benefit

Happy Birthday to Your Brows! Benefit Now Offers Free Brow Arch Services on Your Birthday

March 6th, 2011 by Karen 35 Comments

I’m making a note to myself to hit up the Benefit counter on my birthday this June (Gemini’s in the house, y’all!). Beginning this month, the brow lovin’ makeup line will now offer free birthday Brow Arch services at their fantabulous Benefit Brow Bars.

To get groomed and gorgeous brows for free (now THAT’S a good deal), all you have to do is flash a valid government issued photo ID showing your legal date of birth. The free Brow Arch service starts with a consultation, ensuring you’ll get the right brow shape for your face, as well as a practically painless waxing and/or tweezing session.
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Will Benefit’s New Skin Care Line B. Right for You?

February 25th, 2011 by Karen 25 Comments

Benefit B Right

The first time I laid eyes on the new Benefit B. Right skin care line, I did little grabby claws with my fingers in the air like a hungry baby and said “WANT!”

I gotta hand it to the Benefit babes working in the company’s Art/Marketing Department, because I think they have the pretty packaging part of this whole beauty thing down pat.

With B. Right, Benefit was careful not to mess with a good thing. They’re known and loved for making easy, accessible makeup, and that’s the philosophy they followed here. This isn’t their first foray into skin care, but it’s their first new skin care line in a while.

B. Right, which launches in April at Benefit stores and counters, doesn’t appear to be about billions of skin types and complicated multi-step routines. Here I see basic skin care at its best — cleansing, toning and moisturizing — with a focus on hydration and brightening. In fact, the fanciest thing about B. Right is probably something Benefit calls “Tri-Radiance Complex.”

(That’s secret beauty code for “a batch of ingredients that supposedly help the skin retain moisture.”)

benefit b right boxes

This week, my breakout-prone combination skin and I have been trying five of the line’s eight products on for size. So far the two of us can definitely say we both like the creamy, luxurious textures and refreshing cucumber scent.
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Benefit B.Right Skin Care Line Launching April 2011

February 23rd, 2011 by Karen 62 Comments

Hi, cutie! I’m live blogging from the Benefit headquarters in San Francisco and just wanted to give you a quick sneak peek at what’s coming down the pipe from Benefit — a new skin care collection launching in April called B. Right. The eight-piece collection, which focuses on hydration and brightening, is designed to work hand in hand with Benefit’s makeup.

For updated information and many more pics of the new Benefit B. Right skin care line, see Will Benefit’s New Skin Care Line B. Right for You?

Benefit Global Beauty Authorities Annie Ford-Danielson (left) and Maggie Ford-Danielson (right) with the B.Right Skin Care collection

The products are designed to work quickly and easily, with prices ranging from $21-38. Expect to see cleansers, a toner, an eye makeup remover, an exfoliator, an eye cream and face moisturizers.

More info to come!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Because Three Bad Gals Are Better than One, Benefit BADgal Waterproof Liner Is Now Available in Two New Shades

February 18th, 2011 by Karen 23 Comments

Benefit BADgal Liner Waterproof (that’s what they call it) in Charcoal on my eyes… oh, and new slightly shorter hair with highlights!

Sometimes it’s good to be bad, especially when you’re a Benefit BADGal Waterproof Liner.

Don’t worry, these BADgals won’t steal your boyfriend or trash talk behind your back. They’re actually really nice. 🙂

The first time I tried the original BADgal liner, I wore it to dance class, and we became fast friends because it wasn’t afraid to sweat. SWEAT!

This spring, two new shades are joining the BADgal Liner Waterproof gang, matte brown Espresso and matte gray Charcoal ($20 each).

Benefit BADgal Liner Waterproof charcoal espresso boxes

Benefit BADgal Liner Waterproof charcoal espresso pencils
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Mascara Comparison: Benefit Bad Gal Lash and Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash

January 23rd, 2011 by Karen 26 Comments

Written by Jessica

The battle for lash supremacy continues! Blogger Jessica pits two powerhouses of the beauty world together in today’s guest post. Wimpy lashes better look out!

Oh, I’ve had my share of struggles with high-end mascaras, and I’m sure you have too. Are they worth paying a premium for when there are so many more affordable options out there? It depends, but for the past few months I have been using and loving Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash mascara. As a matter of fact, I named it my Holy Grail / Must-Have Product of 2010.

But because my mom has been raving about Benefit Bad Gal Lash for months, I decided to finally pit the two mascaras together in an ultimate battle of the brands.

Benefit Bad Gal Lash — $19 (Sephora)

Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash — $22 (Sephora)

The Packaging

I like the way both products are packaged, but I give the advantage to Bad Gal for its amazing brush. Super thick and substantially longer than the brush included with Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash, it’s just plain better in my opinion. Other than that, however, the packaging for both mascaras is fairly standard (tube and wand).

