The Benefit brand sorta slipped under my radar for a couple years, but I used to be a big fan.
Back when I worked in downtown SF and every other person worked for a dot com (*rolls eyes*), I remember wearing Benetint and Dr. Feelgood. I’m not sure why I stopped following the line. I guess it fell into the same black hole that swallowed my Hello Kitty lunch box and black jelly bracelets.
I decided to take a new look at Benefit recently and noticed a few things, like their Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner ($19), lil’ pots of cream shadow similar to MAC Paint Pots. Bellasugar wrote about them in a recent post, and so far I dig ’em too.
I went to see all 15 shades in person at a freestanding store, and three of them really stood out:
- Birthday Suit: light tan shimmer
- Skinny Jeans: khaki-grey shimmer
- Strut: grey-black shimmer
Birthday Suit
Skinny Jeans
Strut
A Smokey Eye with Benefit’s Cream Shadows
Try a quick and easy smokey eye using Skinny Jeans on the lid. After applying Skinny Jeans, add Strut to the outer corner of the eye, finishing with a swipe of Birthday Suit on the brow bone.
I hemmed and hawed over which shade to bring home with me and finally decided on Birthday Suit. It’s a shimmery neutral that should go with everything, kinda like a reliable pair of black shoes.
So what do you think of Benefit? Do you have any must-have products in the line?
Breaking Dawn and Morning Grumpiness
Last night I e-mailed the winners of the Breaking Dawn book giveaway (congrats!). One of you hasn’t gotten back to me yet, so check your email just in case. 🙂
Speaking of breaking dawn, this morning I woke up C-R-A-N-K-Y! I was up late last night reading, so, technically, it’s my own damn fault. Nothing a few cups of coffee won’t cure.
How are you doing this morning?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Wow, that looks really nice. Did you use a brush to apply cream shadows or your fingers? I like finger painting 🙂 and it works quite well with MAC paint pots.
Daos last blog post..Shape Magazine Predicts Makeup Trends for Fall 2008
I was looking at these while I was out today. I’m always a bit weary of cream eyeshadows because I think they’ll crease horribly even with a primer.
Thats a really beautiful look though, and it looks like it was really easy – and who doesn’t love that!
Bx
I love the entire Benefit line. The “erase paste” is one of my favorites…as well as the Play Sticks.
I enjoy their stuff so much because I’m not overwhelmed with products. They keep things simple but still give you a lot of choices.
I LOVE Skinny Jeans. A complete must have and very pigmented. Not all are as pigmented as others so swatching is important!
Jaimes last blog post..Bang-Go
That looks like the easiest smokey eye ever. Nice!
I love their Dandelion ^^
Karen Bs last blog post..French Flower revamp!
I have “Strut” that makes a great liner. I actually found these after I got a neat bronze color from Smashbox that came with a #30 Brush that made smokey eyes brainless. Love it! So I found these, while looking for a cream shadow. I have yet to go back and get Birthday Suit yet.
I had never tried BeneTint (or any stain) but I stumbled into an ebay auction yesterday for a new one w/ shipping for $9.98. I figure that’s not a bad price to pay for what some girls call cult. 🙂
Paulas last blog post..oldergirlbeauty: @PurelyCosmetics At least its out there, so you have to feel good about that.
I was also a Dr Feelgood junkie! All I’m rocking at the moment is a couple of bags and Peach powder. But I used to love it so…
In fact, I used to be so obsessed by Benefit that when I visited SF back in 2003, I went and had my brows done at the freestanding store. Whilst I was on holiday! From the UK! Crayzee lady…
Me and the boyf spent all day hunting down the store and he sat and flirted with the MAs whilst the scary brow lady did her magic. My hero…probably why he’s Hub now.
Hi Dao,
For these, a synthetic brush. I like using fingers for Paint Pots, too, as it seems to warm up the product. 🙂
Hi Beth,
For some reason both the Benefit and the MAC Cream shadows seem to have really great staying power on their own. They are a bit “drier” in comparison to other cream shadows I’ve tried, and seriously… they don’t move.
