Benefit Erase Paste – Some thoughts

Ever since Benefit Cosmetics came out with their new Erase Paste concealer I’d been wanting to try it. Is it really as good as they tout it to be?

Benefit says that it is a brightening concealer for the eyes and face. Some early reviews I’d read on it had nothing but good things to say about Erase Paste and what a wonderful godsend it was as a concealer, so naturally, when I saw it being sold here in Kuala Lumpur, I leapt at the chance to test it out.

Just to be clear about this. This is not a review of Benefit Cosmetic’s Erase Paste per se. It is just my thoughts about the product after having tested it at the counter.

Erase Paste comes in a little plastic pot. It is supposed to be a concealer for under eyes and has lightening properties. There are 3 shades available and I fall into the #1 Fair.

First off, the pot. It is really little and I did not like digging into the pot to get at the concealer. I find it unhygienic, which is why I suppose a little spatula is included. Thumbs up to Benefit Cosmetics for thinking of that! The plastic feels a bit light and cheap though which is a pity as the translucent purple is quite pretty.

The cream concealer however, feels very tacky and sticky to the touch. I found the only way I could spread it was to dab at it. Leaving it for a little while to warm up on your skin before dabbing at it helps a little to make it spread more easily. Some have found it too sticky and tacky but I did not think it overly so. Perhaps those would dry skin might find this one useful as opposed to those with oilier skin.
It seems to cover and conceal well and is water resistent. I tested it on my hands and went to wash them a short while later. The patch where I had tested the Erase Paste had water balling up like how water balls up on contact with wax. So, I reckon its a good thing as it won’t run on contact with sweat.

Unfortunately, for all my interest in Erase Paste, I had to pass on it, as I could not find a proper colour match. Shade #1 Fair was light enough, but I found the tone too pink. Shade #2 Medium was a little too dark for me. I thought I’d be able to pull the fair concealer off, but after walking around for a bit, I looked again at the patch where I’d tested Erase Paste, and found that I could still see a light salmon pink patch where it had been applied. I did not quite relish the reverse panda effect (light circles around the eyes).

I can imagine that this Erase Paste concealer would be a pretty decent cover up if you can find a colour match in the 3 shades available. I’m not sure that the light pink tone will suit many asian skin tones though. Erase Paste retails in Malaysia for RM129 or so and is available online at Benefit Cosmetics for US$26 (RM83). Gosh! The mark-up!