PSA: Don’t buy Benefit’s Roller Lash Mascara

God it makes me so angry when overpriced, overhyped mascara grossly underperforms.

So angry that I’m reviving SoLoverly which has been slumbering happily for over a year now to warn people not to buy this travesty of over-marketing.

Maybe it works for girls with naturally long, curly lashes, but let’s face it, what doesn’t?

Here’s what’s wrong with it:

1. It’s too wet, it takes forever to dry. Sneeze 5 minutes after you’ve applied it and voila you’ve ruined your eye makeup.
2. You definitely DEFINITELY need an eye curler
3. If you don’t scrape it off properly, you’ll have a bad eyelash day. No. Really.
4. It smudges. Smuuudges.
5. It doesn’t lengthen at all or voluminise much.
6. I get better results from ZA and even Maybelline. So WHY am I paying US$24 for this thing?
7. It’s even more expensive outside of the US. Urgh!

This is one Benefit disappointment too many (I'm looking at you Stay Don't Stray). Am tempted to boycott this brand that’s clearly pouring more money into its marketing than it is into product development.

Yes Benefit. You and me. We’re breaking up right here, right now. You've failed to deliver on too many promises. 

Waste of money: Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer

It sounds like a good idea doesn't it? A primer for your eyeshadow AND your undereye concealer. 

Unfortunately, to put none too find a point on it, this product is absolute crap at both functions.

First, even after shaking it for ages, over several days, the damned thing still excretes an oily siliconey liquid before popping out some lumps of brown clay-like material. 

When you've managed to smooth this over your eyes, initially it does even out your undereye circles and if you have pigmented eyelids, would probably help those too. 

This is where it gets even crappier.

It not only doesn't help eyeshadow to stay AT ALL, it makes your undereye concealer look even heavier and cakier. It's supposed to prevent fading and caking! 

Bottom line is, don't waste your money on this garbage. I'm deeply disappointed in Benefit for having put out a product that is this awful. 

At full price, it's US$26 - expensive for a primer, INSANE for garbage. 

Thank goodness I got it as part of a kit with a mini cream eyeshadow and a mini tub of erase paste. Neither have been superbly impressive but neither have gone straight into my bin either.

Definitely stay away from this one. 

Note (Sept 27, 2012): Have contacted Benefit Customer Care about this three days ago and have received absolutely no response. 

Quick Peek: Benefit Good-to-go Lipstick

Hey lovelies,

I had planned a grand post for today (well, grander than what you're gonna be getting), but work beckoned and I ended up finishing reeeally late.

And because I really haven't got anymore brain power left to work with, all you're getting is this. A photo of my current favouritest lipstick - Benefit Good-to-go.


It's a brown-based plum from Benefit's range of silky finish lippies.

Plus a swatch.

Bella Bamba Rocks!

Hello lovelies!

I'm back from my Chinese New Year break, and I had a great time catching up with the relatives and playing with the adorable nieces.


And I'm also all set to tell you how much I love Bella Bamba. *tee hee*

Over the CNY break, I brought Bella Bamba along with me when I went out of town to give it a good test drive. And I was pleased indeed.

Review: Benefit 10 Bronzer & Highlighter Palette

I managed to score this cute little palette for about RM50 - the price seems to have gone up now. Boo! I'll admit that as I do already have the 10 Box-O-Powder and the Dragonfly Stila Duo, if the palette hadn't been so goshdarned cute and cheap I wouldn't have been tempted to buy it.

It arrived just in time for my recent weekend trip to Singapore and with just one extra dark shade of brown shadow I made it do for my entire trip. Best way to test out the usefulness of a palette and this one held up pretty well actually.

Subtle and natural, that's the look this palette gives. None of the shades are strong and all are glowy (not quite shimmery). The shadows are enough to emphasise the eyes and the bronzer/highlighter makes a gentle glowy blush when blended. And of course contouring always rocks.

The glosses are actually quite pigmented and there are cool and warm shades - both of which work great with the palette.

For night I shaded on a darker eyeshadow, popped on red lipstick and was ready to paint the town red. Which I did. Much to my poor head's dismay the next day!

Conclusion
It's a neat little palette, well-made with solid cardboard, a mirror, and strong magnetic closures. While I wouldn't pay full price for it, at RM50 it's well worth it for toting along on trips where you mostly want a low-fuss, easy day look.

I've Been Sugarbomb-ed!

I'm sorry.

I'm not feeling all entirely chatty today as I'm feeling rather under the weather. No thanks to a glut-filled Chinese New Year (which isn't even over yet!), and our lovely (and insanely) hot HOT weather.

Temperature over the last week or so has been hovering at oh... just about 36°C. Lovely.

But no matter. Today I want to share with you lovelies a product that I'm sure many of you would have heard of by now - Benefit's Sugarbomb blush.


