little white truths

 

Over the next few weeks I'm keen to go through all my draft posts and work out which ones have photos worth saving and which don't, and this is one that I can save.

As you may know, there have been many changes since I started this blog - from updating the template to (finally) buying a new computer and acquiring my husband's old iPhone (which has a much better camera than the old iPhone 3-something I was previously using) - and that's not to mention how much things have changed in terms of eg the style of photos I've been taking.

Anyhoo. That's a round-a-bout way of saying that the above and below photos are old ones (so please do excuse them), while the swatches are all new. Since the swatches of a coloured product are the most important thing - and since I can't re-shoot the ones of the product itself because my concealer has become battered and bruised with age - I thought I would go ahead and write this review anyway.

The Maybelline FitMe Concealer: a product that's been well-loved in the beauty community for years and one that's taken me some time to learn how to use on my dry, over-thirty eye area. More on that in a sec.

Maybelline claims/product details:

• FitMe skin-merging pigments and translucent primer base ensure comfortable wear, for the most breathable fit
• Weightless formula and micro-fine pigments blend 100% with your complexion, creating a natural and flawless appearance
• Containing sunscreen and comprising Maybelline's biggest shade offering, FitMe makes it easier to find your number, find your fit
• Oil-free formula conceals redness, flaws and blemishes
• Matches all skintones
• Dermatologist and ophthalmologist tested
• Non-comedogenic
• Fragrance-free
• To use: dot concealer onto imperfections or under the eyes; pat with a finger to blend
• RRP $14.95 AUD but do shop around

I've applied a stripe of the concealer above (left) and then blended it out on the right, photo taken in natural light (indoors).

Note that this particular shade looks like it has a peachy beige undertone in the packaging but it looks very orange when first applied to the skin. Thankfully the orange does die down once you blend it out and the shade isn't a bad match for my light/medium to medium colouring.

There we are again below, indirect sunlight (indoors):

Last shot, indirect sunlight (outdoors); you can see it looks a little drying here:

I have however discovered that the best time for me to use this product is in the warmer months, when my skin's more tanned and I need less coverage (because my skintone is closer to the shade of my dark circles than it is in the cooler months, which I suspect is the case for a lot of people).

It's also best for the warmer months because my skin isn't so dry and I'm more likely to have a slightly greasy finish on my face - whether from the sunscreen content in my day-cream or my tinted moisturiser - because this concealer doesn't play well with my dry, dehydrated skin in the cooler months and it's one that's best-avoided on dry skin days, or at least it is for me.

You'll see above that the concealer does settle into fine lines on my hands, so that's something to be aware of if lines are an issue for you. It doesn't look quite so bad on my face as it does on my hand, but I do need to set it immediately with a powder after use to head-off any creasing at the pass, and even then I've had issues with the product settling into lines throughout the day. This is another reason why I prefer to use this in the warmer months, when lines are less of a problem for me because my skin is more hydrated.

I've also found that this product doesn't play well with pores, so on me it either skips over them (making them more visible) or pools inside them (also making them more visible). This means I need to keep the product away from the pores on my cheekbones, which isn't so easy to do because of course they're directly below my eye area and I often have pore issues when using this product, so it's not one I'll reach for when I need to look my best.

Another thing to note is that, more than any other concealer I'm using at the moment, this one doesn't respond well when you put something over the top of it. What I'm getting at here is, for example, things like sunscreen, some facial sprays or stock-standard moisturisers - all of which I often apply over my makeup to keep my skin hydrated throughout the day and/or boost my sun protection. 

What this product has a tendency to do is 'melt' or 'lift' when you put something over it: and I'm facing this issue as we speak because I've just reapplied sunscreen before walking to childcare to collect my daughter, and while the rest of my makeup has held fast, this one has lifted and separated, making it visible on the skin. Thank goodness I have big sunglasses.

The other thing to note is that I have four different concealer formulas open at the moment and this one offers the least coverage of them all (the others being the aforementioned Maybelline Instant Age Rewind, the Bodyography one that's on my Project Pan list and my HG Bare Minerals Serum Concealer, which I'm yet to review). 

I can say this for sure because I'm currently sporting a frightfully large black eye - courtesy of walking into a wall-corner during one of those hazy nights spent cluster-feeding my son - and this concealer has done very little for it. When combined with my Becca corrector, each of the three others has rendered it almost unnoticeable, but not this. Thank goodness for big sunglasses again.

So in sum, I don't think this is a bad concealer but it's not the best I own and I'm not sure I would buy it again. Admittedly I do want to try it in the shade 020 Medium because I think that would be a better match for me (and perhaps may even offer more coverage), but I'm yet to find that shade when I've gone into the chemist during one of those big makeup sales because it's always sold out.

So unfortunately this product isn't as good as I'd hoped it would be and it doesn't suit my needs - but if you're after a decent budget concealer and you have normal/combination/oily skin (without crater pores or fine lines), then this might be a good pick.

Ok.