We Asked AI to Create Our Perfect Concealer Shade—This Is How It Went

I must admit, when I first heard about AI, I was a little confused. What was this mysterious technology and how would it impact my day-to-day life? Although I didn’t know much about it, I certainly didn’t think that I would be using it to find my perfect concealer shade. But hey, it’s 2024 and apparently technology knows no bounds when it comes to the beauty industry.

If you’re wondering what on earth I’m talking about, it’s time to familiarise yourself with the world of custom cosmetics. Remember the days where you’d pop into Boots and spend hours at the makeup counter testing concealers on the back of your hand? Well, it seems that those days are over, as thanks to AI, we can have a totally custom concealer shade delivered to our doorstep without even having to leave the house. Wondering which brand is behind this futuristic way of shopping? Say hello to Dcypher. This clever company set out to provide each and every customer with personalised makeup formulations, so that you never have to worry about finding the right match for your skin tone. It’s not just concealer either. The brand offers a custom foundation and a skin tint depending on what sort of finish you like. However, as someone who always struggles to find the correct concealer, this product captured my attention the most.

As amazing as this custom product sounds, when I first came across the brand and the concept, I was somewhat sceptical about how accurate the process would be. So, like any good journalist, I decided to put the concealer to the test. I even managed to convince my colleagues to give it a go, so keep on scrolling to see how we got on…

How Dcypher Concealer Works:

First things first, let me talk you through the whole process, including how this concealer is actually created. When visiting the website, you’ll see that there are two concealers to choose from. One is a perfect skin tone match which can be used for covering things such as blemishes or scarring, and one is a brightening shade designed to be used under the eyes. Once you’ve selected your desired concealer type, the website will use your phone or laptop camera to scan your face and will then give you a unique code which is your personalised shade. Upon receiving your concealer, you will also receive a slip of paper which contains product information such as your skin tone and your undertone.

@gracelindsay__ testing the Dcypher concealer

The concealer itself is priced at £32, so you are definitely paying for the personalised service. That being said, some luxury concealers will set you back almost double this price, and there’s no guarantee that they will be the right shade for you. In my opinion, paying £30 for a totally custom concealer shade is worth it if it means creating the perfect makeup base—that is, however, if the results deliver.

Dcypher Concealer Review:

1. Eleanor Vousden, Beauty Editor

@eleanorvousden testing the Dcypher concealer

I’ll admit, I was sceptical about how well a concealer be colour-matched online. But I was really impressed with how easy and effective the whole process was. Within about 10 seconds, it took three very quick pictures and I had checked out within 5 minutes—speedy! I opted for the option to go a shade lighter to brighten my under eyes.

Upon trying it, I was very impressed with the colour match. It is slightly lighter than my skin tone, making it ideal for brightening the under eye area. The colour was bang-on, adding a subtle luminous effect to my undereyes. The formula itself is very silky and blends like a dream. I’d say that this is a full coverage concealer, so you don’t need a lot of product to conceal dark circles and the like. I also love the flexible doe-foot applicator which makes dotting the concealer under the eyes really easy. I’ll be recommending this to everyone.

Pros: Quick ordering process, good colour match and easy to blend

Cons: If you don’t like a full coverage concealer, then this might not be for you

Rating: 9/10

@joyejaria testing the Dcypher concealer

(Image credit: @joyejaria for Who What Wear UK)

I’ve recently sworn off buying new foundations because I’ve found that they don’t do much for my skin. My daily makeup routine is now so basic— sculpt brows, coat of mascara, and a dash of blush, the only thing that changes for a night out is colour correcting and concealer. That’s where Dcypher’s custom concealer comes in. With a shade match so good, I can use this concealer to hide all my blemishes without my skin feeling too weighed down. The consistency of this concealer is perfect for me because I adore thick concealers. I find that with such, a little goes a long way. I can either choose full coverage or spread it out to give a more sheer finish.

Pros: Perfect shade match and full coverage finish

Cons: Thicker consistency

Rating: 9/10

3. Hannah Almassi, Editor in Chief

@hannahalmassi testing the Dcypher concealer

The skin tone and colour match from Dcypher astounded me! From the quickest of photos uploaded, and the quickest or deliveries, the brand managed to get a perfect match. I’m not into thick coverage foundations or concealers and I found this lightweight enough to be a daily go-to whilst still making a difference. I have come to prefer using this under my eyes to brighten and de-bag, as I feel I need something a little dryer and less glowy to cover up pigmentation and breakouts. It goes on smoothly and is velvety to the touch; it doesn’t dry in creases or ever look caked on; and a little goes a long way. I’d probably reapply if I was doing something in the evening, but I think that’s fairly standard for a concealer that isn’t super-dense and high coverage.

