Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer Review + Comparison to NYX Concealer in a jar

Hello loves & new followers!

This is a review & comparison between the concealer I have been using lately, Maybelline Dream Mousse concealer, and the concealer I usually use, NYX Concealer in a jar. After an excellent review by Kalmo of Cambo Soup, I decided that I wanted to try out the Maybelline concealer!

Left: NYX Concealer in a jar (beige)
Right: Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer (medium)

This is the Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer.
The jar is bigger than the NYX, but there is a lot less product.

It's in a chubby little glass jar.

This is what it looks like. Looks really dark!


Compare it to NYX Concealer in a jar (beige)... this looks a bit lighter.
You get more product, but the jar is plastic.

Comparison swatches:
The NYX is considerably lighter. Both are yellow-based but NYX is cooler and lighter.
Maybelline goes on dark and NYX goes on light.

However, both blend in rather well. But you can still tell that NYX is slightly lighter and Maybelline is slightly darker. Both are still a good match for my skin tone though.

And here's some super EWW no concealer pictures... for the sake of being thorough and detailed... :( Gross makeup too. Sorry!

So yep, that's what my eyes look like with no concealer.Severe discoloration dark circles and bags/puffiness and fine lines.

My dark circles are really bad because since I was a kid, I would always rub my eyes! Allll the time for really long periods of time. All the time spent crying and losing sleep over stupid boys during my inter-HS days did not help either! :P So now my under eye area is permanently like this.


And here is my eye with the Maybelline concealer.

Overall, it covers really well with just one layer (still buildable though) and matches my skin tone. I swear it's not this cakey looking in real life! I think I over-sharpened this picture :P

Here is my eye with the NYX concealer.

It has sheerer coverage, but it is still buildable... needs several layers for the best coverage. It also shows up slightly lighter.


Here is another disgusting eye pic. Sorry!
Comparison:


As you can see, both end up settling into my fine lines after awhile, but that is inevitable for me, as my fine lines are pretty darn bad. Also, you can tell that the NYX is lighter and the Maybelline is a closer match for my skintone.

I did a full-review of the NYX Concealer in a jar here.
And here are my thoughts on the Maybelline Dream Mousse concealer:
Price: $6.97 from Walmart

What they say: Dream Mousse™ Concealer conceals with an amazing air-soft feel. Air-whipped mousse texture feels lightweight on skin and builds opacity for settle-free coverage. Completely covers dark circles, imperfections and redness. Blends and smoothes away imperfections instantly. Oil-Free, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, dermatologist tested, safe for sensitive skin.

What to do: Dot small amount of coverage onto flaw or imperfection or under eye. Pat with finger to blend.

What's in it: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Isododecane, Trimethylpentanediol/Adipac Acid/Isononanoic Acid Copolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tribehenin, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Methylmethacrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Phenoxyethanol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Methylparaben, BHT, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, May Contain (+/-):, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77499, CI 77492, CI 77491/Iron Oxides (Iron Oxides), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride)

COMPARISON TO NYX CONCEALER IN A JAR:

Maybelline Concealer The good stuff: • Relatively inexpensive • A little goes a long way • Lightweight, very comfy air-whipped texture • Easy to smooth on... I use my fingers • Buildable coverage • Nice and blendable, natural-looking • Relatively long-lasting... 5+ hours • Sturdy glass jar • Does not look cakey if you set with powder • Conceals my dark circles, redness and pimples very well The low-down: • Only 3 grams of product • Only 5 shades to choose from (3 light shades, 1 medium, 1 dark) • Gets cakey if you apply too much • Doesn't last on me by the end of the day • Settles into my fine lines after awhile

NYX Concealer The good stuff: • Relatively inexpensive • A little goes a long way • Creamy texture, not sticky or uncomfortable • Easy to apply... I use my ELF concealer brush • Buildable coverage • Nice and blendable, natural-looking • Relatively long-lasting... 5+ hours • 12 shades to choose from • 7 grams of product • Sturdy plastic jar • Does not look cakey if you set with powder • Conceals my dark circles, redness and pimples very well The low-down: • Contains mineral oil • Doesn't last on me by the end of the day • A little less coverage than the Maybelline Dream Mousse concealer • Somtimes you might need to warm it up before use • Settles into my fine lines after awhile

