Current Benefit Box O' Powders Review

This whole week has been impossible for posting! I'm so sorry for the lateness of every post this week, since the entire Christmas eve, day and boxing day week is over, everything should return to normal! :)


I like variety and I'm sure you do too which is why I've avoided posting about anymore Benefit products, Sigma Products, etc. Since I do tend to talk about my favourites and shift the focus away from other products. I've decided to do products which I do not like as well as products which I enjoy. So not only will my blog be letting people know which products are amazing but also which products are terrible! (Note: All of these are my own personal opinions!). :)

So I think it's been long enough: Benefit Box O' Powders review time!

I decided that instead of reviewing each powder box individually (which may take a while), I'm just going to review every single box which I own in one simple, easy post! Partly because of laziness and partly because I though you'd appreciate less reading. ;)

I'll do an in-depth version with swatches and examples in make up application later on, promise. :)

All of these powders were purchased from the official Benefit Website, individual links will be below every product review. Also, all Benefit Box O' Powders have a very light and pleasant scent to them (they're quite famous for their scents)!  

All the powders which I own.

I do not own every benefit product ever created, believe it or not ;) These are the only powders from Benefit which I have tried and tested! I hope this helps some of you, also: please leave suggestions in the comment section of any powders which you enjoy using so I can check them out! :)

Hope you enjoy the review. :)

Hoola.

I am washed out. Not as badly as some people but I am pale enough that bronzing is a definite part of my everyday make up routine. I actually get told that I look sick without bronzer. I've been through quite a few bronzers and this one has always been my fall-back. Kind of like a fail-proof product, this bronzer is perfect for most skin-tones. It's very blendable and is perfect at imitating the natural shadows of your face.


Hoola by Benefit was my first ever bronzing powder so there have been some good memories using this powder. It's a completely matte light brown colour with no orange undertones, so you won't look like a spray tan gone wrong. Hoola is a very well-known bronzer and a favourite product for a lot of people. I personally use Hoola daily for contouring my nose subtly but would lean towards a more deeper colour for intense contouring of the cheek bones!

Hoola retails for $28.00 USD, CLICK HERE to view the page I bought it from. I bought the Double the Powder! online exclusive pack for $34.00 USD which includes Hoola and Thrrrob, CLICK HERE to visit the site!

Hervana.

I bought Hervana simply because it's a matte blush colour and I don't have a lot of matte blushes. The blush looks amazing and very subtle on any skin type. It actually looks like you are not wearing any product on your cheeks at all and the colour is buildable. That being said, I would not use this blush if you are looking for a highly pigmented cheek colour!! It is incredibly natural, subtle colour which does make a slight difference to your natural look.

Hervana retails for $28.00 USD, you can CLICK HERE to view the page!

Sugarbomb.

Sugarbomb is a very warm, flushed type of cheek colour. It is a satin blush colour with buildable colour. The four colours are: soft plum, peach, pink and rose. They work well separately and together as a multi-coloured blush. I found that this blush complimented warmer skin tones well and can be used alone for a quick flush of colour on simple days out.

This blush retails for $28.00 USD and you can purchase it by CLICKING HERE!

Dandelion.

Dandelion is a big favourite of mine! It's a brightening face powder which you can use as a light pink blush or sweep over your entire face for an enchanting glow. This blush evens out blotchy skin tones and brings light into dark areas which allows your complexion to glow subtly. It is a satin type blush and has a light sweet scent which wont overpower any fragrance you choose to wear.

You can purchase Dandelion for $28.00 USD by CLICKING HERE.

Bella Bamba.

Bella Bamba is a highly pigmented, shimmer blush colour. I own the deluxe sample size of the blush and have only used it on a few occasions. I find the blush is intense on my skin tone and would better suit people with darker, olive skin tones. When I do apply it, I do it with a very light hand and that alone is more then enough blush for even my more dramatic looks! I keep this in my emergency make up kit in case I ever need a bold blush colour.