Forgive me if I’ve already asked you this, but do you have Too Faced Shadow Insurance? Ya gotta get it if your products tend to crease on your lids.
Hi Angela,
I picked up a catalogue last night and that was one of the products that I thought looked interesting. Do you pop powder on top of it?
Hi Jaime,
Hmm, I guess got I got lucky then. 🙂 Skinny Jeans is next on the list.
Hi Karen B.,
It was! The cream makes blending a snap. 🙂 I have never tried their bushes before, but Dandelion does look pretty!
Hi Paula,
Oh nice! I remember liking it back in the day. It’s pretty easy to use on the cheeks… never used it for lips, though.
Hi Laura B.,
Awww! What a cute story! I have a freestanding store less than a five minute walk away from my work. I just found out the other day that they do eyelash tinting there, would ya believe?
Once I walked by at night to go to the theater and I saw a group of teenage girls having a pizza/makeup party there. Fun!
Hey Karen
I’m using Urban Decay Primer Potion at the moment, but I’ve almost finished the tube and I’m going to get the Too Faced one instead, I’ve read a few good reviews of it and I think this sort of product is definitely worth having!
Bx
Yay! Skinny Jeans and Birthday Suit! I have both of them. I love BeneFit’s stuff; it’s so cute and user-friendly — I’m not someone who’s scared of make-up, but I do know people who are and BeneFit’s not very intimidating. I have a whole ton of BeneFit stuff; I wear Benetint every day (unless I’m on the road, because Benetint’s glass and breaks!), and sometimes I pop Dandelion blush on over it.
My dream BeneFit product would be a Benetint lip balm in a stick — right now they just have it in a little pot, and I hate sticking my fingers in a pot, even if it’s Benetint balm (or Tendertones!)…
Jeannes last blog post..Know Your Limitations
oh I LOVE LOVE LOVE them! I used to be such a fan of Shiseido Hydro-Powder eye shadows but once I tried Skiiny Jeans, I think Shiseido’s is no longer such a love as BeneFit’s version lasts even longer and 100% not creasing NO MATTER how long I wear it. I am waiting for another one to arrive. But I am definitely getting more!
thanks for the post. and I want to tell you that I read your blog all the time! It’s on my must-read list.
I’m going to Benefit on Thursday to get my brows done! I’m also going to check out their new creaseless cream color called Gossip, which is supposed to be a silvery plum…right up my alley!
Hi Beth,
It’s really fantastic and it won’t move for nothin’! Once, I had some product left over on the back of my hand (which I often use as an improv palette), and it stayed on all day, even throughout several hand washings. I also find it’s easier to blend shadows.
My skin isn’t as oily as it used to be, but I totally remember the drama of having uber oily lids. It’s a pain!
Hi Jeanne,
Ugh! I hate sticking my fingers in pots, too.
LOL, I remember once riding the bus to school and watching a guy put on some Carmex in the most interesting way. He brought the pot up to his lips, made a kissy face, stuck his lips into the pot and then wiggled the pot in a circle to apply the product. At least he didn’t have to use his fingers…
Hi Jojoba,
🙂 You’re welcome! Thanks for reading the blog.
How does Skinny Jeans look on your skin, btw? I was chatting with the MUA’s and they said on some people it looks more grey and others it looks more khaki. On me a lot of the green comes out…
Glosslizard!
I saw that one yesterday. I really liked that one, too, and was THIS CLOSE to snagging it. Seriously a very pretty color. It’s very cool-toned and and very pastel. *drools*
These are pretty much the only cream shadows I’ll use on my oily lids. I was a HUGE fan of these back when they were in their old school packaging, and I was so sad to see them absent for so long. But I am SO HAPPY they are back and much more popular than ever! Get Figgy and R.S.V.P. are my absolute favorites.
Tanyas last blog post..Taupe Tuesdays! – Sonia Kashuk’s Burnished.
