Benefit Cheekathon Blush & Bronzer Palette ($58, Limited Edition)
Packaging: It comes with 4 full-size blushes, including Dandelion (0.25oz), Rockateur (0.17oz), Dallas (0.32oz) and Coralista (0.28oz), a full-size Hoola matte bronzer (0.28oz), a brush made of natural bristles and a sizable mirror. Each shade retails $29, which makes the value of the palette to be $145!
I never bought Benefit's individual blushes because I find the cardboard packaging to be too bulky. The palette is actually not as thick and is a huge space saver compared to buying the blushes/bronzer individually. (It measures 7 inches x 0.85 inches x 5 inches.) It may not be as travel-friendly as the Tarte Tarteist palette, but I would still take this with me on trips, especially if I'm going to be out of town for more than a week and want to create various looks. I just love that all the shades are conveniently laid out in one palette.
The insert is removable and pops out easily. So, you can use the box for storing little trinkets when you finish the palette. You can also depot the pans and pop them into an empty Z Palette.
The brush reminds me of the NARS Ita (review), except the Benefit one is a little bit wider and denser. It works really well for contouring because it's narrow enough to fit nicely on the hollows of the cheeks and fluffy enough to blend out any harsh lines with ease. For blush application, I prefer a domed-shaped brush, such as the Sonia Kashuk #29 (review) because it covers the entire cheek area more evenly and lightly. I also love that the pans are wide enough to fit any type of brush easily.
Shades: I find that the palette comes with a good range of shades and finishes.
- Dandelion is a baby pink and leaves a subtle glow to the cheeks.
- Hoola is a matte bronzer without a hint of shimmer. When applied to my face, it looks warmer than Too Faced Chocolate Soleil (review) and works better as a bronzer rather than a contour shade for my NC30/35 skin tone. (Too Faced Chocolate Soleil has a more neutral undertone, is slightly darker, and works well for both bronzing & contouring.)
- Rockateur is a rose gold and leaves a luminous sheen. There is a very sparkly overlay that easily brushes away after a few swipes. It also has a specialized formula that feels very creamy and buttery. Even though it contains less product than the other blushes, it's suppose to provide 1.6 times the amount of pure color payoff and last just as long (in terms of usage rate) as the other Benefit blushers and bronzers.
- Dallas is a dusty rose and leaves a luminous sheen. When swatched on my arms, It looks like it could act as a bronzer, but when applied to my cheeks, it looks more rosy and works better as a blush.
- Coralista is a warm coral pink with gold shimmers. It leaves a luminous sheen and shows up better on my cheeks than when swatched on my arms.
Scent: It has a distinct, fruity-floral fragrance.
Formula: Dandelion and Coralista are sheer, while the rest of the shades have regular pigmentation (not too sheer or highly pigmented). They're all very easy to work with and apply smoothly & evenly without ever looking blotchy on the skin. They are also easily buildable and blend like a dream.
Longevity: They last all day when worn over foundation and setting powder. (For reference, I have neither oily nor dry cheeks. I also don't have issues with blushers and bronzers lasting on my face in general.)
Benefit Hoola Deluxe Sample Set - Sephora VIB and Rouge members can receive this set for free by using promo code VIBBronzeMe (with $35 purchase) or VIBHoola (with $45 purchase) at checkout. For those who are non-VIB/Rouge members, you can purchase a similar set called the Do the Hoola Beyond Bronze Kit for $34.
- Hoola Matte Bronzer (3g/0.1oz) - The deluxe sample version looks less warm compared to the one from the Cheekathon Palette and works well for both contouring & bronzing. It's also fragrance-free. The full-size retails $29 for 8g/0.28oz.
- Dew the Hoola Soft Matte Liquid Bronzer (5ml/0.16oz) - The liquid version looks much warmer compared to the powder version and works best as a base for lengthening the wear of powder bronzers. The Nars Laguna liquid bronzer has gold shimmers, is slightly darker and more pigmented.
The Dew the Hoola liquid bronzer is sheer, but it's buildable. The key is to apply it with a brush in a tapping motion because the product will blend away if you apply it with a brush in a buffing motion. Also, the formula does dry quickly, so make sure to work fast. The full-size retails $28 for 30ml/1oz.
- Hoola Zero Tanlines Allover Body Bronzer (15ml/0.5oz) - It has a gel consistency, is non-sticky and leaves a streak-free finish. I prefer to use my hands to apply the product because it's quicker, absorbs less product and applies more evenly compared to the sponge that's provided. The body bronzer looks very warm on my cheeks and in the swatch pictures, but when I rub it all over my body, arms and legs, it looks absolutely gorgeous and very natural.
I tried the Dew the Hoola liquid bronzer on my body just to see if there were really much difference between the 2 products and it actually looks warmer than the Zero Tanlines body bronzer. Both products have a tropical scent, but the body bronzer works better for the body, contains more product and stays put all day without fading. I had to scrub my skin really well with soap and water a few times in order to wash it out! (If you apply a hydrating body lotion before application, especially one that contains oils, then the body bronzer won't last as long since oils break down product alot faster.) The full-size retails $30 for 147ml/5oz.
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| (full-size vs deluxe sample of the Hoola bronzer) |
Marc Jacobs O!Mega Bronze Perfect Tan Bronzer in 102 Tantric (retails $49 for 0.8oz/25g) - Sephora VIB and Rouge members can receive the deluxe sample size (0.08oz/2.5g) for free by using promo code VIBOMEGA (with $35 purchase) at checkout.
The texture feels very creamy and applies smoothly onto the skin. The pigmentation is sheer, but is easily buildable and blends effortlessly into the skin. It's described as a "radiant-matte" finish, but when applied onto the face, it looks nearly matte and is the warmest bronzer of the bunch. The Nars Laguna powder bronzer (review) contains gold shimmers, while the Benefit Hoola and Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzers have a more neutral undertone and are completely matte.
Tarte Tarteist Blush Palette ($38, Limited Edition)
Packaging: It comes with 4 shades, including Live, Laugh, Love and Dream. Each shade contains 4.5g/0.158oz of product. The individual Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour blushes retail $28 for 5.6g/0.2oz each. Therefore, the palette is worth $90. (Currently, these shades are exclusive to this palette and are not sold individually.)
The compact is very sleek and travel-friendly. It also comes with a full-size mirror and measures 5.5 inches x 0.55 inches x 2.75 inches.
Shades: None of them look chalky or glittery.
- Live is a poppy coral with a matte finish.
- Laugh is a peachy coral with a shimmery finish.
- Love is a nude mauve with a matte finish.
- Dream is a soft fuchsia with a matte finish.
Scent: It smells like a mix between clay and paint when I sniff the pan, but the scent is undetectable during application. It's also fragrance-free.
Formula: They're more pigmented than the Benefit blushes, so you can easily go overboard with them, especially if you have a heavy hand. Therefore, I highly recommend using a fluffy brush, such as the Sonia Kashuk #19 (review), and apply with a light hand. The Sonia Kashuk brush works well with this formula because it distributes product evenly and disperses product onto the skin lightly.
Longevity: I did not have any issues with any of these blushers. They stayed put all day without fading when worn over foundation + setting powder.
Bottom Line: I highly recommend both palettes based on the quality and value. However, those who are looking for more variety will find the Benefit palette to be more suitable, while those who are looking for a more travel-friendly compact will find the Tarte one to a better option.
Note: The Benefit Cheekathon palette is available at Sephora and Ulta. The Tarte Tarteist palette is available at Ulta and QVC.
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