That being said, I've found that some people of all skin tones absolutely love this melon-coloured blush! It's just not for me, personally! :)

You can buy Bella Bamba (god that name is fun to say) by CLICKING HERE for $28.00 USD.

Thrrrob.

I got Thrrrob from buying the Double the Powder! online exclusive pack for $34.00 USD which includes Hoola and Thrrrob, CLICK HERE to view the offer. I ended up enjoying this blush because it's a lovely light pink colour with a larger amount of shimmer compared to the other blushes. This blush looks amazing when layered on top of other blushes to add more dimension to your cheek colour and highlight your cheekbones.

CLICK HERE to purchase Thrrrob individually for $28.00 USD.

The catchy phrases on the packaging give you a general idea of uses for the powders. ;)

TheBalm Hot Mama & Benefit Bella Bamba Blush!

I decided to include pictures of blushes I own and love to show how they compare with the Benefit versions. TheBalm's Hot Mama blush (very famous blush) is a warmer and lighter colour compared to the Bella Bamba by Benefit. Bella Bamba is a melon-pink colour which is highly pigmented whereas Hot Mama can be used for everyday make up looks for any occasion.

TheBalm Bahama Mama and Benefit Hoola Bronzers!

Bahama Mama is a much more dramatic, deeper, matte brown colour then Hoola. I would not use Bahama Mama to contour my nose (that would make me look angry - hahaha)! But I reach for the Bahama Mama for cheek contouring. Hoola is a subtle colour which can be used for any type of contouring (especially for natural looks). They are both great bronzers for my light-medium, yellow undertoned skin tone. They have no orange undertones and no shimmer!


I hope this review helped someone, much love to all my readers! :)



Stay Beautiful! xx

Benefit Cabana Glama Kit Review

Time for yet another Benefit product review (I swear I'm close to finishing!) ;)

I felt like a tropical kit that represented summer, beaches and nice sun-kissed colours so I bought the Cabana Glama Kit from Benefit cosmetics! It comes with a little informational pamphlet which shows you different ways to use the products (I've thrown this away so I couldn't take a photo of it, sorry)!

The kit has a strong magnetic closure system and it's small enough to fit into any handbag!

These are the products inside the kit, the kit also has a mirror.

As you can see, I've been using all the products fairly regularly because I find that the colours and products included in this kit are perfect for an everyday spring/summer look. I look at this kit and think of lazy summer days and exciting summer nights.

The small posietint is kept in my emergency make up travel bag in my car for last-minute make up looks/touch-ups. The Some Kind of Gorgeous is in the shade medium which is too dark for my skin tone but perfect for my little sister (so I always use it when I do her make up). I apply this cream foundation with a damp beauty blender and the finish is amazing (especially for dry skin types)! I am planning on buying the some kind of gorgeous in the shade "light" for myself after my current foundations finish and when the months get colder again.

There is a protective clear cover for the box.

There is a very considerably large amount of Hoola bronzer (definitely enough to contour your entire face for at least a month or more), to play around with! It's a good kit if you want to explore the look of this relatively well-known bronzer of yourself without buying the full-sized product. The brush is small and I don't use it at all, it stays stored in my spare brushes case.

Swatches of the satin eyeshadows. 

The eyeshadows are amazing but all satin colours with slight shimmer. They go on smoothly, blend easily, are crease-proof and do not budge once on your eyelid. The colours are versitile and can suit a variety of looks but to me, they are perfect for neutral make up looks.