Sugarbomb comes in four quarters in four shades - peachy, pinky, rosey and lilac-ky. Notice that two of the shades are cooler, and two are warmer. Don't ask me how, but it works.

Swirl your brush in and slowly buff it on your cheeks for a lovely peach-pink glow. Don't worry about it being too much. If anything, I'd say it seems a little light for me (MAC NC25). It took me about 5 swipes before I got it to look like that in the photo below.

(This photo was taken earlier, when I was not as sick and could still smile. But not bad eh? A little blush, and a big smile, and I look pretty alright, no?)

Anyhoo, enough of me talking. Enjoy your weekend!

Me, I'm crashing out for now. Ta~

Quick & Easy: Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows in Busy Signal & Carte Blanche

Update (Correction): Sorry, it's "Towne Car" not "Taxi Cab". Correction made below.

I may be vain as sin, but by god I'm also lazy. And now I find I'm too lazy to use eye primer - but I still want my eyeshadow to last all day.

Yes I want my cake and to eat it too. And with Benefit's Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/Liner (what a mouthful!) I can. In all its delicious shimmery-brown glory.

Carte Blanche and Busy Signal - better together than apart

(L-R) Carte Blanche & Busy Signal

I've had both shades for ages, but until I learnt to use them together, they weren't quite perfect. They look similar in the pot, but when swatched are very different.

I bought Carte Blanche, described as a golden shimmer, at the Benefit Warehouse sale for RM25. Until Busy Signal came along, it seemed like such a disappointment. Beautiful in the pot, when applied on the eyes it was just bleh. Not shimmery enough, a neutral tan medium-brown - it utterly failed as a liner, and as a shadow it didn't make my eyes pop.

Busy Signal, which I bought online for US$19 is closer to what I wanted Carte Blanche to be. It's dark and rich enough and shimmery enough. But this beautiful brown has copper-red undertones which always makes me look diseased. Argh!

How to make them work
I apply Busy Signal in the crease and undereye. At this point I look like I have a bad flu. So I pat CB over it and immediately the neutral gold tones turn it into the perfect brown.

Then using a flat synthetic brush, I pat Carte Blanche above the lid on the outer corners and blend out for a more cat-eyed look.

A dust of shimmery highlighter on the inner corners, blending out to the middle and up above the smoked out wing, and voila! My perfect everyday eye.

The look can easily be amped up with some powder shadows for more drama at night, as I did here.

Oh, and I quick tip! To intensify colours, layer it on letting it dry between layers, this will let it stay smooth and last for ages. Too thick a layer will crease and fade.

Conclusion
Two other shades I have are Towne Car (sheer matte black) and Skinny Jeans (taupe shimmery pewter) and I love both of these for a dramatic smokey eyed look that will last all night long. I'm still working on using Skinny Jeans for day as I prefer a brown-based rather than a grey-based look for day at the moment.

I also have RSVP, a sheer shimmery pink which I pretty but I don't really use it as it only makes a half-way decent primer, and doesn't really make my eyes pop. I prefer using a powder shadow as a shimmer that also helps set the darker cream shadows.

I'm currently eyeing Strut and Stiletto. And despite my rant about not wanting the lighter shades, the incredibly intense gold of Sippin' and Dippin' really grabs me! Especially since it doubles up as a liner.

Do you girls have a favourite cream shadow?

Review: Benefit Coralista

I've been itching and itching to try out Benefit blushers for the loooongest time. But for the life of me, I could not bear to fork out RM129 for a blush. So I despite rave reviews, I passed on Dandelion. And Georgia. And Benefit 10. And Thrrrob.

But when Benefit Coralista came by, I could pass no more.

And so when Paris suggested a online order, I jumped on the bandwagon, pronto. And I also made an order for Benefit Dallas, this one no thanks to the lipglosseater. =P

But let's just talk about Coralista today, shall we?

For a gal who's ALL for peach and corals, Coralista was my Achilles' heel. From the moment I saw it, I knew I HAD to have it. I wasn't terribly excited about the big chunky box, although I must say it's rather sturdy. I'd much rather it came in something a little sleeker and more travel friendly, but ah, you can't have it all, can you?


The product itself it just lovely. The shade looks very coral in the box (as you can see above), but upon swatching it, strangely it looks very pink. Hmm... looks alright when applied on the cheeks though. I'm guessing it should work fine for most warm and cool toned girls.

(On the left is Dallas, and Coralista on the right)

I've read that some have found this blush very pigmented. While I'll agree that it is pigmented, I wouldn't say that it's overly pigmented. It's definitely nowhere near say... NARS Exhibit A, which I've read you'd have to be really reeeaally careful with how much you pick up with your brush.

