Benefit Cosmetics was started in 1976 by two twin sisters, Jane and Jean Ford. The girls first opened a small boutique in San Francisco. The brand is known for their unique, whimsical products that get the job done.
The packaging is typically absolutely adorable. Benefit also regularly has special little kits, palettes and unique beauty items available for purchase (like their Maybe Baby Chickster garter) – items like these make absolutely darling gifts. Some of our favorite products include Benefit concealers like their Lemon Aid concealer. We also adore their eyeshadow base and excellent mascara formulas.
How to Create Your Own Eyeshadow Palette
For a lot of makeup fans, eyeshadows can be hard to resist. You might go to a cosmetics counter to pick up something else but while you’re standing there waiting for the sales associate to ring you up, there they are… dozens of pretty, fresh eyeshadows begging you to buy them. The next thing you know, you’re at home trying to find a place in your already-overflowing makeup drawer for your newest five shadows. If this sounds like you, it’s time to make your own eyeshadow palette.
Making your own eyeshadow palette makes sense for a lot of reasons. First of all, it’s very practical because it frees up space in your cosmetics drawers. Even if you end up using this newly empty space to justify future makeup purchases, you still have to admit it’s handy. If a lot of your eyeshadows are from MAC, this is also a good idea from an economic standpoint because once you take the eyeshadow pans out of the pots, you can return the empty pots to MAC and get a free lipstick as part of their recycling program.
Perhaps the best reason to make an eyeshadow palette is because this enables you to group colors that go together well all in one place so you can apply them more easily. It can actually take a fair amount of time to shuffle through your makeup drawers and dig out different colors to see if they look good together every day. When you make a palette, you do all the matching work beforehand and then you have everything laid out together for the future. This also helps you use up those colors that you always seem to forget about. Depending on the size of your collection, you could make a few palettes of different color families such as a warm, cool or neutral eyeshadow palette, a summer vs. winter eyeshadow palette, as well a few others like a neon, bright, shimmer, cream or matte eyeshadow palette.
This task will be easiest if most of your shadows are the same size. Many cosmetics brands sell empty palettes that their shadows can fit into. If your shadows are various sizes or from different manufacturers, or if you want to include blushes or other products, you can always make a homemade palette. This is also a great way to save some money. All you need is an empty CD case and some magnetic sheets, which you can pick up from craft or office stores for a few dollars. Take out the plastic piece that holds the CD (this is usually black) and trace it onto the magnetic sheet. Then cut out the piece of magnet and glue it into the CD case. Some eyeshadow pans will stick to the magnet on their own. If not, you will need to cut out some magnetic strips and stick them to the bottom of the shadow pans.
If the shadow comes in some type of compact or other packaging, it will be necessary to remove the shadow from the pot first. This can usually be accomplished by carefully melting the glue underneath the pan. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to de-pot eyeshadows by MAC and other brands. Alternatively, you can often buy shadows in simple pan format. Pan eye shadows are available from MAC on their main maccosmetics.com website as well as their macpro.com website.
It’s always a good idea to label your shadows when you make a palette. It might not seem important now but once you hit the pan and need to replace a shade, you may not be able to remember the name of the color. When you make your palette, create a color guide on a sheet of paper. Make swatches of each color in the same order that they appear in your eye palette and write the name of the shade underneath. Use a piece of paper the same size as a CD booklet and simply insert it into the cover of the CD case. Then close the CD case and there you have it: your very own homemade custom color eyeshadow palette!
Benefit Cosmetics: High Beam Highlighter
When it comes to getting fresh glowing skin, Benefit High Beam can’t be beat. This liquid highlighter from Benefit is one of the most popular highlighters on the market for a good reason. There are many highlighters out there and most of them are duds. It’s a product that’s hard to get right. Instead of a youthful glow, many highlighters give a greasy shine. Others have noticeable chunks of glitter that look ridiculous in sunlight. Even the ones that do look alright tend to clog pores. Benefit got the formula right when it created High Beam. This is definitely one of our top Benefit makeup picks.
High Beam comes in a small bottle with a brush attached to the lid, similar to the packaging of nail polish. However, it is easier to apply it with your fingertips as that gives you more control over where you apply it and makes blending easier. For the most natural look, dab the brush onto your fingertips and then dot the product onto your cheeks, brow bone, and the bridge of your nose and then blend it in an outward circular motion using your fingertips. It is fairly long lasting which means you won’t need to touch it up during the day. However, it is easy enough to tuck the bottle into your purse just in case.
In the bottle, the liquid looks a bit on the pink side but when applied, it makes your whole face look brighter without any trace of pink. The color works even on the palest of skin tones. The popularity of High Beam has also led to the creation of a warmer-toned version, Moon Beam, which looks particularly nice with a deep tan.
Benefit’s High Beam is a great way to get radiant skin without looking shimmery or oily. It is subtle enough to wear during the day, but it’s easy to get a dramatic look by applying it with a heavy hand for a night out. Like other Benefit Cosmetics products, it doesn’t irritate sensitive skin or clog pores. Overall, this is a well-rounded highlighter that really delivers on its promises. Just a small amount of product can totally transform your face from dull and tired to bright, awake, and glowing.
An Intro to Benefit Eyeshadows
BeneFit has several great eyeshadows that really hold up well and are made with the great quality you would expect from them. The creaseless cream eyeshadow is a cream shadow that comes in a little pot. It is very similar to MAC Paint Pots. Cream eyeshadows tend to have short wearability, but BeneFit really got it right with these as they tend to last all day. The color is buildable, meaning you can put a sheer layer for an all over lid wash or apply a few layers for a more colorful look. You can also use them with a liner brush as an eyeliner, making them very multifunctional. One color that is great for all of these uses is Busy Signal. This shimmery brown color reminds me of a penny. It is great as a copper base and also as a liner. You can also mix and match the shades to create your own custom look.
BeneFit velvet eyeshadow is another winning formulation. Powder eyeshadows are hard to get right, but this one does not disappoint. These pressed powder eye shadows are finely milled and velvety as the name implies. The application is very smooth and the colors are easy to blend. They also look fantastic layered on top of the Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow. The color selection is not very large but many of the colors are universally flattering. Leggy is a pink champagne color with a very slight shimmer that is understated enough for work but also great for evening looks. Another winning color is Skinny Jeans. This one is very metallic so it’s better for going out. It’s the perfect pewter shade with a hint of green and would also pair well with smoky looks.
BeneFit has a great line of eyeshadows. The price is a little higher than many other department store shadows, but the quality makes it worth it.
A Beginner’s Guide to Benefit Lipstick
Benefit Cosmetics is a cutesy cosmetics brand known for clever names and a catalog that is truly fun to read. Although they are best known for some of their more unique products, their basics should not be overlooked. Lipstick may seem boring next to some of their more innovative items, but the truth is, like most Benefit makeup products, Benefit lipsticks are great products worthy of their somewhat high price tags.
Benefit Full Finish Lipstick is one of those products that will save you money in the long run. This lipstick is formulated to give even and solid coverage, eliminating the need for using a separate lip liner and gloss. The finish is creamy with a slight sheen so it looks polished without being overdone. The shade Lady’s Choice is without a doubt one of the very best lipstick colors you can buy anywhere, and I don’t make statements like that very lightly! Lady’s Choice is a soft, neutral pink color with just a touch of brown that is similar to the natural lip color most of wish we were born with. It’s just enough color to make it look like you made an effort, but not so much color that everyone is going to instantly notice you are wearing lipstick. The wear could be better on these but they are very easy to reapply. In fact, you don’t even need a mirror.
photo credit: corporatemonkey
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