I bought this kit from the Benefit website, it retails for $36.00 USD but I bought it on sale for $18.99 USD. CLICK HERE to visit the exact page I went to purchase this kit! I personally really enjoyed this kit but I had already owned most of the products in it. The stand out of this set was the foundation and the eyeshadows. Nonetheless, this kit would make an excellent gift for a person who is beginning to explore make up, wants to try out some popular Benefit products, or wants a summer kit full of make up essentials for neutral warm looks.  :)


Just an announcement! I've finally decided to develop a routine for my blog posts (because we all like guarantees) and am going to put out a blog post every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from now on! Please bookmark, favourite or subscribe to this blog! Much love to all of my readers! :)

I think this is a better alternative to having 100 posts in one night when I feel highly motivated and no motivation for the next few months! ;)


Stay Beautiful! xx

Benefit They're Real Mascara Review (with pictures on a real person)

I have always wanted the perfect long lashes which - in most cases - you need to just be born with. Unfortunately, due to my genetics, not only do I have small eyes compared to my face but I also have "spindly, spangly, weak lashes" (those were the exact words from my beautician - ever so eloquent). ;)

As a result of having tiny, spaced out, grow-straight-down, and overall-pathetic lashes; mascara and a eyelash curler are absolutely necessary for my everyday make up routine. So when Benefit released the they're real mascara, I was very excited. ;)

The Bottle - 8.5g of product inside!

The Famous Brush - designed to catch the longest and shortest of lashes!

I could rave on and on about this mascara but you can find all the details about that on the official Benefit website. This mascara retails for $23.00 USD and you can check it out by CLICKING HERE! :)

Here are some claims you can see on the site and on the packaging:
> 94% saw dramatic length & volume*
> 90% saw base-to-tip curl*
> 94% saw visible lift*
> 100% saw long-wearing results*
*Results observed in a consumer panel survey

What I'm going to do today is show you how the mascara works on ME (a real girl with no gift of naturally full or long lashes)! These pictures are all of my own eye and what the mascara does for me.

My natural eye - I just came out of the shower, I'm wearing no make up and my lashes were curled earlier on and some of the curl is still there so I didn't bother to re-curl. Also, the mascara claims to have a curling effect on lashes which I wanted to demonstrate as well!

After two coats of They're Real Mascara, can you see the curl?! *freaking out* Pretty amazing. The curling action does not work as well for thicker lashes because they tend to be heavier.

Then finally, I applied the mascara to the bottom lashes. :) The look is complete here.

Compare both eyes, can you tell which one has They're Real on it?

There is a thickening action of this mascara - see above. It's subtle on me but on someone more blessed with thicker lashes, I bet they'll look incredible! ;)

The main issue that is mentioned about this mascara is it's incredible difficulty to remove. Personally, I have not had any issues with removal but I do find that this mascara is definitely going to latch onto your lashes and never let go until you use a good eye make up remover. I'd even go as far as to say they're borderline waterproof (maybe water-resistant is more suited)! So I'll also let you all know how I remove this mascara after a whole day doing "work". CLICK HERE for the super quick tutorial I do!


In conclusion, the They're Real Mascara by Benefit does not work for me like it does for the model in the image and I do not get asked if I'm wearing false lashes since the results are not that dramatic. However, this mascara does intensify my lashes to give them an actual presence on my eye (when I don't wear mascara, my eyes are balder then a 50 year old man going through a mid-life crises). The mascara is quick drying (good for me and my sleeping in habits - although it may not suit everyone), very pigmented black, thickening, and the wand allows me to reach the hard to reach areas on my small eyes (really saying something here - you have no idea...). So far, this mascara is the best that I have tried but I completely intend on trying a few before settling down. ;)

Comment and let me know what mascaras you are loving at the moment (bonus points if they help "spangly" lashes like mine!) ;)


Stay Beautiful! xx

Benefit Finding Mr. Bright Kit Review

For the majority of the time, beauty kits/sets are good deals. You pay a bit to a lot more for the products which you want but the actual set will cost less then buying all the products separately. Which is why I love Benefit cosmetics so much. They had a large variety of kits (they're always releasing new kits) and when calculated separately they often tend to be excellent value (depending on the percentage of the products in the kit which you can personally use).

Presenting the Finding Mr. Bright Kit which retails for $36.00 USD (Benefit is currently having this on sale for only $27.99 USD, view it by CLICKING HERE)!

