I am a makeup snob. I have stupidly high standards for cosmetic performance, and drugstore brands have let me down every single time I've given them a shot. So when I graduated from Covergirl to Sephora after college, I never looked back. My kit is full of Dior and YSL foundation, Armani concealer, Benefit brighteners, etc. I say this in order to grab the attention of my fellow makeup snobs: If you would never even consider Maybelline, this review is for you. Bloggers have raved about this product for a while, but I never bothered to check it out until a close friend and fellow product snob suggested it. Here are my findings: 1. It applies like the Armani Maestro Eraser liquid undereye concealer. This is very very essential, for those of us who hate the 5th hour cakiness of cream concealers but also hate the weak coverage and creasing of most liquid attempts. This eraser goes on with the Maestro's same thin liquid texture, without sinking into lines at all, and without losing opacity as you blend. 2. It is at least 50% more opaque than the Maestro. I was pretty stunned. Anything that can go on with that consistency but have noticeably better coverage is doubletake worthy imo. 3. The sponge applicator is better than you think. Firstly, it's antimicrobial, so you don't have to worry about the hygiene aspect. Secondly, its ability to blend the product is outstanding. I typically skip clumsy applicators like that, but with this, I do 80% of my application with that sponge tip, and then just finish with a good concealer brush to set it and blend out the edges. 4. It doubles as a highlighter. Every time I use this, I find myself seduced into just continuing the line of application from under my eyes out onto my cheekbones, brow bones, and nose bridge. A nice blending brush/sponge later, and there's this flawless highlight landscape to finish up, without settling badly into pores or caking up. 5. It sets beautifully with MUFE Micro HD powder and Shiseido translucent powder. It buffs out nicely, without chipping off into the brush. 6. It looks good without primer, which combined with its compact design and integrated applicator makes it an ideal purse dweller. 7. It worked on my thin but minimally wrinkled undereye area, and on my 60yo mother's more aged eye area. It's rare that I find a product that looks great on both our skin types, and I was impressed at how well it brightened her problem skin without caking or exacerbating the age marks. 8. It is lighter than you think, but cheap enough to test out different shades. 9. It lasts so much longer than you'd expect. I tested it on bare skin during a work-from-home day, just to see how the wear was, and was delighted to find it still working fairly well by the time I went to wash it off that night. I wore it again with a full face for a date night, and it looked flawless when I went to wash it off later. There are times when you don't want the totally opaque, nearly airbrushed look... but there are definitely times when you do. This eraser is now my official go-to product to pair with my Dior Airflash foundation, for those totally flawless skin look occasions. I could not recommend it higher, at very least as an experiment for the snobs among you.
