My ‘love affair’ with Benefit began aged 12, when my friend’s mother dotted a few drops of Benetint on my cheeks – and instantly, I felt ‘grown up’ and ladylike. After one month of saving my pocket money, I finally had enough to buy a pot of my very own – and didn’t leave it alone for weeks. I used to gleefully apply little dots to the apples of my cheeks, like the instructions stated – and strut into school feeling rather pleased with myself (minus the time I forgot to blend the dots in and walked in looking like I had chicken pox). Oh, the days of being a 12 year old.
Ever since, my love for Benefit has never faltered. With gorgeous packaging, and products that live up to what they claim to be, I have always turned to Benefit should I need something to jazz up my make-up bag (because let’s face it, the same old routine gets a little boring after awhile).
After several months of wearing Rimmel foundation mixed with HD Ready primer, I was ready for a change and wanted to find something lighter, more illuminating and much more hydrating. In essence, the perfect foundation that could last me throughout the summer months.
I’ve tried a few BB creams along the way, none of which really impressed me (they were either too watery or didn’t apply properly) so when I heard through the bloggers grapevine that Benefit had a fantastic new (ish – it’s been around a few months) foundation out, I was rather excited to give it a try.
Hello Flawless ‘Oxygen Wow’ foundation is Benefit’s latest baby (well, foundation wise), and is a new brightening and illuminating product, providing light to medium coverage (it’s up to you whether you’d like to build it up or keep it subtle) and an added SPF 25. Ideal for the summer months, it’s oil free and has added Vitamin C & E ingredients which boost your skins natural glow whilst also preventing signs of aging.
I’m a little (note – very) fussy when it comes to foundation, as my skin is rather temperamental and I often find that many brands don’t sit well on my skin, or sink in too quickly. Similarly, I find that some foundations are quite drying, leaving your face looking tired and flaky, or over hydrating (if that’s even a term) which means that your make-up slides off. So to get my approval, this product had to pass the test.
The foundation itself is quite thin (but not watery) meaning that it glides onto skin easily, immediately providing a silky smooth base which is easy to blend in. I used two thin coats to create the perfect level of coverage (natural, but enough to hide any imperfections) and was a little cynical as to how long it would stay put. Surprisingly, with a little powder on top – it stayed looking fresh and luminous all of my working day (that’s 9 – 5) and I even made the bold move of not reapplying when I went out in the evening!
It isn’t drying on skin at all, which really pleasantly surprised me, but at the same time it didn’t overly hydrate my skin to the point that my foundation slid off me at the slightest increase in temperature. Best applied with your fingers onto clean, moisturized skin the colour initially looked a little too orangey (I have the Champagne ‘Cheers to you’ shade) for my olive-based complexion, but it blended in really well and looked very natural. It’s rare to find a new foundation I love, but this is definitely it!
Also purchased recently (on a whim, as it was right by the counter) was Benefit’s They’re Real mascara, which I honestly can’t believe I haven’t tried before. Everyone I know who has tried this raves about it, bloggers especially – so I felt I could justify the £19.50 price tag.
With a wand that looks a little lethal on first glance (although anything that comes within close proximity of your eye looks lethal, I guess), the mascara itself applies smoothly and easily to lashes, immediately giving the effect of lengthened, thicker and more volumized lashes. I rarely curl my eyelashes (again, the curling tool looks rather lethal), but this mascara ensured you didn’t have to – as lashes were curled and pushed up within a few strokes.
I’m pleased to say that our 7 year bond has only been strengthened by these two products, both of which are now firm members of my make-up bag (yes, you heard that right). Benefit never lets me down product wise and I can’t wait to head off on holiday and look shine free when going out for dinner in the evenings!
Thanks Benefit!