Am I Blushing Or Is It Benefit Dandelion?

Continuing my love of all things Benefit, I wanted to share my soft gentle "am I blushing or am I wearing blush" fave, Benefit Dandelion. This is a no-fail super soft and sheer pink powder blush that is basically your cheek colour at 14 years old in a box. When I first got it home I thought it was too soft, too pink and not me. It was relegated to the back of the drawer for a while. I had seen an editorial featuring models with the softest of pink cheeks and thought I could recreate the look with Dandelion- and I was right. It is a soft finely milled powder compact in the now-iconic Benefit box. I love the box as it makes organizing a make up drawer much easier than round compacts that roll and slide all over the place.

heavily swatched as it was hard to photograph the tone...

About the the colour. This blush works best either right on the apples of your cheeks (smile to find those) or on top of your cheek bones- you know, where you would naturally blush. I can't say enough about the Perfect Shade of Pink in Dandelion. Benefit's website says there is shimmer in this- it has never shown up on my skin and I just can't see it. But perhaps that is what it gives it that pretty lit from within feel. Not sure how well this would work on darker complexions. I am fair- medium and get darker with a tan and it still shows up on me- just imparts a healthy blushing glow. Keeping in mind I like my make up natural and soft. If I really want a more dramatic blush shade I dot on and blend a few drops of Benetint first.

As with many powder blushes I find a primer underneath helps extend the life of this one, but it is an ethereal colour so don't expect 8 hours. As it is a powder and I also use my MAC Blot or Studio Fix I use a spritz of rosewater after applying my make up to avoid a grandmotherly powdered look. Dandelion is simply too pretty and I find the prettiest softest make up can tend to be fleeting. The same goes for pretty and ethereal perfumes but that is another post....

Sweet Pastel Candy Campaign, Louis Vuitton Spring Summer 2012

So this Spring is all about pastels and soft soft soft powder puff candy colours and Benefit Dandelion is just the perfect soft fluffy cotton candy pink. If you don't have Dandelion, get thee to the Benefit counter, stat!



Cotton Candy Photo credit: Death By Cotton Candy, 2006, Daniela Edburg

Stila Yumberry Crush, A Beautiful Stain

Oh I’ve got a crush on you, Stila Yumberry Crush! I may have found my perfect stain.  It is the perfect shade of soft pink that is sheer on the cheeks and gives a lovely flushed blush, and gives the lips just enough oomph to look like you are making an effort. If you are a No Lipstick Girl like me, you know what I mean. I had the feeling of a coating on my lips and the closest I get to a lip colour is a tinted lipgloss. Stila Yumberry Crush works on its own for a nice matte lip- it has the tiniest bit of shimmer which is slightly pearlized which means it doesn’t look dry or flat. It works amazingly well with a lipgloss but my favourite recent combo is with my beloved Dior Crème de Rose, which has also become a summer staple and is The Best Lip Balm. Ever.

Swatched stronger than I would put on my cheeks & a bit thicker to show colour, in daylight

I have used Benetint for years but depending on the time of year and my colouring (more or less self tanner or bronzer) it hasn’t always been the “best” shade for me. I love it but always have to use a light hand. I tended to use it more for lightly dabbing my lips to fill in and line them. This is actually a neat trick and I will still use Benetint for that. But Stila Yumberry Crush gives my lips a just bitten pink colour that I love- like I just had a pink popsicle. It really brightens my complexion, the way the perfect shade only can. It also contains antioxidants like Vitamin E and C which have skin brightening properties all on their own. Works for me!

I use it on my cheeks but beware, as with all stains this one dries quickly so don’t dawdle when applying. But it does last well, even in the extreme heat we have had recently. I first tried Coconut Crush but it was too orange-y and really washed me out. Yumberry Crush has a fruity scent that I don’t love, but it doesn’t last long. This has earned a permanent place in my make up collection. 

...because we don't want to look like this.

