Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss Review

The name ‘lip gloss’ is almost deceiving as Benefit’s new lip product has a sticky-free formula that feels more like a balm. Gone are the days of a mouthful of hair on a windy day, instead Benefit has created a truly intriguing lip product with the soft texture and shimmery finish.

With nourishing ingredients such as shea butter, the Ultra Plush Lip Gloss’ won’t leave your lips feeling dry either.

There’s more to the lip gloss than just a good formula though. Each gloss is paired with one of Benefit’s best selling powders including bronzed Hoola and pretty Dandelion. For a pop of colour to compliment your summer tan opt for Coralista!

Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss is £14.50 and will be available from Benefitcosmetics.co.uk from July.

Rating: 10/10 – Teaming a balm with a gloss is genius and there’s a shade to suit everyone.

Benefit Velvet Eyeshadow Review

The smoky eye is huge beauty trend for AW11 and a Christmas party classic. Benefit’s Velvet Eyeshadow in the new ‘Raining Men’ shade adds an instant glam factor to your look, and taps nicely into this season's metallic eye trend.

The teal shade is not as harsh and full on as your standard charcoal and the flecks of glitter brighten eyes and give them some added sparkle. With a powdery texture, this product is easy to blend and rework until you’re satisfied with your look.

Layer the eyeshadow with a brush along your eyelid following your lash line and concentrating on the outer corners, and then use your finger to smudge and blend across the rest of your lid and under your eyes. Use a brush to touch up and add more colour to the outer corner of your eyes to make them look wider. Finish with lashings of mascara and a flick of eyeliner along the roots of your eyelashes and voilà, a quick and easy smoky eye.

One thing to watch out for with this eyeshadow is it can smudge easily, so try using a good primer before to prevent it from smearing completely. A good eye make-up is also essential, otherwise you can wake-up looking like you’ve done a round with Mike Tyson.

Benefit’s Velvet Eyeshadow in ‘Raining Men’ is £13.50 and available from Benefitcosmetics.co.uk.

Rating: 8/10 – The perfect shade for this time of year, although it will more than likely stay in your make-up bag well into the New Year. 

To get even more out of this eyeshadow, check out Aveda's Color Option Eye Shadow Transformer. 

Benefit Magic Ink Liquid Eyeliner Review

As liquid eyeliners go Benefit’s Magic Ink is pretty good. The narrow wand and fine brush make achieving a fine line easy, although precision does take practice if you’re used to sturdier wand tips. The formula does stay on all day give or take a bit of fading and doesn’t dry your eyes out.

However, there is a niggling issue with this beauty product and that is its promise of providing a ‘jet-black’ colour on the packaging. The formula is simply too watery to get a thick, rich black shade with just one coat. Instead you have to apply, wait to dry and reapply the eyeliner to reach a darker shade.

Overall it’s not a terrible product, in fact it’s nowhere near terrible, but there are better liquid eyeliners available that will provide an instant black line within the same price margins.

Benefit’s Magic Ink Liquid Eyeliner is £14.50 and available from Benefitcosmetics.co.uk

Rating: 5/10 – It’s not bad but it’s not great, it’s somewhere in the middle.