Benefit

Benefit to Release Rare Beauty, a New Makeup Set Inspired by Snow White & the Huntsman

April 2nd, 2012 by Karen 26 Comments

Benefit Cosmetics Snow White & The Huntsman
Image via Collider

Exciting news, Benefit babes (and fairy tale lovers)! This spring, Benefit and Universal Films partner up on a limited edition makeup set inspired by the upcoming movie.

Rare Beauty ($45), meet Snow White & the Huntsman. 🙂

The film, which hits theaters June 1 and stars Kristen Stewart as Snow White and Charlize Theron as evil Queen Ravenna, looks like Grimm for grownups to me, and I like the spooky new look.

Benefit products also appear on the actors in the film, as they are the movie’s exclusive beauty partner.

More details (and product pics) coming soon, but from what I’m gathering through the grapevine, the set will include makeup to recreate Snow White’s super black lashes, flushed cheeks and milky skin.

Rare Beauty, a set inspired by Kristen’s look in the film, arrives in stores, boutiques and counters this May, but die-hard Bene-babes don’t have to wait that long. It will officially launch online on April 17 at benefitcosmetics.com.

I saw the movie trailer in the theater before The Hunger Games last week, and it looks pretty darn great! It even got El Hub’s attention.

Poor guy will indubitably have to put up with me whispering random Benefit makeup tidbits through the movie when we see it, like, “I think they used High Beam on Kristen’s upper cheek bones in that shot…” and, “I bet Charlize is rocking Hoola right there.” LOL!
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Benefit Revamps Boo Boo Zap, Dropping the Comic Book Motif While Zapping a Couple of Ingredients

March 4th, 2012 by Karen 9 Comments

benefit boo boo zap

Meet the newest member of the Benefit B.Right Skincare clan, the repackaged and reformulated Benefit Boo Boo Zap ($16).

Its objective remains the same, even though it’s decked out in new digs — to banish blemishes and reduce the appearance of redness and swelling.

Like the current formula, this one’s clear, so it can be worn beneath or on top of makeup. It also contains salicylic acid (0.5%).

Say “bye bye” to boo boos with this fast-acting invisible acne treatment. It purifies & dries out blemishes and reduces the appearance of acne-related redness & swelling. Perfect for all skin types, this clarifying wonder is gentle enough to be used multiple times a day, but powerful enough to prevent new blemishes from forming.

—benefitcosmetics.com

I’m going to miss the comic book packaging, with that zit-fighting superheroin leaping high above the San Francisco skyline. It was always so easy to spot and such a favorite at the Benefit counter.

Benefit trades the comic book flair for more sophisticated beachy attire in green, tan and white, keeping it consistent with the rest of the B.Right line. They also increased the amount of product while decreasing the price, which is always nice to see. The old/current zapper held 6 milliliters and cost $20; the new one houses 7.4 milliliters and costs $16. A pretty significant change.

But even more important than that, Benefit adjusted the ingredient profile. It still contains salicylic acid, but they removed the witch hazel and camphor, and added glycolic acid, bisabolol (an extract of chamomile believed to soothe flaky dry skin) and a couple of acronyms, PPG-26 and PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, a compound some folks try to avoid.
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Boing! Benefit Adds Three New Shades to the Boi-ing Concealer Line

March 3rd, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

Benefit boi-ing

Boing!

Boing! Boing! Boing!

Benefit Boi-ing concealer, that is. 🙂 B’s bestselling cream concealer is getting three new shades.

A sheer cream concealer designed to disguise under-eye circles and blemishes, Boi-ing has been part of the Benefit line for years. The new shades include a revamped shade No. 03, also known as Deep, and two new darker shades in 04 and 05, bringing the total number of shades to five.

benefit boi-ing (3)
Clockwise from the pan in the lower left: 03, 04 and 05

I’ve actually Boinged before…and when I did, I didn’t feel like any of the colors really suited my NC42 skin. Now, among all of the shades, the new version of 03 seems like the closest color match for me.

benefit boi-ing (4)
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Why Wait for Summer? Prepare for Poolside Afternoons Now With Benefit Cabana Glama

March 2nd, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

benefit cabana glama

Pretty soon it’ll be spring, and then summer soon after. Before you know it, our conversations will turn more to topics like swimming pools, beaches and other things, like how…

…getting ready to chill at the pool with Ryan Gosling can be sooo stressful (or so I’ve heard). 🙂

Do I go the glamazon route, curling my hair into beachy waves and shimmying into a string bikini, a cute coverup and a pair of nude wedges? Or do I go the rough-and-tumble surfer girl route, and scoop my mop into a messy bun, slip on a practical two-piece (the one with the top that looks like an industrial-strength sports bra) and my favorite pair of ratty Reef flip-flops?