I got my Stila Yumberry Crush at Shopper's Drug Mart for $32 and it is also at Sephora. US customers only pay $24. Seriously? I am happy to pay tax on an item but this kind of mark up a) is before taxes and b) was relevant 10 years ago when our dollar was low. ANYWAYS. Noted for my next trip to the States.

Get Beautiful in 15 Minutes or Less....

As much as I love makeup and all things beauty & cosmetic related, I am not into a heavy, made up look. At all. As I get older, the “less is more” theory becomes more relevant. If I have a special night out, I can add a little more drama with a slightly darker eye and some color on my lips, but for my daily Daly (lol) look, I keep it pretty simple. Long wearing is also key for my day-to –day cosmetics; I don’t have the time or desire to tote a large make up bag full of everything I need around in my purse. There is enough in there to sink a ship already…. if you read my Top 5 in my Purse post, you know that I stick to the basics. I also have oily skin so, make up, if not long wearing, tends to slip away and disappear before lunch. The descriptions may seem detailed and long winded, but trust me, get the hang of this routine and you’re out the door in minutes. So here we go. Get ready quickly, and look good all day. …

Tinted Moisturizer

I am not, and have never been, a foundation gal. On the days when I feel a little blotchy or pale, a little TM is all it takes to give my face the dewy look of an 18 year old. LOL, okay, not quite, but you know what I mean. I have two favourites- a high end product and a drugstore product. I love them both and actually alternate depending on my mood. High end- Dermalogica Sheer Tint Moisture spf 15. Incredible, sheer, matte and long lasting, I use the medium tone all year round. Makes me look healthy in the winter, blends with the light tan I inevitably get in the summer. Drugstore- Olay Totally Effects UV Moisturizer + Touch of Foundation . This one is actually fantastic, and it adds a little more moisture to my face in drier weather, ie winter when the central heat sucks every bit of moisture out of everything. I have been an Olay lover for years and this product does not disappoint. The magic Total Effects ingredients have won over users in blind tests involving super high end creams (hello La Mer….) since it was released and the tinted version is fantastic. The anti aging ingredients offer a light exfoliation, which helps keep oil at bay as well as smoothing out wrinkles. Not that I have any…

Concealer

This is a KEY product for me. Probably the one thing I’d use if (HORRORS) I was asked to choose the one thing I could not be without. You can go from tired and old to perky and young in a minute with the right concealer. And the only one, as far as I am concerned, is Lancome Effacernes Waterproof Protective Concealer . This product was recommended to me years ago by a make up artist at a Lancome counter. I went to buy Lancome waterproof mascara as I was going to a wedding (preparing for tears...) and she showed me Effacernes. WOW. This stuff is truly *Holy Grail material and I could never be without it. It is creamy and moisturizing while also having a matte finish. I use it under my eyes and on my eyelids, as it says it’s for under eye area. But I use a brush and lightly dab “spots” (ok, pimples) and very lightly dab it on the sides of my nose. A light dusting of powder on top and it stays put. As we age, that area gets red/darker and you would be shocked at how your face changes when you lighten the sides of your nose. Worth testing first, as a waterproof product may irritate a supersensitive skin. But I guarantee if this works for you, you will never be without it. A huge selection of color choices makes matching your skin tone exactly easy peasey. No more dark circles, the color will not settle into lines and will last for hours.

Bronzer &/or Blush

A touch of color is essential to a complete & healthy look. I don’t always wear both but sometimes a bit of blush and a light dusting of bronzer give me the pick-me-up that I need. You know those days - tired, run down and pale – without a good look and I am a big believer in “live it- be it” so sometimes I hope to psych myself out with a pretend glow. My number one blush is Benefit Benetint which is a liquid tint originally created, according Benefit’s site, “for an exotic dancer in the 1970s”…interesting. It is sheer, easy to apply and the perfect blushing cheek tone that lasts almost all day. I use few drops on my lips too! It also comes in a handy little package paired with lip gloss that is another perfect purse item (now that’s another Top 5 post!). My number one bronzer is the classic Guerlain Terracotta. My beautiful friend Heidi always looks so lovely & effortlessly bronzed- years ago I asked her what she used & she said Terracotta. Perfection! I had used it eons ago and now would never be without it. I use the lightest formula (01, sometimes called Blonde), which is foolproof. The Guerlain or Sephora rep can help you find your perfect shade. Using a nice big poufy brush giving yourself a light , even dusting all over the face can take you from tired to tan in an instant.

