I purchased this set from Benefit at the end of the year and am just getting around to posting about it. What drew me to this set was the fact that it includes 2 full-sized products and a few other small freebies for the price of a little more than one of the full-sized items on its own! I love good deals especially this one since I've been wanting to try out the full-sized items included.
The set comes with a full size boxed powder/blush in Sugarbomb, full size High Beam liquid highlighter, and minis of the POREfessional primer, They're Real mascara, and Laugh with Me Lee Lee fragrance.
I've been wanting to try the Sugarbomb boxed powder for a while now, mostly because I like the idea of swirling different shades together and because I already love some of the other Benefit boxed powders that I already own.
Sugarbomb is a very soft, sheer blush. It has a nice reflective sheen, so I can see it being used as a highlighter by some. It features four shades: a strawberry pink, light baby pink, nude with mauve undertones, and a light peachy orange shade. Swirled together, they give a soft pink with a hint of coral and gold sheen. I find that I have to pack this blush on to get the color to show up, and I have a fairly light skin tone (NC20-25), so I would only recommend this for light to fair skin tones. I think it would add a really natural neutral sheen to those of medium and tanner complexions. It's definitely something I would recommend trying on before buying because I can see it working differently for a lot of people. The texture is really smooth and luxurious feeling, but I found that it can emphasize pores and the staying power isn't the best out there. I'm glad I got this in a kit, because I don't think I would have paid full price for this on its own.
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| Benefit Sugarbomb blended together on the left and individual shades swatched on the right; natural lighting |
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| Benefit Sugarbomb; natural lighting with photo contrast |
The next full-sized product was Benefit High Beam. This is a liquid highlighter that is pearly with pink undertones. The pink undertones make it very brightening and although it is very shimmery, it isn't overwhelming on the skin and doesn't contain any large or noticeable shimmer particles.
It comes with a brush applicator. I apply it by dabbing it on the high points of my cheeks and blending it out with my fingers by lightly tapping. If you have dry skin or don't particularly like powder highlights, this would be an amazing product to try. I really enjoy this product.
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| Benefit High Beam blended out on the left and swatched heavily on the right; natural lighting |
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| Benefit High Beam; sunset lighting |
Another thing I was really excited to try was the Benefit They're Real mascara. Everyone raves about it so much, so I figured I'd see what all the hype was about. The brush is rubberized and has a generous amount of bristles throughout. There are also spiky bristles at the tip, which make it ideal for getting hard to reach lashes on the inner corners of the eyes (theoretically - we shall see!)
Another mini that was thrown in was the POREfessional primer. I already have a couple of minis of this and use it almost every day to fill in the pores on my cheeks by my nose. I don't prime my whole face with this as I find it doesn't help with my T-zone oiliness, but it works fairly well at keeping my pores minimized under foundation. I apply it after my usual primer just to the areas that have visible pores. It has a soft silicone texture and goes on very smoothly. It also has a light, but pleasant floral scent. Although tinted, it disappears into the skin without providing any color or coverage.
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| Benefit POREfessional primer; natural lighting |
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| Benefit Laugh with me Lee Lee fragrance mini |
The last mini in this kit was the Laugh with me Lee Lee fragrance. The notes are: Cassis, Melon, Citrus, Black Violet, Lily, Jasmine, Blonde Wood, Amber, Santal. I find it smells oriental and citrusy. It is very light and not overpowering, and I enjoy very much. This scent and the Garden of Good and Eva are my favorite perfumes by Benefit. Give them a whiff next time you're around Benefit products if you're interested :)
Overall, I'm very pleased with this set. It retails for $34 when Sugarbomb alone is $28 and High-Beam is $26.
Lastly, when I placed my order, Sephora was having a great freebie gift with purchase. They made three "kits" with various samples inside for you to choose from, and I couldn't be happier with the products I received. I chose the "Best in Classic It Kit."
I received sample shadow cards for the Stila in the Light eyeshadow palette. I gifted this to a friend because I already have the full palette (it's one of my favorite neutral palettes by the way!) I also got samples of the Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action eye makeup remover, Hypnose Star mascara, and La Base pro primer. There was another primer: Sephora Anti-Shine, a sample of the Make Up Forever HD Microfinish powder, Murad Clarifying Cleanser, and my favorite item: a mini of the Nars Velvet Gloss lip pencil in New Lover. Lastly, it came in a black bag and with two fragrance samples: Stella McCartney Lily and Cartier Basier Vole.
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| Nars Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in New Lover; natural lighting |
The Nars shade is a beautiful peachy-pink with subtle gold shimmer and a high-shine finish. I can't wait to use this in the summer!
I hope you enjoyed my haul. Let me know if you like these types of posts :)
- xx, Eviola
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