Benefit Oxygen Wow

The first thing I said when I used Oxygen Wow! for the first time was... WOW! I had purchased Petal, the same shade as the Hello Flawless! powder that I use. I bought this online and didn't even go to the shop to test the colour. If that's not brave, I don't know what is.

I used Stay Flawless before applying Oxygen Wow! since that's what everyone was recommending. (If you have read my previous posts about Stay Flawless, you would have seen how my entire face began to shrivel up and crack when I used Stay Flawless with PlaySticks. It was horrors! Thank goodness it didn't happen with Oxygen Wow) This liquid foundation went on really easily. One pump was sufficient. It blended and spread well. The coverage level is very high. I think this possibly provides better coverage than PlaySticks. Oxygen Wow! is also very lightweight and doesn't make you feel like you have a layer of make up on, which I think is pretty good considering it's got good coverage. 

PlaySticks is of a cream consistency which I felt was too oily for my combination skin and for this humid weather. Oxygen Wow! is liquid and for that reason I think managed to even my face out much better. Oxygen Wow! is also Oil-Free which is ideal for oily or combination skin. It doubles up as sunscreen, broad spectrum SPF 25. Not enough sunscreen for extended periods outdoors in my opinion but for going to the office, I think that's ok. 

This power combination of Stay Flawless + Oxygen Wow! + Hello Flawless! lasted me from 8am to 11pm. Throughout the day I only touched up once, at 6pm I blotted my face and brushed on a light layer of Hello Flawless! to look a bit fresher before going out for dinner. 

Oxygen Wow! is a foundation that I would highly recommend. It's got good coverage, matches my sallow skin tone well, lasting power, non oily, sunscreen... not sure what else you could ask for. I got it from Benefit online for US$36. Considering exchange rates aren't so great for me at the moment, I still think it is worth it. Go check it out!

For some reviews about the other products which I am talking about... You can read my previous posts about PlaySticks, PlaySticks Verdict, Hello Flawless! and Stay Flawless

Benefit Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer

So you probably know by now that I'm a big fan of Benefit Cosmetics. I find their make up to be good to my skin and colours suitable for my skin tone. During my last big buy, I decided to try Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer. Primers are especially important in hot and humid climates like Singapore. From the moment you leave the comfort of your air conditioned room, you feel your whole face melting off. Literally. Followed by consistent blotting and soon enough, you have almost no make up left and it's not even noon yet. 

Stay Flawless comes in a stick which I find particularly useful when I have to travel. It glides on your skin really easily and is almost colourless. What I particularly like is the slightly cool sensation you get when you put it on. I'm not sure why that happens, but it feels soothing. It feels slightly tacky on your skin but that's to make your make up stick to your face for 15 hours right?

The first time I used it, I was extremely shocked! I had used it and then applied Play Sticks, the followed by Hello Flawless! powder. Almost immediately, my skin started to crease and crack. Play Sticks has a very creamy consistency, like a soft crayon. I could feel my face tightening and I when I looked in the mirror, I saw my face cracking up. It looked like dried up clay mask... I quickly washed everything off my face and heaved a sigh of relief.

The next time I used it, I got a slightly better results. I used Stay Flawless then I used You Rebel Lite. Being a tinted moisturiser with a more liquid consistency, it didn't cause that dryness that I had when I paired Stay Flawless with Play Sticks. So a word of caution... make sure you use a liquid foundation when you use Stay Flawless.

When my next shipment come, I will try it with Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! This is a liquid foundation and the reviews that say that Stay Flawless is good, they all use it with Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! So till next time... Let's see if this US$32 that I spent on Stay Flawless was worth it in the end.

You read about my reviews about Play Sticks, Play Sticks Verdict, Hello Flawless! and You Rebel Lite

Benefit Play Sticks - The Verdict

I've been using Play Sticks on a daily basis and am ready to commit to comment now. I think it's a great product that provides good coverage for scars, open pores, pigmentation. It goes on well and is easy to use. Once you use powder on top of it, your skin does look quite flawless.