Pros: Quick ordering process, easy to blend and lightweight on the skin

Cons: A little goes a long way, so I would avoid applying too much

Rating: 8/10

4. Maxine Eggenberger, Deputy Editor

@maxineeggenberger testing the Dcypher concealer

Let me start by saying I am very, very fussy when it comes to concealer—I have found my perfect lightweight formula which I’ve remained loyal to for years. So, when I was asked to try the Dcypher experience, I was interested to see if it could sway me. Let’s talk about the process—Dcypher uses AI tech though your camera lens to determine your shade which is then created bespoke into a variety of base products (today’s experiment naturally being concealers). The whole experience was as easy as taking a selfie, because that’s literally all it was. Head to the website, whack in your details, take a few photos and off your data goes to the lab for blending and sending. I was impressed by how seamless the whole thing was but the sceptic in me still had reservations—would the product that came through my letterbox two days later actually resemble what my skin looks like? Spoiler alert: Yes.

The colour-matching was spot on. I held it up to my usual concealer and it was like for like (and, let me tell you, it took me a long, long time to find my perfect shade in it). Genuinely if the review ends here, it’s a 10/10 from me. However, it doesn’t. Taking things to a personal level, this concealer was too full coverage for my liking. It’s not overtly matte but it is more so than the concealer I use day-to-day, and it felt heavier on my skin than I’d like. That said, it does blend well (a perfect colour match will do that!), a small amount covers decent ground, and it holds up for a very long time—by the end of the day my under eyes still looked brighter, which is a revelation in itself. I’m in my mid-thirties and I’m starting to get small lines around my eyes which I felt were amplified by this formula but, let me stress, this is in contrast to the very lightweight concealer I currently use.

If you prefer fuller coverage, a magnified texture and want to order confident in the knowledge that a product has been literally tailored to your skin tone, Dcypher is well worth a go.

Pros: Quick ordering process and great shade match

Cons: Can feel heavy on the skin

Rating: 6.5/10

5. Jerrylyn Saguiped, Affiliates Manager

@jerrylynmae testing the Dcypher concealer

I currently own one concealer in my make-up arsenal – not because I don’t want to try new ones, but because I’m overwhelmed by the amount of shades there are on the market, and the fear of losing money if I choose the wrong one. That said, I jumped at the chance of trying out Dycpher’s AI-powered technology to find my perfect shade match. The process was simple to follow, and it only took 2 minutes to take a photo with my phone in natural light.

I was surprised at how accurate the matching was, and my package came with a card that showed my bespoke shade as well as my undertones. Compared to my regular concealer, this one offered me medium coverage and I was a huge fan of both the doe-foot applicator as well as the consistency of the formula.

Whilst the colour seamlessly blended in with my complexion, I found the concealer to be a bit drying around my under eyes (even with full primer and moisturiser prep), and I had some flaking throughout the day. I also tried it on a healed scab closer to my cheek, and it did a great job of masking it – even though it was quite textured.

Overall I was impressed by the AI technology, and I would wear it again to hide blemishes, but I would still stick with more of a hydrating concealer under my eyes.

Pros: Good shade match and blends seamlessly

Cons: Can be dying on the skin

Rating: 6/10

6. Sophie Cookson, Insights Manager

@sophie__cookson testing the Dcypher concealer

I was amazed at how smooth this process was, from taking the picture to the product arriving a couple of days later. I tried the brightening and the skin tone match concealers which were both the correct shade for me, even though it was a darker tone than I usually go for. It offers quite heavy coverage, but that works for me as I have acne scarring which I find hard to cover with other concealers, as well as dark under eyes and it lasted all day. The only thing that I would change about the products is that it is hard to distinguish between the different concealer bottles, but other than that I am a full Dcypher convert!

Pros: Smooth ordering process, accurate skin tone match and good coverage

Cons: Hard to distinguish between the different concealer bottles

Rating: 8/10

7. Grace Lindsay, Junior Beauty Editor

@gracelindsay__ testing the Dcypher concealer

Even as a beauty editor, I find it really hard to match my foundation and my concealer, which is why I was so excited to give Dcypher’s custom formula a go. Luckily for me, I was not disappointed. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by how quick and easy the whole process was, and after testing the product, it’s safe to say that I’ve never had a concealer match my skin tone as well as this formula does.

The concealer itself glides onto the skin and I personally found it so easy to blend. As someone who touches their face a lot and finds that most of their makeup has rubbed off by the end of the day, I was delighted to see that my concealer was still in place after a long day at work and travelling back and forth on busy tubes. It’s definitely a little heavier than other concealers I have tried, but this meant that I only needed to use a small amount, making the £32 investment well worth the money.

Pros: Smooth ordering process, full coverage finish, easy to blend and stays in place

Cons: On some days I found it a little drying under the eyes

Rating: 8/10