Beam me up! (BeneFit Moon Beam)

Member Name: glitter_princess

Product:	BeneFit Moon Beam
Date:	17/09/03 (952 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Subtle but noticeable, Gives a gorgeous sheen and shimmer, Enhances a tan and cheekbones

Disadvantages: none

Well, poor little me wasn't lucky enough to go on holiday this year, unlike all my family and frends who've returned looking a gorgeous honey brown. Luckily for me, I have a whole arsenal of tricks up my sleeve to make sure I don't succumb to the ghostly look- fake tans, bronzers, and my most subtle weapon of all, Benefit's Moon Beam. But don't be fooled by its subtlety- this is great stuff and it graces the faces of many a celebrity (Jennifer Lopez, Britney and Kylie are apparently big fans)

---About the product---

Moon Beam is basically a highlighter and is the sister product of High Beam (great for those with really pale skin) and it looks like liquid gold in a pot! Benefit have combined hints of pink and gold shimmery sparkles to emphasise your lovely tan and bring out those model-like cheekbones.

---Packaging---

It comes in a little cylinder pot containing 13mls, but don't be decieved- size isn't everything! I've had mine over a year now and I still have way over haf the pot left! Attatched to the lid of the pot, nail varnish style, is a little brush, making application fairly hassle free.

---Application---

To apply, simply dab a few drops across each cheekbone an just below your eyebrows (sparingly is the key word here- less is definately more!) and blend in with your finger. The consistency of the liquid is quite thick, so you need to make sure you've blended properly or you'll achieve that dreaded clown effect.

---Results---

I have olive skin and found the High Beam far too pink for me, but the Moon Beam is just fabulous. It doesn't create a really dramatic effect (but the drag queen look is so out now, natural is the way to go!) but just gives a really pretty effect. Close up you can see a pink-ish shimmer and from further away it makes your cheekbones look really pronounced- when your cheek catches the light just watch those gold sparkles wo
rk their magic! It has a pearlescent shimmer and gives you a really subtle youthful glow to your skin, the look I believe beauty experts use is 'dewy' (a look that I think we'll probably all look back on in ten year's time and cringe at but, for now, looks fun and cute!) It creates the illusion of cheekbones for those not blessed with model looks (that would be me then!) and enhances them for the lucky ones.

The great thing about this product is that it's subtle but noticeable, creating a really fun look. It's also a very versatile product as its strength seems to adjust depending on the lighting: during the day it looks quite subtle and pretty, but on a glitzy night out it looks very shimmery and glittery under the disco lights!

My only gripe is its staying power- this does not make it through a night out with me. Admittedly, I put my make-up through a lot on a night out, but it seems to just fade into my skin after about 4 hours (or maybe that's just my vision blurring?!)It tend to last longer in the winter months when my skin is a bit drier.

Also, because it has quite an oily consistency, I wouldn't really recommend it for oily skins as it could exaggerate the problem, and the gold colour would tend to look unnatural on someone with very pale skin, but for people with olive/mediterranean skintones this looks vey natural.


---Price---

As with all Benefit products at £15 this doesn't come cheap and it's not really something that anyone absolutely needs, but as a pampering treat (to spend those well-earned advantage card points on), this is a fabulous product and great value for money as it lasts forever. You can find Benefit products in Boots stores (where the benefit ladies will let you test anything you're interested in buying- and if you're anything like me, convince you to buy 3 other products as well!), Sephora branches, House of Fraser department stores, and on
line at www.benefitcosmetics.com

Summary: