I keep my promises...sometimes

Since I made reference to Benefit's Realness of Concealness kit the other day (and gave it a verdict of no) and promised to expand, here is the full-blown review of this kit:

So the idea behind this kit is that you have everything you need to create your face on the go in one handy kit. And it is handy. I've seen ladies pulling it out on the subway and fixing their whole face in about 5 minutes. But needless to say, these were not DDD's as this is not for them.

Sidebar: I don't think the ladies of Benefit realize that there are many many many skin tones in this world. They seem to really enjoy making products that only come in 3 colours, (beige, light beige, and dark beige) or even worse just one colour and then claiming they suit all skin tones. This is exactly what I was referring to in my chat with Toya at Life of a Ladybug. It just drives me apesh*t and I actually think it's racist, but that's another story.


Anyway, back to Realness of Concealness. The cute little kit (One thing about Benefit is that they make kickass packaging) contains the following:

Lemon Aid primer (top right)

Boi-ing concealer (bottom right)

Lip Plump (left)

High Beam highlighter (middle)

Ooh La Lift (right)

Most of these products I guess are race-neutral but my real complaint with this is the concealer which is literally the colour of band aids. And I have always been of the belief that band aids come in that stupid colour so that no one would ever possibly think that they were supposed to match anyone's skin tone in order to avoid being accused of racism, but again that's another story. Also I don't think that anyone can make the argument that their product will give you a "flawless" or "polished" look if it doesn't contain a concealer, and this mess just doesn't cut it.

The Lemon Aid primer is pretty good; it's what I used before I discovered the fabulousness that is UDPP (if you don't know you better ask someBODY!). It helps eyeshadow go on smoothly but isn't as great at controlling oil as other primers. It also leaves a definite white cast over the eye if you have dark skin.

The Lip Plump isn't worth spending more than a sentence on. It doesn't plump and it turns your lips a weird beige-ish colour that shows through your lip colour. I have no idea what this mess is about.

High beam is a great highlighter though, it's a pinky liquid with silvery shimmer and it gives you a great glow. I very much prefer it to Moon Beam which is more of a lavendar with gold shimmer. And Ooh La Lift we've already talked about. Great if you need some tightening under the eyes.

All in all, you can skip this. The wiwfm verdict is....no

Because Even Brown Girls Need the Bronze

So there have been many times in my life when I have been accused of being "too white". I used to get really offended and try to defend myself against it but now that I'm older it just doesn't bother me too much; possibly because it's the dumbest thing I've ever heard and partly because it's partly true. I mean I grew up in London, Ontario listening to Kiss and The Cure and Depeche Mode, it's bred into me and I can't escape it.

One way in which I am definitely a white girl is that I loooove tanning. Loves it! I think everyone looks better with a tan and though I would never advise anyone to sit out in the sun to get one, I do occasionally (read: every weekend in the summer) sit outside and bake myself to a reddish-bronze crisp.

But in the winter I rely on products to bring me that glow. I'm going to review two different products today that are clearly designed for white girls and give you the scoop.

Bronze is a difficult thing for the DDD's because there are a lot of products out there that just aren't dark enough to make a difference. And if you're a cheapo like me you'll try every damn one in the drugstore until you give up and accept the fact that you're going to have to pay a premium if you want a good one. (hey is that racism?).

Which brings us to product #1, Lorac's Hot Flash. It's actually a blush/bronzer duo and according to their site, whether you wear it as a duo or individually "this is the one product that will give you that fresh, healthy, beachy look…instantly". It comes in two colour combinations, “Hot Flash” (pink shimmer/ bronze shimmer) and “Hot & Spicy” (peach shimmer/ bronze shimmer). We're talking about "Hot Flash" today.


I lusted after this thing for years before I finally broke down and bought it. At $28.50 it's a bit pricey for my blood. (I am such a cheapass!). It's turned out to be pretty good.I really like the bronzer side; although it's very very pigmented and a bit too dusty for my taste, it gives a nice natural glow that truly makes me look sunkissed.

