My first introduction to the Benefit Beauty Cosmetics brand was when a friend ( @pennylooney ) gave me “Fake Up“, which is a hydrating crease-control concealer. I’m not a major make-up nut but I do have my phases and had tried a number of concealers earlier – much to my disappointment. I didn’t have any hopes for this one either but I was happy to find otherwise. I LOVE it! Because of Indian heat and humidity, I still have to remember to smudge after a couple of hours of wear lest it leave crease lines but it glides on well and is great for my skin. I was hooked and wanted to know more. Luckily, I was headed to London and my #EyesForLondon feature caught a break when I spotted the Benefit Bus at Covent Garden!
The 02 Medium works for my skin of course but I reckon a slightly darker shade will work well too.
I find the stick form very convenient to apply. Better than a chubby pencil and better than a liquid concealer. Minimum color on my fingers too – while smudging.
And that’s the bus! It was a dull, grey, rainy day and decided to step on the bus to get some pink delight. In retrospect it was the right decision – I got to meet @Neens_Benefit and had a great time on the bus! Not to mention the goodies I won as part of a contest they were having. More products to get hooked onto.
The team had plethora of cosmetics on the bus and were giving on-the-spot make-up tips and tutorials to whoever was willing and eager.
Lovely ladies on the bus were also singing – see video below – from my Instagram feed.
I got to take away the “They’re Real!” mascara and it’s the best one I’ve used so far. No exaggeration. I like using a mascara to enhance my already naturally-lush eye lashes and most of the ones I’ve used are either flaky and start getting powdery after a few hours and even the so-called “waterproof” ones start chipping and giving me dark circles. The non water-proof ones are an absolute no-no in my book because they just end up smudging and real quick too. But this one? Good luck trying to get it off haha!
The applicator brush is also quite good – it allows you to reach the corners without accidentally brushing your skin above / below your lashes. Another favorite – mine’s about to finish now and I’m hoping I’ll find replenishment at the Indian Sephora store in Delhi.
After the visit to the bus, I also won a contest and got the following in the mail at my UK address. Cute pouch! I love the branding for all their products – the clever names really do work and not just because they are clever but also because they are relevant. Porefessional. Excellent!
Nude eye-shadows and a lip gloss. I haven’t yet tried the eye-shadows but I suspect I will be using them till I finish them. The “World Famous Neutrals” eyekit.The lip gloss isn’t a favorite – I’ve never liked lip glosses in the past – I prefer lip sticks – they stay longer. This one by Benefit is called “Fauxmance“.
The eyeshadow kit has a little “Tips & Tricks” leaflet in it and also has an accompanying mirror.
I really like the Benefit Beauty logo as well. Beautifully done. Another powder eyeshadow separately. “It’s Complicated“. Unfortunately, due to my luggage restrictions, as I had to maximize the space in my suitcases, I was unable to keep the packaging – and I hated throwing it away because it was beautiful. Really, big branding #win for Benefit on all counts.
And lastly, they included a Matthew Williamson scarf in the goodie bag. The scarf is a special edition designed only for Benefit Cosmetics. Lucky me!
You can find Benefit Cosmetics on their website, on Twitter US and UK ( they have contests pretty much each week! ), on Facebook and if you’re in India, you can make a beeline to the Sephora Store at Select City Walk in Saket, New Delhi and pick their stuff up!
And protip, definitely read a bit more about the company and the ladies behind it and LVMH buying it etc. on their Wikipedia page.