Hi Tanya,
I’ll put those on my list of colors to check out. Do you wear the shadows by themselves, or do you layer products on top?
karen: here is my review on mymakeupreviews.blogspot.com with swatches and comparison if you are interested. I hope the link works.
jojobas last blog post..Review: Christian Dior 5-Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow 539 Iridescent Leather, Fall 2008
Hi Karen:
Great blog! I’m not a huge makeup gal, but Benefit has worked for me. I usually just use Benetint on the cheeks and lips (with balm on top). Sometimes I add the Gilded highlighter and some Kiss Me mascara for special occasions.
But your post makes me want to go out and get the Skinny Jeans to add to the mix.
I really like Skinny Jeans. It’s really buildable, so that makes me happy. And the color is sparkley and fun! And I want to buy the rest of the line, but I am trying to resist!
Oh yeah, I’m so checking that out! No doubt it will look totally hot against the irritated pink of my waxed brows! LOL!
I like the easy smokey look. I’ve seen the creaseless cream shadows. They’re all so pretty, but after trying shiseido’s cream shadow, I didn’t feel like cream shadows suit my skin tone since I have oily skin, and an oily crease =(. I love my urban decay primer potion. I also use the pocketpal to try out a smaller version of the benetint. I love it as a lip stain, but for some reason, every time I try to use it as a cheek stain, it doesn’t blend well with the enlarged pores on my face =(. The Smashbox O-glow cheek color sucks with my skin/skin tone. The texture is somewhat more of a pore minimizer and doesn’t show very well.
i love benefit cosmetics.
i use benetint and the 10 box-o-powder (the only bronzer that makes my fair skin look tanned, not orange) on a regular basis…
i also love high beam when i’m feeling lazy or when i’m meeting the boy (he hates it when i’m all done up for ballroom dancing and all that, he’s more into me all rumpled and in one of his shirts), and thegloss is also great (tasty and not sticky).
the creaseless cream shadows are great for a smoky eye but i find it smears too much as a liner. i use my date is my brother (shimmery shell pink) as a base and smoke it out with skinny jeans and towne car.
get even powder is also my favorite blotting powder (close second is lancome dual finish). the list of benefit things in my beauty drawer is endless…
karen, you may want to try brow zings for your brows, if you like filling them in with powder.
the eye look is gorgeous, but i haven’t mastered the whole cream shadows with brushes thing yet… do you recommend any?
I have a few of these (towne car, get figgy, skinny jeans, and birthday suit) and I love the colors but they seem to crease horribly on me (and I don’t really have oily lids, in fact they are quite dry!). I find that MAC’s paint pots work much better on me. Did you apply a primer under these when you tried them out? I have yet to try that out….
Meaghans last blog post..MAC’s Starflash/ Lustre Twin Collection Review and FOTD
Hi Karen-
I was waiting to get my brows done at Benefit today and I took out my iPhone and started to peruse my Google Reader and I came upon your review of the creaseless shadows.
Yeah I got 3 of them.
Marisols last blog post..Haul-a-thon!
Cream shadows ALWAYS crease on me – no matter how creaseless they claim to be.. so sad.
tokyostargirls last blog post..Max Factor Pan Stik
Hi JWo,
Thank you! I have a friend who feels the same way about makeup. She likes Benefit for the exact same reason! 🙂
I haven’t tried Gilded, but it looks pretty. Back in the day I’d rock the Hi Beam with the Benetint on the cheeks.
Skinny Jeans is so pretty, and it’s easy to apply and blend, to boot.
Hi Glosslizard,
LOL! Did you know that they do lash tinting there, too? I saw one of the MUA’s getting it done. It looks a bit scary…
Did you decide on your toe color yet?
Hi Joanne,
Hmm, not all cream eye shadow perform the same. Perhaps trying Urban Day underneath a MAC Paint Pot or one of the Benefit shadows would give the cream shadows for staying powder.
My lids were ultra-oily when I was in my 20s so I feel your pain. 🙂
Hi Ines,
Wow! Thanks for all of these great recs. 🙂
One of the MUA’s I met at the counter also loves thegloss. What is your favorite color?