My take: Overall, I really like this cocnealer! I have been using it for about 2 weeks now (I still use the NYX concealer too though). I really like the light, whipped texture. It smooths on like silk and has great pigmentation that covers my redness and dark circles. Still, I like to layer it to get the desired coverage. Too many layers makes it look cakey though. I usually do 2, and then set it with powder. It is seemingly a better match for my skintone than the NYX one but I THINK I could still go one shade lighter. I kind of would rather have a lightened effect, but still, it matches my skintone once blended in. The coverage lasts pretty long but as with any concealer, it is pretty much gone by the end of the day. It also settles into my fine lines but like I mentioned, this is inevtiable for me. The little glass jar is very sturdy but deceiving. There is only 3 grams of product in the jar, even though it is bigger than the NYX one, which contains 7 grams of product. Overall though, for the price, this is a great concealer!

Would I repurchase/recommend?Yes, I would repurchase, and I would recommend this to anyone who wants an inexpensive, effective concealer to try! It probably will be better and more natural for those with minimal dark circles/blemishes, but it also proves that it can do a good job concealing even dark circles like mine! It also has not broken me out or otherwise irritated my skin.

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ELF Haul: Product Overviews & Swatches

Hey everyone! I just got my ELF order (from their free shipping special) in today and wanted to share some swatches and a little bit about the products and my thoughts on them. I was also supposed to get one of their new $1 lipsticks in "Seductive," but apparently this was sold out even though it went through when I made the order :(

Anywho, here is what I got:
Back to School Eyeshadow Set - Natural Shadows & Brush ($3),
Back to School Concealer Kit - Zit Zapper ($3),
and Studio Small Angled Brush ($3)

Shimmer Eyeliner Pencils ($1)

First off, the Shimmer Eyeliner Pencils. I mentioned that I was a little hesitant to try these because all of the ELF eyeliners I own smudge on me really quickly... I was betting on these being no different. But... they are just so pretty looking! So I decided to play guinea pig and order a bunch.

The caps have a built in sharpener, like their Studio Concealer Pencils. Very convenient. However, the cap doesn't really stay on that well... I find it pulls off a little TOO easily.


I like how the color of the pencil is pretty much the actual color of the liner.

These pencils are very, very smooth and easy to apply. However, it is because they are VERY VERY soft. That's why I'm a little wary about the cap being so flimsy because you can easily smush the tip, and it'll probably be hard to sharpen since it's so soft.

L-R:
Twinkle Teal, Gunmetal, Iconic Ivory, Plum Passion, Boldly Bronzed, Grassy Green

However, the colors really are quite beautiful in person. The swatches on the ELF website are actually pretty accurate, except for Grassy Green. On the website, Grassy Green looks like a really bright, kelly green. But it is actually a dark, forest green IRL. Still very pretty though.

So far, I have only tried the Grassy Green one. It did not show up on my waterline very well, but it did show up nicely on my lashline though. I've only been wearing it for a few hours, but smudging has been minimal so far. Will continue to test the rest of the colors and see how they do. On the ELF website, it shows these liners being used more like eyeshadows, applied over the entire eyelid. I think I'll try them like that instead of just liners and see how they do as an eyeshadow or shadow base instead.

This is one of their Back To School Eyeshadow Sets, the Natural Shadows set.

I really like the packaging, it's very cute, sleek, and sturdy. I love the little windows on the outside so you can see the shadows. The inside has a little mirror. The tiny brush is pretty much useless though.


The shadows look quite pretty, no? I love neutral, natural shades so I thought this would be perfect. There are 3 matte shades (top left, top right, bottom right) and 3 shimmery shades (top middle, bottom left, bottom middle).