I however, will not be buying it again once this stick is done. Reason being that the weather here is too humid and lately it's been so hot like 35ºC with a humidity of more than 90%, so my skin gets really oily a couple of hours later. I must admit that I do have skin that's a bit on the oily side, but I have noticed that it's significantly oilier when I use Play Sticks. I think it's too creamy for oilier skin types.

If you live in dry climates and/or have dry skin, I think Play Sticks will be great for your skin as it will provide sufficient moisture and won't have your skin feeling dry and flaky.

To read my previous post about Play Sticks - go HERE

Benefit Play Sticks

I did a big shop at Benefit Cosmetics recently and bought some interesting stuff. In the past I didn't use foundation, instead I used You Rebel Lite which is a tinted moisturizer that provides light coverage and doesn't feel like you're wearing a thick layer of makeup. This time I thought I'd try something with a bit more coverage for a few reasons. I was hoping that it will be able to disguise my big pores and make my skin look a little better.

Play Sticks

I have been using it daily, after moisturizer but before Hello Flawless! Play Sticks does provide slightly better coverage being that it's a creamy consistency so it can fill in any holes and reasonably cover any red pimples. I do feel that my skin is a little oilier these days and I am not sure if it's because of the Play Sticks or just our bad weather. 

Play Sticks comes in only 3 colours, so if it doesn't suit you, then you might prefer to go for Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! which comes in more colours (matchy matchy with the Hello Flawless! powders). The next round I will buy Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! to try, I hear good things about it. I use light beige with Hello Flawless! in petal. 

The three colours are playfully named, as with all their stuff:

• Spin the bottle (light beige)
• Tea party (medium beige)
• Jump rope (medium tan)

Because it comes in a stick, it makes application extremely easy which is a real plus for me. The consistency of the foundation is also a winner coz it's smooth. However, I'm still entirely sold on this product. There's something about the way the powder goes on that I don't really like. It seems to be a bit... coagulated. I'm not sure why, but it doesn't feel like it sits well into my skin. Only after some light perspiration then it settles. Perhaps my moisturizer is too light.

For now if you're interested, I'd suggest you go to the Benefit Boutique to test it out before buying, to see if you like it and also for the colour. It cost me US$36 and I'm 50/50 on this one. I might post a conclusion later on how I feel about this product.

For the verdict - go HERE

Benefit They're Real! vs Dior's Diorshow Waterproof Mascara

I have used a wide range of products from Benefit and what I like most about it Benefit Cosmetics is that they actually deliver what they promise.  The first draw for me is that they give their products very catchy names and have extremely attractive packaging. 

In the past I used to use Diorshow Waterproof Mascara, I found that it could withstand any natural disaster.  It was that good!  I've been drenched in hours of pouring rain and still had my make up in tact.  In trying some stuff from Benefit, I got a tester and found it to be comparable to Diorshow.  

At a glance there's nothing about this that stands out.  As we know, all the pictures that they show us about super thick, long, luscious eyelashes are a lie!  The people they pick to take those pictures clearly have the long end of the stick and won't need any special mascara for obvious reasons.  However people like me who obviously got the short end of the stick, need enhancers... if they sell it, I will buy.  I think that's a pretty clear objective don't you think?

On the packaging it boasts:
- 94% saw dramatic length and volume
- 90% saw base-to-tip curl
- 94% saw visible lift
- 100% saw long wearing results

Anyways, on my sparse and so un-long eyelashes, I apply this mascara on.  It glides on easily and within the few seconds it takes it dry, it actually curls my eyelashes a bit.  I'm not sure how they make stuff like that but it is possible so it seems.  Needless to say, I put a few more layers on because I have no limits and am pretty sure 'less is more' applies to everyone except me.  It does a good job at making my eyelashes seem fuller, thicker, darker and adds curl.  Just for the record, I don't have curly eyelashes because I have straight hair and it's not inherent in Chinese to have curly eyelashes.  With They're Real!, the curl effect actually opens my eye up and makes me look like I have bigger eyes and more alert.

