The One with the Influenster Benefit “Benefaves” VoxBox

A couple of weeks ago, I received a Benefit VoxBox from Influenster! I would consider this my first high end box from them. Brands I have received in the past range from CoverGirl to L’Oréal so it was a surprise for me to get something that wasn’t from the drug store!

Real quick, if you don’t know what Influenster is, it’s simply a website that anyone can sign up for where you review products and take surveys in hopes of getting chosen for these free VoxBoxes. If you are lucky enough to be chosen, they send out the box and you must complete the tasks they set out for you. Usually there is a set of mandatory ones and then another set of optional ones. If you don’t have an account, you can use my referral link to sign up here!

The products included in this box are the They’re Real! mascara, Hoola bronzer, The Porefessional primer and the Ka-Brow! eyebrow gel-cream. While I had already tried 3 out of 4 of the products included, I was still excited to get this! It also meant that I have more knowledge to include in my reviews since I have used 3 out of 4 of the products extensively!

Let’s get right into it and take a closer look at what was in this Benefaves box!

Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer

I’ve been using this bronzer for over a year now and I can honestly say this is one of my favourite bronzers that I’ve ever tried. As someone with light skin who leans more cool-toned, it is hard to find a bronzer that isn’t too dark or warm for my skin.

Hoola does not appear orange on my skin whatsoever! The shade is cool enough that you can also use it as contour but it’s still warm enough to give you that sunkissed look. It leans right in between for the perfect shade! It has a matte finish, which for me is what I desire in an everyday bronzer.

This bronzer is easily blendable for me. I love that it doesn’t take too much effort to blend out which makes it very convenient for getting ready in a hurry (and you don’t have to worry about moving around your foundation and concealer).

For me, it’s very buildable as well. During winter months when I’m paler, one dusting is perfect but in summer when I want more bronzing, it easily builds up for more colour. I also have oily skin and the bronzer lasts all day for me (10+ hours).

It comes with a brush but I personally don’t use it. I prefer using my own fluffy brush to apply. The packaging is a really cute box with a magnetic close and mirror inside. It’s pretty unique!

Cost: $20 CAD for 4 g (mini size) or $38 CAD for 8 g (standard size)

Check it out here!

Benefit The POREfessional Face Primer

The Porefessional is the first primer I ever tried and I haven’t looked back since. The way it transformed my makeup made me a fan for life! Quite simply, this primer blurs the look of pores and fine lines under my foundation for a flawless looking finish.

Actually, there’s been many times that I’ve used this primer even on makeup-free days just because it leaves my skin looking so smooth and flawless. It helps even out my skin tone a lot while filling in my pores and mattifying my skin.

The texture is so silky smooth and feels weightless on my skin. Because this was the first primer I ever used, I noticed such a big difference in how long my makeup looks good throughout the day versus without a primer. It helps prevent foundation from sinking into your pores and breaking up (oily skin problems).

Because it is silicone based, you have to be careful with this primer! It doesn’t play nicely with all moisturizers. This is something I realized more within the last year since I’ve been straying from my usual moisturizers to try new products. I have found gel based moisturizers can cause this primer to pill!

I already own the largest tube of this and it has lasted me 2 years and it’s still going strong. A tiny amount really goes a long way! It’s definitely worth the investment if you know you love the product.

Fun fact: 2 years ago the jumbo size cost $50 CAD! Hard to believe it went up $14 in price in just 2 years! I actually bought mine for $35 because of a $15 off code!

Cost: $16 CAD for 7 g (mini size), $42 CAD for 21 g (standard size) or $64 CAD for 42.5 g (jumbo size)

Check it out here!

Benefit They’re Real! Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara

I have mixed feelings on this mascara and soooo many thoughts to share! Some days I love it, other days it frustrates me! There are a lot of pros and cons so bear with me.

First of all, I have to say that this mascara gives great length on me! I’m always impressed with that but the volumizing claims fall short for me. I don’t find it volumizing at all, and in fact, when you try to add volume by wiggling the brush at the roots, it actually makes your eyelashes stick together.

This formula works much better with only one coat. I am a two-coat kind of girl. I never not apply two coats of any mascara. But I realized that when applying two coats, this mascara tends to make my lashes clump together, and it also leaves little balls of mascara at the tips of my lashes, which is not cute. And the nice defined look you get from one coat disappears with the second because of how it makes the lashes stick.

A big problem lies with the brush itself. It dispenses way too much mascara at a time which I think is the problem. I always try to wipe off as much excess as I can but there’s usually still too much.

The brush is spiky which I actually enjoy to separate my lashes! You do have to be careful not to poke your eyes out so you may not want to get too close to your roots. Honestly, I don’t have much trouble avoiding poking my eyes out, but I know that is a problem for others with this brush!

This is a wetter formula but despite that, I find it to dry very quickly so it’s not messy. I have had pretty good luck with this mascara not smudging or flaking. I will admit, I do get the odd flakes here or there but that would be the same for most mascaras. It also holds a curl on my lashes all day long! I find it one of the best mascaras I’ve tried for holding a curl.

The removal process is a bit of a pain. It’s not waterproof but it is a more difficult formula to get off the lashes. I like taking it off in the shower so that the hot water can help loosen it but that’s not always an option. This is definitely a formula that requires holding the cotton pad over the eye to saturate before rubbing to remove.

So as you can see, I have a lot of mixed thoughts! For me, I have to stick to one-coat or two very thin coats. Visually, I think my lashes look really good with this mascara on them. The main problem lies in the application process (for me). But when I am able to get it just right, I am left with long, curled, very black and defined lashes. What else could a girl want?! (Um, volume.)

Cost: $16 CAD for 4.2 g (mini size) or $31 CAD for 8.5 g (standard size)

Check it out here!

Benefit Ka-Brow! Cream-Gel Eyebrow Colour

I admit that I don’t normally do my eyebrows at all so trialing an eyebrow product is new to me and because I had never tried this product before, my thoughts are more first impressions.

With that said, I really liked this and can see myself using it more often in the future. I liked how I could get a really quick natural look. It’s not just for creating bold brows, which I wouldn’t know how to do properly anyway. From other reviews I have read, this product does work well in creating bold brows – I just haven’t tried, personally.

The shade 02 Light was a good match for my eyebrows and I liked how applying this made them look more filled in without it being obvious I had done anything to my brows.

The application process is really easy because Benefit includes the brush you need in the packaging. You simply remove the brush from the top of the cap and use it like that or you can even flip it around and pop it back in to use the cap as a handle!

A little bit goes a long way with this formula! My first time applying, I went light handed for one brow and a bit too heavy for the second, so I had very mismatched brows! Now when I dip my brush into the gel-cream, I wipe off any excess to avoid that!

This formula claims to be waterproof and it certainly seems to be. I went out for an hour while it was snowing and nothing budged. It also lasted a full day for me. The longest I wore it was around 10 hours and there was no difference between first application and the end of the day so it wears very well.

Cost: $32 CAD for 3 g (standard size)

Check it out here!

Swatches

Left to right: Ka-Brow! Cream-Gel Eyebrow Colour, The POREfessional Face Primer (not rubbed in to show texture) + Hoola Matte Bronzer (natural lighting)

Conclusion

What a great VoxBox! Benefit is such a great brand. I don’t think I’ve tried anything from them that has been bad. Everything has been at least good to great for me! I hope you enjoyed my reviews of these products and I would love to know if you have tried anything in this box!

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