Benefit Big Easy

I think I'm in love. 

I got a very small sample of this in one of my Birchboxes (I think February) but I wanted to pick a day to wear it because it was only enough for one use, maybe. I also went to the Benefit and Birchbox event and had them try it on me there. The girls told me it would be very good for my oily skin, but I wasn't convinced because it was 7pm when they put it on, and I washed it off about 9:30pm so I couldn't really tell. I also felt like they put too much on. I finally decided to try the sample on one of the days it was 100 degrees here in LA. And it held up! So I went to Sephora and bought it. 

"BIGGER than BB! Why? Two reasons. First, big easy balances moisture & controls oil. Second, the cushiony liquid-to- powder formula melts in like a cream, yet finishes lightweight & velvety like a powder.

This multi-balancing complexion perfector gives light-to-medium natural coverage to even out skintone and conceal imperfections. Even better, it contains ingredients known to soothe & comfort the skin and help fight free radicals. One & done…big easy saves the day! Non-comedogenic. Oil-free."

I had to make sure I was getting the right shade. I was sent 02-Light as my sample and it seemed to work well. The woman helping me agreed this would be the best since it says it's "self adjusting".

It's actually pretty thick right away. But it smooths out easily.

And it turns into a powder.

I decided to put it through a real test. I helped my friend move at noon, so I put on my makeup about 10:30am. I helped her move in Hollywood, which wasn't too hot but it was sunny and moving furniture still made me sweat a little bit. Then we went to lunch, went shopping, I helped her put her bed together, and finally went home about 8:30pm. This is what my face looked like when I got home: (note, I did NOT put any powder on over. That was a huge thing! With my oily face, I've never not put powder on)

Ok, so it's probably hard to tell from the photos, but my face was not greasy. It was a tiny bit shiny, but only slightly "dewy", not like it usually is. Yes, you can see all my fine lines around my eyes (still working on that) and it settled a tiny bit around my nose and on my laugh lines, but only if you looked closely. Even my friend said my face looked great! I love this so much!

I also got a sample when I was at the checkout. The woman just put this in my bag after I was all done paying. Funny thing is, I already own this powder and I love it. But I'm always happy to get a sample! This is great for oily skin! I've used it in the middle of the day for touch ups. The powder is very sheer but absorbs all your oil. My original review of the Porefessional Agent Zero Shine is right here.

I love that this sample comes with a brush!

My (small) Sephora.com Haul

I've been bored at work. I'm working more hours, but lots of sitting around. So, less time after work to go shopping, but more down time to do some online shopping (probably not a good idea.) I've started to get really into Benefit's products ever since I went to the BenefitXBirchbox event and got to try a lot of their products in the boutique.

While browsing around sephora.com, I found a great deal. The Primping With The Stars box. It's full of sample-size Benefit products for $32. Benefit sells some of their sample sizes on their website, but they are usually about $8 a piece. So, the 6 products in this box equal about $48. I love their sets and this one had the most stuff I wanted to try. Benefit also seems to have really good sample sizes (except Fakeup, which I got in a Birchbox and it had barely a fourth of an inch of product to use. Yes, a little went a long way, but it was awkward trying to put it on. I always felt like I was going to scratch my eye with the plastic holding the product at the bottom.)

The box includes a mirror and tips for using each product.

Products include:
Stay Don't Stray Eye Primer

"This dual-action power primer works 360 degrees around the eyes to make concealers AND eyeshadows STAY PUT. Concealers don't crease, eyeshadows stay vibrant & true. Contains sodium hyaluronate known to hydrate and Vitamins C & E known to help fight signs of aging."

I got this in my special Benefit Birchbox and I really like it. I've never used an eye primer before, and I like that this has a tint. As far as keeping my concealer and/or eyeshadow in place... I think it works. It hasn't been helping with the creasing under my eyes though, which is what I was really hoping.

Some Kind-A-Gorgeous Foundation in Medium

"Our oil-free, cream-to-powder formula is silky, even perfection for your complexion! This foundation faker will even out your skintone with lightweight, sheer coverage, making it look chart-topping gorgeous!"

I tried this quickly to cover up a couple spots that had uncovered during the day and I really like the cream to powder formula. The color it came with was Medium, which scared me because I am definitely not a medium. But according to Benefit, I guess I am. It actually matched almost perfectly. It will be great after all the tanning I'm planning on doing this summer!

Benetint Rose-Tinted Lip and Cheek Stain

"Our original rose-tinted stain is kiss-proof, see-through color for lips & cheeks that lasts for hours. Naturally sheer & sexy on all complexions...it’s innocent yet provocative."

