New.to.BeautY..froM.Benefit....SneaK.PeeK.

A product that can sculpt, define and brighten? Oh yes! Next month, the cute packaged brand Benefit will be releasing another cute squared boxed powder! Called bella bamba, this new pink face powder promises 3D brightening. It is a pink powder dusted with golden undertones. You can expect to see this product on shelves in January, priced at $36CAD. 

Check out makeupandbeautyblog's video for swatches and a closer look at this new product!

What do you think? do you want to try it?

NeW.BeNeFit.ProDucts!!-SNeaK.PeeK!. - I.Love.finding.out.about.new.products!!

The product: Benefit - the POREfessional

Description: Pro balm to minimize the appearance of pores

Claim to fame: A light weight oil free formula that glides on seamlessly to instantly minimize the appearance of pores anytime, anywhere. It is also translucent; think of a primer and matte in one.

Price: $34CDN

Where to get it: Shopper drug mart, Murale, Holt Renfrew, Sephora

When to get it: Already out in the states, anytime now for Canada if not out already(June 2010)

The product: Benefit -garden of good & Eva -Fragrance

Description: citrus floral/crisp & refreshing

Top notes:  pear, watermelon, ozone accords, muguet

Middle notes: rosebud, jasmine petals, green violet leaves, freesia

Bottom notes: sandalwood, musk, cedarwood

Price: $42CDN; 30ml

Where to get it: Shopper drug mart, Murale, Holt Renfrew, Sephora

When to get it: Already out in the states, anytime now for Canada if not out already(June 2010)

The product: Benefit -so hooked on Carmella -Fragrance

Description: floral vanilla/exquisitely feminine

Top notes: lemon, grapefruit, rhubarb

Middle notes: cyclamen, peony, tiare flower

Bottom notes: vanilla, sandalwood, amber

Price: $42CDN; 30ml

Where to get it: Shopper drug mart, Murale, Holt Renfrew, Sephora

When to get it: Already out in the states, anytime now for Canada if not out already(June 2010)

The product: Benefit -lookin' to rock Rita -Fragrance

Description: fruity green/exhilarating & stylish

Top notes:  lemon, coconut, freesia

Middle notes: juicy fig, hyacinth, violet

Bottom notes: sandalwood, brazilian rosewood, vanilla

Price: $42CDN; 30ml

Where to get it: Shopper drug mart, Murale, Holt Renfrew, Sephora

When to get it: Already out in the states, anytime now for Canada if not out already(June 2010)

SORRY ABOUT THE FOLLOWING PICTURE QUALITY! THEY ARE PHOTOCOPIES OF A TRAINING MANUAL THAT I COULD NOT KEEP!! Thanks to my trainer, she said I could show you guys!!

Packaging was pink and purple

The product: Benefit - Girl meets pearl

Description: Liquid pearl for face

Claim to fame: Luxurious liquid pearl...the  perfect accessory! This oft golden pink liquid pearl glides on for a breathtakingly luminous complexion. Customize your pearl essence with the easy to use twist up package...a few clicks for a subtle sheen, more clicks for a "whoa!" glow. Pat the luminous liquid on over makeup or wear alone for dewy lit from within radiance. It's pure pearly pleasure! It uses raspberry and chamomile for soothing, light reflecting pigments for exquisite radiance, sweet almond seed for firming and smoothing, sesame seed oil for moisturizing and fresh red raspberry scent. 

Price: $34CDN

Where to get it: Shopper drug mart, Murale, Holt Renfrew, Sephora

When to get it: September 2010

Mascara was turquoise with glitter and gloss was nude pink

The product: Benefit - prrrowl

Description: iridescent mascara topcoat & shimmering lip gloss

Claim to fame: Walk on the wild side with sparkling peacock blue lashes & shimmering "look at me" lips. Stroke the fierce mascara topcoat over your favourite mascara, the glide on the glimmering pink gloss for catwalk worthy fab-itude. Rowr!

