Good Day Everyone,
I’ve always been put off trying Benefit makeup due to the busy packaging design which just doesn’t appeal to me and feels a bit gimmicky. Given that Benefit makeup is not cheap by any means I’d rather spend my money on brands that I feel invest their money on creating great products rather than funky packaging. However, giving Benefit the benefit of doubt I purchased this Go TropiCORAL Lip & Cheek Kit a few months back with my Sephora members 10% discount as my first foray into Benefit makeup. I had initially gone to the Benefit counter with a mind to check out the ever so raved about Coralista powder blush as I’m a sucker for anything peachy coral toned. Once there I noticed that for almost the same price as a full sized blush I could get this kit which contained four mini products including the blush I was after. It seemed like a no brainer. I love miniatures as it’s a great way of trialling more products without spending too much more money.
I’ve always been put off trying Benefit makeup due to the busy packaging design which just doesn’t appeal to me and feels a bit gimmicky. Given that Benefit makeup is not cheap by any means I’d rather spend my money on brands that I feel invest their money on creating great products rather than funky packaging. However, giving Benefit the benefit of doubt I purchased this Go TropiCORAL Lip & Cheek Kit a few months back with my Sephora members 10% discount as my first foray into Benefit makeup. I had initially gone to the Benefit counter with a mind to check out the ever so raved about Coralista powder blush as I’m a sucker for anything peachy coral toned. Once there I noticed that for almost the same price as a full sized blush I could get this kit which contained four mini products including the blush I was after. It seemed like a no brainer. I love miniatures as it’s a great way of trialling more products without spending too much more money.
The mini products come in a little cardboard container which
has a mirror in the lid. Despite being made out of cardboard the packaging does
feel pretty sturdy but as there is no shut mechanism or fastening to keep the
lid secure, you couldn’t simply throw this little box of goodies into your bag /
suitcase without first putting it back into the original box the kit comes
in. The packaging design is very Benefit-esque in its style with the vibrant
colours and leopard print around the sides.
Inside the box, as well as a mirror there is tips and tricks
booklet which tells you how and where to use the products with numbers
corresponding to the four different products (just in case you were confused as
to which is which – like how?!) The tips and tricks booklet is a nice idea for anyone
who may be a beginner when it comes to makeup but otherwise it can be removed
from the lid and binned – can you guess what I did with it as soon as I took
these photos ;o)
One of the frustrating things about the packaging is that
all of the products can be removed and stored elsewhere apart from the blush
and I just find that sooo annoying. I wish the blush was self-contained because I
could then store all of the products in my makeup bag instead of having to keep
hold of this box just because of the blush. It also means that I can’t simply
throw the blush in my bag for on the go touch ups unless I’m prepared to take
the whole box with me. I can appreciate that many people will love the box and
it does make for a great gift, but for me personally, I could live without it.
On the plus side, once the blush is finished you can actually remove the internal packaging
structure that keeps the products in place and you’ll be left with a trinket
box to keep little treasures in – nice touch.
Now on to the fun stuff, the products. The four mini products
that come with this kit are;
- High Beam highlighter described as a luminescent complexion enhancer - 4ml
- Chachatint described as a mango tinted lip and cheek stain – 4ml
- Coralista powder blush – 3.0g – plus a brush applicator
- Ultra Plush Coralista lip gloss – 6.5ml
Now whilst the quantities may not sound like much you have
to remember that with the High Beam and Chachatint, a little goes a mighty long
way and so I expect these miniatures to last a pretty long time.
High Beam is the coveted Benefit highlighter that has a
pearly pink iridescent to it. It comes in a little bottle with a nail polish
brush type applicator. Personally, I find it a bit too shimmery to be used as a
brow bone highlighter but I do love using this on my cheek bones and cupids bow.
