Benefit's Benefits

Benefit was the brand I 'graduated' to after I moved on from goth favourite Spectacular and good old 'get it down the local Superdrug' Rimmel. I had just turned 18, moved out of home and into my first student flat in Glasgow. I had the choice of Bad Gal eyeliner or eat for the week. Obviously the eyeliner won that contest. From there I flirted with most of their products - Benetint, High Beam, Play Sticks etc on and off for about 6 or 7 years. Then I discovered Nars, MAC, Origins and Aveda. I side-stepped Benefit's 'quirky' packaging and was drawn to the darkside.

I hadn't stopped at the Benefit counter again until about 6 months ago. I was on the hunt for a new blusher to match my new hair colour and was once again pulled in. I ended up walking away with a beautifully packaged little box of Bella Bamba. It sparkles and it smells delicious! Said box of delights was down to its last few pink crumbs last week. Faced with dabbing my brush into the dark depths of the make-up bag to collect any dust that remains was filling me with dread. There was nothing else for it. Although I had promised to save money for Christmas pressies, make-up's a necessity, isn't it?

Imagine the squeals of delight when I popped my Boots card into the reader only to discover that I was entitled to a tester of Benefit's new wonder-product, Porefessional! Having suffered from a ridiculously oily t-zone since puberty, Porefessional was gonna have it's work cut out on this face of grease. I gave it a test run on Sunday, but forgot to rub it right into the bits at the side of my nose, so that wasn't so good. However, I used a sensible amount this morning* (about 7.30am), applied MAC Studio Fix over the top and I haven't had to powder my nose once!! It's now 5pm. Normally, I'd pat a good wad of translucent No.7 powder over the Studio Fix before I leave the house at 8am. Powder again after lunch, tea break and then again at 5 before I leave work. Porefessional is Da Bomb!! I can't recommend it enough for any fellow greasers out there. Not sure if the Boots offer is still on, but for £23.50 a tube, this stuff is well worth it.
*wrote this post yesterday