However, I must say, these shadows kind of suck. I was pretty disappointed with this product. The shadows are super soft and buttery, but also SUPER powdery and chalky and majorly lacking in pigmentation. At first swipe, they look alright I guess...

...But after some furious swatching, this is all you get:

This took about 5 layers to get the color to show up this much. I know this is supposed to be a "Natural" set, but I still wish it packed more pigmentation. I've been much more satisfied with their $1 Brightening Eyeshadow Quads. Out of the 6 shades, I can only really use one -- the dark brown one. The rest of the shadows are too sheer and shimmery for my liking, so I can only use them as highlights.


Here is the Back to School Concealer Kit. I got this mainly to try the Zit Zapper. I had also been wanting to try a lighter shade of the Tone Correcting Concealer, so I figured I might as well get the whole set. I have not tried the Zit Zapper yet but I will be back with a review soon!

Here's swatches of the Tone Correcting Concealer in Light Beige. I think it's an alright match for my skin tone. Haven't tried it on my dark circles yet. I semi-hate how just about everything in the $1 line has that strong citrusy scent though. This concealer is especially scented.


Here is the Studio Small Angled Brush. I've been religiously using my Wet N Wild Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliner lately, using Sephora and Coastal Scents bent angled eyeliner brushes, which are starting to get caked up and stiff. So I decided I would try an angled liner brush instead. I didn't really expect it to be so "long," but it is super soft. Have not tried it yet but I hear good things about it so I hope I'll like it :)

I was mostly disappointed that I didn't get my lipstick though... :( Was really looking forward to trying that out. Oh well, next time...

Have you hauled anything from ELF recently?

NYX concealer in a jar review

I do believe I've found my HG concealer (for now?). This is definitely worth it for the price, quantity, and quality.

NYX concealer in a jar

Product description: NYX concealer jar provides long lasting and natural coverage of discolorations and imperfections without looking caked on or clumpy. Super-concentrated so just a little will do the job.

Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mineral Oil, BHT, Microcrystalline Wax, Nylon-66, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Silica, Butylparaben, Fragrance, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Ceresin, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/ Hexarosinate, Polyethylene, Sorbitan Sequioleate, Tocopheryl Acetate. MAY CONTAIN: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Chromium Oxide Greens, Ultramarines.

Pros: cute packaging, only $5, conceals dark cirlces pretty darn well (considering I have HORRIBLE dark circles!), a little bit goes on a long way, lots of product.

Cons: the jar isn't all too hygenic, contains mineral oil, isn't too smooth atm, has a slight smell.

What I thought about it: This concealer is the best I have ever used. I've read plenty of rave reviews about this so I decided to try it out for myself. It comes in a cute little glass jar (unhygenic to dip your fingers in, so use a brush). There's a lot of product in there and since you only need a little bit, it'll last a super long time. I only use about 4 dots under each eye to conceal my dark circles. Since mine are REALLY bad, this works relatively well to cover them. Setting the concealer with some powder does the trick. Since my product is still new, it doesn't go on quite smooth yet (I might need to warm it with a blow dryer first), but it is blendable enough. If you only use JUST ENOUGH to conceal imperfections, it won't look cakey, but I can tell that if you layer it on too much, it definitely will.

I have only used this to conceal my dark circles even out the skin tone on the bridge of my nose... NOT on blemishes or pimples. I'm a little wary to try that since it contains mineral oil which clogs your pores and can cause breakouts. However, I haven't had any skin irritation yet, so that's a good sign. It also has a slight perfumey smell, but it isn't unbearable imo. Also, the undertones in this concealer don't match my skin perfectly, but it's barely noticeable. It's available in 12 shades, 3 of which are color correctors (yellow, green, and lavender). I got "beige."

Avon look alert eye brightener review

So, I ordered this concealer pen from Avon and it came in on my birthday. I was debating between getting this one for $3.99 or the Anew one (for wrinkles and fine lines) for $8. I got this one. I've been using it for about 3 days... and it's nothing to brag about.

