'The $11 concealer that's replaced my $60 favourite.'

You know what makes my heart skip a beat? Affordable beauty products that do a really good job.

Yep, I'm easy to please. And friends, I've found a goodie.

I was holidaying in the States, doing one of my favourite things to do while travelling — rifling through the aisles of local chemists and supermarkets to find wonderful, weird beauty products I'd never encountered before.

@alixcn Thailand 711s are wild — I scored the biggest beauty haul during my recebt trip to Phuket, and the prices are exactly as cheap as you’d hope. Face masks for like 39 baht (that’s about $1.60aud), gel eye patches for 23 baht (95c)… I grabbed enough of these to last me the holiday and put them in the hotel room fridge so I could depuff every morning, highly recommend. #traveltok #phuket #thailand #travelwithme #travellife #thailandfinds #711 #beautyhaul #beautyhacks #travelbeauty #travelbeautyproducts ♬ edamame - bbno$

Crouched down in between the aisles at Walgreens, I hit the beauty jackpot: the e.l.f. shelf.

Between the unfamiliar American brands and supersized everything, the goods were hanging there, surrounded by beautiful little tags that said things like, "$3" and "$6".

Low prices are my love language.

The airline had lost my luggage, so I was down my usual beauty bag and thus *specifically* in the market for some base products to take me out to dinner.

Foundation, concealer… And even though e.l.f. Cosmetics aren't exclusive to the US, there was no way I was leaving there without a haul. At those prices, what am I, crazy?

So a haul I did get, and amongst the products was the product I now officially can't live without: e.l.f. Cosmetics Hydrating Camo Concealer.

My new makeup bag MVP. Image: e.l.f. Cosmetics.

Months later, back home in Australia, I was wandering the beauty aisles at Kmart (one of my favourite Sunday hobbies) and *gasp*!

There it was.

And. And.

It was $11. (Which, if you do the maths, is probably cheaper than $6USD, because the exchange rate is in the absolute gutter right now.)

Is e.l.f. Cosmetics Hydrating Camo Concealer any good?

Giving the e.l.f. Camo Concealer a proper test run for the first time back in my hotel, I was genuinely shocked, in the most delightful way.

The coverage was incredible — thick enough to hide even the most stubborn dark circles (hello, post-flight puffiness) but not so heavy that it settled into fine lines or looked cakey.

Watch: What the heck is foundation whipping? Post continues below.

And when you're in your 40s, things like 'not settling into fine lines' and 'not looking cakey' start to become things you look for in a good concealer. So I knew I was on to a winner.

The shade range is also pretty extensive. I found my match in Light Peach, which brightens my under-eye area beautifully without looking unnatural.

Longevity-wise, it stays put all day with minimal creasing — I set it with a spritz of setting spray, and I'm good to go from morning meetings to after-work drinks.

How does it compare to the expensive stuff?

So you know it's cheap, which ticks one box — but is it any good?

Let me tell you another story.

For years, I've been a devoted fan of IT Cosmetics Bye-Bye Under Eye Concealer. It's quite a thick formula, it's very brightening and it just sort of melts into skin in the most delicious way.

At $58 a tube, it's not exactly budget-friendly, but I justified the expense because it works so damn well on my perpetually tired under-eyes; not to mention is disguising any redness like a boss.

It's been my ride-or-die, my desert-island concealer, the one makeup item I'd rescue from a burning building.

That was, until e.l.f. came along and knocked my expensive favourite right off its pedestal.

Don't get me wrong, Bye Bye Under Eye still holds a prime position in my makeup bag, but in this economy? A budget option ticks every box.

The e.l.f. Camo Hydrating Concealer has a thick, creamy consistency that reminds me very much of my beloved IT Cosmetics version. Both have that dense texture that promises (and delivers) serious coverage without looking heavy.

Where the e.l.f. option actually outperforms its pricier counterpart is in its blendability. The IT Cosmetics concealer sometimes requires a bit of warming up between the fingers before application, whereas the e.l.f. one glides on smoothly straight from the tube.

Oh, and a little goes a surprisingly long way — I use a small dot under each eye and blend outward, then add the tiniest amount to any blemishes or redness around my nose.

The verdict.

In a world where beauty products often come with eye-watering price tags, finding an $11 concealer that performs like a high-end favourite feels like winning the lottery.

So if you see me loitering in the beauty aisle at Kmart, gently caressing tubes of e.l.f. Camo Hydrating Concealer, mind your business.

Or better yet, grab one for yourself.

Alix Nicholson is a lifestyle journalist with a borderline worrying obsession with travel, beauty and her dog, Lottie. Follow her on Instagram or TikTok, and sign up for her SubStack here.

Feature Image: Supplied.