It’s a big decision — but until I make it, one thing’s for sure: the new Benefit Cabana Glama ($26) kit will have my back.

benefit cabana glama

This latest kit from the boys and babes at Benefit comes with brightening and bronzing makeup for eyes, lips and cheeks.

If posing on your beach chair beside a fru-fru umbrella drink and a stack of glossy magazines ranks up high on your agenda (I could get into something like that, hello!), do it in style with a sun-kissed glow. Just sweep Cabana Glama’s Hoola Bronzer and Some Kind-A Gorgeous in Medium on your face, followed by one (or two or three) of the kit’s Eyeshadows on your lids.

And when you’re ready to cool off with a quick dip — and maybe do a few underwater handstands or dive from the high board (you so crazy!) — Cabana Glama can also help you keep it simple, by just blending soft pink Posietint on your cheeks and lips.

Benefit Cabana Glama Your DesTANation Makeup Kit
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Give Your Brows a Light Lift With New Benefit High Brow Glow

January 19th, 2012 by Karen 58 Comments

Windows work both ways, and when you’re singing Careless Whisper in your car at the top of your lungs, PEOPLE CAN SEE YOU!

I don’t know what it is about that cheesy song, but I’m physically incapable of sitting still when I hear it. It’s like some kind of druidic Wham spell that makes every cell in my body emote, especially when I’m driving and George really gets going.

“Tonight the music seems so loud. I wish that we could lose this crowd. Maybe…it’s better this way; we hurt each other with the things we wanted to say. We could’ve been so good together; we could’ve danced this dance forever, but nowwwwww I’ve blown that chance awaaaaay… PLEASE STAY!”

Long story short, I was on my way to Trader Joe’s this afternoon and waiting at a stoplight when Careless Whisper started playing on KOIT (Light Rock, Less Talk). So I was getting into it and started doing this American Idol face/Mariah Carey thing with my hands when I saw the guy in the car next to me hella cracking up.

Almost the same thing happened a couple weeks ago at home with the neighbor, so I appear to have this recurring issue with windows…

I don’t know if the laughing dude noticed how fierce and exceptionally lifted my brows looked today on account of how hard he was laughing, but if he did, new Benefit High Brow Glow ($20) gets all the credit.

This little tiger lives to accent arches, and if it’s giving you dÃ©jÃ vu, you’re probably recalling Benefit’s O.G. pale matte pink High Brow Pencil. When drawn and blended beneath the apex in the arch of your brow, it creates the illusion of a higher arch. I’ve been using it for years, but I’ve never been able to pull it off in spring and summer because it tends to look ashy on me once I have a tan.
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Benefit’s Featherweight Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation Wows on Several Fronts

January 17th, 2012 by Karen 91 Comments

Bid bon voyage to thick, heavy masks and farewell to suffocating skin. Benefit’s new featherweight oil-free foundation would like to say hi.

Or hello, that is. 🙂

Coming in March to Benefit counters, new Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow ($34), Benefit’s new line of light-to-medium coverage liquid foundation, barely feels like anything at all (cotton candy kisses come to mind).

It’s so lightweight that when I apply it, I can almost feel my pores taking deep yoga breaths in and out, ohm and ahhh…

benefit hello flawless oxygen wow (8)

Of the nine available shades, which isn’t a lot for an entire foundation range, All the Rage Beige comes closest to my skin tone (I’m an NC42 in MAC). Very close, but not perfect, and I find myself yearning for the same shade with a little more yellow. I think it’s only obvious, though, when I really pack it on.

The pump dispenser, on the other hand, is perfect. I’m serious. This thing kicks so much @ss!

I know it sounds silly to obsess over a pump, but a good one like this means wasting a lot less of a $34 product. It offers so much control that I can easily squeeze out half a drop.

benefit hello flawless oxygen wow (2)

The foundation itself feels very thin and watery, and the first time I used it I was sure it wouldn’t provide enough coverage. But it did. I used half a pump and applied that over my entire face with my fingers, and then used a few more drops for some trouble spots on my chin. It’s mid-level coverage, so it’s not fully opaque, but I think it looks very natural, like tinted moisturizer turned up a notch (with the added benefit of SPF 25 PA+++).

Swatches from the left: I’m Pure 4 Sure Ivory, I’m Plush & Precious Petal, Cheers to Me Champagne, and I’m So Money Honey

From the left: I’m All the Rage Beige, Warm Me Up Toasted Beige, and I’m So Glamber Amber
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Benefit Says, “Why Wait for Summer?” Try Sun Beam Liquid Highlighter Instead

January 17th, 2012 by Karen 39 Comments

Benefit Sun Beam (5)

Just because it’s winter (for most of us) and our calendars are flipped to January doesn’t mean we can’t talk about spring, sunshine and sunbeams — or Sun Beams, if we’re talking highlighters — because when it comes to makeup seasons, cosmetics companies dance to the beat of a different drummer.

