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This is a blog post for all of my beauties out there who love natural looking makeup with good-for-you ingredients! Skin care-based brand, First Aid Beauty, has been expanding their cosmetics line over the last year and they just released a concealer formula for all skin types. They launched it simultaneously with their new de-puffing and priming Kona Eye Stick. Want to see swatches of all the shades and my impressions with these two new products? Here’s my First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Bendy Avocado Concealer review…
Full disclosure, thank you to the team at First Aid Beauty for sending this package my way with all of the concealer shades for my readers to see!
They sent this collection to me complimentary for testing purposes and I am under no obligation to review or talk about the product(s) at all. Just sharing my 100% honest opinions.
The First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Bendy Avocado concealer currently comes in seven shades from Bone to Deep.
I think the shade selection is acceptable for a mostly skincare based brand. Think back to when IT Cosmetics first released Bye Bye Under Eye… I think it had only 3-5 shades.
The breadth of the shade range is good (i.e. Bone is VERY pale and Deep is fairly dark for a concealer with brightening effects… not so much if it was a foundation).
It provides buildable, medium coverage (that can be built up to full).
It is exclusive to Sephora (or FirstAidBeauty.com) and retails for $22 for .17 fl. oz. of product.
For comparison, here’s the prices/quantity of product in comparable formulas:
1 – Bone, 2 – Fair, 3 – Light, 4 – Medium, 5 – Tan, 6 – Rich, 7 – Deep
This concealer was developed with pro celebrity makeup artist, Kevin James Bennett. The team felt strongly about developing a concealer that when used on the skin (and especially under the delicate under eye area) it would be flexible, non cakey, and natural looking. No cracking or dryness for this formula and ideal for sensitive skin.
It includes avocado oil and mushroom extract for hydration and caffeine for depuffing.
It’s cruelty-free and vegan.
When I initially opened the package, I thought I would be best matched to shade 3/Light because I like a brightened effect under the eyes – plus, my skin on my face is much lighter than my body.
I was using 3/Light for weeks and wasn’t really liking the coverage. I felt like my dark circles still peeked through and this was no match for my bullet-proof, paint-like Tarte Shape Tape (or the new Too Faced Born This Way).
Then, I changed things up a bit.
First of all, I had to adjust my expectations. This is NOT a concealer for those that want maximum coverage. Although it’s advertised to be built up to full coverage, that’s not how the Bendy Avocado Concealer will apply with one application.
Expect a solid medium coverage with a very natural, skin-like finish on the skin.
If you apply a second layer, you can definitely get medium/full-to-full coverage, but that’s if you apply more product. Keep that in mind.
Second application lesson is with shade matching. When I swatched the colors, 4/Medium seemed a bit too peachy and also not bright enough for my preferences, so I wrote it off.
When I gave 4/Medium a chance, however, it really made a HUGE difference in the coverage ability and finish. If anything, the slight peachy-tone to 4/Medium helped slightly correct my dark circles.
This holds true with A LOT of concealers. Sometimes people will make the mistake of using a too-light-shade and then it will not only ENHANCE dark circles, but give them an ashy effect… therefore making them look even worse. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a slightly BRIGHTENED effect, but LIGHTER does not equal BRIGHTER.
Third tip is to blend it out with your fingers. This product doesn’t do so well with a brush or sponge because of the emollient texture. It gets sucked up by brushes and sponges and then you’re left with barely any coverage.
When tapped in/blended out with the fingers, it leaves the fullest pigment behind and that’s what we all want out of our concealer.
I recommend the First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Bendy Avocado concealer for those who don’t have super dark circles or any major imperfections to cover, want a very natural looking finish and struggle with sensitive skin.
I think this would be ideal for those new to makeup (or like a very natural look) in their teens and early 20s, or more mature skin that wants a formula that’s very forgiving and contains good-for-your-skin ingredients that will nourish without feeling heavy or greasy.
The Hello FAB Kona Eye Stick is said to hydrate, depuff and prime the eyes for concealer/makeup.
It contains Kona coffee extracts to help diminish dark circles and eye puffiness with aloe water and cucumber to soothe.
Personally, I don’t find it hydrates very much (if at all) but I do feel a bit of tightening/firming under the eyes when I apply this before makeup.
Is it enough to justify buying it for $24? I don’t feel so, but I think it would be awesome if First Aid Beauty bundled this product with the concealer (maybe around the holidays in a mini size?) for ~$25 total? HINT HINT, First Aid Beauty if you’re reading this 🙂
I much prefer their First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy for hydration, brightening and fine lines. THAT’S worth the $36 if you’re on the market.
-Steffanie
