Erase paste? Miracle paste! (Benefit Erase-a-paste)

Member Name: mu_reviews4u

Product:	Benefit Erase-a-paste
Date:	03/02/09 (191 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use, Great concealing and brightening properties, Cute packaging.

Disadvantages: Only available in three shades, Stays tacky for a while.

Here I am writing another review for an undereye concealer. That says something in itself really; either my dark circles are incredibly bad or I'm just incredibly hard to please when it comes to these types of products. I think (and hope!) it's the latter since I always seem to find myself browsing through my local department stores trying to find a new concealer to test out - even if I'm happy enough with the one I'm wearing. Benefit's concealers - and products in generall really - never seem to let me down so I was more than happy to shell out the £18.50 or so for their newest concealer "Erase Paste".

Marketed as a 'brightening camouflage for eyes and face' this concentrated cream formula promises to 'flawlessly conceal and brighten dark circles, discolourations and imperfections'.
Benefit also claim that signs of 'stress and fatigue will be a thing of the past with this innovative formula' - Bold words for such a small pot so I was excited to give it a go.
The pot itself is small and bright pink with a purple screw top lid. Inside the lid there is a little plastic insert that helps keep the product air tight (a must have for creamy formulas like this). A small white spatula is also enclosed to remove product from the pot without having to use your fingers. All this is encased in a cute little lilac and peach box which includes a 'concealing and brightening' lesson folded into a small pamphlet...

~ Step 1 of said brightening lesson informs you on the best way to conceal your under eye circles, for both sheer and heavy coverage.
~ Step 2 teaches you how to camouflage those shadowy areas from the nose to the corners of the lip.
~ Step 3 quickly lets you know the best way to use "Erase Paste" as a spot / blemish concealer.
A nice little extra but nothing you wouldn't be able to work out yourself in my opinion :-)

To use I take a small amount of the concealer out with my concealer brush (I don't find the included spatula all that effective, but it works in a pinch) and dab it onto the back of my hand before warming up under clean fingertips and making four dots under each of my eye. I then use the brush to blend the dots together, gently, in a downwards motion until it disapears into the skin completely.
I find that it covers my dark circles effortlessly whilst the subtle brightening properties really do work well at reflecting the light away for the undereye area. It is quite thick and opaque but looks natural and smooth, which is always a bonus with heavy duty concealers!
To conceal spots I use my MAC #194 concealer brush (small with a synthetic pointed tip) to gently press the paste onto the 'top' of the pimple before smudging gently around the surrounding area to remove redness. It dissapears like magic for me!

Overall this is a miracle product for me! The only downside I have noticed in the few months I have been using it is that it stays 'tacky' for a while after application and so I have to set with a light, translucent powder or I risk smudging / moving it around on my face. But besides that I have no complaints!
The 4.40g pot lasts a while, regardless of how small it appears and it's a cute addition to my makeup bag :-)

Summary: Another A+ Benefit product!