Go to your makeup drawer right now and tell me how many shades of eyeshadow and lipstick you own. How often are you using that metallic purple Tom Ford number? Was the nineteenth lip stain you bought last week really necessary? Hmm?

I’m in no position to throw stones. For a woman who barely uses more than a concealer, a bronzer, and an eyelash curler, my secret squirrel stash of unused powders and pigments is indecorous, at the very least. That’s not to say buying shiny things on an impulse is entirely silly. At THE FILE, we’re all for experimenting and having fun with makeup (looking at you, Georgia Graham), but there are only a small handful of products that get a solid daily workout. Concealer, dare I say, is at the very top of that list.

One up from that, a high coverage, longwear concealer can take you far. It will absolve you of your sins, turn you into a master of disguise, and get you through a 14-hour work day. It will cover zits, blemishes, dark spots, pigmentation, broken capillaries, and dark circles. It can even replace your favourite tinted moisturiser, as you’ll soon find out.

Our top eight countdown based on longevity, coverage, and texture:

8. Benefit Boi-ing Hydrating Concealer

This is possibly one of the most idiot-proof concealers you’ll ever use, provided you’re not in the market for bulletproof coverage. The hydrating version of the original Boi-ing nourishes the complexion with a sheer, juicy veil of correcting pigment. Yes, juicy indeed.

7. Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer

Benefit’s OG Boi-ing is a solid, disappointment-free concealer that is easy to blend, will cover the fact that you stayed up until 1am this morning watching back-to-back episodes of Twin Peaks, and will survive a cinematic run in the rain with your significant other (yes, it is waterproof).

6. Marc Jacobs Re(Marc)Able Full Coverage Concealer

The formula is slightly tacky on application, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Marc Jacobs’ nourishing, emollient cream provides a flaw-diffusing veil, yet is so full-coverage, it will completely conceal dark spots and dark circles. It did begin to gather after a couple of hours, but provided you use the right eye cream or primer, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

5. Smashbox Studio Skin 24-Hour Waterproof Concealer

Does anyone find this new 24-hour makeup thing weird? Does anyone even wear makeup for 24-hours? Because I respect my skin as much as I respect Joan Didion, I was not willing to leave this concealer on overnight. It did, however, provide a flawless, natural, matte finish, and lasted a solid 8-hour work day without creasing or settling into fine lines.

4. Surratt Beauty Surreal Skin Concealer

While it doesn’t quite have the power to cover dark spots and pigmentation, this is about as close as you’re going to get to heaven, with a traceless, skin-like finish. With the warmth of your fingers, the Surreal Skin Concealer will melt into your skin, and with a light touch of powder it will get you through a day of extreme close up #selfies without anybody suspecting a thing.

3. Chanel Correcteur Perfection Long Lasting Concealer

Chanel will never release a sub-par beauty product. It’s just not possible. This slide-like-silk-second-skin concealer is no exception. The gel-liquid is as light as a feather, yet highly pigmented. It completely covers dark circles, blemishes, and redness without feeling like you’re wearing a thing. How? IDK. Just go with it.

2. Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer

Holy moly, yes please, thank you, and good night. If you are a diehard fan of the ultra-brightening Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (aka me and everyone else in this world), you will be an even bigger fan of its recently released soft-matte cousin. While it’s not quite as hydrating as the original, the coverage and staying power wins without question. A pot of this will also last you three times as long.

1. Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer

Kevyn Aucoin, you sweet angel. Never stop watching over us from heaven, because beauty editors and industry insiders will ~literally kill~ for this stuff. This cult concealer is terrifyingly thick and pigmented, but fear not! You can blend the clay-like cream from complete to sheer coverage with the warmth of your fingers. But wait, there’s more: If you add a tiny rice-size drop to your moisturiser, you will have materialised one of the best-tinted moisturisers we have ever tried. Cue natural, flawless, dewy, sensual skin.

Photography, Magdalene Shapter.