Review: Benefit POREfessional PRO Balm!

One big concern of many girls out there, including myself, has got to be PORES! :( God knows how irksome huge visible pores can get, and the worst part is that skincare can only do so much to help minimize pores, unless you're talking about expensive laser treatments and the likes.

I'm not too sure why, but ever since I started taking Roaccutane, I've noticed that the pores on my nose have somehow become more obvious! I've always had pitted pores at the sides of my nose, but suddenly, my entire nose seems to be all orange peel-esque and I hate it! Told my derm about it and she said it could be because of the reduction in oil production, which causes my skin to be drier and thus making the pores look more obvious ;( Has anyone encountered similar issues while on Roaccutane as well?

When it comes to "concealing" those troublesome pores though, thankfully, there is Benefit's POREfessional PRO Balm to save the day!

I first tried this product during a Benefit event last year, and I was so sold! Went to a Benefit counter the same week and purchased the POREfessional PRO Balm for my very own!

Couldn't be happier to oblige when Benefit Cosmetics Singapore asked Evonne and myself to take part in a special POREfessional workshop/event, because this is one of those products that I truly believe in! :)

The event was sometime last month, and you might have seen the super cute pop-up booth right outside Tangs Orchard!

There was even a flashmob with spy girls spotting sexy black boots dancing and the most adorable Vespas which rode through Orchard Road! You shoulda seen the crowd! XD

On to the workshop, 8 lucky girls got chosen from Benefit Cosmetics Singapore's Facebook contest, to be given a makeover by 8 of us bloggers! :D

The EDM that went out for the event!

The 8 of us got to dress up as Spy Girls in the signature mint green trench coat and I thought we looked really cute!! :P That's one of the things I love about Benefit, makeup is always fun and interesting with Benefit!

We worked in pairs (I was with Evonne of course!) to do makeovers for two of the girls! Using only Benefit's skincare and makeup products, the girls were given makeovers from scratch ;D

Here's Evonne concentrating really hard on her job as a makeup artist!

I thought I did a good job too, on transforming my lovely model, Carrissa, with a radiant and glowing look!

Jang jang!!! Quite proud of my makeup skills I must say! :D

Team Evonne and Yina! ^.^

Made new friends at the event! :)

Here's the spy girls and the prettily made-up Benefit fans all together for a group shot!

With Mei Ting and Amber from Benefit Cosmetics Singapore after the event ended, thanks for having us!!

As for the product itself: The POREfessional PRO Balm has been a staple on my dressing table for the longest time now, and it's something I always reach out for when I want that extra bit of perfection to my makeup!

“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.”

The new VS old packaging. New one's so much cuter! Other than that, nothing else has changed about this wonderful formula.

The nozzle is sealed for hygiene purposes, so just peel it off and you're all ready to use the POREfessional PRO Balm :D

This is what the POREfessional PRO Balm looks like, it's skin coloured and has got a firm consistency to it that melts into the skin upon application, leaving behind a smooth surface that feels almost powdery to the touch!

Personally, I like to use a tiny amount of POREfessional on my nose and around it (where my pores are the most obvious) before I apply my foundation on, and I feel that it helps to minimise the appearance of those huge pores, while creating a smoother canvas for me to work on! I don't like to use it for touch-ups because I feel that the POREfessional balm does not adhere as well to my skin when I already have other makeup on, and tends to slide off and cause weird smudges on my skin, especially if I'm getting sweaty and oily in our hot weather.

I was unable to really capture the effect of POREfessional PRO Balm on camera, but I think Evonne did a pretty good job! Read Evonne's review of POREfessional PRO Balm here! :D

Because you only need a very small amount of the product for each usage, the 22ml tube can seriously last you for ages! I've used mine for months, and I feel like it can last me for another year or something. It's a tad pricey but worth the price tag! :)

The Porefessional costs $48 for 22ml of product and is available at all Benefit Counters and Sephora.

