Benefit's Claim To Fame: Stains and Highlighters

I am slightly ashamed to admit that until recently I had never tried Benefit's cheek stains, a product line that has achieved cult status in the beauty world. I love the highlighters and use them regularly but have never felt inc buy lined to full versions of the cheek stains. While waiting in the checkout line at Sephora and navigating through the maze of last minute temptations (you know, the plastic aisle filled of bins with miniatures), I noticed a value pack of three of Benefit's top cheek products in travel size. Well, you know I had to get it, right? And I am so happy that I didn't buy the full size. 

BeneTint

BeneTint is so difficult to work with! It dries in .05 seconds giving no time to smooth away streaks or application lines. The first time I used it, I swiped the brush along my cheeks and started to rub. And rub. And rub, rub, rub, rub. No good. The colour was permanently adhered to my cheeks in tribal war marks. And boy did I feel mad enough to go to war with that bottle. I wiped off, redid the foundation and tried to apply it again with fingers. That worked a little bit better but it still wasn't the easiest to blend over the skin and it left my fingers looking burned and ruddy. 

If you use a powder foundation or setting powder before this product, forget it. It is never going on. In order for BeneTint to work best, I suggest applying over a tinted moisturizer or dewy foundation so that it has some slip to work with. It is a shame because the colour is quite lovely. If you have better superhero blending reflexes than I do, you can get the ultimate "just in from the cold" glow. What it does work well on is lips. For some reason, it doesn't dry as quickly giving me ample time to rub a little for that "just-bitten" look. 

Grade: C+ 

PosieTint

Infinitely easier to use than BeneTint, PosieTint has a creamier and luminous texture that applies slightly more sheer with a minutely slower drying time. While BeneTint is a flat poppy red colour, PosieTint is a lovely baby doll pink that gives the illusion of naturally flushed cheeks. Bear in mind that the product darkens after a few minutes as it reacts with the chemistry of your body so apply less than you think you need. It performs better on the cheeks than the lips because it doesn't show up well against pigmented lips. PosieTint has less of a staying power than BeneTint, but you will still get a solid 4 hours performance out of an application (approximately 2 hours on the lips). 

Grade: B

High Beam and Moon Beam

My two favourite highlighters from Benefit are still Girl Meets Pearl and Watts Up (review to come), but these two are tied for second place. High Beam is a pearlized white that works best on fairer skin tones and adds a healthy luminosity to cheeks, cupid's bow, and brow bone. Moon Beam is a more peachy and works on all skin tones, but does wonders for medium to dark skin. These highlighters can liven any complexion and are so easy to use. They blend smoothly and last for at least 4 hours. 

Grade: A

(Posie Tint, BeneTint, High Beam, Moon Beam)

Cha Cha Tint

You're probably wondering why I purchased this one in full size if I wasn't completely sold on it s two predecessors. Well, firstly it doesn't come in a smaller size and I actually tried it on my cheeks before buying it. Cha Cha doesn't dry as quickly but still requires immediate blending (you can see the application streak on the blended swatch). What I liked about this product is that, although it looks a petrifying pumpkin orange on the applicator, it sheers out to a beautiful natural flush that gives my skin a peaches and cream glow. I admit I gave the makeup artist "a look" when she brandished the wand in front of me, but I committed my cheeks into her hands and hoped for the best. And of the three, it is the best. I like pairing this tint with a bronze look to keep the skin warm. 

Grade: B+

Not one to waste products, I will use BeneTint and PosieTint until I have mastered the application technique or use up the small bottles. But no beauty product should take this much trial and error to be worth the effort.