The newest release from Almay is the Almay Clear Complexion Treatment + Concealer in Medium ($9.99 USD)- a dual action blemish fighter in a convenient 2-in-1 tube. Here we go!

The Packaging

I’m always a fan of efficient packaging- combining several products into one stick just means I’ve got one less thing to misplace, so I’m all for it!  This product has a translucent liquid-gel 1% salicylic acid blemish treatment on on end with a doe-foot applicator and a medicated (0.6% salicylic acid) stick concealer on the other end, so you can fight blemishes all day long.

Almay Clear Complexion Treatment + Concealer in Medium

Almay Clear Complexion Treatment + Concealer in Medium

Almay Clear Complexion Treatment + Concealer in Medium

Almay Clear Complexion Treatment + Concealer in Medium

The Treatment Gel

I’ve never really been a big fan of salicylic acid treatments- with SO many different active blemish fighting ingredients out there, I always just found salicylic acid to irritate my skin and never help the problem. However in most cases, those products were an all-over treatment.  This treatment gel is for spot treating, so it’s much less irritating and drying to your complexion because you’re putting it exactly where you want it. It also dries clear and matte, so it works fantastic under makeup or alone.  I found it helped a little bit to prevent emerging blemishes, but (as with most acne medications) with fully established blemishes it really provided no help at all.

Almay Clear Complexion Treatment End

Almay Clear Complexion Treatment End

Almay Clear Complexion Concealer End

The Concealer

Even though the shade “medium” was way too dark for me, I still tried to give it a fair chance (no matter how awful it looked) in terms of treatment ability, coverage and lasting power.  Unfortunately it didn’t do the best in all circumstances, mainly the lasting power. I found this concealer to wear off throughout the day, even when I set it with powder. I didn’t find it really did anything for my blemishes either when used alone.

Almay Clear Complexion Concealer End (Swatched)

Almay Clear Complexion Concealer End (Swatched)

Even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the concealer, if you’re a salicylic acid lover (think Neutrogena, Clean & Clear and Murad), then you’ll probably want to give this one a go and see if it works for you. Remember, acne treatments come in many different varieties, and what works for one person may not work for you.

Summary

• Price: $9.99 USD
• Availability: Drugstore.com
• Overall: Conveniently packaged- the treatment gel is good for under makeup or alone as a spot treatment, and I found it helped a little bit for blemishes just starting to appear. The concealer lacks staying power, but may be good for those who want to treat blemishes 24/7.
• Rating: B+