I'm a fan of Benefit, like many people I know. I think you'd be hard pushed to find a woman in her 20's or 30's who doesn't have High Beam, Benetint or They're Real Mascara in her make up bag. Whether it's the cool packaging, problem-solving products or the persona of the brand, Benefit has a lot to offer a beauty addict like me.
So, when I heard there was a new product being launched, I was very keen to hear more.
Last week, I received a package from Benefit and was very excited to give the new products a whirl. However, when I saw what the new product was, I wasn't so sure if it was me.
You see, the new product is called Bling Brow and it's a range of Swarovski crystals to apply to your face, body or brows. At first, I immediately thought of my early teens and buying roll-on body glitter and gems to dress up with before a party at the local community centre.
At the grand age of 30, as opposed to 13, am I really the target market?
I was intrigued to read the accompanying leaflet which showed the weird and wonderful ways you could use the Bling Brow crystals, from three gems under your brow to fully jazzed up brows.
Feeling a little unsure, I decided to consult the younger generation to see what their take was on this new beauty trend for bold and beautiful brows. I invited my sister-in-law and her cousins over for a girly afternoon of tea, cake and Benefit and we all had a go with the new Bling Brow set.
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| Lauren (25), Charlie (23), me (30 - sob!), Ellie (18) and Erin (24) |
What were our first impressions?
Well, we all agreed that it was quite a dramatic look and we were a little dubious at first. The crystals looked lovely - we had the Rose Gold / Griege set and the crystals had a beautiful colour to them - but we weren't sure how to wear them or if we would be brave enough to give them a go.
We all had different ideas on how we would wear them and where we would place the crystals, so we all took it in turn to try them out.
I opted for two crystals - one large and one medium - at the corner of each eye in a line, to add a touch of glimer to my usual eyeliner flicks. Lauren quickly dotted three crystals under her lower lash line of both eyes; Erin tried three gems under each of her eyebrows, mixing the two crystal shades; Charlie selected three of the small gems to arrange at the outer corners of her eyes whilst Ellie decided to dot the crystals along her upper lash line, on her lids.
We were all a little unsure at first. We all opted for something different. And we all loved the results.
Lauren: The Bling Brow set wasn't as fiddly as I expected and managed to get the crystals on, and matching on both sides, really quickly.
Erin: I chose to put them along my lash line and mixed up the colours for a different look. It's a bold look and if I had a bold smokey eye, I'd definitely give this look a go on a night out.
Charlie: Swarovski makes you think they'll be good quality and they were really easy to apply. I didn't think these would be for me but I really like them! Like, really really like them!
Ellie: I love the rose quartz colour. It suits all our skin types. The overall look is a lot more subtle than I thought it would be. I feel glam even though I'm only wearing a bit of mascara and the crystals. I can't feel them either, which is good.
Me: I'm amazed at how easy they were to apply and how we all came up with different looks. I'd never have thought to try the look Lauren or Ellie went for but the results look great. The rose quartz colour is really flattering and not to jazzy, unlike what I was expecting, so I actually think they're really versatile and could be used in lots of different ways.
We all agreed that the crystals were a different but effective way to add a bit of glitz to a look for a special occasion or night out. They were easy to apply - you just peel the backing away and pick up with the tweezers - they were comfortable to wear and long lasting but easy to remove. They'll be great for Christmas parties and would probably work best with bolder eye make up, plus they can be reused by using false lash glue to reattach them, which makes them even better value.
The set I was sent for the purposes of this review will be available from 1st November (so keep your eyes peeled) for £19.50 and you receive 52 self-adhesive Swarovski crystals, across three sizes, plus mini tweezers to apply them with. You can also buy mini kits according to three different Bling Brow looks for either one or both eyebrows, with prices starting at £4 for three crystals, which makes it easy and affordable to give this look a go to see if it's something you like. There's also a range of eight colours in total, including crystal, smoked topaz and light pink, so there's something to suit different ages and tastes.
So, what do you think of our blingtastic Benefit makeovers? Have we convinced you that crystals are the latest beauty craze? Or is it something best left to the teens?
For me, it's a bit of fun and it can be done in a subtle way or to make a statement and I'll certainly be using them again when I have a special night out planned. I might just have to make an excuse to wear them again...
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