As I have more yellow toned skin, I do have to work High Beam into my skin
otherwise it can look a bit too obvious due to its pale pink colouring. This
highlighter is more suited to lighter skin tones as on darker skin
it will look too pinky white and maybe even a bit frosty. I can’t help but feel
that the Benefit’s Sun Beam highlighter, which has a more golden bronze colouring,
would have complimented the warm coral colours of this kit better than High
Beam. Another way I love to use High Beam is to mix it in with my moisturiser
on days when I’m wearing minimal makeup and no foundation because it leaves my
skin with a subtle all over luminescent that doesn’t look sparkly or shimmery.
Coralista is a pinky peach blush with some very subtle
shimmer. It is much sheerer and less pigmented that what I was expecting and I
do have to build it up for it to show on my NC25-30 yellow skin tone. Consequently, I don’t
think the colour would be best suited for darker skin tones, although it may
work as a highlighter for a nice sheen on the cheek bones due to the shimmer.
Initially I was a bit disappointed with the lack of pigmentation but recently I’ve
found this to be an ideal blush for no makeup makeup days and because of the
subtle shimmer, I tend to use this more as a highlighter when I’m wearing other
matte coral / peachy blushes. The little brush that comes with the blush is useless
as the rectangular shape just doesn’t work to apply blush. I do wish makeup
companies would stop including brushes just for the sake of it. Having said
that I have found this brush to be quite good for contouring underneath my
cheek bones as the size works perfectly for my face and it does blend out the
powder quite nicely so perhaps all is not lost with it ;o)
Left: High Beam highlighter, right: Coralista blush |
Chachatint is a bright orangey mango colour and like the
High Beam comes in a little bottle with a brush applicator. This colour is
pretty potent in its vibrancy and has amazing staying power. Using it as a cheek
stain, I have to work incredibly fast to blend it otherwise it does look patchy
and a bit clown like. When it works, I’m referring to the blending element,
this can look beautiful but it is hard to work and leaves me with a fiercely
stained finger. I just feel that a product shouldn’t be quite this hard or
require so much effort for it to work. As a result I tend to use this more as a
lip tint because I hate having makeup stained fingers and this stuff is a
real bugger to remove even with an effective makeup remover. Also as the colour is
pretty vibrant I prefer to have that pop of colour on my lips rather than my cheeks
and this does look good with the Ultra Plush Coralista lip gloss over the top
of it.
And that brings me nicely onto the Ultra Plush Coralista lip
gloss. I love the texture of this lip gloss, it’s not sticky at all and is so
incredibly comfortable to wear. It’s not as orange as what it looks on the
photo as the colour sheers out. It’s great to wear on its own for a subtle glossy
sheen of colour or for a more vibrant look it works great over the Chachatint
but that’s definitely more suited to spring / summer time.
Left: Chachatint, right: Ultra Plush Coralista lip gloss |
Overall, I think this little kit would make an excellent
gift for someone who enjoys makeup and for me it was a great way of trying out
a number of Benefit products without going to the expense of purchasing full
size items. I’m glad I picked up this little set rather than a full sized
Coralista blush as I think the lack of pigmentation would have left me really
disappointed give the cost of the blush, whereas at least now, I’ve been able
to try three additional products. I can’t say I’ve been hugely wowed by any of
the products but at the same time I will and do use them, I just don’t think I’ll
be rushing out to buy full sized items when these miniatures run out.
Have you tried out any of these products? Were you wowed by
them? Which do you think are Benefit’s best products?
Love Sheen xxx
My verdict: 4/5
For the UK you can find this product at Boots
For Singapore you can find this product at Sephora
(Note: I purchased this product with my own money)
I love the Coralista blusher and it is the only blusher which I have ever repurchased! I agree with what you say about not being able to take it out of the box though, it would be a little annoying when you want to take it out and about with you. x
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah, it is a lovely blusher. I like it a lot more now than when I first got it. Initially I was a bit put off by the lack of pigmentation but now I actually love that about Coralista -perfect for no makeup makeup days but the packaging still annoys me! I'm having to store the box just because of the blusher... Oh well. Love Sheen xxx
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