Eyeshadow & Primer

I cannot believe there was a time that I ever did not use Urban Decay Potion Primer which is basically the most incredible thing. Ever. It is a neutral coloured eye lid primer, to be used before you apply your eye make up. Using the Original formula, very lightly applied (a little goes a long way and too much is sticky) UDPP will make your eye make up last until you remove it. This could be overnight if you are a bad girl and don’t wash your make up off (like my daughters). Tsk tsk! They have 3 formulas, but the slightly shimmery Champagne toned Sin is a lovely colour on it’s own for pretty natural look. Then I swipe a little taupe eye shadow on my brow bone for depth. My faves are MAC Quarry and Omega- there are swatches on this page…just scroll down on Tempatalia to view. They are my Holy Grail taupe/natural shadows as they perfectly enhance the eye and give your lids some depth, rather than screaming, “Look at me I’m wearing purple and green eye shadow!”

Eyeliner Trick

This is a great little trick to add some depth to your lash line and open your eyes without looking like you are wearing any make up. As a blonde, this is something that really helps but it really works for anyone. Again, my desire to remain relatively low maintenance & my laziness dictates that this be a long wearing look. For this purpose I find the felt tip style is perfect- foolproof and easy to use. My personal favourite is L'Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner . This stuff lasts until you remove it, comes in an array of colours to suit anyone and the product goes a long way as well. That and it is around $10 at the drugstore- also fabulous. So, my trick. After applying concealer and my primer (UDPP) and letting them set, I apply the liner. I take the tip and gently dot all along my upper lash line- not above the lashes but IN the lash line. And by dot, I mean connect the dots. It may seem a little awkward at first but I can do each eye in around 30 seconds now. I start at the outer corner and work my way in and as I approach the other end of my lid, I make the dots a bit smaller until they disappear/taper off. Give it a minute to dry and you have a lash line that looks defined and subtle. Add a brush of mascara and you look bright eyed and wide-awake. My day-to-day fave color is the brown, which works well with my medium-fair colouring and hazel eyes, but they have a great black that I will use for a more dramatic look. I have even wanted to try the grey, so stay tuned….

Powder:

Everyone has their favourite powder- and it is essential for setting your make up after application. A light dusting of powder on your lashes before mascara will also help it adhere and again improve longevity.  I alternate two formulas. MAC Studio Fix, a matte powder foundation, which offers some extra coverage when I want it. A little goes a long way so a light hand is helpful with this. My day to day powder is Guerlain Meteorites Poudre des Perles I will admit a love and obsession with the Guerlain Meteorites line- very finely milled  and violet scented…. But frankly,  as long as it matches your skin, is finely milled and you apply it with a nice poufy brush (I have many- for powder, blush, bronzer…) then stick with the powder that works for you.

Mascara

Everyone has their favourite mascara…some are high end and some swear by drugstore deals. My personal preference is for lengthening mascara that does not look thick or clumpy and it has to be in a waterproof formula. Non-waterproof ends up as black circles under my eyes in a few hours. Ah that oily skin. And its nice to know I can rub or scratch my eye without making a mess. At any rate, so far I have yet to find a High End mascara that works as well as L’Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara in black. Waterproof formulas tend to dry out a bit quicker than non waterproof versions so I also feel a bit better replacing a $10 mascara more often than, say, a $30 mascara. But in the end, for me, it is about performance and L’Oreal Voluminous lengthens and holds a curl beautifully. Two coats on my top lashes and I’m out the door…

The End

* Holy Grail: A very desired object or outcome that borders on a sacred quest