I've applied it my beloved MAC #129 blush brush (which has to an extent has become my gauge on how pigmented a blush is), and I still need about 2 to 3 swipes for me to get a pop, which is fine.

In terms of wear, I haven't managed to get it a whole day for me, but not many blushers do without any touch-ups. Although I doubt I'll be using much of the brush the blush comes with for touch-ups. What I'm thinking of doing is getting a portable brush (EcoTools retractable kabuki, I'm looking at you!) so that I can bring this blush along when I'm out and whip out the kabuki if I need touch-ups.

As for the sweet scent as described by Paris, I found it didn't bother me much. In fact, it didn't bother me at all. Sweet scent? What sweet scent? LOL. Yes, my nose doesn't quite work.

Overall, I'm happy with the coral-pink blush. It's pigmented enough, looks good on my NC25/30 skin, and I didn't have to pay RM129 for it. I forked out US$28 buying it online.

What's not to be happy about?

PS: Hey girls, it's great to be back! Sorry I've been kinda MIA-ing for a while. But between work and wedding prep I've just been having an insanely crazy schedule. Many thanks to darling Kahani who's been holding up most of the fort on her own. I'll be working very hard to try to at least post once a week and chat a bit with you girls! Wish me luck! =D

Guest Review: Benefit's Mascara Gets Eli Bent out of shape

Yes, I'm afraid I really did just perpetrate that godawful pun. But.. but.. the mascara's called Get Bent Lash.. and Eli hates it... so, how could I resist? Oh ignore me, and read on!

Has anyone flipped through the British Vogue’s December issue? If you haven’t, you should. It’s very thick, very lovely and has a few good articles in there. I would have bought it if it wasn’t for the AUD 20 price tag. Happily, my sister bought a copy so I am hijacking it when I visit her in a few days.

I ended up with the Australian Vogue instead. They are giving away free tubes of Benefit’s “Get Bent” mascara with each copy. Reading material and makeup for AUD 7.95? How is a girl to resist?

On hindsight, I should have resisted.


“Get Bent” is Benefit’s version of a push-up bra for eyelashes: it’s supposed to lengthen, lift and add more oomph to eyelashes. The reason why this mascara is called “Bent” is because the pine cone-shaped brush is bent to allow better application to one’s eyelashes.

I dislike this mascara so much; I am having trouble deciding where to begin.

Angled mascara brushes are supposed to make life easier for those of us with large rounded eyes. The “Get Bent” brush makes life a lot harder. Trying to get an even application is near impossible with the tiny bristles while the combination of a huge brush head with an angle makes the brush difficult to handle. I actually ended up getting mascara on my eyelids – something which has never happened before.

The mascara formula itself does a pretty good job of lengthening eyelashes and of holding a curl for a few hours. I could feel my lashes brushing against my glasses when I slipped my spectacles on. However, any attempt at Bambi eyes with “Get Bent” would be spoilt by excessive smudging and flaking around the eyes within an hour of application. The formula also clumps madly and the long lashes created by this mascara look spidery rather than au natural.

Luckily, “Get Bent” washes right off with some warm water and a bit of cleanser. Halloween passed too long ago for me to trot around looking like a zombie.

Verdict? Stay far away, girls. Unless you like going around looking like a ghost from a horror flick. (Kahani: Or like Cullen? *grins*)

Total RAVE: Benefit Box-O-Powder in 10

I had my doubts about its usefulness when I bought it. But warehouse sales bring reservations down so I picked it up, and I'm so glad I did!

Sure you can get as pretty a bronzer and highlighter separately for less, and normally I would, but it's so handy to have them both in this adorable wee box.

I find myself reaching for this daily as it gives me a subtle glow - the healthy-skin, JLo kind. Plus I can use it to contour my features quickly and easily without looking odd in broad daylight.

Bronzer
This is my favourite part of the box. It's a wonderful shade of bronzer - slightly shimmery but not straight-up bling. It doesn't turn orange, or red, and is very fine and sheer so it blends naturally into my complexion. Yet it's the perfect shade to contour the sides of my face, along the sides of my nose and my jawline while giving me a sun-kissed look.

Highlighter
The highlighter is actually pretty darned shimmery, so apply with a light hand! I usually dust the bronzer where I want to contour and where the sun touches my face with a blush brush (mine is by now-discountinued line, Pout). Then lightly dust the highlighter exactly where I want it, with a blush brush on the apples of my cheek, and with my Everyday Minerals eye kabuki down the bridge of my nose.

Brush
Although Benefit suggests you use their flat, square brush to do the 'sexy sweep':

I say you get better results with your normal makeup brushes. However if you're on the go, it's not a bad brush at all!

The price of this in Malaysia is absolutely silly at RM129. If I can't repurchase it at a massive discount again, I may buy it from the US at $28 - or just make do with SN's Hoola Bronzer dupe and a shimmery highlighter.

