You may remember this review I did a couple of weeks ago of the gorgeous Benefit Cheek Parade blush palette ($58). It featured a couple of new products that have also come out in Benefit's iconic square box form. I wanted to do another review with comparison swatches of some of their classic products to give you a better idea of how the new releases compare to the classics.
The newbies are Dandelion Twinkle ($29), a highlighter; Hoola Lite ($29), a lighter version of their cult bronzer Hoola, as well as Hoola Quickie Contour stick ($28), a cream version of the bronzer; and last but not least, GALifornia, ($29) a bright coral pink blush.
Dandelion Twinkle is probably my favorite of all four new releases. Benefit doesn't have a lot (or any) powder highlighters and this one is soft, smooth, and finely milled. It is the perfect soft peachy pink highlighter and would compliment a lot of skin tones. It is fairly subtle and not chunky at all.
Here is how it compares to the classic nude pink blush Dandelion, and here's a photo in the direct sunlight to give you an idea of the sheen. I sometimes have trouble making it show up when I want a more intense look )on the cupid bow or inner corner of the eyes for example), and even packing it on doesn't do much. But it is the perfect daytime, goes-with-everything highlighter.
GALifornia is a bright blush with a slight gold shimmer. Don't be fooled by the overspray, it goes away and the golden sheen is actually very subtle. The blush smells delicious and is incredibly pigmented.
Make sure to use a light hand with this one, as you could easily apply too much and look like a clown. I also found that it is not as easy to blend as some other formulas, which is probably normal with such a high pigmentation. I was curious to see how it compared to Coralista, Benefit's cult coral blush and to my surprise, I found out they are nothing alike! Coralista is a golden apricot shade, while Galifornia is much more of a bright watermelon.
Next up is Hoola Lite. A lighter version of the cult Hoola bronzer, Hoola lite is just that. Lighter. The texture and formulas are identical, it is matte, pigmented and easy to blend. I find it a little too yellow for me (and I have neutral undertones) - it is almost warmer than the original Hoola despite being way lighter, which can make it hard to pull off. I don't love it for contouring, but I love using it all over my face to warm up my makeup.
The Hoola Cream-to-Powder Quickie contour stick is a lovely product. I love cream contours and find contour sticks perfect for beginners. Trace the lines, blend, set, voilà. The formula of this cream contour is light, easy to blend, and doesn't feel heavy or greasy on the skin. I do find it a little on the orange side, and slightly deeper than the original Hoola, which is to be expected with the cream texture.
Here is how the two newbies compare with the original Hoola, which is, I have to admit, still my favorite of all three.
Which one would you try if you had to pick one?
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