Kat Von D Lock It Concealer; Review & Swatches of Shades

Kat Von D Lock it Tattoo Full Coverage Concealer 

Price: $25 for .58oz

Approx $1.50/gram/ml. 

CRUELTY FREE!!!

Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Concealer was one of the first products in the Kat Von D cosmetic line, a (Sephora exclusive,) collection of high pigment, high intensity, high performing products that are so simple to use anyone can achieve professional results. Needless to say, Kat Von D is an extremely talented artist and, although it may not be everyone's style, she manages to make a masterpiece out of her face everyday (at least when she's on camera.)

It's rather ironic that the women who has become a multi millionaire who charges $700-$100 an hour for tattoos, has also created a product designed to hide them! That, is pure genius, but does that mean that her products actually work? Or are they just a hyped up & over inflated products filled with air that have no performance backbone? 

Let me get out of the way before I forget, that the price of Kat Von D's Lock It Tattoo Concealer is absolutely ridiculous at $1.50 a gram. Typically it ranges from $3-8, so you're getting alot for your money. Best of All??? KAT VON D IS CRUELTY FREE!

I first became intrigued by the Lock It Tattoo Concealer when I started reading reviews online that compared it to Hard Candy's Glamouflage Full Cover Tattoo Concealer. Let me be crystal clear here, they are absolutely nothing alike aside from the fact that they both used tattoos as a way to demonstrate their coverage potential, THAT IS IT! Hard Candy Glamouflage is an absolutely wonderful concealer which I personally adore. It is petroleum based which means that it will not set by itself, even on dry skin. It is perfect for normal-dry skin types, however, for full tattoo level coverage, you will have to put on multiple coats of it with powder in between.

Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Concealer on the other hand, is comparable to M.U.F.E. (Makeup Forever) Full Cover Concealer, both formula wise and regarding performance, so if you have been looking for a Cruelty Free Dupe to MUFE Full Cover, this is i!. They are both "long-wearing" formulas by which I mean they are 

-silicone based, 

-oil-free, 

-fast setting (thanks to the isododecane)

-water proof & 

-transfer resistant 

formulas which set to a matte finish and will cover virtually anything you need them to. I think that between the two of them, pigmentation wise, Kat Von D's Lock It Concealer will have to take the cake, but they really are pretty close in virtually every way imaginable!

Because the formula is oil free and virtually emollient free, it is an ideal choice for those with oily-normal skin. Those with very oily skin may find the need to set this with powder as the day wears on, but most people won't have to with the strong matte finish. The fact that this is self-setting and will probably not need powder, this a perfect choice for blemishes (since powder can clog pores), and under the eyes (no cakiness here). You will have to figure out exactly what formula works best for you if you have drier skin. For example, I will usually start out with a long-lasting formula in the morning, and by the time it starts "cracking" or fading because my skin steals all the moisture, I will simply touch up with a moisture-rish, emollient formula which re-hydrates the first concealer, along with my eyes, and adds additional coverage making the day-night transition ultimate simplicity.

Keep in mind that while some days I may start with a long-wearing formula (because I have sunscreen on and am shiny from it, or I plan to sweat, etc.) some times I start out with an emollient formula and then, instead of using powder to set it, I will use a matte long-wearing concealer like this one to balance it out. I'm really the center of the spectrum though as far as dry/oily skin types so you must pay attention to your skin and figure out what works best with it. If you have very oily skin, use the Lock It Concealer, possibly set it with powder, and then, after 12 hours or so, touch up with a tad more, but I really can't see anyone needed to reapply this more often than that where this formula is so long-lasting!

Available in a total of 9 shades, which isn't too shabby at all, especially considering how nicely they are laid out by skintone intensity and undertone! I have had success using Lock It Concealer in both Light 16, and Light 18. To be honest, my preference between the two depends on what other face product I'm wearing that day,, which is very similar to my corresponding matches in Lancome's Effacerness since I can float between Ivoire & Light Buff, but most people will be able to find one match that suits their everyday needs. The one tiny issue where I think I will have to give M.U.F.E. Full Cover the upper hand, is in regards to very fair, and very deep skintones, but the other 95% of the population will find Kat Von D's Lock It Concealer suits them just fine!

***Use with Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Foundation:***

If you are already a user of Kat Von D's Lock it Tattoo Foundation, again, I will reiterate, you must know your skin! Because her foundation is of a similar formula in that it is long-wearing and potentially drying, the combination of the two is probably best suited for oily skin types, or, well prepped & moisturized normal skin. If you have dry skin & want to try the two together, don't worry, there is hope. Simply have some sort of spray moisturizer available to "re-hydrate" the makeup & your skin, or, have an emollient/cream/moisturizing concealer/foundation available for any needed touch ups. I choose to do the latter, and it works fabulously. In fact, touching up a long-wearing formula like this one is actually easier than touching up, say, a drying cream-powder product because of the way the long-wearing formula stays on your skin!

Halfway through the day I will just gently touch up any dry areas and I'm good to go, so I'm positive that if you play around with it, you will be thrilled with the results!

Over all, this one is definitely a winner and there is a reason it has acquired its dedicated league of followers like it has, IT JUST WORKS!

Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Concealer Swatches of Shades
Light 16, Light 18, Medium 22, Medium 24, Medium 26, Medium 28, Deep 34, Deep 36, Deep 38

To Use for Tattoo Coverage: 

As for covering a tattoo,  Sephora claims that this can be achieved by following these steps:

Suggested Usage:

-Step 1: Prep

-Starting with a clean, dry area, apply a full coverage base in a neutralizing color. On a tattoo, try a pink-toned liner. Follow along the edges of the tattoo, and fill in the area. Finish by blending with the Kat Von D concealer brush.

-Step 2: Conceal

-Apply Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer over the tattoo and surrounding area using the concealer brush. Use a Rock and Roll technique to apply the concealer, fading it out around the edges. Let the concealer dry down completely between layers. Reapply as necessary to achieve complete coverage.

-Step 3: Perfect

-With a sponge, Rock and Roll the correct shade of a mattifying powder foundation over the area to set the concealer. Buff with a bronzing brush, making sure not to over blend.

-Step 4: Set

-Seal in your work and extend wear by applying a fixing mist over the entire area. See the results for yourself!

They're actually pretty basic instructions. Obviously it will depend on what type of ink & where you're trying to cover, but overall, you should be able to do a decent job of hiding it. These steps are actually designed to just make the concealer itself less noticeable after covering the tattoo. Now I personally don't have any tattoos, but Jimi does, and he sleeps sometimes (although not that often), so I had the perfect opportunity to test out not only the Kat Von D Lock it Tattoo Concealer, but also the Kat Von D Lock it Tattoo Foundation, and I can assure you, that, at least on his calves, they were totally covered. Granted, I am about 3 shades darker than him so he had a white blob on his leg, but even with my rudimentary blending skills I was able blend the edges in such a way before it set that I know if I had had either product in his shade, his tat's would have been invisible.