If I had a POREfessional this size... It would take me ten lifetimes to finish using it. Hahahaha. Just kidding. Go try the POREfessional at a Benefit counter near you and you'd know why it's so amazing, really! ^.^

Get on Benefit Cosmetics Singapore's Facebook for more fun with Benefit! :D

xoxo

Review: Benefit Fake Up Crease-Control Hydrating Concealer!

If I had to choose just one makeup essential that I can't do without, it has got to be CONCEALER without a doubt! God knows how badly I need concealer, especially for my dark eye rings and blemishes.. I can skip the eyeliner, the mascara, or even the brow pencil, but to look even remotely presentable, concealer is a must-have for me!

I've tried many many brands of concealers in order to find the best ones that will help camouflage those horrid dark eye rings of mine, and I dare say I'm somewhat of a Concealer Connoisseur (hey that sounds pretty cool!). LOL. 

I'm always on the lookout for good coverage concealers, but many a times, it seems that with great power comes great responsibility. And why do I say so? Because the better the coverage, the thicker and dryer the formula of the concealer will most likely be, resulting in unwanted creases and a cakey, unnatural finish.

Banish all your concealer woes with Benefit's star product of the year: the Fake Up Crease-Control Hydrating Concealer! When it comes to "faking" beauty, Benefit knows no bounds, and I was incredibly impressed with this innovative concealer that's set to take over the cover-up industry by storm! Like they say it, "We fake it til we make it!", what an awesome slogan!

Attended the press event for this amazing product last week, and it was a well-executed and fun event that had us all in laughter! An amusing skit was put up by the Benefit team, as we arrived at the "crime scene" to investigate who might have been the mastermind behind the stolen Fake Up Concealers!

Photobooth fun with Evonne and Arissa! Everyone loves a good photo, especially with cute props to play around with!

With my favourite company! :D

Thank you Benefit for keeping our tummies happy too! :)

I really like the sleek and handy lipstick style packaging of the product, all you need to do is to uncap it and twist it before applying it onto your skin directly!

As you can tell from the swatch, the hydrating ring portion of the concealer is extremely emollient, and the concealer glides on like a dream onto the skin. 

I use my fingers to blend and tap it in afterwards, and I swear this is probably the creamiest and most hydrating concealer I've ever used! It is also very lightweight, and you'd love how the light-reflecting technology in this product help to illuminate the undereye area and diffuses light to smooth out any fine lines.

The coverage is medium, and will help to conceal most mild to moderate cases of dark eye circles and blemishes. For serious cases of dark eye circles, this works great as a base concealer (after which I layer another concealer for even better coverage) because it's so moisturizing that it helps other concealers go on better over it.

Shade 02, Medium, works well on me.

Tap and blend the concealer gently!

Fake Up Crease-Control Hydrating Concealer will be available in Singapore at SGD38 island-wide at Benefit counters in April 2013.

More swatches/reviews over at Evonne's blog, as well as Mag at MakeUpStash!

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Outfit:

TheVelvetDolls Suede Lace-up Skirt in Red (size M)

Nude wedges from Heatwave

Bag from Bimba and Lola

Necklaces from House of Harlow 1960

Adoring the skirt with its yummy lace-up details and suede material! It makes me feel all perky and happy somehow. Haha.

There's also been a massive amount of catching up with some of my favourite girls due to all the new product launches and events, I am super excited to share about them! Went for a ZA x Majolica Majorca event with Jayne, Evonne, Tricia and Juli last week and I am in love with their new upcoming products (more on those soon!)

Sneak preview of the new Majolica Majorca products! Lash Expander Edge Master, Lash Jelly Drop, Majoromantica M (limited edition), Skin Remaker Case 2013 (limited edition) and The Little Humming Book 1 (limited edition)

Outfit:

TheVelvetDolls Cossette Lace Overlay Tank Dress in Rose (Size M)

TheVelvetDolls Suede Biker Jacket in Black (Size M)

Necklace from Sort and Pepper

Jelly nude wedges I bought from City Plaza a long time ago!

My new favourite outerwear has got to be this suede jacket ^^ Been wearing it ever so often cos it is so chic and goes perfectly over most outfits! Paired it with the lace overlay tank dress, which is in a really vibrant shade of rose. One of my favourite colors! Really like the button details at the back as well. Wheeee!