The Application

As covered in the video down below, Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash applies rather clumpy, but it thickens the heck out of lashes and does so better than Bad Gal. The formula’s also much darker, but Bad Gal applies like a dream, lengthening better with greater definition. As far as application, I’d call this one a tie.

The Lasting Power

Lasting power is extremely important to me. Some might say I put all of my eggs in one basket on this one, but overall I think that if a mascara doesn’t last through the night, beautiful or not, what’s the point?

Well, Benefit Bad Gal Lash really disappointed me here. Despite applying like dream, it just didn’t last, leaving my lashes dull and lifeless well before the end of the day, while Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash, despite its clumpy formula, lasted all day and night.

Seeing them in action

No Mascara

Not wearing any mascara

One coat of each

Wearing one coat of Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash on the left and one coat of Benefit Bad Gal Lash on the Right

Wearing one coat of Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash on the left and one coat of Benefit Bad Gal Lash on the Right
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Got $10? Stock Up at the Benefit Online Saleabration

January 5th, 2011 by Karen 34 Comments

Hey, babe. Just a quick heads up. Benefit’s hosting an online “Saleabration” right now with select makeup and skincare products on sale for up to 70% off.

Several of the makeup items are beautiful, wearable neutrals from limited collections that have come out over the last couple of years, with many priced at $10 or less.

A few bargain highlights:

Eyes

Velvet eyeshadow in Nice Melons, $9 (originally $18)
Velvet Eyeshadow in Buns, $9 (originally $18)
Velvet Eyeshadow in Mermaid, $9 (originally $18)
Velvet Eyeshadow in Shamrocker, $9 (originally $18)
Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Sippin’ N Dippin’, $10 (originally $19)

Lips

Full-Finish Lipstick in Label Lover, $9 (originally $18)
Full-Finish Lipstick in Thrillin’ Brazilian, $9 (originally $18)
Full-Finish Lipstick in Breakup Rumor, $9 (originally $18)

Not sure what to get? Check out my swatches and reviews of the sale products mentioned above:

Happy shopping, bargain hunters!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Kissing You Again: The Benefit Ultra Shines Lipgloss Line Brings Back a Cult (and Personal) Fave

December 16th, 2010 by Karen 17 Comments

Do you hear that…? That whispery voice? It sounds like it’s saying, “Kiss you, Karen.”

“Kiss you, Karen.”

There! Did you hear it?

Soon-to-be-released Kiss You, a reformulated reincarnation of Benefit’s old Kiss Me gloss, has been calling my name for days, and who am I to deny a tube of glossy pigmented purple goodness?

The new version will be joining the Benefit Ultra Shines Lipgloss line for spring 2011.

benefit kiss you ultra shines gloss
Benefit Ultra Shines in Kiss You

Purple has long been one of my go-to lip colors when it comes to glosses because it’s a great alternative to pink (not to take anything away from pink, which you know I ).

Kiss Me/You and I go way back.

How far back? Well, it’s a long story…

Pre-2009 — Before 2009, Kiss You was known as Kiss Me, and it was part of Benefit’s The Gloss line. It was a clear fuchsia, not very pigmented, that I reached for whenever I wanted a just-kissed lip look. It quickly became a cult fave (and a favorite of mine) and underwent a name change, becoming Kiss You. Seriously, I could sing sonnets about that shade…or perhaps an ode.
Summer 2009 — Benefit discontinued The Gloss line and released a reformulated version of Kiss You in the new Lip Gloss line. Milkier and less pigmented, it was nothing like the original. Disappointed fans huddled in dark corners and held one another tightly while rocking back and forth and mumbling, “Safe place! Safe place!” Okay…so maybe that was just me.
Spring 2010 — The Lip Gloss line was joined by the smooth and shiny Ultra Shines. Among them, a shimmery, purplish pink called Wild Child, which looked/s a little like a slightly pinker version of the Summer 2009 Kiss You.
Today/Spring 2011 — Kiss You is reborn! Once again, it will grace Benefit counters, where I’ll be waiting with bells on, as one of three new-ish Ultra Shines for spring. 🙂

Why are they just new-ish? The other two shades joining Kiss You — Life on the A List (a light bubble gum pink) and Who Are You Wearing (a passion fruit pink) — are also repromotes blasting in from the past.

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Benefit Purple Lipgloss Heaven

December 15th, 2010 by Karen 6 Comments

From left: Benefit Lipgloss in Kiss You, Benefit Ultra Shines in Wild Child, Benefit Ultra Shines in Kiss You (this is a new addition to the Ultra Shine line, swatches and details to come!) and the old school, discontinued Benefit Kiss You Lip Gloss (RIP).

That’s a lot of purple. And kisses. LOL!