Psst!
When creating intense, dramatic looks like a sizzling smokey eye, or a retro red lip, keeping blush to a minimum is a good idea. This product is perfect for nights out as it gives the 'glow' so you won't look washed out. But it isn't really a blush so your face won't look too hectic.

Look: 50's red lips with Benefit's Lipstick in Frenched

I reached home last Sunday to find my father looking bereft. Mom was supposed to accompany him to a black-tie wedding dinner and she bailed on him. So, despite my exhaustion and scruffiness I agreed to accompany him and do the impossible - get ready in 30 minutes flat. I think I kinda succeeded. How'd I do it? Read on to find out:

With only half an hour to freshen up, get dressed and slap the makeup on I decided to forgo my usual smokey eye look and test out the old chestnut, "bright red lipstick is instant glamour". Plus I was dying to try out my new Benefit Silky Finish Lipsitck in Frenched (RM75 normally, RM25 at the warehouse sale). It's a lovely, very intense, cool cherry red with a creamy finish that brings back the swinging 50's.

Not having time to wash my hair, I refreshed it with Batiste dry shampoo, and slicked it back into a high-ponytail, securing it with my firmest black elastic.

Since I already had nude day-makeup on, I blotted, dusted over a fresh coat of mineral foundation, and mattified with powder. Then I lined my lips and carefully, with a lip brush applied the (truly silky smooth) lipstick, blotted, and reapplied until I achieved the intensity I wanted. The lipstick is naturally moisturising and lightly glossy, so no gloss or balm was needed!

With the strongest element on my face in place, I cracked out my new favourite, Benefit's 10 powder box (review pending, and yes I'm a Benefit 'gal). The bronzer and pink highlighter contoured my face, emphasised my cheekbones and gave me enough colour so I didn't look flat or washed out. I also dusted some bronzer on the sides of my nose and used my EM Eye Kabuki Brush to apply a streak of highlighter down the bridge of my nose. The effect is subtle, but I like to think it helps. =D

As I already had brown eyeshadow in place, I perked it up with a dusting of shimmering Cashmere eyeshadow (Silk Naturals), and refreshed the brown in my crease. Then I amped up the black liner, applied a fresh coat of mascara. And I was done!

What do you girls think?

Products Used
Face
Za Concealer, Silk Naturals Heavy Coverage Foundation in Buttery Gold, Silk Naturals Oil Control Primer, Pure Luxe Silica Powder.

Cheeks (and nose!)
Benefit 10 Bronzer / Highlighter Duo

Eyes
Silk Naturals shadows in Live (shimmery cream), Bittersweet (shimmery dark chocolate) and Cashmere (warm velvet shimmer pink), Prestige Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner in Black, Shu Uemura Ultimate Expression Mascara

Lips
Urban Decay LipLiner Pencil in Urban Cowboy, Benefit Silky Finish Lipstick in Frenched

Review: Benefit Primpcess

Yes my Benefit haul from the US has arrived. And the first thing I did was crack this baby open, it contained so many goodies I've been lemming. Their eyeshadows, Bo-ing concealer, Eye Bright, Creaseless Cream Shadow (how was I to know a warehouse sale would crop up?) and Bad Gal Lash mascara. And so far, I really love this adorable box! Read on for reviews.

Entire Kit
I have to admit I really love the kooky packaging, and how sturdy it is despite being made of cardboard. The mirror is nice and big too, and everything is securely packed. Nothing rattles around.

All the products go really well together, and the "beauty lesson" is fun and gives you ideas - even if you ultimately realise that the eyeshadow application technique really doesn't work on Asian eyes. *sighs*

The only thing missing from this kit, is an eyeliner. Technically you can use the brown shadow as a liner - but let's face it. I'm not blonde with big blue eyes. Brown liner does nothing for me.

Overall, this kit is totally worth the US$34 (RM123) plus shipping (and a free Miss Popularity I might add) I paid. I'm not so sure if it's worth the RM169 they're attempting to selll it for in the stores here though. -_-

Creaseless Cream Shadow in R.S.V.P
First up, this wee jar of cream shadow is SO CUTE. It's a miniature version of a full-sized cream shadow glass pot. Sure it's a bit of a hassle getting it out of the case, but I forgive it everything once the adorable itty bitty thing is in my palm. And for all that it's tiny I think it does have a nice amount of product in it - especially considering how little you need to use.

The shade is a lovely shimmery pale pink that makes a great base/highlighter shade. It's also supposed to function as an eye primer, which I believe it does - although perhaps not as die-hard hang-in-there as Mac's Paint Pot. It does however apply much more smoothly (and feather-light!) and sets faster than the Paint Pot.

