PHWOARR! The Seventeen Concealer That's Better Than It's Benefit Sister

In these tough financial times, the term 'dupe' is becoming a hot buzzword. Emphasis is no longer lying on luxury and things you can indulge yourself in, but products that do exactly the same as their high-end sisters for a fraction of the price. Dupes open up great quality alternatives to the masses, providing a dose of opulence in people's everyday lives without forcing people to part with a lump of hard earned cash. One brand that has plenty of dupes of their products is Benefit, and this Seventeen Phwoarr Paint concealer is a fantastic doppelgänger for the pricier, award-winning Boi-ing. In fact, I actually prefer this £5.49 concealer to its £17.50 sister!

The similarities start in the marketing of these products, with Seventeen claiming to be 'heavy duty' compared to Benefit's 'industrial strength' concealer. Hmm, suspiciously similar. While both are designed to be used to cover dark, under eye circles, Phwoarr Paint works great in covering any imperfections; from spots to discolourations, this is a wonderful all-round concealer. I'm used to using liquid-cream concealers, but have found that you get far more for your money with this little pot (not that it costs a lot in the first place!).



A little really goes a long way with this product; get a tiny amount and warm it up between your finger and thumb (I find it's best applied with your fingers) to help it go further and glide seamlessly onto your skin. The creamy texture melts into your skin, meaning it's really easy to buff gently around any imperfections and blend into your natural skin or foundation. While it feels quite thick and cream-textured when applying, it has a super-light and slightly powdery finish. Due to this, unfortunately it does cling to really dry patches of skin- I get quite dry patches on my nose and have to mix it with a bit of moisturiser to stop it turning my skin horrifically flakey.

While it's not great on dry areas of skin, I find it is OK if you maintain a good skincare routine and make sure those patches (such as spots that are drying up) are kept well moisturised. This concealer is only available in two shades (fair and medium), compared to Benefit's five, and the shades come up much lighter when swatched. I'm usually the fairest shade, but Phwoarr Paint's fair shade is VERY light, meaning it's fab for under eye concealing and brightening, but not great for anyone who doesn't fit these two shades.

Not only is the compact mega cute and easy to pop in your handbag for top ups throughout the day, but it's currently down to £4.99 in Boots! It's a total bargain and a great quality concealer that rivals (if not, beats) Benefit. I LOVE A GOOD DUPE!

Which concealers are you loving? Are you a fan of any other Seventeen products? 

Follow @pretty_polishd