REVIEW: Kat von D Lock-It Concealer Creme

I've recently come to the conclusion that the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer is, in fact, the newest addition to my short list of Holy Grail products, so you wouldn't think I'd be trying another expensive concealer. However, I was placing an order at Sephora and noticed a coupon for a free deluxe sample of the updated Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer Creme, and I thought, "Eh, what the hey."

The Kat Von D Concealer Creme retails at $26 for 0.22oz of product. This is about standard size for a liquid concealer; the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer is $29 for the same amount of product. The sample clocks in at 0.065oz, which is surprising to me given how generous it seems. The packaging is clear, sturdy plastic that lets you see how much product you have left and what the general color is. This is actually my preferred packaging for most base products. It comes with a slanted doe foot applicator. The doe foot pulls up a lot of product, at least in this sample tube, so I was constantly wiping it off on the lip of the container.

Natural light on top, flash on the bottom. From left to right: Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer Creme in Light 3, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly, NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Siberia, Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in Sx01.

Kat Von D et all have been working on expanding the shade range for her base products this summer, both on the fair and deep ends of the spectrum, and I think that alone deserves some applause. Unfortunately, the free samples were only available in select shades, including just one of the light colors: Light 3, described as "fair shell with a warm undertone." Light 3 is a bit too dark and a little too peachy for most of my concealing purposes. Based on the description and swatches from Phyrra, I'm thinking Light 1 would have been a better match for me.

However, those peachy undertones actually make the Lock-It Concealer Creme a good option for concealing my blue-tinged undereye circles. The texture helps as well: this is a matte finish concealer, but I find that it doesn't look exceptionally crepey or dry on normal or oily skin. (My undereyes are neither oily nor dry.) This concealer feels thinner to the touch than my favorite NARS, but is slightly tackier and more viscous than the popular Urban Decay Naked Skin. It feels weightless on the skin and gives my undereyes a brighter, more even appearance.

Here's a macro shot of the Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer Creme on my undereyes. As you can see, it has a very natural texture and does a good job of concealing my circles without looking or feeling cakey. While it looks very shiny in this picture, I'll note that it dries down a little more matte after a few minutes.

I didn't have quite as much luck using this product on my blemishes, however. While my undereyes are normal and my nose and eyelids are oily, most of my face is very dry and dehydrated. I tried patting the concealer on to pimples with both my fingers and a brush, and in both cases, it wouldn't completely stick. This experience, combined with the overall matte texture of the concealer, makes me think it's not the best option for dry skin.

I'm also irritated that they don't list the full ingredients on Sephora's website. Normally, if a product's ingredients aren't listed on Sephora, but it's available from other retailers, I'll grumble a little and find the ingredients elsewhere. Kat Von D is exclusive to the Kat Von D Beauty website and Sephora, so the lack of an ingredients list on both sites is an issue for me. Buzzwords like "non-comodogenic" really mean nothing: beyond the fact that not everybody breaks out from the same ingredients, it's been an unregulated term for as long as I can remember.

The Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer Creme isn't going to replace my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer any time soon. That said, I like using my Light 3 sample on my undereyes, and I think the product is pretty solid. It's not my personal favorite, but I have no qualms recommending it to others.

RATING: 4 out of 5

Kat Von D products are available at Sephora.