I will also have to try your cream shadow combo. It totally sounds like something I’d rock along with light cheeks and nude lips!
Back in the day I used Brow Zings… unfortunately I didn’t have a good brush at the time. It was so Morticia Adams, oy vey! 🙂 It’s great for a very dramatic look, though.
The trick to cream shadows is to use a great synthetic brush. I really like the MAC 239 (so great detail work and for concentrated color) and the 217 for a lighter color application and for blending. Clean fingers are great, too! They warm up the product and make ’em super easy to apply and blend.
Hope this helps. 🙂
How’s the dancing been this week? I am really sore from doing body rolls in hip hop class yesterday.
Hi Meaghan,
Yeah, I like Too Faced Shadow Insurance as a primer. It works really well and provides all day staying power. Here’s a review I did on it a while back.
Hi Marisol,
LOL! ROCKIN! Aren’t they pretty? I am crushing big time on your haul. 🙂
Hi Tokyostargirl,
Aww, that’s too bad. Have you tried layering a primer underneath?
If I get the chance I’ll try it out. I’m horrible with really dark colours in powder form so maybe this is my salvation 😉
Karen Bs last blog post..French Flower revamp!
I don’t do powder on top. It’s a foundation/concealer in one and is a little heavier than most foundations….but it doesn’t feel that way to me. I use their Dallas blush/bronzer for the summer…as well as the High Beam.
I have seen the tinting, and it does look scary! 😀 I’ve also seen the results…it turned a friend of mine (with light strawberry-blonde hair and hence nearly invisible lashes) into a sultry-eyed bombshell! Wow! It really seems worth it for ladies with pale lashes!
Yeah, I’m going with a pale gold from OPI! Thanks for the input! 🙂
Love the brown smokey eye and wish I could do it so well!
I didn’t know you were a “Twilighter”. I finished “Breaking Dawn” Monday night, so now I’m a little sad that there’s no more Bella and Edward to look forward to. Can’t wait to see what they do with the movie in December.
oh my gawd gurl – we are on the same wavelength – I was just thinking about my skinny jeans creaseless shadow pot! I was thinking about pairing this with MAC’s Club or Smut shadow. HA HA – I feel like a SUPER FAN girl now!
My must have product from Benefit is Benetint. Love it. That smokey eye look is really pretty and seems very simple to do. I noticed you wrote to Beth about Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I recently got it and i’ve been using it all week with my Rimmel cream shadows. It doesn’t seem to help at all, I still get those nasty looking creases by lunchtime. Do you think it might be that the shadow’s the problem? Also, I put my eyecream on before I apply the primer. Should I not do that?
this blog is amazing! and i love this look.
Luv d review buh i was wonderin what it’s like being used as a liner?
Does it stay on foh ages or does it smudge ?
xxx
I have this eyeshadow creme in Towncar which is full black. I use it as a primer before applying my bright colored eyeshadow for extra depth. It is good as a liner too and I use it everyday instead of my bobbi brown gel eyeliner now.
i LOVE these eyeshadows, i’m currently obsessed w/them haha… the ones i own are RSVP, Birthday Suit, Strut, Stiletto, and Skinny Jeans. For work, I usually wear RSVP as a base and then i accent it with Stiletto in the crease or the medium brown shade from the big beautiful eyes collection. Then i take the highligher shade Albatross from Nars and dab the middle of my eyelid with it…i line the eyes with a dark brown shadow from the big beautiful eyes collection..as you can see im currently on a benefit kick!
I have ALL of the cream shadows b/c I work for Benefit :)…
If you’re curious about the Benefit’s Brushes, luckily they’ve been reformulated so they’re made with a better quality and feel better too.
The cream shadows are beautiful when mixed with ANY eyeshadow I’ve ever used..and I’ve used them all (NARS, MAC, Chanel, Urban Decay, ect. ect.)
Give it a shot…and DO try the seasonal colors b/c Benefit discontinues them after the season is over.