Price: $32CDN

Where to get it: Shopper drug mart, Murale, Holt Renfrew, Sephora

When to get it: September 2010

Packaging was Black and electric Green

The product: Benefit - Magic ink

Description: jet black liquid eyeliner

Claim to fame: It's eyeliner magic! Magic Ink is the perfectly precise liquid eyeliner for drama that lasts. Glide on lash lines for the most intense, beyond black line... how does it do it? Shhh....a magician never reveals her secrets!

Price: $23CDN

Where to get it: Shopper drug mart, Murale, Holt Renfrew, Sephora

When to get it: September 2010

Hope you guys liked this! If you do, leave me a comment and I'll try and post more posts like these as I find out! I am really excited for the Magic ink liner and the POREfessional! What looks interesting to you guys?

Thanks for reading! Please FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE and COMMENT!

ProduCt.ReViEw.- BenEfiT.SiLky.FinisH.LipstiCK.in.My.TreaT.

The product: Benefit silky finish lipstick in My Treat
Claim to fame: A sheer and buildable; meaning you can apply one coat and have a light wash of colour for the au natural gal or applied heavier for a amped up POP of colour for the drama queen in you. Available in 20 shades.
Ingredients: trimethylolpropane triisostearate diisostearyl malate, vp/hexadecene copolymer, thriethylhexanoin, polyethylene, tricaprylin, jojoba esters, isostearic acid, calcium sodium borosilicate, cetyl ethylhexanoate, polyglyceryl-2 triisostearare, peg-15/lauryl dimethicone crosspolymer,synthetic beeswax, vp/Eicosene copolymer, tocopheryl acetate, glycine soja (soybean) oil, tocopherol, ascorbyl palmitate, Propylparaben, [+/-: iron oxide (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), carmine (CI 75470), red 22 lake (CI 45380), red 28 lake (CI 45410), red 33 lake (17200), blue 1 lake (CI 42090), aluminum hydroxide, red 6 (CI 15850), red 7 lake (CI 15850), tin oxide, titanium dioxide (CI 77891), yellow 5 lake (CI 19140), yellow 6 lake (CI 15985), mica].
Pros: Smooth and silky feeling. Very moisturizing. Great pigmented colour. 
Cons: I find the colour does not last extremely long. 
The bottom line: Pretty good lipstick. I like them a lot. Benefit lipsticks are one of my favourites. A great colour for spring or summer. A vibrant pink wash.
Price: $23DCDN
Rating: 4/5

ProduCt.ReViEw.- BenEfiT.SiLky.FinisH.LipstiCK.in.DeSSerT.FirSt.

The product: Benefit silky finish lipstick in dessert first
Claim to fame: A sheer and buildable; meaning you can apply one coat and have a light wash of colour for the au natural gal or applied heavier for a amped up POP of colour for the drama queen in you. Available in 20 shades.
Ingredients: trimethylolpropane triisostearate diisostearyl malate, vp/hexadecene copolymer, thriethylhexanoin, polyethylene, tricaprylin, jojoba esters, isostearic acid, calcium sodium borosilicate, cetyl ethylhexanoate, polyglyceryl-2 triisostearare, peg-15/lauryl dimethicone crosspolymer,synthetic beeswax, vp/Eicosene copolymer, tocopheryl acetate, glycine soja (soybean) oil, tocopherol, ascorbyl palmitate, Propylparaben, [+/-: iron oxide (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), carmine (CI 75470), red 22 lake (CI 45380), red 28 lake (CI 45410), red 33 lake (17200), blue 1 lake (CI 42090), aluminum hydroxide, red 6 (CI 15850), red 7 lake (CI 15850), tin oxide, titanium dioxide (CI 77891), yellow 5 lake (CI 19140), yellow 6 lake (CI 15985), mica].
Pros: Smooth and silky feeling. Very moisturizing. Great pigmented colour.
Cons: I find the colour does not last extremely long. 
The bottom line: Pretty good lipstick. I like them a lot. Benefit lipsticks are one of my favourites.
Price: $23DCDN
Rating: 4/5

ProduCt.ReViEw.-BenEfit.FuLL.Finish.LipstiCk.in.La.La.Land.

