Having spent the best part of a decade writing about fashion and beauty, I’ve come across many makeup artists in my time, all of whom have provided me with different tricks of the trade and product recommendations. Of course, the advice they’ve shared with me has differed depending on their makeup aesthetic and the clientele they work with, but I can safely say that all of them agree on this one piece of wisdom: Concealer is, without a doubt, the most important makeup you can own.
With the power to blur, highlight, and, of course, conceal, its uses are about as limitless as a beauty buy can be, making it one of the hardest-working items in your makeup bag. That’s why it’s of the utmost importance to ensure you find the right one for you. As someone who has always suffered from dark circles, I’ve tried just about every concealer going, but none have impressed me quite as much as Rodial’s Banana Lowlighter.
I became a Rodial devotee six years ago in the run-up to my wedding. A month before the big day, I woke up to find my skin had broken out in sore, red lumps, which were later determined to be the result of an allergic reaction. Although my impending nuptials were going to be laid-back, I was still worried about the visible scarring that lingered on my face as the day approached. Naturally, I began experimenting with concealers to see which product offered me the optimum coverage. Hands down, it was Rodial’s Airbrush concealer, which glided onto my skin with ease and instantly masked any remnants of my sores. And while the concealer has since been phased out of Rodial’s makeup roster, I’ve paid close attention to the brand and its latest launches, the most recent being the Banana Lowlighter.
Released earlier this year, Rodial’s one-shade Banana Lowlighter has fast become one of the most in-demand products on the beauty scene. Part concealer, part highlighter, it’s a “complexion enhancer,” as the brand describes it, that can be worn on its own, underneath a concealer, or atop of foundation. Formulated to bestow a lit-from-within glow to the wearer, it offers a lighter, dewier finish to the cakey concealer consistencies to which we’ve become accustomed. This sounded good to me, so I bought it without much of a second thought. Little did I know that Banana Lowlighter was about to become my favourite beauty product.
Upon receiving it, I instantly applied it to freshly cleansed skin. It was weightless, but as I swept it under my eyes, my dark circles melted away below a dewy finish. I’d finally achieved that no-makeup look I’d long coveted. So impressed was I that I went about my day without a scrimp of anything else on my face. Later, when FaceTiming my mum, the first thing she said to me was, “What have you used on your face? Your skin looks amazing!” I don’t mean to brag, but she wasn’t wrong—the effects of it were still apparent hours after application (no small feat considering I’m a serial face-toucher).
I wasn’t the only one who was impressed by the results of Banana Lowlighter. Lorna Luxe is one of the big influencer names that has since sworn their allegiance to the product. This potent blend of hype and performance turned Banana Lowlighter into a must-have overnight, causing it to sell out everywhere from Rodial itself to LookFantastic and Harvey Nichols.
“The Banana Lowlighter sales went crazy during lockdown. We sold out all of our stock for the year in one week,” reveals Rodial’s founder, Maria Hatzistefanis. “People love Banana Lowlighter, as it is a complexion enhancer and offers lights on certain areas of the skin. With everyone working from home, doing Zoom meetings, etc., this product is the ideal quick fix.” As Maria says, the product sold out in such unprecedented numbers across all its stockists. The demand for it is so high that Rodial had to create a waiting list for its customers—a list that now boasts over 5000 names.
Since it’s only available in one shade, I was curious to understand how Banana Lowlighter would work on different skin tones. Chynara Kojoeva, a makeup artist who has worked with the likes of Aimee Song and Poppy Delevingne, has tried Banana Lowligher on an array of skin tones, from light to deep, and explains how the results work on each one. “On fair skin with blue undertones, Banana Lowlighter will help colour-correct dark circles and eradicate dullness,” explains Kojoeva. “Apply a small amount under the eyes, focusing on the inner corner, as that’s where we tend to be darkest. You can also use it on your cheekbones and the bridge of the nose for a healthy glow. For anyone with warm or yellow undertones, it works as a second skin, creating the illusion of 12 hours of sleep. Not only will it brighten and give skin natural glow, but it also layers easily to cover pesky dark circles. If you have dark skin and need more coverage, it works wonders on top of a full-coverage concealer. You can apply it on top of your concealer or foundation to cheat your way to dewy skin.”
At a time when luminosity is the ultimate beauty buzzword, it seems like Rodial’s concealer/highlighter hybrid tapped into a market sweet spot that didn’t even exist before its creation. As for me, when Banana Lowlighter finally restocked (I have it on good authority it’ll be in the last two weeks of August), I’ll be buying my new favourite beauty product in bulk. Best add your name to that waiting list, too.
Next: 25 Instagram-famous beauty products that are actually worth the hype.