They're Real! also doesn't smudge or run after a whole day.  I haven't tried standing in the midst of a hurricane yet but I'm sure it'll still be there even if I do not make it out alive.  When trying to remove this, I have to use quite heavy oil based removers to get a proper clean.  This indicates to me that it is truly waterproof.  In conclusion, all that they're boasting about, I found to be true.

It's a hard fight between the Diorshow Waterproof Mascara and Benefit They're Real!, I'd go with either.  The prices are similar, US$25 for Dior and US$23 for Benefit so that's not a point that you could challenge either.  To be completely honest, one big reason why I'm using They're Real! now is because I buy other Benefit products so it makes it easier just to order the mascara as well, considering they're both equally good.

Benefit Dandelion

Another favourite from Benefit is Dandelion.  They've classified it as a brightening face powder, but since I'm so fair, I use it as a blush.  It may seem like a very light pink, but when I put it on, somehow it shows up very well.  

It gives my skin a nice blush that doesn't make me look like a backstage Chinese opera performer.  The powder is fine and goes on easily.  One of the big reasons that I love using Benefit cosmetics is that not only do they improve on their products and keep introducing new ones, they always maintain the quality and colours.  I've bought their face powder Hello Flawless! in Petal more than 10 times over more than 5 years and each time, the quality and colour is consistently good.  

I've bought Dandelion about 3 times now (one box lasts a really long time even with daily use), and I'm very happy that they've revamped the packaging.  The old box was a little bit cumbersome because the cover was separate so you had to take it off and set it down somewhere.  The old box also never had a mirror, which means you had to set the cover down, then use a separate mirror.  Now they've improved the box to be a flip top which is SO much easier and they've also included a mirror on the inside of the flip top.  They've always included a little brush that sits in the box nicely.

I bought this online for US$28 and it lasts for at least 6 months!  Now you see why this is another essential in my beauty box.

Benefit Dream Screen

The reports have come out and everyone's on about sunscreen.  To be perfectly honest, when I go out on the weekends, I don't even use moisturiser.  Doesn't help that I enjoy going to the pool or to the beach.  Now that I'm older, I should at least pretend to be a little bit wiser.  I've decided that I will wear sunscreen when I go out, regardless of the weather or activity.

When I use make up, the sunscreen that I use is You Rebel Lite, my previous post was about that.  That has worked out pretty well thus far.  I did realise that my beauty box lacked sunscreen for when I'm not wearing makeup.  Therefore... I purchased Dream Screen from Benefit.  It has SPF 45 which is pretty good coverage.  But that was not the selling point for me.  What got me to click "Buy Me!' was that it claimed to have an invisible silky-matte finish.

If you're like me and have sensitive skin/ oily skin/ problem skin... the list goes on, you would have tried almost every item out there.  Anything that says matte or oil control, just buy!  I've become apprehensive about the matte finish but my main focus was the SPF. 

When I tipped the bottle to use it, I was slightly taken aback because it came out like looking like milk, consistency (not the smell).  Smell was like sunscreen, nothing special.  I don't know why but I had expected it to be more creamy instead of liquid.  Never mind that... I slap it on anyways.  To my delight, when it dried, it WAS silky-matte.  Just like it said.  It didn't feel oily like how sunscreen usually feels.  It was comfortable for the rest of the day that I was out so I would totally recommend it.

Dream Screen by Benefit for US$32 online, I'd say it's one of my new favourite essentials in my beauty box.

For the benefit of those who haven't seen it, this video shows you what happens to your skin when you use sunscreen.  It's amazing how glorious the sun is and yet can do so much damage. Watch the video here

There's even a song about sunscreen, I've included this for your listening pleasure. Watch the video of the sunscreen song here

Benefit You Rebel Lite

My makeup parcel has arrived... yipee! One of the products that I had purchased from Benefit was You Rebel Lite.  It's a tinted moisturizer with SPF 15, Aloe, Vitamins A and E.  I had previously purchased You Rebel once and couldn't use it coz I found the colour too dark for my skin tone. 