The product: Benefit full finish lipstick in la la land
Claim to fame: A full rich coverage lipstick. 12 Glamourous shades.
Ingredients:

Octyldodecanol, octyldodecyl

 neopentanoate, diisostearyl malate, polyethylene C10-30, 
cholesterol/lanosterol esters, tridecyl trimellitate, hydrogenated polyisobutene, stearyl
dimethicone, pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate, beeswax (cera alba), VP/hesdecene
copolymer euphorbia cerifera (candelilla wax), copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax,
tocopheryl acetate, talc, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, blue lake, aluminum hydroxide,
mica, red lake. Pros: Very moisturizing and rich beautiful coverage. This colour is perfect for pretty much every look it's like a bit darker then lip colour. Glides on really smoothly.
Cons: Nothing really, maybe more shades would be nice.
The bottom line: Great price. Cute packaging. Feels nice on the lips. All you expect from a good quality lipstick.
Price: $23CDN
Rating: 5/5

ProduCt.ReViEw.- BenEfiT.CreaSeLess.CreaM.EyeshAdow.LineR.

The product: Benefit creaseless cream eyeshadow/liner

Claim to fame: Creaseless and smudge proof formula in a cream. Build able colour. Winner of 2008 Self Healthy beauty award for best eye shadow, star beauty awards for best eye shadow and real simple: beauty & the best top 20 beauty buys for best eye shadow.

Ingredients: cyclopentasiloxane, isododecane, polyethylene, polymethylmethacrylate, dimethicoe, disteardimonium hectorite, propylene carnonate, [+/-: titanium dioxide (CI 77891), tin oxide, iron oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), carmine (CI 75470), bismuth oxychloride (CI 77163)].

Pros: Does not crease all day. Nice texture.

Cons: Maybe in more colours would be nice.

The bottom line: Great alternative to shadows. easier to apply.

Price: $23CDN

Rating: 4/5

PRoduCt.ReViEw.- BenEfiT.BroW.ZinGs.BroW.ShaPinG.Kit.

The product: Benefit Brow zings - Brow shaping kit

Claim to fame: An all in one brow kit that includes everything to shape beautiful, clean smooth, perfect brows. It comes with pigmented wax to shape the brows, natural shaded powder to set the brows, tweezers, angled brush, blending brush. Winner of Allure 2008 Best of Beauty Awards  for "Best brow product".

Ingredients: Wax: the main ingredients in order are: mineral oil, microcrystaline wax, castor seed oil, polyethylene bees wax, jojoba seed oil, paraffin

Powder: Talc, boron nitride, zinc stearate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, silica, bis-peg 18 methyl ether dimethyl silane, stearoxy dimethicone, methylparaben

Pros: Fantastic that everything comes all together in one kit. Easy to use and comes with its own brow lessons. Great colour selection.

Cons: Using the brushes in the kit are great for touch ups, I recommend using another brush. I don't find the tweezers work well.

The bottom line: Well worth the money. I recommend this to all my customers who as for something easy to use and everything they need altogether.

Price: $31CDN

Rating: 4 1/2/5

Where to get it: Shoppers drug mart, Murale, Sephora

ProduCt.ReViEw.- BenEfiT.EraSe.PaSte.ConCeaLer.

The product: Benefit Erase Paste brightening camouflage for eyes and face
Claim to fame: It is a very pigmented creamy concealer that brightens and conceals in one step. It is perfect for dark circles, discolourations and imperfections. Winner of 2008 Latina Beauty Awards for best concealer.
Ingredients: Could not find them and my packaging was thrown out. Have had this for a while now.
Pros: Great coverage and brightens really well. It has a melon undertone as it brightens, so just a tip, none of them will look like they match your skin unless you try it on your eye area. There is a lot of product in the pot.
Cons: The packaging is very cute but it is a pot therefore dipping daily will cause bacteria to grow faster in it. More colours would be nice.
The bottom line: A cute concealer with brightening benefits. Easy to use and a little goes a long way
Price: $30CDN
Rating: 3 1/2/5
Where to get it: Shopper drugmart, Sephora

ProduCt.ReViEw.- BeNefiT.HooLa.BroNzeR.