Avon Look Alert Eye Brightener

Product Description: Light-reflecting pearls appear to dispel dark circles, fade away fine lines and optically airbrush imperfections...visibly gives eyes a brighter outlook. Dot and blend Eye Brightener under eye, from inside corner out. Wear alone or under foundation. .04 oz. net wt.

Ingredients: click here for a list.

Pros: goes on smooth, blendable, relatively inexpensive, portable twist-pen design.

Cons: only comes in 4 shades with pink undertones (except for illuminating pearl), coverage is VERY sheer, does not cover dark circles very well on its own, the twist pen has problems, shimmer particles?

What I thought about it: Since it was pretty cheap, I wasn't too upset with the results. I haven't tried Avon's concealers before so this wasn't a good first product to try, I suppose. I like that it comes in a twist up pen which is easy to store and small enough to fit anywhere, but it has problems. After pre-use twisting, the product comes out. However, I've found that the next day I want to use it, the product dries up and you have to do a lot of twisting again. One twist gets nothing, until you get to 5 twists. Then A LOT of product comes out :( Too much; and there's no way of seeing how much is coming out up until that point. Then, you cap it, and the next day, the extra product has already dried up. So that's kind of a waste.

Coverage-wise, it is VERY sheer and cannot conceal dark circles by itself. Also, my skin tone doesn't quite match with the pink undertones (I've found that most of Avon's skin tone products are more pinkish than anything). However, the coverage is buildable and blendable, but applying too much ends up looking cakey. It worked best for me to pat and smooth on a thin layer to conceal as much as possible, then go over it with my EDM pressed powder... this works pretty well, but I'd rather have a concealer that covers better than this one without looking heavy or needing to set powder over it. Also, there are shimmer particles in this! I cannot decide if this is a good or bad thing. They don't show up too much around my eyes but when I swatched it on my hand, it was noticably glittery.

Benefit Erase Paste review

Although I've heard people rave about this concealer, it didn't impress me. In fact, it kind of disgusted me. I got a sample size of the medium color from my last order from Sephora and I was rather looking forward to using it. However, when I did use it, I was very, very, VERY, dissatisfied with it. I mean, it has its good points, but not many.

Product Description: What it is: A brightening camouflage for the eyes and face. What it does: Benefit Erase Paste is a concentrated, creamy, blendable concealer that instantly brightens and camouflages all-in-one. It has an innovative formula which makes sure signs of stress and fatigue are a thing of the past. These three brightening neutral shades give every gal correction perfection.

Pros: coverage can be built up from light to heavy (a little goes a long way), did seem to brighten undereye area a bit.

Cons: VERY thick, weird pinkish undertone (only 3 shades available: light, medium, deep), lots of rubbing/tugging to apply... it does NOT go on smooth and blendable, emphasized the dryness and fine lines around my eyes A LOT (dried to a powdery appearance).

What I thought about it: Although the coverage amount is definately something to be happy about, the application is not. My eye area already has enough fine lines and darkness and having to rub and tug this thick stuff around was not fun. It's just too damn thick to blend easily. Plus, even the medium tone did not match my skin tone well... yellow tones are better for me and better for concealing. This had a pinkish undertone. After smoothing it out the best I could, I noticed right away that the dryness around my eyes was very emphasized. It also settled into my fine lines after awhile and overall just looked gross. I will give that it did brighten my eye area, but I was not able to fully conceal my undereye circles because of the fact that I didn't want to have to apply more and have to rub and tug it around. However, this is a better spot concealer for pimples or red spots. I think people with minimal dark circles and without dry skin would probably fare better with this concealer. According to Benefit, this can also be used all over the face. However, I would not do this since it's so thick... it seems highly likely that it would clog your pores :X

edit/ I tried liberally applying some moisturizer around my eyes before applying the erase paste today, and it smoothed and blended a LITTLE better, but not much. The effect was still the same and it still dried to a powdery and dry appearance.

On another note, all of Benefit's products are hella expensive. Idk about their other products, but the tiny Erase Paste pot is NOT worth $26 imo unless this REALLY works well for you. Boi-ing is only $18, so I might try that one later on.

website:
http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/