YourBeautyClosett

                |Benefit – Realness of Concealness|

I just LOVE Benefit’s make-up kits, and Realness of Concealness is my favourite as it’s so dinky and cute and will fit easily in the pocket of a handbag. It contains five of Benefit’s most popular products:

• High Beam - enhances the complexion with a luminescent shine
• Lip Plump – primes and enhances lips
• Ooh La Lift – de-puffs and firms the under-eye area
• Lemon Aid – primes eyelids to hide discolouration
• Boi-ing - conceals dark circles and blemishes

High Beam is one of Benefit’s bestsellers and it’s easy to see why. This satiny pink liquid highlighter can be used all over the face for a radiant glow, or just as a spot highlighter on cheekbones. See the swatch image below – I haven’t rubbed it in too much so you can clearly see the shimmer. I use this all the time, it’s lovely in Summer, and if you have a great complexion you can just wear a little High Beam on it’s own on your cheeks for a lovely Summery glow.

Lip Plump is another of Benefit’s popular products. Lip Plump is used as a lip primer before lipstick is applied and it claims to plump and enhance lips. I do find that it is a great base for lipstick, and it feels cold and tingly to the lips when it is applied, but personally I haven’t really experienced a plumping effect. The image below shows what Lip Plump looks like when applied on its own before lipstick is applied over the top. As you can see it is a creamy beige coloured matt colour, and it helps lipstick to stay on the lips for longer.

The image below shows what my lips look like with lipstick, with and without using Benefit Lip Plump underneath. I have used MUA’s Power Pout in Rendezvous which is a pinky-brown natural coloured gloss, you can see that using the Lip Plump underneath changes the colour of the gloss somewhat but you can’t really see a plumping effect. Despite this it’s still a great product.

Ooh La Lift is a brightening boost for the under-eye area that contains raspberry extracts and light-reflecting pigments. I have to say that this is the product in this kit that I use the least, as I don’t really experience problems with puffiness or dark circles around my eyes. That said, this product does feel lovely and cooling under the eyes and I can imagine it being great and refreshing for tired eyes. Benefit even suggest that you can keep it in the refrigerator for extra power!

Lemon Aid is an eyelid primer that helps to hide redness and discolouration on your eyelids, helping your eyes to look refreshed. It is easy to apply with the finger and it can be worn on it’s own, or under eye make-up. Make sure that you only apply an extremely thin layer of Lemon Aid though, as I find it can crease in your eye socket.

Boi-ing is an ‘industrial strength under-eye concealer’, although I find it great for all areas of the face, not just the under-eyes. The shade is ’02 – light medium’ which I think is quite a dark shade, so if you have pale skin you need to carefully blend the edges so you don’t end up with orange patches on your face. I find this great for covering up a couple of dark pigment spots that I have on my cheekbones, and also for the old blemish on my chin. When this runs out I will definitely be buying a full-size pot of Boi-ing, I couldn’t recommend it enough!

These 5 superb products all come nestled inside the cute little cardboard palette which has a round mirror inside the magnetic lid. Benefit really does know how to do a good make-up kit! Realness of Concealness is a great way to try out Benefit’s products if you don’t want to shell out on the full size products straight away. It’s perfect for when you’re on the go, just throw it into your overnight bag and voila… perfect skin! Benefit’s kits also make lovely gifts too, who wouldn’t want to unwrap one of these!

Benefit Realness of Concealness kit is priced at £23.50 and is available from Benefit.