 

SPF (Sun Protection Factor) rating is a measure of the fraction of sunburn producing UV rays blocked, in this product there's SPF 15.  Aloe is good for soothing and moisturising the skin, Vitamin A is known for anti-aging properties and Vitamin E will help the skin fight free radicals.

Today I got to use it and I am very happy with it.  I applied moisturizer before applying You Rebel Lite, for the sole purpose to ensuring my skin is well moisturized and hydrated.  A big mistake when applying makeup, so I have learned through the years of bad makeup, is that less is more.  I very carefully squeezed about 0.5cm of You Rebel Lite onto my finger and dabbed it all over my face, blending after.  I'm super lazy so I just used my fingers throughout.  I'm sure it'll probably go on more evenly with a foundation brush, or so they say.

The very first thing I did notice was how well the colour suited my skin.  It was like it wasn't there!  The coverage for blemishes and scars was moderate.  I don't expect it to be able to erase my scars 100%, but I think it did a pretty good job.  The consistency is thick-ish, maybe slightly thicker than toothpaste.  So it's still easily spreadable and at the same time, providing pretty decent coverage.  After that I applied a light layer of Hello Flawless! in Petal (Never Settle) and I'm out the door, this is at 8am.

The next thing I noticed at 4pm today was that my skin felt considerably less oily.  I have quite oily skin, depending on the weather, time of month, etc.  But as compared to yesterday where I only applied moisturizer and Hello Flawless!, my skin is not greasy.  It does not make any sense to me -  putting on more moisturiser to make your skin drier.  It is however fact, that your skin is oily because it's trying to compensate for the lack thereof.  Technically speaking, your skin is oily because it's actually dry.  Weird but true.  So those of you who have oily skin, remember to moisturise!

This can be used in place of a foundation if you want something that's really light weight.  My conclusion is that You Rebel Lite is a fantastic buy, for only US$25 direct from Benefit's website!

If you'd like to read my review on Hello Flawless, click here!

Belif Tinted Moisturiser Powdery B.B.

BB cream is commonly known as blemish balm, blemish base, beauty balm... Whatever you choose to think it is... it's really a tinted moisturiser that's supposed to be an all-in-one to replace serum, moisturiser, sunblock, primer or foundation.  Depending on the level of coverage you want, you can use BB cream under powder as well.  Now they also have CC Cream in the market but it's basically the same thing, BB or CC, they're all tinted moisturisers.

I really like the BB cream from Belif.  It's very light weight and doesn't make your skin look pasty.  In the hot and humid Singapore weather, it's very important (especially for oily skin like mine) that the cosmetics are lightweight.  Despite not having good complexion, I don't want to apply so much make up that I look like I'm wearing a mask.  I want to look my make up to look natural.  If your foundation and powder look very thick or don't match your skin tone, then you're very likely to look like you have a thick layer of make up.

Belif's BB Cream doesn't have shades to choose from, it's only 1 colour.  But because of it's consistency, it's sheer enough for most fair and medium skin toned people to use it.  I;d suggest trying it for colour before you buy.

For oily skin, the Tinted Moisturiser Powdery BB is ideal.  It gives your skin a matte look and covers big pores and small scars.  I use it under face powder because I am not used to going out with only tinted moisturiser on.  I feel like I'm only half made up.  I apply this on top of my toner, serum and moisturiser.  I know it sounds super hardcore, but no one said beauty was easy.  Technically speaking, you have oily skin because your skin is actually dry.  So your skin produces extra sebum to try and rehydrate the skin... In between my 3 showers a day, I'm pretty sure my skin is dried out, so I have to do my best to put the moisture back in.

The BB cream is good enough coverage for day or night and the best part is that it doesn't clog your pores!  I am so paranoid about blackheads it's not even funny, I had a nightmare about it last weekend. True story.  For SGD$33, nice looking complexion, SPF43 sunscreen and lasts for a couple of months, I think it's pretty good stuff! Please Belif me :)

Benefit Hello Flawless!