Scary product, amazing results! What? A liquid blush? I was excited and curious to try this product. It's one of the reasons I chose this kit over others. Benetint is one of Benefit's most popular items. I used it for the first time a couple days ago. I was planning on using it that day but forgot and put my powder on. I figured I'd try it and it really isn't for on top of powders :p Of course, it just took away all the powder in that area, but it left a great, natural looking tint. So I did it the right way the next day and it looks great. I'm definitely using this when I was just a little color (at the beach or something.) Warning: it does stain the finger you use to blend it. I tried blending with a brush and the brush soaked up some of the color... which could be a good thing. I also tried it on my lips, but very quickly and not using a lot of product and it just stained the inside of my lip to look like I'd been drinking cherry Kool-aid. Not the look I was going for. I will try again when I exfoliate and actually want to use the product fully.

The Porefessional Pro Balm

"Quickly minimize the appearance of pores & fine lines for smoother-than-smooth skin! Apply this silky, lightweight balm alone, under or over makeup. Translucent, oil-free formula complements all skintones and helps makeup stay put. Contains a Vitamin E derivative, known to protect skin from free radicals."

Also very excited to try this product since I've been seeing it everywhere. It has a nice soft feel and you don't need much product to spread around your face. It seemed to work really well with my Hello Flawless powder foundation. I was still shiny halfway through the day, but I've pretty much come to accept that. My powder didn't seem cakey or that it melted away though.

Girl Meets Pearl Liquid Pearl for Face

"This soft, golden-pink liquid pearl luminizer features light-reflecting pigments to give your complexion an exquisite, dewy glow. It includes raspberry & chamomile, known for their soothing properties…and sweet almond seed extract  known to help improve skin firmness & smoothness. Pat it on over blush to highlight cheekbones with a pop of pearly pleasure!"

I haven't used this yet, because I don't need much help in the 'shine' department. But I'll figure out a time to try it. I love how these tubes have foil covers to prevent leaking.

They're Real! Beyond Mascara in Black

"They're real! lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts & separates. Our jet black, long-wearing formula won’t smudge or dry out. A specially designed brush reveals lashes you never knew you had!"

I got this as a sample for my birthday last year from Sephora (see below). While I did think it gave my lashes amazing length (though, for the record, my lashes are already really long), the formula almost felt clumpy after only a couple days of using it. We'll see if that happens with this sample.




I also found a sample size of Dr. Feelgood Velvety Complexion Balm. It was $9, but I figured that was ok seeing as how the full size is $31 and most reviews (the good ones anyway) have said that you don't need to use a lot.

Description from website:
"Mattify shine with our invisible, weightless balm that leaves skin feeling silky-soft. Fabulous for mid-day touch-ups... this makeup artist fave can be worn alone, under or on top of makeup. Contains Vitamins A, C & E to help smooth away the appearance of fine lines."

Wait. A balm to eliminate shine? That sounds a bit contradictory... but I'll try it. The people who like it LOVE it, and the people who hate it seem to either not have very oily skin, or don't understand how to use it. Smells lemony but kind of medicinal. The sponge is nice. I've read to PAT ON the product, don't rub if you're putting it on top of your makeup to soak up oil.

This stuff is magic! I have no idea how it works but it really does eliminate shine! I also put it on under my makeup as a primer one day so I swiped it a little bit. It doesn't seem to erase pores but it does make your skin smooth and it really does seem to help with the shine. I used my Hello Flawless on top (using only the brush that day) and my face really does seem less oily than usual. I really do like it as a primer. My face felt a little greasy, but it didn't LOOK too shiny, which is mostly the point. And if I want, I can just use the sponge and pat on my oily spots and bam! no more shine. For me, the sponge is essential for patting on top of makeup and soaking up the oil. The sponge it comes with can be cleaned easily, but I've also cut up some cheap sponges I bought at Target as replacements. I carry this with me everywhere.

Seriously, if you have super oily skin, give this a try. A lot of people complained that it was drying, but that's kind of the point. They must not have had as much oil as I do because it's perfect. If you're not sure, do like I did and buy the 'travel-size' from sephora.com. It's still $9 but it comes with a lot of product, and much cheaper than the full-size for $31.



I also got my free birthday present from Sephora for being a "Beauty Insider". It's free to sign up on the website and every year during your birthday month you can stop in and get whatever sample they are giving out that year, or add it to your online order. Last year I got Benefit's "They're Real" mascara and "Watt's Up" highlighter. I still use the highlighter. This year it was Make Up For Ever's Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N9 and Smokey Extravagant Mascara.

The lipstick is a very natural MLBB (my lips but better) color. For me, it's a little darker than my normal lip color but that's what I love about it. It's not very shiny, which is different for me. I feel like it stains a little bit too - a plus for me. It's very smooth and pretty moisturizing overall.