Bo-ing Concealer in Shade 02
This concealer has totally blown me away. The teeniest bit covers like no tomorrow, blends in totally and looks like skin. I'm completely in love and will probably get a full-sized one! It also lasts, doesn't fade or budge all day. Plus 02 is my shade perfectly.

I use it on blemishes, undereyes, over dark spots and it works amazingly well. I rather thought it was all hype but I'm so glad this kit gave me a chance to try it out. LOVE!

Eye Bright
I like the idea of this pink cream. You're supposed to blend it in on the inner corner of your eyes, and from the outer corner to the end of your eyebrow - but I'm not convinced it actually does anything. It's supposed to make you more wide-awake. Perhaps if I test it post hangover I may be more impressed. Or maybe pink is just not quite the shade needed to perk up my eyeballs.

Eyeshadows
Although these shadows are very soft, and have excellent colour payoff I'll admit to being a bit disappointed with the colours they chose. The matte cream shade is well... bleh, the pink shimmery "contour" shade is lovely, but the brown is so cool it can look grey if you're not careful. And yet isn't quite dark enough to make my eyes really pop.

I think these three colours work best if you're fairer, and very cool toned. As it is I find myself reaching for a warmer cream highlighter to dust over and warm the look up abit. Or using the brown with great caution, and only with a cool-toned blush and lipstick.

Having said that I'd be very happy taking this set along for a trip as the shadows do create a very polished and subtle day-look.

Brushes
The brushes are surprisingly good! The concealer brush really is too tiny to do more than swipe the concealer on for you to pat out with your fingers, but it is the perfect size for applying eyebright. The fluff shadow brush is a great size, not too small at all, and the mini "talent" brush, although small, applies RSVP easily enough. It's so refreshing to find a kit with brushes you want to KEEP.

Conclusion
The only thing I haven't tried in the set is the Bad Gal Mascara because I have other mascaras and don't want to crack this open until I'm ready to use it up in 3 months. I may also save it for a trip.

Overall, if you're looking for a nice pressie, or just want to treat yourself this Christmas you can't go far wrong with this kit. It really does have the best of Benefit's eye products and will let you try out 5 products before you decide if you want to invest full-size. But please, buy it from the US if you can. The markup here is unacceptable!

Benefit deal: Free Miss Popularity Highlighter voucher!

Hey girls, I have to share with you this amazing deal over at Beaut.ie that prompted me to go bazookas and spend more on Benefit than I can afford. Eek!

The voucher code at this glorious Irish beauty site will get you a free Miss Popularity, shimmering white highligher worth US$24 if you spend US$50 or more at Benefit. Simply go here, and follow the instructions! This deal is valid until Oct 30.

So what did I buy? Read on to find out.

Benetint

My success with Posietint has left me with a lemming for the original Benetint that no amount of dupes could satisfy. There are somedays when you just don't feel pink, y'know?

And of course there's the jusfitication that a bottle lasts "forever".

So when I saw this amazing offer, all my defenses came crashing down and I caved and bout it. At US$28 though it is about RM40 cheaper than the local price of RM139!

Primpcess
So to qualify for the offer, I HAD (they made me!) to spend US$50 and over, and so needed to find US$22 to spend. But the only product I really wanted enough to pay full price for was Boi-ing concealer, and that was US$18.. not enough! Justine Case had ceased to tempt me as I'm buying a full-sized Benetint... oh it was hard!

And then I spotted this brand spanking new kit! It not only had Boi-ing concealer in shade 02 which I wanted to try, it also had the creaseless cream shadow/liner in a neutral shade I was meaning to check out as an eye primer, three shadows that look remarkably like their Big Beautiful Eyes kit which I have been secretly lemming (mostly because of the name), eye bright instant eye brightner which, had it been cheaper I would have snapped up long ago, and a BADgal mascara another item I've been lemming but can't bring myself to buy at full price. AND it has two brushes which reviews have praised, and instructions (I loooove instruction pamphlets. It's a weakness). All that for US$34 just seemed like too good a deal to pass up.

So I bought it. YES I did... and now I'm counting my pennies wondering if I should give up food altogether. *sighs*

Review: Benefit F.Y. Eye Primer

If you're like me, you'll know that there's a tragic side to having double eyelids.

It's called oil. And it has a fondness for screwing up beautifully-applied eyeshadows, and liners and everything else. Your eyeshadow which was just painstakingly applied a few hours earlier? Gone. It's all muddled up into a miserable looking crease.

It certainly doesn't help when MAs actually tell you (like during this makeover when I wasn't wearing any eye-makeup), "Dah-ling, you really need something for your OILY lids!"

Yea, Mr, I know. For your information (F.Y.I, geddit? *grin*), my hero's called F.Y. Eye.

