REVIEW: Benefit's Posietint and Benetint!

Hey guys! Today I'm going to be reviewing not one but TWO lip products from Benefit: they're infamous Benetint and the Posietint lip and cheek stains. 

About the Product:

Benetint is a cult favourite among Benefit cosmetics lovers and makeup junkies a like. It's one of if not the most famous product Benefit has ever released. Benetint is a rose-tinted cheek and lip stain that is meant to provide you with a natural flush of colour that also lasts for hours. Posietint similarly to Benetint is used in the same way but is more a poppy, pink tinted stain.

Packaging and Application:

Both products come in cute, nail-polish like bottles with the same sort of applicator brush you'd find in one too. This applicator makes it really easy to get a fast and precise application and it also picks up a nice amount of product, too. Being so liquidly however (specifically Benetint), it can drip from the brush which can be a little annoying but it's really too much of an issues for me.

Shade and Pigmentation:

As you can imaging by the phrase 'flush of colour', these stains aren't meant to be majorly pigmented and are designed to give you a nice, sheer and natural application. I have however found that they can be built up nicely with a few layers so you can get a little more colour out of them. This is also particularly handy if you want to layer the products over a similar colour lipstick or gloss. Both shades are flattering though are perhaps not ideal for darker skin tones as I'm not sure how much colour payoff you'd really get - though Benetint may work, Posietint probably won't offer you much. So, when discussing the actual shades of the two products Benetint is that classic rose flush colour - a mix between red and pink whereas Posietint is a lot more of the pink side and is a little bit more softer.

Formula and Wear:

Benetint is very much a complete liquid stain whereas Posietint is actually a liquid-gel formula making it that little bit thicker. Being a liquid, Benetint therefore can easily fall into and dry into the cracks and lines of your lips so it's important that you work fast. It's also a little bit more on the drier side so you may want to apply a balm or chapstick before application. Posietint is easier to work with and has more of a creamy finish to it. I rarely use stains on the cheeks as it's just not my favourite formula type to use on them but on the lips, I've found that both products wear well. As they dry so fast and are more of a stain, there's little to no transfer and this also means that they last for the whole day as well. Of course, being so sheer of an application, you will find that the bit of intensity there does fade over time (around 5-6 hours) so you may want to apply a little bit more here and there especially if you're wearing the products alone.

Overall, I really love these two lip products. I think they're perfect for a simple, natural makeup look on those days where you're in a rush or just don't feel like wearing much. They provide you with a lovely flush of colour which lasts and can be built upon easily. They're also really handy to just chuck in your bag on the go if you fancy taking off your current lipstick for something less high maintenance. And of course, they're a 2 in 1 product so you don't have to carry a blush and a lipstick! In terms of price, these are £24.50 each which yes does seem like an awful lot for a lip product. But trust me, you get ALOT - even in the mini's which you can find in Benefit gift sets. I'm quite confident that a full size product could probably last you up to a year if not longer so with that in mind, it's actually quite a decent price for a Benefit product if you ask me!

As you can see, I have the mini versions of the two which I purchased in Boots as part of a stocking gift set in which you can choose 5 minis from Benefit for £15! As far as I know this is only available in store but there are plenty of Benefit gift sets on Boots containing these products that you can find here. Alternatively you can find the full size Benetint here and the full size Posietint here!

REVIEW: Benefit's Hoola Bronzer.

Hey! I've got another review for you all on the blog today and this time it's on Benefit's Hoola Bronzing Powder. This is something I'm pretty sure everyone's heard of because it's constantly raved about... 

Contouring was never something I was really interested in when I first started using makeup, I didn't really understand or see the need of it. However, eventually I became more interested in the process of highlighting and contouring and I realised just what a difference it can make even with the smallest bit of product...

As that interest grew and contouring became an official element in my makeup routine, Hoola was a product that stood out as it was really the only bronzer I'd ever heard such a big praise about. Finally I got it and after having it for a good few months, I have to say I do really like and enjoy using it.

One thing I'm not a fan of though is the packaging, being a higher end product I would have liked something that was perhaps more sturdy and felt a little bit more luxurious. Although mine isn't there yet because the box is made of cardboard, I've seen how worn down the packaging can get and it can end up looking really unattractive. Though it's not the end of the world, for a more expensive product I think it's justified to want better quality packaging to actually protect what is inside. That said, the concept of the packaging is quite cute and I like the way it opens I just wish it were made of something stronger. You do also get a brush with the product but as with most others, I never really use the brushes and prefer to use my own. It's a good addition for travel though and it will get the job done!

The bronzer itself is a soft, mid brown colour with a matte finish on the skin. It's very fine and light enough that it still looks natural on lighter skin tones but build-able for a deeper colour on those with a tan or darker skin. The fact that it looks so natural is one of the things I really enjoy about Hoola because often bronzers can look very harsh and muddy on those of us who have paler skin. This however has just the right amount of pigment and is the perfect shade to achieve a defined yet natural look.

The colour itself is nicely pigmented and really gives you that subtle contoured look as I said before. One of the things I like about the bronzer in particular is that it has multiple uses because it makes a really nice eyeshadow shade, too. It's a great crease colour or even an all over lid colour for a quick and easy look. The bronze blends nicely and it wears very well throughout the day.

There's not a whole lot of product in my opinion despite the box having quite a depth to it. To be honest, the box did kind of make me think I'd get more than I actually did. Despite this, a little bit of it does go fairly far and so I think that makes up for it. It is still on the pricier side at £23.50 which I think is quite a lot for a bronzer - an element that in a rush I would probably end up skipping. However, I do think that this really is a quality product and you can truly see that in the finish and look that the bronzer gives you when applied to the skin. Whether it's worth £23.50 I think is a matter of opinion - yes for those of us who enjoy contouring but perhaps not for someone who is just discovering it or maybe doesn't feel the need to. (If you're looking for a good bronzer to start off with, MUA do a really good one that comes in various shades. I use shade 1 and I really like it).

Overall though, this is a really nice product and I can definitely see why it is raved about. It's multi-purpose and it's build-able for that really natural or really defined look. You can get Benefit's Hoola Bronzer online or from Boots as well as in Department stores such as Debenhams and John Lewis. I got mine from ASOS.

Thank you for reading this review - I hope you found it helpful! Have you tried Hoola? What is your favourite bronzer? Let me know!