The mascara is ok. Nothing magical. The formula is smooth and didn't seem to flake or anything. The brush scares me a little bit. Personally, I think the fat end of the brush is too fat. It's uncomfortable. It's not particularly volumizing or anything, but it's a great travel size.

You ALSO get 3 free samples every time you order from sephora.com. They have about 9 or 12 samples to choose from, usually a lot of fragrances, to add to your order. I chose:

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector SPF 25+

Sephora Collection Super Supreme Body Butter

I have not used any of the samples yet but I will add reviews once I do.

Trying new makeup!

I received my Ulta catalog in the mail this weekend and was interested in the Tarte Colored Clay CC Primer in there. I looked at probably 20 reviews online because it's $35 and I wanted to make sure it would be something I would like. I don't wear foundation - usually just a tinted powder because my face gets very oily - and I tried BB cream for a while, so I figured this would be good too. I also like that Ulta has a 60-day return policy if you don't like a product - I'm in the trial phase with all of these products.

Here's what it does:

"Buff your way to complexion perfection with this revolutionary correcting stick. Infused with Tarte's new color-correcting Amazonian colored clay, this powerful, skinvigorating™ primer blends easily to help brighten skin, even skintone, blur imperfections, and neutralize redness and discoloration. Use this multitasking corrector before foundation as a color-correcting primer or alone as light coverage for an allover flawless look. Its antioxidant-rich formula delivers the perfect balance of color correction and coverage with a soft, matte finish."

So yes. There is the color, a lavender wedge for brightening, and a green wedge for correcting redness. It feels really soft and light on the skin. Lots of reviews said it doesn't cover very much, and they are correct but that's ok for me. I just want a little something extra to put on to even things out before putting my powder on. The BB cream I use sometimes has more coverage, but this is supposed to be a primer I guess. I feel like it did smooth my pores a bit and I *think* it's helping with the shine. Apparently my face hates LA because I haven't been this oily since high school... but it's not making it worse so I think that's a plus! I'm going to keep using it because it is really simple and quick to put on in the morning and blends really easily. 


While I was walking around Ulta, I saw a display with mascaras on it. My eyelashes are very long (have been since I was a baby, I've been told) but they're like the rest of my hair where they're fine and won't hold a curl. I've been looking for a mascara that curls and saw Tarte's "Lights, Camera, Lashes!" mascara.

I remembered seeing a youtube review on the 'Lights, Camera, Flashes' mascara, which is similar so I decided to look at it a little more. It is a 4-in-1 mascara that lengthens, curls, volumizes, and conditions. Perfect! I've only worn it for about a day and a half now, but I like it. I've had a little bit of irritation (like, a teeny tiny bit) but I'm pretty sure it's because it's about time to change my contacts, and I'm tired, rather than the mascara. I haven't noticed any flaking but I also haven't been paying attention to whether or not my lashes are still curled at 3:15pm since putting it on at 7am. I do know that my lashes look great with it on! I'm not sure how much better it is than the Maybelline mascara I've been using for much cheaper than the $19 I paid for this... but I'll keep it for now. I like trying new mascaras.


After walking around the store for probably close to an hour checking out all the new brands I've been learning about through Birchbox and Ipsy, I finally went to the check out and found something that someone set off to the side that I decided to try. It was the Benefit POREfessional Agent Zero Shine.

Well, first I asked the woman ringing me up if she knew anything about it and she said she used it herself (though, sometimes I feel like all employees at Ulta are supposed to say that, because another woman told me the same thing about the Tarte CC primer.) I figured I'd try it because my face has been very oily lately and this powder is specifically designed to stop that. What I love about it, is that it comes with it's own brush that twists out from the bottom and the cap doubles as a little pot to dump the powder into. The top also twists open and closed so no spilling powder everywhere! It's really nice for travel, or just taking to work. It looks tinted but blends easily and disappears right away. It also doesn't look white or ashy. I've also only used this for a day and a half, but I like it. I put it on my tzone after I put my usual powder on at 7am and a few hours later I ran the side of my finger down my nose and it seemed shiny already. Around 2pm I checked the mirror and my face actually didn't look that bad. I could feel it by touch, but it didn't look terrible. I did a touch-up just because. I'm usually not someone who brings makeup to work for touch-ups but this was so easy.

It seems like I can't find anything that will keep the oil at bay longer than half a day, so I could really just buy something cheap from the drugstore instead of paying $30(!) for the Benefit brand. I think I'll keep it and use it up and decide then.

*Update 4/8/14*
I decided to return the Tarte CC Primer. I loved how easy it was, but my face got so oily during the day. I mean, it gets oily a lot during the day but this product didn't seem to help it, or seem to make my other makeup stick any better for a "primer". I actually exchanged it for Benefit's Hello Flawless powder foundation. You can read that review here.