Benefit Makeup Must Haves – My Top Picks From Benefit Cosmetics

Benefit Makeup

[Affiliate links | Press samples]

Ahh, Benefit makeup…the brand that I first fell for in my late teens when I was whisked away by the very vintage feel, something no other brand was doing. They were a first. A full brand catering to those who loved products that oozed vintage attire. I loved it then and boy do I love it now. There was a time when I feel Benefit Cosmetics fell to the wayside a little but boy oh boy did they come bouncing back with their brow line, firmly standing their ground as one of the brands to give you brows on fleek (as the cool kids would say, I am not one of them).

Today, I’m sharing with you my favourites from Benefit makeup, those that have stood the test of time and some new products that I simply can not be without.

Join me, in my walk down makeup memory lane.

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Brows On Fleek

It’s what the cool kids say so I’m going with it. I recently reordered my favourite brow goodies from Benefit and that’s what gave me the idea to write this post. Why not share this love with the world I thought? OK, maybe not the world, my reach isn’t that big…yet 😉

However, sharing’s caring, right? And so…

Brow aficionados may already be aware, to those new to the brand let me introduce me to:

Precisely, My Brow Eyebrow Pencil

An ultra-fine brow defining pencil that is long-wearing, Benefit makeup state that it can last for 12 hours and that it is waterproof.

I like it because it is fine and you can really control the hair strokes that you are adding to the brows. It creates a natural definition that can be built up if desired. The pencil is a twist up so no need to sharpen and comes in a great shade range. I wear neutral 3.5.

Precisely, my brow eyebrow pencil £21.50 (also available in a mini size to try out or for travel)

The second of my brow loves from the Benefit makeup archives is their brow gel. Now I’ve used both the Gimmie Brow and the 24hr brow setter and I’ll be honest, they’re both great but they do both do different things, so it depends what you’re looking for in a brow gel. An important question, let me tell you.

A quick rundown of the two:

Gimmie Brow is a volumising brow gel. It comes in a selection of 8 shades. It adds volume to your natural brows as the formula contains tiny fibres which cling to your brows. Clever stuff. Volume and colour in one go. Brows are tamed, groomed and appear fuller.

24hr Brow Setter, on the other hand, is pretty simple. A clear gel that sets to a firm hold and keeps those pesky hairs in place. When I hit my 30’s (a good few years ago now) I was welcomed with a change in brow hair. Hello, thick, unruly, grey buggers that will not stay up for love or money. I’m a fan of this simply because it does what it says, keeps those hefty so and so’s in place and for that Benefit will forever hold a place in my heart.

24hr Brow Setter

There was a stage where I couldn’t be without my Gimmie Brow, however, at the moment, I’m loving the clear gel. Let me tell you why. It means I can shape my brows how I wish with my pencil that add lift and groom my brow hairs into place with the gel. Overall I’m enjoying the natural look I’m achieving. That’s not to say I haven’t loved the ease of whacking a fibrous gel through my unruly brows in 30 seconds, this is just where I’m at right now. Do I love the current brow line up packaging? It stands out, I get it but for me, it’s too bulky for your makeup bag, I do hope for a more sleek do-over. The products, however, 10/10.

 

 

 

Gimmie Brow £21.50

24-hour brow setter clear brow gel £21.50

Hoola Contour

Born out of the cult following and the infinite awesomeness that is the Hoola bronzer (a matte bronzer that everyone should try), the Hoola Contour is exactly what the name suggests; a contour stick of similar nature to the Hoola bronzer. It lives within the same family. A cream to powder contour stick that is easy to apply and very easy to blend out. Not the coolest of contours, in terms of shades but sheer, buildable and quite effortless. A great way to enhance those cheekbones.

I like to use this straight from the stick onto my base (i.e before any powder products) and then blend out with my foundation brush. For a lighter application, run your brush over the stick then stipple over the areas you wish to contour first before blending edges. Simple and fuss-free.

Hoola Matte Bronzer £26.00

Hoola quickie contour stick £24.00

Watt’s Up Cream Highlighter

I am a hoarder in every aspect of life. Be it clothes, furniture, paper items or makeup; I will form an emotional attachment to an item and dear god, struggle to get rid. Recently, I was having a mass declutter of my makeup collection as I moved it from one room to another. Bear in mind, I have my personal stash, my professional kit and my most beloved collection. I also have those bits and bobs I just haven’t bought myself to throw away, as yet. In amongst the latter pile, I found the original Watt’s Up Highlighter. A worn little solider that had performed it’s duty tenfold, with only a smidgeon of product left. Cast aside in the makeup chaos but never forgotten. It had to go, I told myself, looking longingly at the packaging I knew no longer existed elsewhere…guys I seriously have a problem don’t I?!

Benefit kindly sent me some PR and guess what was included?! Only a press sample of Watts Up! Oh, Benefit makeup you know me so well…

If my memory serves me right, I believe highlighters may have been the first products I fell in love with from Benefit. I certainly remember never being without Highbeam in my uni days and loving That Gal, which I’m sure is Girl Meets Pearl’s younger sister. Benefit just do highlighters well, in particular, cream ones.

I know not everyone is a fan of cream or liquid highlighters and I get it. If you’re not as familiar with them they can be a little more tricky to work with than their powder counterparts, however, once you’ve got the hang of it, trust me it’s worth it.