The product: Benefit "Hoola" bronzing powder
Claim to fame: The perfect bronzed colour without looking orangey. It gives a natural looking "tan" all year round.  
Ingredients: Talc, Iron oxides(CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Zinc Stearate, Ethylhexyl palmitate, titanium dioxide(CI 77891), Dimethicone, Manganese violet(CI 77742), Methylparaben, sodium dehydroacetate, Boron nitride, Propylparaben, Butylparaben.
Pros: Never looks orangey and is great on all skin tones unless the skin is very dark. 
Cons: None that I can think of.
The bottom line: A great bronzer. Great colour and applies nicely. My favourite bronzer to recommend.
Price: $36CDN
Rating: 5/5

RaCCooN.AttAck!. - DarK.CircLEs.aRe.ReaLLy.AnnOying.

Just about everyone has experienced them. And unfortunately they are very difficult to get rid of. But don't feel bad! Dark circles are a just simply a fact of life. However there is nothing nice or attractive about them. Even if you aren't tired and you have dark circles, they make you look tired or make you look old or sick.

Dark circles around the eyes are caused by many factors. These factors include: 

Heredity - Majority of the times the darkness under the eyes can be blood vessels that show through the skin as the skin around the eyes are the thinnest skin on the body (~0.5mm) And like varicose veins, the darkness is inherited. If a vein is close to the surface of the skin, the blood in it can cause a bluish hint on the surface. 

Allergies,asthma, eczema - If there is any case that they eyes itch then there is most likely rubbing or scratching around them causing dark circles.

medications, health - Some medications can cause the veins to dilate and then the circles darken. Sometimes it can be because of bad blood circulation. Another factor is not drinking enough water(dehydration). 

Sometimes unfortunately the skin around the eye can be darker itself(which is the hardest to treat). This is when melanin is produced more around the eyes and is called Periorbital hyper pigmentation. When the top layer of the skin has more melanin(epidermis) the skin can appear brown and when the bottom layer(dermis) has more melanin it appears blue or blue grey on the surface.

A lot of the times too there can be a build up of toxins in the eye area.

Anemia - A factor that a lot of people do not know that affects dark circles is their diet. If you are lacking nutrients or lack a balanced diet, you can definitely see darkness around the eyes. Iron deficiency is a sign that there is not enough oxygen going in the body.

Fatigue - Not enough sleep can cause the skin to look pale, making the blood below the skin appear more.

Age - Usually dark circles become more prominent with age as the skin loses elasticity and the skin becomes thinner and more translucent. 

So what are we to do?

Many of us who are concerned with dark circles probably have tried many treatments and not have found one that we like. Usually resorting with makeup. Although there are certain ingredients and treatments that prove to be at least a bit effective to make dark circles appear less noticeable. Ingredients to look for are caffeine which helps to promote circulation and removes toxins. Ginseng which helps brighten. Vitamin K which helps circulation and brightens. I would not recommend bleaching or whitening creams around the eyes unless you consult a doctor first. There are a few products that I recommend often for dark circles: Biotherm Hydra detox eye gel, Biotherm Multi Recharge eye gel, Neostrata Dark circle capsules, any eye cream with sunscreen or a sunscreen meant for the eye area and a good nights sleep!

Definitely using a good concealer helps and if you have really bad dark circles use a corrector first. I recommend the Covergirl simply ageless Yellow corrector or the Lise Watier corrector wheel. As for concealer I suggest Smashbox HD concealer or the Benefit Erase paste which brightens and conceals.

Thanks for reading please FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE and COMMENT!