The problem, however, is the blush. In the pan it looks awesome, a perfect bright pink with silvery shimmer that seems like it will mix well with the very warm bronzer. But on my face, yeah not so much. It comes out looking more silvery (and therefore chalky) than pinky on me. In fairness, I've only used this with crapass Quo brushes so it may have been just that; but I've stopped even attempting to use the blush side because it totally ruins the effect of the bronzer. Now I just layer another blush over it instead. But that makes it kind of a waste of money as this product is not cheap. I'm going to try it tomorrow now that I own a decent blush brush (Sonia Kashuk) and see if that helps, but to be honest I don't hold out much hope.

Also in fairness I also have to say that I was advised by the SA at Sephora to mix the two together in the pan and then apply them, but I don't like the idea of that. It's so...untidy. And I prefer to layer. But maybe doing that would have made a difference. I don't know and I can't promise to try it and update you because I don't want to mix them.

Anyway, rambling on way too long about this and we still have another product to cover so the wiwfm verdict on this is...yes, but... (as in, yes as a bronzer but no as a blush). Still worth the money in my opinion because good glowy bronzers are hard to find.

Ok on to product #2. Benefit's Jiffy Tan:
According to Benefit's site, Jiffy Tan is not a sunless tanner, it's "Your instant tanner in a tube. Create a slenderizing illusion... a tanner you is a sleeker you! This lightweight, tinted body lotion goes on evenly, won't streak, and stays put for instant tanification. The red currant scent and subtle shimmer will make you want to jiffy tan daily! Washes off easily with soap and water."

Get it? It's a tinted lotion so the colour appears instantly and only lasts until you wash it off.

I personally love this product, though a lot of people hate it. I use it all over when I'm going out and want to look extra bronzed. It has little shimmer particles in it (gold shimmer I might add, that's a big plus when you're a DDD because silver shimmer can look chalky) so it gives you a nice glow. I also like to use it to emphasize my ab muscles if I'm wearing a shorter shirt; You just draw a line with it in the creases between your muscles and it makes them look even more defined. Even if you don't have muscles you can just draw a line where they should be and you'll look more toned. That must be what they mean when they call this slenderizing because it damn sure doesn't tone or tighten you in any other way.

The good thing about this product is that it's a nice deep brown so it will show up on any fair to medium toned ladies.
The wiwfm verdict on this one is yes!

Product Review: BeneFit Ooh La Lift

From my travels around the beauty cyber-world, I know a lot of people are concerned about dark circles and puffiness in the eye area. I personally don't have this problem, so I don't pay much attention but I do know that there are about a jillion products out there to fix it.

What I do have is a slight loss of firmness under my eyes; the area there isn't puffy or dark but it is a little loose I guess. I have no idea what causes this and I believe I've always add it so I don't think it's an aging thing. I used to just pile concealer in this area to cover it up but then I discovered Ooh La Lift by Benefit.

I got this in the Realness of Concealness kit from Benefit (I haven't reviewed this but in a word the wiwfm verdict is no for my DDD's. More on that later) and I really didn't pay much attention to it for the first few months. I tried it a couple of times and didn't really feel like there was a difference. But a few months later I decided to give it a try again...

According to Benefit's website, Ooh La Lift "helps firm under the eye area so you look years younger. With a special blend of botanicals and light reflecting pigments, this is for all of us gals who want eyes that look young and fresh. The cooling sensations feel so good you'll want to use it all day long... we say go for it... the perk-me-up results are instant, and the feel good sensation is right now!"

Sounds good to me. And like I said, it's one of the few products I've ever encountered that specifically addresses loose skin rather than dark circles or puffiness so I gave it a go. What I do is apply my foundation, then dot a thin layer of this under my eyes. Then I use a brush to dot concealer right over it. I pat it in with my fingers which blends the mixture together and into my skin. It adds just the amount of brightness - I don't subscribe to the theory of using a lighter concealer under the eyes - and covers up the loose skin perfectly. No cooling sensation to speak of, but I don't miss it.

This works, but Benefit's prices are beyond ridiculous in my opinion, so I'm not sure if I'll repurchase it when it runs out. A little goes a long way though, I have just a tiny tube and it's lasted me about a year and I still have some left.

So the wiwfm verdict is...yes!