Hello Flawless! by Benefit is a powder foundation with SPF15 that glides on silky and sheer and lasts all day.  The coverage can be customised depending on how and how much you choose to apply.  It comes with a sponge and a brush that keeps neatly under the powder.  If you want sheer light coverage or for touch ups later in the day, I'd recommend using the brush.  This creates a matte "no make up" kind of look.  If you want more coverage (generally for going out at night), then I'd recommend using the sponge.  Applying the powder with the sponge can cover up small imperfections on the skin and create a flawless look.  For daily use I'd say it lasts me for at least 2 months.  I personally don't have very good complexion so I use the sponge... That helps cover up big pores quite well.

It comes in a range of 9 shades so you would definitely be able to find a shade that is perfect for your skin tone.  The 9 shades from lightest to deepest shade:

• "I love me!" Ivory
• "Never Settle" Petal
• "Me, vain?" Champagne
• "I'm cute as a bunny" Honey
• "All the world's my stage" Beige
• "What I crave" Toasted Beige
• "I'm haute for sure" Amber
• "Why walk when you can strut?" Hazelnut
• "Too fierce to beg" Nutmeg

I have a very sallow yellow tone to my skin which makes it really difficult to buy face powder.  I've tried many other brands but so long as they have an underlying orange or pink tone to it, my face turns too orange or too pink and I look super weird.  "Never Settle" Petal is the best for me.  It doesn't make my face look pasty white, nor does it make it look too pink or orange.  This shade works for me is I suspect is because the undertones are yellow.  Not to mention, Hello Flawless! does not irritate my sensitive skin nor cause me any unsightly allergies.

Benefit's website also has a Shadefinder page to help you choose the most ideal shade.  What I like best is that their shades caters to Asians and Africans, not only Caucasians.  I'd imagine a Caucasian with olive skin would experience the same troubles finding the right shade of powder, they would probably find something at Benefit.  You can also go to their stores and ask them for help in choosing a shade if this is your first time buying from Benefit.  I however, being the queen of lazy and online shopping did not go to the stores.  When I started buying Benefit makeup, they didn't have any stores that sold it here so it's not like there was a choice.  Hello Flawless! goes for US$34 online, in Singapore stores I think they go for S$54.  Buying online is a good option when they have free worldwide shipping for purchases above US$125.

Bobbi Brown Bellini Lip & Eye Palette

This is another from the holiday 2012 collection that I had my eye on and was not able to get my hands on. I also bought this at the Gilroy Premium Outlet stores but didn't have the time to post about it until now. This limited edition 10 eye shadows and 4 lip glosses are very wearable both in the day and the night. You can either go for the "no make up" look for work or the day. Alternatively you could go for the darker more mysterious, sexy "smokey eye" look for a night out. 

Eye shadow colours included (left to right):

• Navajo: Creamy pinkish white
• Candlelight Gold Metallic: Shimmery golden taupe
• Petal Shimmer Wash: Light pink
• Cement: Grey beige
• Prosecco: Shimmer neutral pink
• Truffle: Mid-tone grey pink
• Bellini Shimmer Wash: Golden peach
• Bronze Stone Shimmer Wash: Pale golden brown
• Brown Sugar Metallic: Shimmer brown mauve
• Caviar: Black brown 

Lip gloss colours included:

• Bubble Bath: Medium pink
• Chrome Pink Shimmer: Shimmer silver pink mauve
• Bellini Glitter: Shimmer brown mauve
• Bare Glitter: Pale peach with golden sparkle

As a standard, I would recommend that you use the Navajo (creamy pinkish white) as a base before applying any of the other colours, being that the colours are very light. Colours that are neutral and very light show up much better after you've used a base. 

The good thing about these colours is that it is suitable for all skin tones. Bobbi Brown eye shadows are one of the best I've ever used as they are very pigmented and stay on all day. With this many colours in one palette, you really can have many different combinations depending on what you're wearing on that day or how you feel.

