The holidays are over, and I'm
now back to being the full-time struggling employee who never gets enough sleep
and is always hustling her way to work. Yep, that's me, embarrassingly. As
expected and always been, my under eyes are screaming murder as they get
gloomier and duskier every night that I'm lacking sleep. They've gotten to the
point that it's embarrassing to go out without makeup, seriously! But on
weekends when I'm allowing my pores to rest, foundation is something that I
tend to skip and so I can't help it but go out with my bare face. But all
thanks to my newly-discovered concealer, the ELF Maximum Coverage Concealer, I can now hide my imperfections even
without wearing a full makeup do.
When my parcel arrived and I saw
the product, I was initially impressed with the packaging. It looks so similar to
L'oreal Pro Matte Foundation but like a smaller version. Anyway, something
inside me hopped about like a bunny that I had to try it immediately.
The first time I used it, I was
surprised by the coverage. This product does a great job of covering my under
eyes and blemishes even without using color correctors. I mean, just keep this
product in your makeup kit and you may throw your CCs away. Just kidding! But
on a serious note, coverage wise, I even like this better than my LA Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer.
I mean, just look at these before and after photos of me. I hate to admit this but I kind of look like a different person with makeup, and I didn't even apply a foundation for this look! I just used one to two layers of concealer for my under eyes and blemishes then set my face with a translucent powder, then nothing more to the base!
This concealer also blends really
nicely even when layered. And since there were only two shade choices from the
shop where I bought it, I had to get the darker one available. I thought it
might be a tad darker than my skin tone but it turned out just a perfect match.
I got the shade Beige, in case you're wondering.
However, as I use this regularly,
there are certain things I'm noticing now that I didn't put much attention to
before. First, its finish is actually so dewy that setting powder must never be
skipped. If you're like me who skips powder on a daily basis, then prepare to feel
the oil as the heat gradually melts the product. Another downside is the
packaging, which I was very fond of, turned out to be a squishy mess of a container.
I've been very careful not to accidentally squeeze it and even put it in a safe
place, but even that makes it vulnerable to leakage. I mean, how annoying is it
that I can't even put the liquid back in and it’s just continuously coming out
even when I'm not doing anything to it? Seriously, ELF should step up their
packaging game and fix this issue because it's totally ruining what could have
been a good reputation for the brand.
There's nothing much more I can
say about this product. In the end, I still love it, and it has been added to
my list of HGs—considering both quality and quantity. So yep, I would recommend
this product to a friend IF she didn't mind some of the downsides it brings
along the ups.
VERDICT
PROS:
- Affordable (Bought for P160 or around $3)
- Easily blends
- Great coverage!
CONS:
- Not easily accessible in the Philippines (I've never seen this product from ELF stall at the malls. I had to get it from Shopee)
- Packaging causes leakage
- Finish is too dewy so you need to set especially if you're oily
RATING: 3.5 OUT OF 5.0 I mean I love this product but it could use some improvements. However, if you're looking for an excellent coverage concealer for such a cheap price, this product will be perfect for you. Just remember to set with powder and be extra careful when squeezing out the product.
