe the wand from the inner eye to outer temple before blending, using any leftover on the sponge to cover any redness around the nose area," she notes. "To contour, choose a concealer two shades deeper than your natural skin tone and place it in the hollows of the cheeks, on the temples, and along the jawline and blend."

What also makes this concealer unique is the doe-foot applicator, which emulates the shape of a Beautyblender sponge. "It's two-sided so there's no need for double-dipping — the flat side gives you full coverage in one swipe, while the rounded side allows for a more precise, controlled application, especially when highlighting or contouring," says Rea Ann Silva, Founder & CEO of Beautyblender.

Silva chalks up the lightweight consistency to the fact that the fluid is whipped using a high-speed aerating process. "With air built into the formula, we were able to create a full coverage, easy-to-build product," says Silva. "It also contains HD pigments that act as light diffusers, brightening and illuminating the skin for a flawless-looking finish."

Cons to consider:

The concealer is free of harmful parabens and phthalates but devoid, too, of sunscreen. Yet that doesn't seem to concern Dr. Young. "Because you don't spread concealer all over your face, it wouldn't be a substitute for a sunscreen, anyway. Just be sure to apply a broad-spectrum SPF to your skin before dotting on your concealer."

The other downside, though not a dealbreaker, is that the applicator deposits a lot of product at once. If you're only covering a small area, like a blemish, you'll get more than you need — I find myself wiping away excess sometimes.

The bottom line:

This affordable dermatologist- and makeup artist-approved concealer does a great job at covering blemishes and brightening the area under my eyes, all while providing nourishing skin benefits. The formula is creamy and blends well, especially when using a makeup sponge.

I don't require a lot of beauty maintenance, but this concealer has officially joined mascara and lip gloss as part of my daily beauty routine.