The cutest packaging: neon colours and a cute pun :)

Comes with a pamphlet detailing ways you can use the products included in the kit.

Firstly, isn't the packaging just the cutest thing in the world? *make up fangirl moment*
I adore the funny little not-so-subtle puns which Benefit often uses to market their products. It's cheeky and chic. The entire kit can fit easily inside your handbag but definitely too large for your wallet (even if it is a clutch!).

At the time that I bought this kit, I already had many of the products which were included inside it. I already owned the Posietint (full size) and the Highbeam (full size). I was never very interested in the girl meets pearl since trying the sample size (it's good but not "oh wow again, again!" type of good). However, I was very much interested in trying the famous Erase Paste!

So I bought the kit to try out the Erase Paste, to have more back ups of some of my favourites, because it was on sale, and for the packaging.

Inside.

The Erase Paste did not disappoint me! It is even more amazing then I had originally thought! It is salmon coloured (not too intense) which is perfect for the undereye as the salmon/pink undertones will cancel out the blue/grey undereye bags. The deluxe sample size which comes in the kit is huge. The sample size included in this kit is 3.2g and the full size Erase Paste is 4.4g. That's a difference of 1.2g, and the sample size will definitely last around 4-6 months if used for undereye concealing!

You can purchase the full size Erase Paste for $26.00 USD by CLICKING HERE. I am actually very glad I purchased the Finding Mr. Bright kit. It's incredible value and would suit any person (good christmas gift too!) as there should be at least one thing in the kit which they will enjoy. :)

As with all Benefit packaging, the inside can be removed and you can use the box as a storage container. :)

Stay Beautiful! xx

Benefit Benetint Review

Onto my first favourite tint when I was starting out with lip and cheek stains: Benetint.

Packaging, it's quite a decent sized box!

Lip colour does not last on me.

I'm not entirely sure why but I guess it's because many lip products feel too heavy and/or drying on my lips which causes it to rub off easily. So the idea of a lip tint or a lip stain seemed like heaven. Kissproof, waterproof, and smudgeproof lip colour? Give it to me now!

Snow white red lips! <3

As you can see from the photo I took, Benetint is a lot more liquid then the Posietint or the Cha Cha Tint from Benefit. So here's a quick review about the Benetint. It retails for $29.00 USD from the official Benefit website (CLICK HERE to visit it in a new window). This is the full-sized bottle and I'm still trying to finish off my deluxe sample sized bottle. A deluxe sample sized bottle can easily last me 4-6 months when used daily as both a cheek and lip colour. Needless to say, a full-sized bottle is going to last me for a long time!

Some people may wonder why you would want more then one cheek tint. I usually apply Posietint to the apples of my cheeks and blend up following my cheekbones. Benetint (being a deeper rose red colour) can act as a contour to the blush which will add more dimension to your face. NOTE: this does not I apply it to wear I apply my bronzer. I use Benetint to add dimension to my blush colour! You can achieve this by applying the Benetint close to the hairline and where you ended the Posietint and blending/patting quickly towards the apples of the cheeks. *sigh* this is hard to explain, just understand! ;)

The colour can definitely be layered to increase the intensity/pigmentation of your lips and/ or cheeks. Just some warnings about this product: since it is incredibly - undeniably - liquid, it will soak into your skin very quickly so make sure you blend quickly! You'll get better when you get more practice using it (it was my first ever tint and now I feel like I can handle any tint in the world!). Also, like most lip tints, Benetint is very drying so make sure your lips are well exfoliated, hydrated with a balm before and covered with a balm/moisturising gloss after the stain sinks into your lips! You'll thank you later! :P


Stay Beautiful! xx

Another Benefit Order Arrived!

[Super Short Entry] - Update! :)

This is the absolute best thing to come home to after a long day at work! :)

And now for my updated Benefit Cosmetics collection:

I'm officially done with my Benefit collection as there's not really much else that I want from the brand! I shall now begin to obsess over another brand... Just wondering what it will be! ;)

Stay Beautiful! xx

Benefit Posietint Review

Let me start by showing you all my current Benefit Cosmetic collection:

To date: 29/11/2012!

