My Mom Is a Nurse, and She Swears by This Best-selling $9 Anti-aging Secret for Erasing Dark Circles

We travelers all have our beauty secrets — those go-to products that save our skin in a pinch, make us look alive before an early-morning start, or erase dark circles after a long flight. And when it comes to finding the best skincare to pack in our toiletry bags, we can always rely on nurses for solid recommendations. 

As a travel editor, I always trust intel from my mom — a nurse who works the grueling 12-hour graveyard shift and somehow comes away looking well-rested. She’s given me the best tips, including the most comfortable walking shoes she’s ever owned, and I’ve seen first-hand that she can cover up dark circles better than anyone I know. Her secret “go-to” as she calls it for erasing dark circles from long shifts comes down to one tiny product that costs less than $10: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer.

To buy: amazon.com, $9 (originally $11)

The tiny 0.2-ounce tube promises to hit the absolute trifecta of skincare: It’s anti-aging, brightening, and concealing. “And it’s only like $9 at Amazon!” My mom told me excitedly when she first recommended it to me. I was convinced to look into it, since I love a travel-size, multi-use product at an accessible price point.

The secret to the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer’s anti-aging effect is a combination of brightening ingredients like goji berry and haloxyl that are formulated specifically to fight those dark circles and fine lines and brighten the under-eye area — a godsend after a long shift or travel day that leaves you looking refreshed. Suitable for all skin types, it’s also vegan and made with no fragrance, meaning it’s a solid choice for those with sensitive skin, too.

With just a twist of the tube, the easy cushioned “eraser” applicator sweeps over the skin, and my moms says the liquid concealer “blends easily” for hassle-free application when she’s rushing out the door for work. She says it provides medium coverage that really does conceal, correct, and contour all at once, and coverage lasts up to 12 hours (in other words, all the way through a night shift). At the end of the night, she simply wipes off with her makeup remover.

To buy: amazon.com, $9 (originally $11)

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer comes in 18 shades, meaning there’s a wide range to choose from to match your skin tone. (There’s also a handy chart at Amazon to help you find your perfect color). Plus, the tiny tube is easy to slip into a carry-on, toiletry bag, belt bag — heck, even a pocket if you’re in a rush. There’s even an SPF version to consider if you’re headed to the beach or planning to spend time in the sun.

My mom is in good company in loving the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer. Over at Amazon, it has become the number one best-selling concealer and earned more than 84,100 five-star ratings — that’s seriously impressive. Other nurses were quick to recommend this concealer too, including one who raved, “This stuff is amazing. I work [the] night shift as a nurse so I always have dark circles under my eyes, but this concealer makes me look like I got a lot more sleep than I really did. Great coverage and an excellent price.”

And given how easy this concealer is to use on the go (no using your fingers necessary) it’s easy to see why avid travelers are also recommending this product at Amazon. One reviewer who gave this concealer five stars called it “the best drugstore concealer on the market,” vouching it “does not seem to clog pores” and is “great for travel and on-the-go touch-ups as you do not need to use fingers or any other tools to blend aside from the attached applicator.” Another who swears by the concealer for touch-ups called it a “must-have in my makeup bag for traveling.”

To buy: amazon.com, $9 (originally $11)

Could the secret to fighting dark circles really be this $9 anti-aging concealer? I trust the nurses and more than 84,000 shoppers at Amazon who swear that it is. Join me in picking up a tube of the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer to find out first-hand — I have a feeling it’s going to earn a permanent spot in my travel toiletry kit.

At the time of publishing, the price started at $9. 

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