What’s To Love About Watt’s Up

It’s a soft-focus cream to powder formula that blends seamlessly thanks to its velvety texture. It really is foolproof. A beautiful luminous, champagne highlight that looks natural and dewy. Amp it up with a powder highlighter if you wish. It comes with a sponge applicator to aid blending but it really can be done with fingers too.

As with all cream and liquid products, it’s best to apply like to like, so apply your cream products before you powder to get the best finish.

Watt’s Up Cream Highlighter £26.00

Eye Eye

They’re real used to be my go-to mascara and then they launched Bad gal bang and I was torn. Two incredible mascaras, two different results.

They’re real! lengthening mascara

A lengthening mascara that comes in 3 colours: black, brown and blue. This does lengthen and it does lift and separate.

They’re real! Lengthening mascara £22.00 (full size)

BADgal BANG! Volumising Mascara

Bang bang indeed! A thickening, volumising and lifting mascara that delivers. It comes in two shades: black and blue.

Ok, this mascara is incredible. If you’re looking for a mascara that gives oomph to your lashes look no further, it’s fantastic. It is not smudge-proof on me however, but one look at the reviews tells you that it’s certainly not the case for everyone!

BADgal BANG! volumising mascara £22.00 (full size)

Sadly for me, my eyes seem to be having a ‘can only wear tubing mascara’ moment, so temporarily I’m on hiatus from my beloved Benefit lashes faves. That wasn’t going to stop me from sharing them with you though. And I’ll be damned if I don’t get back to them one day!

Firm It Up Eye Serum

This is the first time I’m trying this out and so far so good. While I can’t say anything about the effectiveness in the long term or whether it does what it claims (I’m only a week or so in, you’re getting the truth from me!) I can tell you that it is a perfectly pleasant eye serum. It is lightweight, it sinks in beautifully. I like how it wears under makeup in that it isn’t too greasy and doesn’t interfere with it, both in terms of application and longevity (if you find that you’re struggling with these aspects of your eye makeup it might be worth looking at your eye cream, particularly if it’s quite thick).

Evening application is pleasant, it is soothing and hydrating enough for my skin type (normal-oily).

Firm it up! eye serum £32.00

Porefessional

Can anyone do a ‘Benefit must-haves’ post and not include the POREfessional primer? I think not. This is an oily skinned gal’s best friend as it’s fantastic for oil control. It also helps smooth out texture and can aid in making pores appear smaller. I’d say this is great for normal to oily skins. It is silky in texture and is oil-free.

the POREfessional face primer £28.00

Boi-ing Concealer

Well hello, my old friend! Way back in the day, probably before I really needed under-eye coverage but was harping for spot coverage I had an alliance with Boi-ing concealer. I remember being in an acne fueled sulk, searching for anything that would help cover my blemishes and was sold on the word ‘industrial strength’.

And that is what Boi-ing is. Now the Boi-ing concealer comes in a few formula options which give various finishes depending on your desired goal. Let’s go through them.

Boi-ing Airbrush Concealer

The airbrush concealer is a sheer to medium coverage concealer which leaves an airbrush finish. It is long-wearing. The concealer itself is lightweight on the skin, is buildable and hydrating.

boi-ing airbrush concealer £18.50

Boi-ing brightening concealer

This concealer is formulated with peachy, melon undertones to help brighten darkness under the eyes. It was formally Erase Paste. The consistency is thicker than the airbrush concealer and the coverage is a more medium-full.

boi-ing brightening concealer £18.50

Boi-ing hydrating concealer

A lightweight, sheer concealer that is hydrating and soothing with vitamin E. Particularly suited to those with dryer skin types or those who prefer more hydrating products.

boi-ing hydrating concealer £18.50

Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer

Last on my list but firmly in my heart, this concealer is full coverage with a matte finish. It is perfect for covering up blemishes and hiding an unwanted redness or darkness. A little dryer than the others but perfectly suited to stay put all day.

boi-ing industrial strength concealer £18.50

And with that concludes my Benefit cosmetic must-haves. What’s cool is that you can buy minis of Benefit makeup too so if you wanted to try out a product first or pick a smaller travel-sized one up for holiday you can do so at a fraction of the cost. I’ve quite enjoyed my trip down memory lane, all sparked by a recent repurchase of course 😉 (Yes I have issues!).

I hope you’ve enjoyed it too! And please do let me know if you’ve any Benefit makeup favs that you simply cannot live without. Is there something I have to try? Let me know in the comments!

 

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First of all I’ve just been informed that Benefit have announced their Summer Sale with up to 50% off!! (So yep, that makes some of the products I mentioned above even cheaper!!) You can check it out here:  www.benefitcosmetics.com

I also have some awesome treats and offers for you here! Happy Summer guys!

Spend £25 to qualfy:

Use code SUMMERTIME and receive a makeup bag, professional, airbrush concealer 02 and Tar mascara fun size!

Use code SUNKISSED and receive a makeup bag, It’s Potent, PORE Minimizing makeup funsize shade 01 and Boi-ing industrial strength shade 01 concealer funsize!

Use code THRILLS and receive a makeup bag, They’re Real! mascara funsize, Boi-ing Airbrush concealer 04 funsize and total moisture funsize!

www.benefitcosmetics.com

P.S Free shipping on all orders over £25.00 (so basically any of the above)!

Offers end 24th August 2019

Check out my lipsticks on the Summer here!