Reaping the Benefits - is it worth it?

Benefit Cosmetics, originating from San Francisco, has been around for a while now, becoming more and more popular in the UK over the last 10 years. With gorgeous packaging and witty slogans, such as 'Dallas: an outdoor glow for an indoor gal', its easy to see why Benefit now has some of the bestselling beauty products on the market at the moment. However, being a graduate on a budget, especially since making the move to the capital city, I find myself increasingly unwilling to pay as much for cosmetics as I previously have. I always wonder - is the extra cost really worth it? 

One of my favourite Benefit products was one of the Box o' Powders, perfect 10, which was a highlighting and bronzing duo. 

Needless to say I was gutted when I realised that it had been discontinued, as has the dupe by W7 called Double Act. 

Another of my favourites is Dallas, a blusher/bronzer combo that is great for my skintone. 

So, you can imagine my dismay when I went to buy it and was told that they rarely get it in stock anymore, and that Dallas was also going to be discontinued - I suggest if you are a Dallas fan, stock up from their website as it still has it on sale. Luckily, the girl on the counter was lovely and offered a free makeover using newer products from the line. 

First, primer was applied to my face which gives a great base for foundation, and keeps it in place for longer which is great if you work long hours and still want to look half presentable towards the end of the day. The POREfessional is the number 1 selling primer in the UK, and it has a lovely texture and made the skin smooth to the touch. Then, That Gal primer was also applied. 

When I asked the make up artist which was better to use, she suggested using both, which she also suggested to a few other people browsing. As much as I love the products, at £24.50 and £22.50 respectively, there is no way I would dream of spending nearly £50.00 on something to go under my normal foundation. That's CRAZY. If you want to use Benefit primer, just choose the best one for your skin type. If like me, you're on a budget, I recommend using Rimmel Fix & Perfect Perfect Primer in 002 which at £5.99 is a lot more reasonable. 

That being said, I still love the brand and believe that some of the products are genuinely worth paying more than the usual prices of drugstore brands. For example, the newest mascara, They're Real, is a great investment and for £19.50, you get a full sized item and also a mini item worth £9.50, for free! It's a brilliant product and is long lasting and waterproof, with a unique wand, and true black in colour. 

Rockateur is the new Box o' Powder on the block, and I have to say, I'm in love. It's a rose-gold blush with bronze undertones, and very little has to be applied in order to create a gorgeous effect. It also smells great and comes in 'provocative' packaging of gold, snakeskin and lace print. These boxes last for so long and so at £23.50, you won't have to buy another blusher/bronzer again for many months. 

Benefit Cosmetics have brilliant branding and gorgeous designs, with some great products. However, my advice is to choose key investment pieces and be sensible and realistic about buying your entire makeup collection from them. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX

What are your favourite Benefit products?