Splurge or Skip: Benefit Holiday 2009 Collection
I adore Benefit Cosmetics’ permanent line, but I’m always super excited by their new products. (Have you seen Sugarbomb?) It’s pricey to purchase individual products from Benefit though which is why I love their holiday collections the most; they give you the chance to try out many products for a sweet price.
Benefit Glitz Glam & Gloss Set ($26 US) is full of glosses with yummy scents like strawberries and peaches and cream – very fruity. The paddle applicator actually conforms to your lip as it glides on, which makes glossing without a mirror a breeze!
Left to Right: Kiss You, Friends in High Places, Zone Out, Almost Famous, I’m with the Band, Fresh Squeezed
The colors are very sheer, and the texture is sticky though. These glosses are best for natural makeup days. Still, you get six colors for such a great price; splurge on these!
Wow, when I first saw the Benefit Celebutante Set ($34 US), I was amazed at the value. If you’ve never tried any Benefit products before, this is a must-have kit to introduce you to the line. You get so many products to try; it’s all you need for a quick and easy look. There’s even a little lesson booklet!
Included in the Celebutante Set are: Full Finish Lipstick in Lady’s Choice and No Competition; Velvet Eyeshadow in Leggy and Dandy Brandy; Lip Gloss in I’m with the Band; High Beam, BeneTint, Dallas, and two brushes. Read my review of High Beam here and Dallas here.
The lipsticks are very smooth and creamy, great texture! No Competition makes a great deep plum, red shade. They aren’t as pigmented on the lips as on the hand though. When I tried to apply with a little more pressure, Lady’s Choice, a pink nude, broke, so I would suggest being careful.
The eyeshadows are my favorite part of this kit. They are softly pigmented and have a wonderful creamy texture. The shimmer is heavy in Leggy, a champagne pink, and subtle in Dandy Brandy, a medium brown, so you can have variation in your look.
Left to Right: High Beam and BeneTint
BeneTint, a rose tinted lip and cheek stain, has a very potent rose scent that I didn’t like, but the rosy flush is very pretty and flattering if you use a tiny amount; it’s super bright! The liquid texture absorbed well and was easy to blend on the cheeks and lips.
The overall verdict? Splurge on the Benefit Glitz Glam & Gloss Set for sure and the Celebutante Set, but only if you don’t have most of the items in the set. What are your favorite Benefit products? See anything you would splurge on this year?
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On December 7th, 2009 knownever said:
I’ve had great luck with benefit products but all the shades in the gloss set seem pretty generic. I lot of those colors remind me of NYX glosses that you can get for much, much less
On December 7th, 2009 Crystal said:
Hi knownever,
I’ve never tried NYX glosses before. However, I’ve heard great things about the color range and pigmentation of these glosses. Plus they’re cheap, like you said. I love the gold and lilac colors from the Benefit glosses though. They are absolutely beautiful on the lips!
On December 7th, 2009 Eliane T. said:
I love this gloss set! Great colors!
On December 8th, 2009 Crystal said:
Hi Eliane T!
What I really love about these glosses is the amazing fruity scent! If you like all the colors, that’s a bonus. I like ‘Kiss You’ the best!
On December 13th, 2009 Marina said:
Great review of Celebutante!
I love this set
On December 14th, 2009 Crystal said:
Hi Marina!
The Celebutante is a great ready-to-go set! I’m glad you liked the review.