Benefit - Finding Mr. Bright

Finding Mr. Bright is a brightening face kit by Benefit Cosmetics, which contains the following products:

• Girl Meets Pearl (7.5ml)
• Posie Tint (4 ml)
• High Beam (2.5 ml)
• Erase Paste in No. 2 (3.2 g)

Girl Meets Pearl is a golden/pearly face primer which smells like bubble gum. It's ok under foundation, but I love it as a highlighter, it is so unique! So golden and lovely... it's really just liquid gold... but prettier!

Posie Tint is not something I would recommend, sadly, and I am glad that I didn't get a full-sized version of it. This is a pink lip and cheek stain, but there has to be something better out there. I know it is called a stain, but you should still be able to blend it, right? This one is very hard to blend onto your cheeks and leaves pink spots (stains) wherever it goes on. It also offers very little colour on your lips, I could just as well pinch my cheeks and bite my lips... it would be a whole lot prettier, easier and more affordable. Cute packaging though.

High Beam is a liquid highlighter, a milky pink one with loads of shimmer. I actually already had the full-sized one, and I do really like this, but a little goes a very long way. The one from this kit will last you for ages!

Erase Paste is a very creamy concealer, and I already had the full-sized one in No. 1. This small one is in No. 2 which is their medium shade. It is a bit too dark but I can still get some use out of it. This concealer is something I use almost every day under my eyes, and I can definitely recommend it.

As always with Benefit, you get cute packaging. This little kit comes in bright pink (or magenta) with all kinds of "men" on it... amongst others, I've spotted "the heart-breaker" and "the alcoholic", as well as of course "Mr. Bright!

The box has a magnetic closure, and a very nice mirror inside. What I really love about this packaging, is that you can pop out the paper insert which holds the products, and then you can use the box itself as a really chic way to carry your every day makeup! It is small enough to fit into any medium sized purse, yet big enough to hold my essentials. So cute!

I love how they capitalize the first three letters in "manual" into "MANual". Benefit always gets it right with cute packaging and ideas like this!

I really like Erase Paste, but the colour (no. 2) is a little too dark for me, although I can actually use it under my eyes if I blend it really well. And the small pot is so adorable... it's a baby concealer!

L-R: High Beam, Girl Meets Pearl, Posie Tint, Erase Paste in No. 2

L-R: High Beam, Girl Meets Pearl, Posie Tint, Erase Paste.

Those second swatches are smoothed out a bit, so that you can see the shimmer in the High Beam and the Girl Meets Pearl. You can also see the smoothed-out Posie Tint swatch right next to the original Posie Tint swatch.

Overall, I think this kit is rather well put together. Of course, whether or not you like this kit can come down to so many factors, since it holds four products. And also, if you can use the Erase Paste (if it isn't too dark or too light for you) then you will get more use out of it than the rest of us. Personally, I liked the products except for the Posie Tint (which can be used in emergencies, though), so I do rather like this kit, for example for travelling. I also really like that you can buy a kit like this with smaller sized products, figure out what you love and then buy that and skimp on the others - it can save you a whole lot of money.

 

Product (65%) - 8/10

Value (10%) - 7.5/10

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 6.5/10 (I would rather buy individual products, now that I know what I like)

Packaging (10%) - 9.5/10

Overall - 8/10

 

Miss Diorista

 

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. - Maya Angelou

September Hits!

Yes, I know that it's the tenth of October... but I still really want to do my September favourites, so I decided to just forget the calendar for a few minutes! Please turn all forgetful with me, will ya?

First of all, you see Sprinsheen blush by MAC. Do I love this. I wore nothing else the first two weeks after I got this. I absolutely love this. Did I tell you how much I love this blush?

The little pink pot is a concealer, the Erase Paste by Benefit. I'm in the lightest shade, nr. 1. This is a really creamy concealer, stays on all day and covers really well. Yes, it does crease a little bit, but I can live with that :)

And the powder you see is also by Benefit, the Hello Flawless! It is a powder which is supposed to cover like a foundation. I really love this. It covers up pretty decently, and feels good. I'm in the shade "Gee, I'm swell, SHELL". Only downfall is that I am going through this pretty quickly... on the other hand, I have been using it almost every day for about two months now, so maybe that's why I'm seeing pan already!

Here, you see the... long things. Yeah. Good explanation of my behalf, wasn't it? Okay then, Miss Diorista. Let´s see your long things!

First up is my favourite mascara so far, the Voluminous by L'Oréal. This is just beyond words, makes my lashes long and lush, doesn't clump and is very black. I don't like it when mascaras say "black", but come out looking all gray. This one says black, and is black.

