Review + Swatches: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer

From Left to Right: 160 Brightener, 120 Light, 130 Medium

One of my lovely friends (who's an extreme couponer) has been providing me with a lot of drugstore products for free. Some of them have been prize options for my giveaways, while others have been tested for review purposes. 

From Left to Right: 160 Brightener, 120 Light, 130 Medium

I decided not to give away the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealers* because I wanted to see if this product lives up to the hype. Alot of people have been raving about how well it conceals dark circles. Unfortunately, this product did not work for me.

First off, the shade range is very limited. The brightener shade in 160 and the light shade in 120 were too light for my NC30/35 skin tone. When I wore 160 underneath or over the medium shade in 130, the result looked ashy. Fortunately, 130 worked well alone for my skin tone. It did conceal my redness very well and my dark circles to some degree; however, my MAC Pro Longwear Concealer conceals my dark circles much better because it has a pinkish tint to it, which counteracts the purple & green tones of my dark circles. It is important to mention that Maybelline recommends applying the neutralizer shade in 150 underneath the concealer shade for "extreme dark circles." However, I don't have the neutralizer shade, so I can't comment on whether or not it helps with concealing "extreme dark circles."

From Left to Right: 120 Light, 130 Medium, 160 Brightener

The consistency of the product is not too thin and watery or too thick and heavy. It falls somewhere in the middle. It's creamy, but dries quick, while still giving me ample time to blend.

From Left to Right: 120 Light, 130 Medium, 160 Brightener

As for the packaging, I don't like sponge applicators in general because I find them to be unsanitary and difficult to clean. Maybelline claims that it is "protected with an anti-microbial system" and warns not to wash it, but to clean it with a "dry tissue only." Regardless, I still feel uncomfortable placing the applicator directly onto my skin. I prefer to touch the product with a clean finger and then apply it onto my skin. Even though I use this method, I still have concerns because the product gets soaked in the sponge, which causes a breeding ground for bacteria. Also, to get the product out, you have to twist the collar and when I first used this, it took about 15 turns before any product came out. Now, it only takes about 1-2 turns for the product to come out, thankfully.

The deal breaker for me was that it left an unflattering finish and it settled into my fine lines. (I made sure that my under eye area was fully moisturized and that the moisturizer was fully absorbed into my skin before applying the concealer. I also adjusted the amount that I applied and made sure to apply a light dusting of setting powder; however, it didn't make a difference in the finish.)

Bottom Line: If you don't have extreme dark circles and intend on using it to cover minor blemishes on the face, then this will be a great drugstore find. Unfortunately, it did not work well underneath my eyes. =(

Note: The Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer contains 6ml of product and is available at Ulta, Target and drugstore.com for around $8. 

*This post contains affiliate links. None of the products mentioned are sponsored by the company.