Event/Review: Benefit Instant Beauty Party! Instant Beauty Kits by Benefit

Beauty school is now in session! I absolutely adore anything that comes in cute miniature sizes and handy kits, so it's no surprise that these Instant Beauty Kits by Benefit have totally mesmerized me!

The appeal of these "How to Look the Best at Everything" Flawless Complexion Makeup Kits has got to be the array of complexion perfectors all packaged into one bookish-looking box set. For SGD $48, you now get to try some of Benefit's best selling complexion perfecting products, and in miniature-sized packaging that's bound to make you squeal!

 
These sets come in fair, light, medium and deep and include a mini-sized version of The Porefessional [pro balm to minimise the appearance of pores], Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation [brightening liquid foundation], two shades of Boi-ing Concealer [industrial-strength concealer], Hello Flawless powder [custom powder cover up] and a brush.

I have the full-sized versions of the Porefessional, and also the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation (review here!), and these two products are amongst my favorites when it comes to perfecting my complexion!

Each of those products on its own costs $50 and above, which is quite a hefty price, so if you're not sure if it is worth forking out money for a full-sized product, these complexion kits going at $48 each is definitely definitely a great way to try out some of Benefit's best-selling products while getting fantastic value for your money! Mix and match these products to achieve that flawless look you've always wanted!

I havent tried the concealers and pressed powder yet, only because I can't bear to start using this adorable beauty kit.. It's too cute! Which is honestly the only drawback I can find with this Complexion Kit.

Besides the Complexion Kits available, Benefit has also come out with equally captivating Lip and Cheek Kits in a similarly charming packaging..

You have everything you need in each Lip and Cheek Kit to give you that gorgeous glowy cheeks and perfect lip color!

I brought home the Feelin' Dandy Lip & Cheek Kit, which includes miniatures of Posie Tint [poppy-pink tined lip & cheek stain], High Beam [luminescent complexion enhancer], Dandelion [brightening face powder] and a full-sized Ultra Plush Dandelion lip gloss!

Similarly, these are really some of Benefit's best-selling products and the entire kit is available at a very affordable $45!

I do love the convenience and ease of these Instant Beauty Kits.. It's hard to be lazy with beauty when you've got these handy products all in one package!

And for those as yet unschooled in the art of beauty and make-up, each and every single Instant Beauty Kit comes with a useful Tips and Tricks booklet that teach you how to best use these products! PS. There is also a good-sized mirror hidden under the Tips and Tricks booklet which makes this little kit easy-to-use even on the go!

The Lip & Cheek Kits come in three different sets: Sugarlicious, Feelin' Dandy, and Go Tropicoral! Each set comes with corresponding blush powder and lip gloss, as well as a matching lip and cheek tint. Love it!

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Style: & Benefit Instant Beauty Party!

Some of us lucky girls got the chance to attend beauty class conducted by the makeup artist/guru Larry Yeo.. what better way to learn beauty, than from the beauty experts themselves?


The Style: & Benefit Instant Beauty Party was held at Ion, and we were all treated to an informative demo session, with tips and tricks for Instant Beauty!

I do love Benefit's adorably kitschy packaging!

Here's Larry demonstrating how to achieve that perfect complexion, complete with glowy cheeks! I picked up some awesome makeup tips that day!

And a group picture with Larry, Chantana, Mag, Shirleen, and Evonne!

Evonne and I posing with some larger-than-life cardboard versions of Benefit's best-selling Porefessional and Posie Tint! Hohoho. We also took some other albeit kinkier and NSFW (not safe for work) pictures which I am not putting up here LOL.

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The Complexion Kit is available at SGD48. (Available in Fair, Light, Medium & Deep)

The Lips & Cheeks Kit is available at SGD45. (Available in Sugarlicious, Feelin' Dandy & Go Tropicoral)

Grab your Benefit Instant Beauty Kits at any Sephora in Singapore! They are absolutely perfect as a Christmas gift or birthday present, methinks. The only danger is that these little kits are so tempting you might just decide to keep them for yourself instead!

xoxo