Hey doll hey. How are you today? Good I hope. I’m having an OK Fibromyalgia day… low pain day and have a few spoons left.
Today I will be reviewing the full line (minus a lip product) of Benefit Cosmetics. I decided to do just 1 post today because I’m running low on spoons and this makeup day has put me in a bad mood…. Spoiler ….. I truly hated applying makeup today… read on and you’ll understand why….
BASE: I primed my face using the Benefit The POREfessional Hydrating Primer ($13 for the mini on their website). I didn’t color correct so that I could test out the concealer to see how well it covered. I concealed using the Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer ($13 for the mini on their website) in the color No. 5. I purchased 2 foundations to try so today I chose Benefit Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation ($10 for the mini on their website) in the color 4 Medium Neutral. I set my full face using the Benefit Hello Happy Velvet Powder Foundation ($30 on their website) in the color 4 Medium Neutral. I bronzed using the Benefit Hoola Bronzer (it came as part of a trio for $30 on the Beautylish website).
EYES: I primed my eyes with Tarte Shape Tape ($25 at Ulta) in the color Light-Medium Honey. I set the Shape Tape with Wet n Wild Color Icon ($.99 at Walgreens) in the color Brulee. I started to try and do an eye look with the Benefit Vanity Flare Nude Eyeshadow Palette ($34 on the Beautylish website) but it was just a horrible mess, so I took off my makeup and started again…. I pulled in my Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics Palette ($25 on their webstie and at Nordstrom Rack) and after priming and setting the primer with Brulee …AGAIN …. I used, from the Urban Decay Palette, Faith (a mid-toned grey based brown matte) as my transition shade. I used, from the same palette, Lockout (a slightly deeper grey based brown matte) for my crease color. on my lid I used, from the Benefit Vanity Flare Palette, Shimmering Nude (a deep champagne gold shimmer). I deepened the outer v with with Black Jack (a dusty black matte, from the Urban Decay Palette). Along my lower lash line I used Extra Bitter (a burnt orange matte, from the Urban Decay Palette) and I then took what was left on the brush into my transition shade to warm it up a bit. I defined the lower lash line by using the color Faith again. I highlighted my inner corners with Satiny Heather (a pale pink shimmer, from the Vanity Flare Palette). I lined my water line with BH Cosmetics Power Pencil ($8 on the BH Cosmetics Website) in the color Beige. I did a wing liner using the Benefit Roller Liner Liquid Eyeliner ($12 for the mini on their website) in the color Brown. For my brows I used the Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil ($14 for the mini on their website) and Gimme Brow Gel ($14 for the mini on their website) in the color 4.5 Neutral Deep Brown. I carved out my brow line with BH Studio Pro Brow Highlighter ($5 on the BH Cosmetics website) on the matte side. I set the brow line with Wet n Wild Color Icon ($.99 at Walgreens) in the color Sugar. For mascara I am using the Benefit Roller Lash mascara ($13 on their website).
CHEEKS and LIPS: On the cheeks I am using, from the Babe on Board face palette ($30 on the Beautylish website … it is limited edition), Rockabye (a mid-toned Coral satin). I highlighted my cheek bones, tops of the brow bone, and cupid’s bow with Dandelion Twinkle (a pale champagne). I didn’t like any of the lip selections through Benefit so to line my lips I chose NYX Suede Matte Lip Liner ($4 at Ulta) in Whipped Caviar and then filled in my lips using ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip ($7 on their website) in the color Gingham (a mid-toned true Coral).
Hold on to you seats dolls … I have plenty to say about this Benefit purchase ….. so here we go.
The Review….
Benefit The POREfessional Hydrating Primer: B This primer is billed as being a primer that moisturizes and refreshes skin, as having a natural finish, and as being able to minimize the look of pores and fine lines. You get .75 fluid ounces for the full sized and .25 fluid ounces for the mini sized. There is nothing special about this primer. It did nothing to minimize my pores or my fine lines. It did not feel moisturizing at all. It’s a tacky primer that grips on to foundation, but does nothing it claims to do. It’s just an OK primer. I’ll finish using it but I will not be repurchasing it.
Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer: C It’s billed as being a lightweight, 24 hour long wearing concealer that doesn’t cake up. It comes in 12 shades, 4 of which are for darker skin. You get .17 fluid ounces for the full sized and .1 fluid ounces for the mini sized. The color I chose is spot on perfect for my complexion… but you should only use the smallest amount possible. I used a bit too much and had to blot it away. It did not cover my under eyes well at all… you can still see the dark circles under my eyes. It does emphasize the fine lines but did not look cakey… it just looks dry and dull …. there is nothing special about this concealer. I’ll use up what is left of this concealer but it’s a hard pass for me … I will not be repurchasing it.
Benefit Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation: D It’s billed as being a light medium coverage, that blurs imperfections and has a natural matte finish. You get 1 fluid ounce in the full sized bottle and .2 fluid ounces in the mini sized bottle. This foundation comes in 12 shades with 5 shades for deep skin. The shade I purchased was billed as being medium neutral but has way too much yellow undertone in it. This foundation emphasized every pore I have. It also clung to dry patches I didn’t know I had. It went on patchy and streaky and took forever to buff in. It didn’t look good at all … that is until I powdered and used setting spray… then it looked half way OK. I wont be using up the mini I bought I threw it out and definitely will never repurchase this foundation.
