Review: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind "The Eraser" Treatment Makeup

Hands down, this is the most difficult product review I've ever had to write. I've been using this product for seven days straight now, and I STILL don't know exactly how I feel about it. So let me just explain to you my experience and hopefully you can figure out whether or not you think this product might work for you (warning: this is a long and rather detailed review so if you're looking for a quick "pros and cons" review, you've come to the wrong place because I just simply can't break it down like that).

If you saw my "Drugstore Sightings" post from a few weeks back, you know that I was very excited when I saw this new display at my local Walgreens:

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind The Eraser Treatment Makeup SPF 18

Available in twelve shades (plus one primer--the white tube on the far right in the above pic), the "twist" to this new foundation is the applicator, which is the fuzzy little head at the top of the bottle. I HAD to get one!

I purchased 130 Buff Beige (retail: $12.99 at Walgreens), which is the second-to-lightest shade in the range, and turns out it's a pretty good match for my NC20 skin.

Here are some close-up shots of the applicator:

I tried very hard to capture the texture of the applicator but let me just tell you that it's probably my favorite thing about this foundation. It's SUPER soft and fuzzy and it's very padded so no matter how much pressure you apply to your face, it's not going to feel sharp or hurt--it's just nice and soft. For those of you who might be scared that "fuzzy" means you run the risk of this depositing little bits of fuzz on your face, rest assured that this does NOT shed at ALL. It's extremely clean. In fact, the label states that it's a special anti-microbial applicator and it should NOT be cleaned with water--you simply wipe it with a DRY tissue if you need to remove any excess product from the applicator.

Here's a shot of the inside label:

As with your standard click-pen lipgloss (think Stila or e.l.f.) you need to give this foundation several twists (clicks) before the product starts to make its way through the applicator. But unlike a lipgloss pen, you cannot see when this product starts to make its way to the top. In other words, I had no idea that the product was ALMOST about to appear, so I kept on clicking away and accidentally clicked a LARGE amount out of the applicator for my very first use. Great.

Anyway, I couldn't wait to start applying this to my face so I started to gently rub it on...and rub...and rub...and boy I used WAY too much because this thing was slipping and sliding all over the place. I finally decided to wash it all off and start again because it was just ridiculous. So be warned--do NOT overclick (although I have no way of telling when it's time to stop clicking because you cannot see it coming!).

Take two: I clicked TWICE and that seemed like a good amount of product on the applicator. I started rubbing gently and noticed that the foundation is light in both texture and coverage. During application, this feels very much like a tinted moisturizer to me (it's got that same weightless quality). For something called "The Eraser" I guess I was hoping that it would instantly cover all my imperfections, but that's not the case (at least for me). For any of you hoping that this might take the place of your current concealer and foundation, I'm afraid to have to tell you that you will most definitely still need to use concealer before using this product (unless you never used concealer in the first place, in which case you have flawless skin and I don't think I want to know you. Just kiddin'!).

A picture's worth a thousand words, so I'm now going to show you a VERY scary shot of the skin on my cheek area (including the under-eye area and closer to my nose) so that you can see what my skin looks like without any makeup at all:

As you can see, I have old acne scars on my skin, dark under-eye circles, a few wrinkles under my eyes (hey, I'm 39!) and like a lot of you, enlarged pores on the skin closest to my nose. NOT a pretty picture, indeed.

Here is what that area looked like immediately after applying The Eraser (no concealer was used before-hand):

As you can see, it DID cover up some of the redness, and it filled in my pores, which I LOVE. But as for the dark circles, not even close to being "erased". Nor were the wrinkles, but I never really had high hopes for that.

Something VERY important that I want to tell you at this point is that The Eraser's applicator makes it so you really do NOT EVER have to use your fingers, a foundation brush, sponge, ANYTHING to further blend this product once you apply it. I literally could apply this and blend, blend, blend to my heart's content with the applicator without ever having to use my finger for additional blending. For that, The Eraser ROCKS.

But because of my oily skin, I could not walk out of the house wearing just The Eraser. For me, an application of powder afterward is a necessity. I really wish Maybelline had included a new Instant Age Rewind setting powder to go along with this foundation because it REALLY needs it. And here's why:

Do you see the improvement of my pores in this pic? That's because I used a light dusting of one of my current favorite powders, Palladio Rice Powder in "Natural" which is a yellow-hued, finely-milled powder that really does a great job of locking everything in place. Plus it minimizes pores and keeps my skin shine-free for hours without giving my skin a cakey makeup look or feel to it. But again, I would love to see what Maybelline could come up with had they chosen to release an accompanying powder in this new line.

So after wearing The Eraser with my Palladio powder, I knew I had to try with a good application of concealer beforehand. I currently use Maybelline's SuperStay concealer, which I love (review to come) and that made QUITE the different. I could conceal my dark circles, old acne scars and general redness so that I could focus on what The Eraser brings to the table (which is not a deep concealing of skin flaws).

What The Eraser DOES is bring a lightness and consistency to my skin. It's got sheer to medium coverage on its own, which could be a deal-breaker for those who prefer full coverage. BUT, I need to tell you that for what it is, this is a very nice foundation. After seven days of use, I can tell you that it gives the skin a sort of soft-focus prettiness. Things look softer when you wear this, and it does not settle into fine lines. More mature skin will appreciate that this foundation won't give you that cakey look (don't you hate it when foundation seems to FIND your flaws and camp out there?).

Also, I want to talk about the "Treatment" part of this foundation, which I think is just stellar. After one hour of wearing this, I happened to touch my face and was BLOWN AWAY but how SOFT it felt. As the day progressed, it was as if my skin had turned to silk, which is something I've never experienced with any other foundation. It actually feels like this foundation is improving the texture of my skin, which is a little mind-blowing. I attribute this to the "concentrated formula of goji berry + collagen" which, after seven days, seem to be working wonders on my dry, winter skin. I find myself actually looking forward to the feeling of having this foundation on, because it's feather-light and it truly makes my skin much softer than before I applied it. And that soft feeling intensifies for me the longer I wear it.

So for whom do I think this foundation would be a perfect fit? I'd say that if you have mature skin and you already have a good concealer that works to cover up any major skin flaws, you should try The Eraser. I think you might be quite impressed with the softness and brightness this can give you face, and with a light dusting of powder, this foundation did not fade or change color throughout the day.

For those of you with younger skin, I think you will love this foundation as well, if you are already accostumed to wearing tinted moisturizers or foundations that have a feather-light feel to them. Plus the SPF 18 is always a great, added bonus.

Regardless of your skin needs, I can recommend this foundation for one thing: the "Treatment" part of it. It really is amazing and you will probably be surprised at how soft your skin feels after wearing this for a little while. That is really the thing that I can't seem get over--it's amazing what this does for my skin.

But for those of you who require full coverage, that's where I'm conflicted. I am a full-coverage kind of girl, and because this doesn't instantly "erase" everything that needs to be erased on my face, I can't tell you that you will love this. I tried building for more coverage but it was a dicey process because the more you rub on, the greater the chance that it DOES become cakey. I found that when I laid it on thick, this foundation sat in little puddles in my pores. Not a good look.

So the trick with The Eraser is to use the smallest amount possible (which is actually recommended right on the label) and blend like crazy. If you already have a good concealer and powder, then by all means I think it's worth giving this product a try--especially if you prefer a very light, feather-like quality to your foundations.

I hope this helps some of you better determine whether or not you'd consider giving The Eraser a shot. I know I'm not definitively saying "Yes!" or "No!" but if you've already a fan of my blog, you know it's just not that simple for me to do. Especially with something as personal as foundation. :)