This morning I woke up feeling like this…
…because of this.
Yup, just call me TBK (Two Beer Karen), LOL!
We took that out-of-town friend of El Hub’s who stayed with us last night to a local brewery here in Novato called Moylan’s, where I “sampled” some of their Pomegranate Wheat, and since I hardly ever drink, I did not feel exceptional this morning.
I intended to do a full face o’ warpaint today, but when I sat down in front of my makeup mirror, my arms felt like lead weights… My body was like, “Oh, hell naw, hookah. We’re doing minimalist makeup today.”
So, out came my tube of Big Easy, a new BB cream from Benefit.
Dude! This stuff is boss. I’m not usually a big BB cream fan, either, mostly because I rarely feel like they provide enough coverage for me.
But Big Easy evens out my skin tone and blurs my pores without leaving my skin looking overly “done,” if you know what I mean, and the natural-looking, velvety matte finish is my favorite thing about it.
More quick and dirrrrty deets…
- The oil-free liquid-to-powder formula is non-comedogenic.
- It’s available in six shades. I wear the darkest one available, which is 06 Deep Beige.
- The colors seem to be flexible with regard to working with your skin tone.
- Contains broad-spectrum SPF 35.
It has an interesting texture — kind of slippery like many face primers (it does contain silicones), and it glides across my skin easily, buffing and blending with very little resistance.
The matte finish looks very flat on my combination dry/oily skin — no shine whatsoever — and I can even skip setting it with a powder, which is nice. It stays matte, too, as the day wears on, and controls oil like a champ.
I do find that Big Easy will settle into my pores and get a little streaky on my drier spots (like my cheeks) if I don’t moisturize immediately beforehand, almost like the product skips a bit on those dry patches. Benefit suggests applying it after moisturizer, and I can see why. It glides across my skin more smoothly when it’s thoroughly moisturized.
I use my fingers to apply a thin, sheer layer all over my face immediately after moisturizing, then buff it down with a kabuki brush to blend things out. After that, I pat another layer around my chin, cheeks and nose, which are the areas I usually need a little more help.
I definitely do think my skin looks more even when I’m done, and I swear my pores look smaller.
With casual, undressed skin like this, I like to stick to minimal makeup — under-eye concealer to hide my dark circles, a bit of MAC Brun Eye Shadow to build out my brows and a couple coats of mascara. Then, a blush with a hint of shimmer to keep things from looking too flat (here I’m wearing MAC Warm Soul) and a shiny nude lip gloss like Jouer Gloss in Blush.
I’m really quite fond of Big Easy. It doesn’t feel heavy on my skin, does photograph well, and I can build it up or sheer it out. An absolutely lovely face product for casual makeup days.
That said…I think the shade options for deeper skin tones are pretty lame. I wear the darkest of the six shades, 06 Deep Beige, and it’s really not that dark.
I sure hope Benefit expands the range to include some darker skin tones in the future.
PRICE: $38
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Benefit counters and online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A- (a solid ‘A’ if the shade range wasn’t so limited)
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
so glad you posted a review! I was looking at this on the birchbox website… I’m tempted to order!
Hi Emilee,
Yay! I’m happy you liked it and hope the review helps you with your Birchbox decision. It really is a lovely product. Which color are you thinking of getting?
Oooh, that looks lovely.
Hi Monica,
It’s a nice product. I don’t wear a lot of BB creams, but this one I plan to stick with for a while. 🙂
How’s your day been?
I am a big fan of BB and CC creams because I haven’t found a foundation that I really like, plus I like getting the primer & sunscreen in one. As a result, I have lots of them including ones that I like. That said, you really got my attention with this one, and I may be finding myself adding one more to my collection. Gotta go and sample them and see if I can find a match. I always wear moisturizer underneath even though technically you shouldn’t have to so I’ll take your advice on that one. It looked like Big Easy provided great coverage and that’s what I’m looking for. tyvm!
That A- is easing my concerns. I’ve been looking for a lighter base. 🙂
It looks like an amazing find but Benefit face products usually break me out if I use them daily. It’s the silicones. *sigh*
Lmbo @ “Oh hell naw hookah”! I almost lost my Chipotle burrito bowl. Are you sure you’re not a NYC Harlem girl like me? You would fit right in…..in a good way! The Benefit BB cream is cute but if you’re wearing the darkest shade, I can’t mess with this. Pure chocolate girl (NC50/MUFE 177).
Ve been looking for a nice BB cream, hope this will be the one!
Lol I love the chill pony in the first pic! So cute! This looks pretty nice and natural. I love how it evened up your skin tone without looking like your wearing makeup! I wonder if some darker shades will be coming soon
mmmm, this looks like it would be awesome for summer! I’ll have to remember that in a few months. Totally with you on the limited range, though…. come on, Benefit!
That does look like an awesome BB cream. I am currently using Olay’s CC cream (it’s a tad on the oily side so it works for the winter) and Garnier BB cream that is meant for oily/combo skin (has a matte texture and goes on smooth). I like both but I am always in the market for something like Benefit’s BB cream.
This looks lovely on you! Limited range is a no-go for me.
I just purchased a Tarte BB Cream and used it for the first time today… eh. It’s a’ight. If it doesn’t do anything special, it might go back.
Too bad the shades are so limited!
It looks amazing on you !
Can’t wait to try this out.
I really want to try this now! As long as the lightest shade is pale enough for me, I’m there!
wow that is very good coverage and finish! i will have to look into this.
also, i am not a beer kinda gal, but anything fruity mixed with alcohol gets me. my favorite are the lime vodkas…
Karen, you always look gorg in your fav smokey eye, but I’m loving how fresh you look in this minimal makeup! You have such great features.
This product looks so cool! I love easy, quick, face products. It looks beautiful on you too!
Glad you posted before and after pics. I’m not a fan of BB cre either.
1. You’re amazing. That just-woke-pic made my day!
2. Looks like a great product, but . . .
3. WHHYYY would they make only shades for light people??
Wow, you look so beautiful in your before AND after! I just ordered this product impulsively, and reading your review made me feel a LOT better about my decision. Yay!
I have just discovered your blog and I LOVE it!! I’ll be definitely coming back
I’m wondering if you have any thoughts on how this compares to Chanel’s new velvet foundation? Thanks! Love your blog : )
Hi! I too would like to know how this compares to the Chanel Velvet foundation. X
Your skin (without makeup) is flawless!
Thank you for this review…you look gorgeous as always. I’m glad I found your review because I’m in the NC 42-44 range and it looks like this would be too light for me.