Tried & Tested: Can this concealer survive 16 hours at Fashion Week and a Copenhagen snow storm?

With sub-zero temperatures, slush-filled streets, and back-to-back shows on the agenda, I was heading to Copenhagen Fashion Week with two things: an overstuffed suitcase and stress-induced breakouts brewing on my forehead. My solution? A spontaneous hair appointment upon arrival resulting in a fresh fringe (undoubtedly a form of crisis response with the hope to camouflage an uncooperative complexion). But even the freshest curtain bang can’t conceal everything.

The timing was, frankly, too perfect for the wear test of Charlotte Tilbury’s new Airbrush Flawless Blur Concealer. Facing the longest day of the week with a complexion that could use a pick-me-up, I could really test the limits of this so-called 24-hour concealer. Fashion week, is, after all, the industry's Battle Royale – the kind of occasion that separate the beauty gimmicks from the beauty greats.

If anything could expose a concealer’s weaknesses (if there is any), this was it.

Billed as a full-coverage, longwear liquid concealer with skin-smoothing benefits, Charlotte Tilbury’s latest launch follows in the footsteps of the cult-favourite Airbrush Flawless Foundation. Designed to last 24 hours and blur like a beauty filter, the formula is powered by “Flawless Stretch Technology” (a flexy matrix that promises crease-proof coverage) along with brightening niacinamide and hydrating golden vitamin C. Available in 30 shades and neatly packaged in a sleek, twist-to-open wand, it’s meant to be both high-performance and high-comfort. In theory, it checks all the boxes. But how does it perform in real life?

I went in shade 3.5 Fair, without swatching – a confident move, but I know my CT base shades. I used the Hollywood Complexion Brush, the angled stippling end to target redness and forehead blemishes, and the stippling side to blend it all out. I’m not usually a full-coverage girl, but this stretched beautifully resulting in enough polish without the need for foundation.

From the get-go, the finish was a standout: matte, yes, but not remotely flat or dry. The only word to describe it would be "airbrushed", with the formula really living up to its name. It softened the stress-induced spots on my forehead, the rosacea across my cheeks (my biggest insecurity), and the shadows under my eyes in one quick pass. To finish, I set my under eyes and nostrils with a swipe of powder and a spritz of setting spray. Not so much because I felt the concealer wouldn't hold up without it, but rather that I might not.

I wore this concealer from 7am to midnight. That’s five runway shows, multiple backstage interviews, one wash-and-dry hair appointment (water splash in the face included), and a snowstorm that felt like getting slapped repeatedly by a cold, wet towel. Despite it all I found myself at dinner, hours after the last touch-up (a light dusting of powder around mid-day) with Alana Hadid complimenting me on my skin.

As such, I think it is safe to say that despite the wind-whipped fringe and freezing slush puddles, my base held up. No creasing, caking, or fading. It didn’t cling to dry patches or settle into fine lines. Even the crater on my forehead (the one that led to me sporting a fringe in the first place) still looked suspiciously smooth at the end of the day.

For something with this much coverage and staying power, the formula feels remarkably forgiving. It plays especially well with the rest of the Airbrush line, if you’re already a devotee.

For me, the true testament to this product is in how it stretches. You only need the tiniest amount, especially considering it behaves more like blurring skincare than a traditional concealer. If you’re someone with texture, redness, or the kind of skin that typically eats product alive by 2pm, this could easily become your new go-to (as it has mine).