The brush is an e/s blender by The Body Shop. Sure, it's a good blender, but the reason it's here, is that it is a great brush for creating subtle shadows for an everyday look. If you just want that extra depth/emphasize on your eyes, without it looking like you have any eyeshadow on, then this is your brush. Love it, have been using it constantly.

Yes, I've been on an eye-lining rush lately... the first one is by Clinique, a Cream Shaper for Eyes in 103, called Egyptian. It is a beautiful kind of khaki green colour. Really dark though, and looks black once on. Just not quite as harsh, which I why I love it. Also really creamy, so to prevent smudging, I would set it with some dark e/s.

The white eyeliner is by Sisley, it is a Kohl eyeliner, in Snow. Has some subtle shimmer to it, and is just a dream. Creamy enough to be used on your waterline, yet doesn't smudge. However, it is also creamy enough to be used under your brow as a highlight... so this is a wonderproduct, I'm telling you! Creamy when it has to be and non-creamy when it is supposed to be exactly that! Lol!

The last long thing I've got to show you is a Velvet Eyeliner from GOSH, in 01 Blue Moon. It is a beautiful blue colour. Not a bright blue, just... the perfect blue. I love it! Adds some bling to your eyes without being too overpowering!

Here are some swatches for you guys. On top is the Springsheen blush, then the eyeliners. First is Egyptian, then Sisley Snow, finally the GOSH one.

So, what have you been loving for the month of September? Please tell me, I'd love to know!

And leave any requests for product reviews in the comments ;)

Yours,

Miss Diorista

Haul from Germany (part 8) - Benefit

At last. The final part of the haul from Germany. Can you believe it? Part eight. The final part... I don´t believe it.
So this last part is probably the one that I am most excited about. This is all about Benefit products, which you can't buy here in Iceland, so I kind of might have gone slightly crazy at the Benefit counter... but I don't mind! Let's get started!

I got three boxed powders, and frankly, I love all of them.
First, you see Hoola bronzer to the left. A really nice, matte bronzer which still gives a sunkissed look. Perfect for contouring.
In the middle is one of their latest boxed powders, a blush called Sugarbomb. As you can see, it has four colours. This blush really gives a lot of sheen, but less colour, so if you're looking for some pretty flush with glow, this will be your thing.
I also got the duo 10. One side is a highlighter, the other one is a bronzer. Both are very shimmery. I love this for some quick contouring, just make sure to blend well so that you don't look too streaky!
For the Hoola I use a contouring brush, but for the other two, I find that the brushes that came with them, actually work best.

Below the powders, you see, from the left:
That Gal face primer. This is a pinkish primer, with a bit of shimmer. I don't like this under my makeup, as I can't really see any difference when wearing it. However, I do like it over my makeup, as a slight highlight, or as a base for a powder highlighter.
Next up is a gorgeous powder highlighter, Miss Popularity. It is one of the most sparkling highlighters I've ever seen, not for every day use, but for some extravaganza, I love this.
Ooh la lift was kind of a disappointment for me. It is supposed to brighten up your under eye area (not conceal, just brighten). However, I can hardly see any difference. It is milky pink, yes, slightly shimmery, but I won't repurchase. I sometimes use it on my cheekbones, though, for just a hint of glow.
Finally (on this picture), you see High Beam, another highlighter (yes, I am really into highlighters!). It is a liquid one, and I love it. Period.

First up is Hello Flawless! powder "foundation". I really, really love this, have been using it almost every day. I am in the colour "Gee, I'm swell, SHELL". Comes with a brush and a sponge.

Next to that one, is the Stay don't stray! e/s and concealer primer. It gives me some coverage, actually, and does reduce under eye creasing. See some further review here.

The little pink pot is probably a new love of mine, a concealer called Erase Paste. I'm in the lightest shade (they have three). This covers really well, doesn't crease a whole lot, and lasts well.

Finally, I got myself a concealing and brightening kit, the Confessions of a Concealaholic. How fun is that name! And the packaging is just supercute - looks like a book! It comes with Boi-ing concealer in shades 1 and 2, Erase Paste in shade 2, That Gal face primer, Eye Bright and Lemon-Aid. You also get two double-ended brushes, and each end is marked, so that you don't get things mixed up. I will probably do a full review of this kit, so I'm not going to ramble on about it here :)

Whew. That's it. The haul is over!

I really hope that you liked this part, and the whole haul, of course!

As usually, leave any requests for reviews in the comment, and please do comment, I love reading your comments!

Yours,

Miss Diorista.