Benefit says:
"The eye primer to prevent greasy, creasy eye lids! Stop eye shadow sliding with this apricot souffle primer. It locks on shadows and leaves a smooth satin finish so you look perfectly put together all day."

Benefit products, I find are sometimes kind of a hit or a miss. But this one's definitely a big hit- in my books, at least. I found this little pot of magic souffle on MUA, and it's been my oily lids' best friend for err... almost two years now, I think.

F.Y. Eye comes in a 7gm pot, with a souffle, or mousse, texture that's easy to apply. It does make eyeshadow and liner stay put for hours and hours, and even if there is a crease, it's very minimal.

Colourwise, it's pretty much skin colour (like in the picture, but more peachy/orangey). However, don't worry about the primer turning your lids into a bright orange colour. Applied properly, it blends out into a nude shade and your lids won't even look like you've got anything on!

I like using my ring finger to pick up a bit of product (be careful not to pick up too much, but not too little either!), and rubbing it between my fingers for a short while to sort of smooth the product out. This also warms the primer to go on the lids better. Which is pretty important, or eyeshadow will end up looking cakey otherwise. And that would totally defeat the purpose of the primer to begin with, wouldn't it?

Price wise, I find it on the high side at RM95, but I've been using the same pot for almost two years, and I still have 3/4 of the pot left! There's a logo at the bottom which says to toss the product in 6 months, but there's no weird scent, and it still looks good so, oh well...

To conclude, I do love it. It keeps my lids happy. But I don't know if I would buy another pot as I'm always itching to try new stuff.

Just, you know, FYI.

Review: Posietint is oh so pretty!

After my Benefit makeover, I found myself day-dreaming of Posietint day and night. Fellow beauty bloggers, Tine and Janine were no help at all (read the comments) in resisting the desire. At last, to satisfy my unrequieted love I used my Boots-Fu to rack up the points and at last am united with my beloved!

Why do I love it so? The colour is absolutely perfect. Fresh, glowy, natural and so so pretty when used on cheeks and lips. Plus it lasts forever. At most you'll have to touch your lips up after lunch. Your cheeks? Never! And such tiny amounts are needed that a bottle will last forever despite its staggering price (£22.50). But you knew all this already!

Application
The biggest obstacle to Posietint lovers is perfecting the application method. Especially on the cheeks I've tried the three dots (then blend, blend blend) method recommended by Benefit, the "X" method used by an MA I saw online, I've tried blending it in with moisturiser, and with a foundation brush.

But no matter what I did or how fast and much I blended onto well moisturised skin, you could always make out (however faintly) the original marks of where it was dotted initially. At last I tried using my fluffy blush brush and the results are perfect!
A natural flush of colour, with no visible streaks or dots whatsover. Plus it's incredibly fast and almost fool proof if you don't load the brush up too much. Here's what I do:

1. Unscrew Posietint, and gently run the very tips of your blush brush's bristles (try saying that fast ten times) along the nail-polish like brush.
2. Gently but quickly, dab onto both cheeks, then blend like crazy.
3. Apply mineral foundation as usual over. The blush will glow through. I usually apply it over liquid concealer. If you use liquid foundation, apply with caution over, and carefully dab over more foundation with a brush if the colour is too bright.

I also like to brush bronzer over or even another blush shade to augment the colour slightly if I don't want to use Posietint on my lips as well.

Lips are easy. I simply brush a single, thing coat over using the brush provided. Let it dry, then top with a coat of lip balm or clear lip gloss as I find the tint to be drying. For best adherence apply it on bare lips that don't have a coat of lip balm on them.

In the pic I topped it with Palmers Dark Chocolate Peppermint lip balm. A clear glossy balm, it provides a slight sheen, moisturises, and smells absolutely delish.

Review: Benefit "That Gal" Primer

Remember the sample of "That Gal" I got from Benefit? Well.. I sorta lost it. And was totally boo'ed out about it until I got the full-sized one to test via Kiss and Makeup! (Ok, so I called the PR and asked, but I thought it deserved a second chance after all the bad rep).

And bad rep it has. Just read this review, and this review. And believe me when I say that I fully trust these girls, they know their beauty!

So why do I like it so much?

Well, first off as I explain in my full review here, I feel that it's been mis-marketed. The poor thing isn't really a primer so much as a brightener - rather like everybody's darlin' Clarins Beauty Flash Balm.

Another reason is that I like its bright pink shade! It really does do wonders for a dull Asian complexion. Alot of Caucasian girls though are dealing with ruddy faces, the last thing they want yes yet more pink slapped on! So it also depends on skintone. I think for Golden and Olive skintones, this bubblegum pink baby brings on that glow.

I do feel however that at £19.95 for a tiny amount it is rather overpriced. But so's Clarins at £25!

