Is Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer a Drugstore Gem?

Hidden Gem

This $8 concealer outperforms luxury rivals—and it’s been hiding in plain sight for years.

Expert Analysis · Honest Reviews · Real Results

1.💎The $8 Sleeper Hit

I’ve been gatekeeping this from my group chat for three years, but fine — here it is. Rimmel’s Match Perfection is the concealer I buy when I *forget* to buy concealer, and it still beats my $34 NARS.

It doesn’t crease under my eyes, and it doesn’t slide off my nose by 2 PM. That’s not a flex — that’s a miracle for drugstore pricing.

2.🔍What You’re Actually Buying

It’s a light-medium coverage concealer with a sponge-tip applicator (weird, but we’ll get to that). It retails for $7.97 at Target, and the claim is “skin-true matching” — which sounds like marketing fluff until you realize it actually adapts to your undertone.

The Applicator

It’s a sponge wand, not a doe-foot. Weird to use, but it means you get a sheer, diffused layer — not a thick blob.

The Shade Range

There are 12 shades. Not amazing, but the undertones are actually *correct* — pink, neutral, and golden are clearly labeled.

The Finish

It dries down to a skin-like satin. Not dewy, not matte. Just… skin.

a pink lipstick with a brown cap on a pink background

Photo: Mockup Free / Unsplash

3.💄The Ingredient Tea

No one talks about what’s actually in this because it’s $8, but the formula is surprisingly smart. It’s not just pigment — it’s got skincare-ish stuff that makes it wear better than it should.

Glycerin: Draws moisture in so it doesn’t cake on dry patches
Silica: Blurs pores without a white cast
Vitamin E: Keeps the skin underneath from looking crusty
Dimethicone: That’s the silicone that makes it glide — and prevents creasing

Photo: Content Pixie / Unsplash

4.🛒The Wear Test

First swipe: it feels like a cool balm, almost watery. It blends with a finger in 15 seconds — no brush needed, which is rare for a drugstore concealer.

Week 2: I wore it on a sweaty commute, and it didn’t settle into my laugh lines. The only downside? The sponge wand gets grimy fast — wash it weekly or you’re breeding bacteria.

💡

One Thing: Warm the sponge tip on the back of your hand for 5 seconds before applying. The heat activates the silicone and makes it melt into skin instead of sitting on top.

Photo: Lidye / Unsplash

5.✨The Honest Receipts

My dark circles are 60% covered without color corrector — that’s the truth, not the hype. My redness around the nose? Gone. But it won’t hide a zit that’s actively angry — it’s not that thick.

✅

Buy if

You have dry skin or fine lines — this won’t cling to texture like matte concealers do.

⏭️

Skip if

You need full coverage for cystic acne — this is a “your skin but better” not a “your skin replaced” formula.

💰

Worth it?

For $8, it outperforms my $34 one in 3 out of 5 categories. Do the math.

Photo: Christin Hume / Unsplash

6.🏆The Final Word

This is the concealer I’d pick if I lost everything and had to restart my makeup bag with $20. It’s not perfect, but it’s smarter than most things at Sephora.

8.7/10

Drugstore pricing, luxury behavior — just wash that sponge

🛍️

Where to Buy: Target or Ulta. Grab it when it’s buy-one-get-one-half-off — that’s when the real deal lives.