Good morning darlings! In an effort to standardize my posts so I can get even more fun & useful content out to you guys, I’m starting ANOTHER new regular feature on my blog called The Cat’s Meow to combine my 2 ALL TIME favorite things – my cat Buddy & make up. :D Basically, it’ll be my cat posing with my favorite beauty products of the moment so we can review them, yay!
So as you can see, Buddy & I are just lovvviiinnn Benefit right now. I’ll review from left to right.
Dandelion ($28) is really the perfect blush – no joke, I use it EVERY day. It’s a light pink with an itty bitty bit of shimmer to it just to give a healthy glow. Even after my most heinous nights out (lets not re-visit them), wearing Dandelion the next day makes my skin look healthy and well-rested. It also smells amazing and looks great on every skin tone. I’m very pale and my best friend Lysa is a tan goddess and we both rock it. It also has a mirror on the inside and comes with a nice blush brush.
Next up is That Gal ($29) which is a brightening primer. Though it’s not my favorite Benefit product, it’s a unique contender and for that I keep it in my arsenal. This primer is water based and really lightweight so I like to wear it under my BB cream for extra glow-y, flawless looking “natural” skin for summer months when I retire foundation for a while. A word of caution to my oily complexions out there: this may not be the primer for you. It’s fast absorbing and because it gives your face a bit of sheen, I’d say steer clear and opt for a mattifying primer instead.
Then we have Watt’s Up! ($30) I’ve been sort of on a highlighter craze on the hunt for the perfect highlighter recently. I purchased this because one of my fave style icons Whitney Port mentioned that she uses Watts Up! to partially achieve that wonderful radiant glow (seriously, click her name and check out her flawless skin in every. damn. picture). I’ve heard people complain that Watts Up! is too heavy for during the day but I disagree. I use it on my good-skin days with just a bit of BB cream and blush for that oh so coveted sun-kissed summer look. But my mom for example said her face just looks sweaty when she uses it – ?! HA, moms…Also note that this comes in stick form as it’s a cream to powder formula which for some may not be as easy to apply/blend as a standard powder highlighter. Something to consider!
The next highlighter in my arsenal is my first ever, baby highlighter – doeee! Moon Beam ($26) is a liquid highlighter that is one of my favorites. It’s really long-lasting and the tiniest bit goes a long way. It gives a soft shimmer that when applied with a gentle hand can work for day or night. The only gripe I have about it is the applicator. It’s like a nail polish brush applicator which makes blending evenly sort of a pain. I recommend this highlighter to my newbie highlighter friends because it really works for all skin tones and it lasts FOREVER (I’ve had my bottle over a year now). The only people I wouldn’t recommend this for is mineral foundation gals. Liquid highlighter on a powdered face doesn’t blend well babies!
Moving back to primers we have The POREfessional ($30) primer. This is my favorite year-round primer. It does a great job filling in pores for an even base to apply your make-up, but it’s lightweight enough that I can use it in the summer which can’t be said for many other equally hard-working primers. It seriously feels like you put a layer of velvet-y smoothness on your skin. Although it’s main claim to fame is it’s pore-filling effect, I like it best because it helps my makeup last longer. Two thumbs up!
Last, I’m going to do a joint review of They’re Real ($23) mascara and BadGal Lash ($19) mascara because guess what?! I layer them! BadGal Lash takes the cake for me as best mascara of all time and HELLO! Look at that price! After curling lashes, I use this first in my layering process. I’ve found that it leaves lashes looking more natural than They’re Real. It thickens and lengthens and curls well and I get literally zero clumps which makes for a great base coat. After letting that dry, I swipe on They’re Real which because of it’s precision bristles really separates and enhances what BadGal already did. For regular day-time wear I switch them out either-or and they’re both incredible and comparable to more expensive mascara’s which I find clump and sag through the day.
The verdict? Buddy and I give an A++ for all of the above. What are your favorite Benefit products? I’m always on the lookout for my new favorite thing!
katelyn elisabeth 