I am currently awaiting another order to arrive from Benefit (should be within the next few days but shipping is very unpredictable during Christmas season - to be expected of course!). I will post a picture of that when it arrives here. :)

CLICK HERE to visit the official Benefit Cosmetics website (free shipping for orders over $125 AUD, free samples, legitimate, promotional offers, a lot cheaper then buying in Australia)!

The boxes/anything still in it's packaging are back-ups. I'm a bit of a hoarder when it comes to make up. But I'm sure you're worse, and that's okay with me. :)

Benefit Cosmetics - being one of my holy grail brands - contains a lot of products I use in my daily routine.

Benefit's PosieTint - Lip and Cheek Stain ($29.00 USD).

Bright blue-toned pink lip and cheek stain.

As you can see the applicator and bottle and similar and design and style as the High Beam by Benefit. However, the bottle is more plastic and not glass like the High Beam is. The pink works well on my skin tone when applied to my cheeks (I'm a light-medium, yellow-toned colour) but not so much on my lips unless I blend/mix it with some other lip products.

I love using stains on my cheeks because you can intensify the colour with a powder or even a cream blush and if that rubs off, the stain will remain on the cheek for hours to come! It works by being absorbed into the most superficial layer of the skin (easily exfoliated off during make up removal)!

A swatch of the Posietint once dried and blended out.

It is easy to blend out and control the colour intensity of the cheek tint once you become familiar with practice using the tint. It can be as pigmented and as subtle as you want. A bottle will definitely last you more than a year even if used daily, you only need two drops to be honest!

I definitely recommend this tint, it works well on most skin tones, easily blendable, will last a long time even if used daily, and looks amazingly natural in any lighting. It has a matte finish and can be layered with other types of blushes for different looks!

Stay Beautiful! xx

Benefit High Beam Review

I have so many highlighters and illuminators, it's becoming ridiculous. I think there's something inside every girl/guy/person which is attracted to all things shiny. Please tell me you're the same - I need people to be as dysfunctional as myself when it comes to this.

Anyways, I'm pretty sure one of the very first times I have ever tried a highlighter was with the Benefit High Beam ($26 USD). 

Ta-Da! ;)

I remember one of my best friends had it and I was trying some out in her dark bedroom (sounds pretty creepy right?), I - obviously with the lack of light - didn't see any difference and proceeded to go out the entire day with highlighter only on one cheekbone! Talk about the ultimate lop-sided face!


Anyways, remember how I mentioned TheBalm is one of my holy grail cosmetic brands? Well Benefit is another, I love the scents, style, and advertising. A+ Benefit, you passed the test!

I buy all my benefit cosmetics from the official Benefit cosmetics website! There are imitation Benefit cosmetics (*sigh* whyyyyyy?), it's a lot cheaper than buying from Myers or David Jones (although you should visit to try out the colours, textures, etc. before buying a product), and the site has free samples, heaps of promotions and free shipping for orders over $125 USD. What more could you want?

CLICK HERE to visit the official Benefit website!

The Applicator.

The High Beam is a pink undertoned, hydrating, liquid highlighter which uses a nail polish applicator. The bottle is just larger than the size of the average full-sized nail polish bottle. This highlighter will not budge so blend it in quickly before it dries! It will last all night, through any weather - an I live in Australian weather and go out a lot so that's really saying something!

Notice: The faint pink undertone.

The result after a bit of rough blending, I waited too long and it has mostly dried. I literally rubbed it with a dry towel and it didn't budge a bit. As I'm typing, I keep glancing at my shiny hand... Ohh ~

Personally, I wouldn't use this highlighter (at least not very much of it) for everyday casual wear. However, in photos and on nights out, it looks incredible. Like your skin is glowing from withing. I have light yellow-undertoned skin and even I have received compliments whilst wearing this highlighter.


Stay Beautiful! xx