Benefit Hello Happy Velvet Powder Foundation: B+ It’s billed as being lightweight and breathable and having a natural matte finish. You get .25 ounces of product. It comes in 12 shades, 5 shades for deep skin. It’s finely milled and creamy. It gives a descent amount of coverage and in the color I purchased was said to be neutral medium in color … it was a perfect match. It is a good finishing powder… I don’t think it’s a good foundation powder, but it works as a finishing powder. I will use it up but may not be repurchasing it.
Benefit Babe on Board Face Palette: A- This is a limited edition face palette offered on Beautylish’s website. It comes with a Hoola bronzer (it seems to be a bit lighter than the one I have in the box version) a blush in the color Rockabye (Beautylish says it is a warm rose with a natural finish, however it’s more like a true mid-toned coral with a satin finish) and a highlighter in the color Dandelion Twinkle (Beautylish describes it as a nude pink with a shimmer finish, it’s more of a pale champagne with a slight pink shift). This is a descent face palette. It gets an A- because there is glitter in the highlighter … I didn’t give it a lower score because of the glitter because the glitter seems to dissipate with wear so it doesn’t bother me as much as other highlighters with glitter do. I really like this palette and this is the first Benefit blush I have tried and I love the finish of it. I am definitely picking up a few more blushes. I will not be able to repurchase this as it is a limited edition palette.
Benefit Vanity Flare Nude Eyeshadow Palette: F!!!!! This was the worst palette I have ever tried in my life…. no that’s not hyperbole …. that is straight up fact. There is no pigment to these shadows … the mattes are not mattes they are satins and the satins are not satins they are shimmer … I tried to make this palette work, really I did, but after 6 layers of the mid-toned colors with no color payoff at all I got fed up and washed my makeup off and started over. When you apply the darker shades to the crease and transition you don’t get color you just get this weird shimmery mess that picks up on every little spot of dry skin on your eyes. The kick back is terrible with this the pan was covered in shadow… and the fallout is just as bad …. this is just a hot mess… I know that Benefit has other shadows but after this experience I am hard pressed to not even attempt to purchase another eye palette…. it’s a definite hard pass for me. I’ll be using it in tomorrow’s Full Face of Benefit, only because I still need to test out the other foundation I purchased… then I am tossing it straight into the trash…. to bad I had already tossed the uni-carton or I would have returned this palette to Beautylish.
Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil: A+++!!! It is billed as having natural looking hair like strokes that lasts for 12 hours. It comes in 12 shades. You get .002 ounces for the full sized and .001 ounces for the mini sized. After trying the eye shadow palette I was deflated and getting moody and really starting to hate this brand. This pencil is heaven! HEAVEN I SAY!!!! I was able to block my eye brows out fast and without skipping or having to retrace my lines. I was able to fill in my bald spots without having the pencil pull at my brow hairs. The color is a perfect match for me and I think this is the best my brows have ever looked. I am so happy I purchased this product. It went a long way to helping my mood about doing my makeup today improve. This product didn’t bead up on my skin, it didn’t smear, it didn’t yank at my hairs, It didn’t get crumbly around the hairs that are growing back…. I love this brow pencil. I am so going to use this product up and I am most definitely repurchasing this in bulk.
Benefit Gimme Brow Gel: A++ This product is billed as a brow tint that volumizes and tames brows for a buildable natural looking brow that is water resistant and long wearing. It comes in 8 shades. This gel held my brows perfectly without being to crunchy. The brush applicator is the perfect size and doesn’t rip at the hairs. There is perfect amount of product on the brush and doesn’t get messy. I really like this brow gel. I will use up my mini and then purchase the full sized version. Definitely a good brow gel. I think it’s better than the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow gel.
Benefit Roller Lash Mascara: A+ This product is billed as a mascara that grabs, seperates, lifts, and curls lashes. It claims to hold the curl of the lashes for 12 hours. It comes only in black. You get .3 fluid ounces for the full sized and .14 fluid ounces for the mini sized. I missed the boat on this mascara when it first came out. I backed away from it because of the fact that it has a plastic bristle wand and I hate those. This mascara is great. I really like it. With one coat my lashes looked strong and full. I used a 2nd coat to see if it would over power the lashes and it didn’t it just defined my lashes even more. I will definitely use up the mini and then I will purchase the full sized.
Benefit Roller Liner Liquid Eyeliner: A+ This eyeliner is billed as being a matte liquid eyeliner that goes on smooth and is water proof and lasts for 24 hours. It comes in 2 colors… black and brown. You get .03 fluid ounces in the full sized and .01 fluid ounces in the mini sized. I normally steer clear of liquid eyeliners with a felt tip because they catch on the fine lines of my lids. This liner went on effortlessly smooth and pigmented. It was the easiest time I had doing a winged liner. I really like this product. I will definitely use up my minis and I will be purchasing replacements once I’ve used the minis up (i purchased both the black and brown). The brown is a deep brown color and it goes on super opaque. It’s a great liner.
Final Thoughts….
All in all Benefit seems to be a good company. Some of the products were just OK for me but others were true winners in my book… despite the drama with the eyeshadow palette. There were more products I loved verses products that were either just OK or that I hated. I would give the brand as a whole a grade of B++.
Well that’s all for now dolls… stay tuned tomorrow when I do a Revisit of Benefit with the second foundation I purchased.
I hope your day is good and as always save a spoon for a bit of lipstick.
XOXO
A Spoonie's Makeup Bag 