This Iconic '90s Concealer Is Getting a 2026 Makeover

It's time for a beauty history lesson—the story of a product that changed all of our complexions (so... our lives) for the better. In 1996 (30 years ago this year!), Laura Mercier launched Secret Camouflage.

Her vision for the concealer, based on her philosophy as a makeup artist, was to "perfect skin without masking it." To do this, she developed a high-coverage pigment that could be used only where needed, so your skin didn't have to be completely covered in foundation or caked with powder to cover a zit or fight uneven tone.

Now, in honor of the brand's big anniversary, the legendary product is being reimagined as Secret Camouflage Complexion Perfector—"a modern evolution with three shades designed to be mixed to camouflage any imperfection, while remaining invisible on skin."

Keep reading to learn everything there is to know about the launch.

The Inspiration

In a press release, Mercier shared that Camouflage—that original 1996 two-shade palette—was the reason she wanted to start her brand in the first place.

“It was my secret to precisely retouching complexion so skin looked as real and natural as possible," she explained.

Now, with 30 years of brand experience behind her, it's time to level up.

"With this new formula, I wanted to make the artistry even more effortless," adds the makeup artist. "The creamier texture and adjuster shades allow everyone to camouflage any imperfection across all skin tones. It’s truly magic."

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The Formula

Available in eight shade ranges, each palette includes three high-pigment shades, a base and two warm/cool adjustors, that you can mix to create the exact skin tone match you need anywhere on your face. (The OG product featured just two shades per compact.)

The updated formula features a "featherlight cream texture" made to mimic the look and feel of your actual skin, and includes ingredients like vitamins C and E and chamomile extract to both immediately soothe and improve the skin's appearance over time. Testing showed 16-hour long wear that was also water-, sweat-, crease-, and transfer-resistant.

"Designed for targeted camouflaging rather than full-face coverage, it allows women to use less product, more intentionally," noted the brand. "The result is a complexion that looks flawless, corrected but not covered, and reflects Laura’s enduring belief that makeup should enhance skin, never hide it."

The brand recommends applying the base shade (the largest pan) first, directly onto your skin where you want to camouflage. Then, use the shade adjusters to get an exact match, before using your fingertips to melt into the skin and top with setting powder. For a makeup artist-worthy application, follow Mercier's top tip: "Use the tip of the Secret Camouflage brush to dot onto small imperfections and the flat side of the brush to apply to larger areas."

The Review

"The only upside to this angry red pimple on my chin is that it's the perfect way to test the reformulated Secret Concealer. I've always loved the idea of the OG product (the little compact is '90s!), but found the formula a little too dry for my liking. The new one has a much creamier texture, while still providing the pigment needed to knock out the redness on a hormonal zit. Mixing the colors together takes a little bit of practice, but I loved how it made me feel like an artist. And while nothing can conceal the texture of a healing zit, it covered the redness beautifully. I'll definitely be adding this to my emergency skin arsenol." —Bella Cacciatore, senior news editor