Two Stick Concealers Compared: [CLIO] Kill Cover Pro Artist vs Kanebo KATE

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

I realized last week that I only seem to buy concealers in certain forms. Squeeze tubes and stick are my favorite, followed by pan - as long as it has a screw on top. When was the last time I bought an open compact or liquid doe footed wand tube? No idea. Today I have two stick concealers from Asian brands to show you. [CLIO] Kill Cover Pro Artist Stick Concealer and Kanebo KATE Stick Concealer.

I first tried the Kanebo KATE Stick Concealer when my mother and I were in Shanghai and found a Kanebo KATE display. I got her to try concealer for the first time and she was very pleased with how well it covered dark spots and brightened up the undereye area. Unfortunately the KATE concealer only comes in two shades; Light Beige and Natural Beige, roughly NC20-25 and NW20-25. I picked up a stick of Light Beige for myself, the less pink of the two shades. Formula is thicker, sticky and coverage is medium- high.

Last month, I ordered some of my first [CLIO] products and among them was this concealer. It appears the Kill Cover line was renamed All That Covers for the US market. encased in a sleek metallic tube, unlike the plastic Kanebo KATE. The formula is surprisingly slick for a stick and the coverage is medium. It is not sticky at all and while initially slippery feeling, sets to a pretty matte finish. It is NOT forgiving to fine lines at all without primer. When it first arrived, I swatched it on the back of my hand - oh dear!- My first impression was not favorable. I completely changed my mind once it was on freshly primed skin. With a moisturized base, you're good to go.

Left: [CLIO] Kill Cover Pro Artist Stick Concealer in 3 Linen, right: Kanebo KATE Stick Concealer in Light Beige

To see how well they cover, let's scrutinize my cheek up close!

First we have no cover up at all, prepped skin + primer.

For both concealers, I spot concealed and then used a brush to blend the product into surrounding skin.

[CLIO] Kill Cover Pro Artist. The concealer looks very natural, even though it thins out when blended. Coverage can be built up though, as the formula does set, I could have gone and touched up another "layer". The finish is quite matte.

Kanebo KATE.

I can't deny that it covers up redness, dark spots, discoloration very very well, but it is not as good of a match for my face and looks chalky. The thicker formula is more unyielding to the soft, feathering strokes of a concealer brush. This is an unusually close viewing of my face, but this concealer does make my skin look a bit more flakey. It never really sets, tends to transfer off my face easily if I get sweaty or oily.

I prefer the [CLIO] because of how natural the finish is, and because it is a better color match. My mom, whose skin is more normal (not excessively oily, dry, acne prone, etc) and lighter in skin tone does well with the Kanebo KATE.

Kanebo Kate Stick Concealer comes in two shades. 3.1g of product. Can't recall what I paid for it at the time, but it goes for $10-24 on eBay and Amazon, $9 on adambeauty.

[CLIO] Kill Cover Pro Artist Stick Concealer retails for $20 at the US Clio Professional website. 4.5g of product. I ordered it from Korea Depart for around $10. There are four shades available.

Do you have a favorite concealer that comes in stick form?

Products featured were purchased by me, for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.