Benefit Her Glossiness-es

Among the goodies I received a while ago from dearest Kahani included two tubes of Benefit Her Glossiness in "Didn't Hear It From Me" and "My People, Your People" (MPYP).

I've the chance to play around with them, and boy, they're nice.

These glosses come in a HUGE 3gm tube, which will take me quite a while to finish, I believe.

"Didn't Hear It From Me" is a peachy-pink nudish shade, which suits me down to a T. It's great for days when I want a neutral lip to play up my eyes. I believe it'll also be great if I wanted to tone down a brighter or darker shade of lipstick. As far as I can tell, it doesn't have any shimmer.

(Here I wore Didn't Hear It From Me on its own. Very natural, no?)

"My People, Your People" instead is a very, very light pink with silver shimmer. As you can see in the photo, it might be a little too light on its own, and can cause me to look washed out. So, what I've done is pair it with another lipstick like MAC Strawbaby which is a bright coral, and it looks great with it.


Both glosses go on smoothly and easily. They're neither sticky nor tacky, which to me can be one of the most annoying things about some glosses. Of course, my hair still gets stuck to my lips if they get the chance, but at least, it's not super glue. And they don't leave a white cast when they dry out.

They last through a drink, but not through a meal. But that's okay by me.

Here in Malaysia, they cost quite a bit at RM73 each, but I'm really glad I got to try Her Glossiness-es for only RM14 a piece. =)

Duped: Benefit's Benetint

Yes, yes, I know that there are as many Benetint dupes as there are of Nars Orgasm. But until now I never got a chance to try Benetint for a day. I got to play with it at an unattended counter in Boots (using the cotton swabs of course), and here's how The Body Shop's Lip & Cheek Stain compares to it. The Cheek of It was reviewed by Kiss and Makeup editor, Zara, here. Dollface, also snapped it up and compares it to Benetint here.

Full reviews of Benetint abound (1169 reviews on Makeup Alley!), so this is more of a look at how TBS's offering compares.

Texture & Application
Benetint is very much a liquid that disappears into your skin very rapidly, leaving a rosy stain. You have to blend fast, and approach with caution because overdoing it can leave you with clown cheeks. TBS's is more of a light gel than a liquid. It gives you slightly more time to blend, but has a higher chance of streaks. I like to apply it with my TBS foundation brush, patting and blending carefully.

On the lips, once coat of Benetint gives more pay-off than TBS. I usually need a minimum of two coats of the Lip & Cheek Stain for colour pay-off. Both lip stains taste funky. I think all of them do. So try not to lick your lips until they're dry, and apply a flavoured gloss or lipbalm over. This also helps prevent your lips from drying out.

Colour
Both tints / stains are a rosy pink. Benetint is ever so slightly warmer in undertone as TBS in shade 01 (I've never actually seen the other shade) is decidedly cool-toned. I like to think of Benetint as a warm, natural red whereas Lip & Cheek Stain is a very deep reddish pink. The difference isn't immediately obvious unless you compare them side by side, and I regret I didn't think to swatch my arm and take a pic.

Wear
This is where Benetint wins hands down. It lasts so much longer than TBS's offering. On the lips, Benetint can last through a light not-too-greasy meal, and it fades more evenly. TBS doesn't, and leaves a ring around your lips. Plus, TBS fades on my cheeks - something Benetint never did.

Verdict
The staggering price difference alone makes TBS my choice. Otherwise, Benetint wins. I'm certainly going to give the even cheapher Collection 2000 offering a try though!

Looks & Review: Benefit Makeover

On Friday, I finally got around to taking advantage of the voucher included in Glamour magazine for a free "Makeupper" at Benefit. I also got a nice large sample of "That Gal" primer, which I'm currently testing and will review soon.

Click after the jump for the list of Benefit products used on my face, my experience at the hands of the makeup artist, and my take on the products based on one-day's usage.

Products used (all Benefit)

• That Gal Primer
• Some Kinda Gorgeous Foundation Faker
• High Beam liquid highlighter
• Posietint lip & cheek stain
• Bad Gal eyeliner
• Bad Gal Blue Mascara

Product Reviews
Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of the products. They looked wonderful, and, applied over OC8, lasted all the hot day and way into the night with no touch-ups and only minimal blotting. I loved the luminous fresh look the combination of That Gal, Some Kinda Gorgeous, and Posietint created.

As I received a sample of That Gal, I will review it in full at a later time. But from that one use I experienced no breakouts, and I did love the fresh look it gave and he faint bubblegum scent.