I especially love this palette because it's good for traveling or to chuck in your handbag (doesn't take up too much space). The eye shadow and lip glosses fold out on separate sections so this ensures that they do not end up getting all messy. I would NOT appreciate my lip gloss getting into my eye shadow for sure! 

Another excellent purchase for US$52.50. Didn't break the bank, YEAH!

Bobbi Brown Navy & Nude

I have been searching for this palette for months because I missed it when it was in the stores. Yes I know I'm slow. But life gets in the way of shopping sometimes. I had been away for 2 weeks, in that time I had been to Mexico, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. Amongst many highlights of the very hectic trip, I found a cosmetics shop at the Gilroy Premium Outlets, lo and behold, Bobbi Brown palettes galore! (If you could see me right now, you'd see the twinkle in my eyes)

I finally got my hands on the Limited Edition Navy and Nude palette and it was beautiful. It is a double-decker palette with subtle skin tone colours, matched with a perfect shade of navy. This gorgeous combination can bring you from day to night.

The shades in the palette are:

• Ivory: A creamy white
• Cement: A grey beige
• Blazing Star: A pale beige sparkle
• Beige Shimmer Wash: A shimmery nude
• Twilight Pink Metallic: A light golden pink
• Naked: A warm nude
• Slate: A medium grey
• Rich Navy: A deep royal blue

The Ivory works very well as a base as it helps brings out the lighter colours. As this palette has a lot of nude and light pinky tones, it's always advisable to use a base. The Rich Navy can double up as eyeliner and in my opinion, a navy eye liner does a very good job at brightening up tired eyes. This palette doesn't look like much, but neither does any other Bobbi Brown palette because all the colours look very similar and seemingly all skin toned. However, once you use it, you will notice that the colours compliment each other seamlessly and creates a very polished look. It was a real steal because this is was launched sometime last year, it only cost me US $42.

Bobbi Brown Nectar and Nude

There's absolutely no resisting the amount of nice stuff they come up with. The current new thing is Bobbi Brown's Nectar and Nude Collection. Before I went to the shops, I had already seen this online and my heart was already set on it. Only downside is that I was quite sure that my skin tone could not take orange and that I will look like a sallow jaundiced sod. 

There was only 1 guy working tonight, not sure why, there's normally 2 of them. It was also exceptionally busy. There was a line of people just to try stuff. Me included. After a few minutes, I went and helped myself to everything and began helping other people as well hahaha. I could totally work there! I was like a pro, sterilising lipsticks for people to try... it was really quite funny.

After touching everything, I couldn't help myself and had to try the orange lipstick.

Sweet Nectar

To my extreme surprise, this peachy coral suited me very well and brightened up my face. I wasn't sure so I waited for the expert to have a minute and asked him if I could carry that colour off. Answer was a positive and so there went my SGD $36.

Nectar and Nude Eye Palette

I know their eyeshadows are super famous for not looking like anything fantastic and having colours that are almost non-colours and all similar... BUT... they are in fact FABULOUS and are very pigmented. The colours are different although they look the same and the colours in the palette are all complimentary to each other.

The colours in the palette are Pale Cream, Soft Buff, Golden Bronze, Pink Bellini, Earth and Rich Caviar. Also something to note is that the colours are left to right in the order you would most likely apply it in. Very clever eh! So clever... that another SGD $79 flew out of my wallet.

Goodbye money... Hello hot trendy colours

Best shade ever!

This lipstick is the best shade ever! It's my colour of the century!

BOBBI BROWN: SANDWASH PINK

 

This colour has outlasted every other colour that I've ever tried. It's gentle pink hue enables you to look made up but not really, with an ever so slight rosy tint. It looks almost like natural lip colour but it does wonders! Sandwash pink brightens the face and completes any look. Whether you're going for a sexy smokey eye look or a natural fresh glow, this lip colour will work. Did I mention that I have used this faithfully for 10 years at least.... and that I've just bought another?