Benefit Sun Beam Benefit says their new Sun Beam liquid highlighter ($26) is like sunshine in a bottle, and while I’ve heard that about other products a time or two before, when I wear this warm bronzed gold along my upper cheekbones and beneath my brow bones, I think I do look like I’ve just returned from a tropical vacation.

A great highlighter can do for faces what a great bra can do for an outfit (a lot), so I’m always on the market for great ones. Great, though, is a relative term, and one gal’s great is another gal’s mediocre.

As luck would have it, that’s where Sun Beam stands out. I think its flexibility is what sets it apart. When I want a soft, radiant glow, like that look after a good facial, I’ll dab a couple dots and blend, but I can also add a few extra drops for more dramatic shimmer.

And speaking of shimmer, Sun Beam’s is gold, and so it might be a better fit for gals who like warmer shades and golds. Ladies who love cooler colors, however, might still fall for Sun Beam, but if not, there’s always Benefit’s other highlighters, like High Beam or Watt’s Up.

Benefit Sun Beam (3)

Benefit Sun Beam (1)

Sun Beam unblended
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An Inside Look at the New Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation With Benefit Global Beauty Authority Annie Ford-Danielson

January 13th, 2012 by Karen 59 Comments

benefit hello flawless oxygen wow (1)

Benefit babes, brace yourself for a bodacious treat. 🙂

Yesterday Benefit Global Beauty Authority Annie Ford-Danielson took a few minutes to chat with me over the phone about their newest product, Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation ($34), which arrives on counters this March.

You may remember Annie and her sister Maggie from last year’s B.Right Skin Care launch. Together, they travel the world, working as global ambassadors for the brand.

This marks Benefit’s latest leap into liquid foundations, and Annie, who also works in product development, gave me an inside look at the development process and what we can expect from Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow when it arrives.

The following is an interview with Benefit Global Beauty Authority Annie Ford-Danielson about the brand’s new Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation.

So why did Benefit decide to do a liquid foundation?

Well, I think that at Benefit, as you know, we have kind of a small number of products. We’re not like the MACs or Make Up For Evers, where we have 1500 SKUs, so we have to choose our launches super carefully.

We kind of realized that we’ve done concealers, we’ve done highlighters, Fake-Its, brows, skin care, so the next step to really becoming a one-stop shop for beauty was to create a new liquid foundation.

benefit hello flawless oxygen wow (8)

Our girls, our customers, were coming to us for all of these beauty dilemmas and needs, and the fact that we didn’t have a full assortment of foundations was sending them off to other brands, and of course we want our girls to stay with us.

Annie Ford-Danielson, Benefit Global Beauty Authority

I think that really sparked our interest in making a new line. In true Benefit fashion, I’m sure as you know, we’re all about just quick, easy, instant beauty solutions, and I think that foundation can be hard for a lot of women. It can be super intimidating; it can be laborious, so we wanted to create a formula that was really easy, hydrating and brightening.

When you say brightening, does that mean shimmer?

There’s no shimmer in the foundation itself. It’s called Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow, and the really kind of “Fake It” quality that we’ve given this foundation is that it has an oxygen hydrating complex.

What does this mean? It means it’s going to help boost your cellular respiration, giving your skin a really nice plumping effect, so it’s going to make those fine lines, those little crevices, kind of plump up, giving you that healthy-looking skin. And it also helps protect against environmental stresses. It has vitamin C and E derivatives, which are known to prevent the signs of aging.

benefit hello flawless oxygen wow (7)

My favorite part about this is that it’s oil free but has an SPF 25 PA+++. So what does that all mean? It’s very technical. First of all, the Oxygen Wow complex is completely exclusive to our brand. We created it for our liquid foundation, and basically, what it means is that this is not your traditional liquid foundation. It goes on and has the consistency of a really nice, kind of lightweight tinted moisturizer, but it has the coverage of a foundation.

Can you describe the coverage a little bit?

It’s interesting that you asked. It really depends on the method in which you apply. For example, I apply — I wear it, and I’ve been wearing this foundation because I have connections here and I get it early (laughs). I’ve been traveling so much this year, and everyone’s like, “What’s your favorite product?” and I’m like, “Well, I can’t tell you…because it’s our liquid foundation and we don’t have it [yet].”

So, honestly, it really depends on what you want the foundation to do. On the weekends, I apply it with my fingers, and I just apply half a pump. It kind of gives me a really nice, evening-out effect, but it’s incredibly build-able.

benefit hello flawless oxygen wow (4)

That was one of the main aspects of the foundation that we as a brand felt was important for our customers, because our customers are always telling us, “We want to be able to customize our look. On Sunday, we don’t want to look as decked out as we do on Friday night.” So we figured that to have a formula that was incredibly build-able was the key, so you can go all the way from light, to medium, to medium-full coverage foundation.
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