Some Kinda Gorgeous reminds me of Max Factor's Miracle Touch - although it caused no breakouts (thank goodness), and was a lot sheerer. Only availble in two shades, this product does produce a lovely, long-lasting finish that appears like airbrushed skin. However, I doubt it has the coverage my blemished skin needs. The SA applied primer and foundation over my base of mineral foundation - so coverage is not something I can judge here. Still, the fact that it only comes in two shades because "it is so sheer" does not bode well for coverage issues.

Bad Gal eyeliner was really pigmented but also really smudgy. Not the kind of liner I prefer as I need one that stays PUT. Bad Gal Blue is blue. A dark, blue that is noticeable if you look closely. I didn't notice it making my eyes look brighter or my whites look whiter but I have a feeling it would look lovely on blue-eyed damsels. As I applied it over another mascara, I can't testify to its volumnising or lengthening abilities.

Oops, almost forgot High Beam! It really is a great, sheer highlighter. Not too OTT (over the top), it provides a subtle glow that produces instant cheekbones. However, there is no need to pay top dollar for Benefit's version. Great liquid highlighters are produced by many drugstore lines like Za and Revlon.

And now for the cream of the crop!

I'm sorry to admit that I've completely fallen in love with Posietint! And at £22.50 it's NOT a love affair I can afford! *cries* But I've always loved pinks and it is a pink that really suits me. Even incompetently applied (see below) it immediately brightened up my face, and when applied on my lips the entire look was so pretty! It looked natural but with Oomph. Plus it lasts forever, never fading, ever glowing. This is a product I will hope to one day invest in as I've never encountered a tint quite like it.

And just to prove my ravings are justified. Ten minutes walk away from the Benefit store and a man (good looking, young, blond and blue-eyed) walked up to me, gave me a daisy and said "you look absolutely lovely", smiled, and walked away. This sort of thing hasn't happened to me since I left Denmark and Amsterdam a year ago. I was convinced it doesn't happen in London. Talk about an ego boost! =)

Experience
Perhaps I'm unlucky, or just too demanding but I've never been blown away by the makeovers given by counter girls, and this one was no exception. Perhaps she was having a bad day but she was cold, unfriendly and acted very bored. Not quite the way I like to be treated. Even after introducing myself and trying to chat to her a bit, she didn't really warm up.

Also she applied posietint so inexpertly to my right cheek (the one with the dimple) that I had to beg her to blend it out by loading on more Some Kinda Gorgeous. Covering up is the only way to go, as once Posietint is on, it's ON, and not budging one bit. I did the left cheek, and in real life it was noticeably better blended and looked far more natural.

She was also so tentative about lining my eyes that I asked to apply liner and mascara myself. Having a wobbly pencil around my eyeball made me very nervous.

On the plus side though, there was absolutely no pressure on me to buy anything. My guess was, she couldn't be arsed.

Has anyone had really great experiences with counter makeovers? If so, do tell!

Heads up! FREE Benefit Gloss with £2 Glamour Mag

UK girls if you hurry, hurry to a magazine stand you can still get your hands on this month's Glamour magazine. Each £2 Mag comes with a FREE fullsized Benefit Her Glossiness Lip Gloss worth £13. (Or , the way I see it, £2 for the gloss, and the mag is the added bonus). There are three gorgeous shades up for grabs all from the A-List series:

• "My People, Your People" - A clear pale pink gloss with mother of pearlshimmer. Very sparkly and almost colourless.
• "Who Are You Wearing" - A sheer, bright, passionfruit pink with fine shimmer
  
• "Didn't Hear it From Me" - A sheer peachy gloss. Described as "poeaches and cream cream" on the site.
  

Read on for reviews and more promos!

I've managed to nab My People, Your People (MPYP), and Who Are You Wearing (WAYW) so far and will be on the lookout for the third. The glosses feel very light and are not sticky in the least.

The two shades, apply sheerly, are glassy-glossy and are very wearable. Even MPYP which looks doubtful in the tube, looks amazing over lipsticks and lipstains without looking OTT (over the top) for day-wear. Although if your office is very conservative you may want to keep it for after hours.

WAYW appears to be a clear, sheer pink gloss at first. But closer inspection shows it to be infused with very fine shimmery particles. I can't quite tell if they're silver or gold. They don't show up when worn (unless someone is eyeing your lips very closely indeed) and serve to give the gloss extra oomph and dimension. Very pretty!

The glosses have a tangy scent I can't quite identify. Like artificial pineapple, or berries. It is quite strong so if scents like this bother you, you may not like it. They are tasteless and fairly longlasting. Plus the tube is HUGE about 30ml unheard of

An additional reason to buy the mag & gloss (as if you needed one), is the 10% discount code contained within, 10% off products and services at Benefit Boutiques with the enclosed coupon, and a free "make-upper" service plus a sample of "That Gal" face primer with the voucher.

I warn you though the mag is literally flying off the shelves, or having the glosses nabbed. So RUN if you haven't got yours yet.