If you've got it, flaunt it! (BeneFit Show Offs!)

Member Name: carly_pussycat

Product:	BeneFit Show Offs!
Date:	10/05/05 (1482 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: looks cute, lasts ages, stays on well

Disadvantages: None

It’s quite clear from one glance at my profile that I am a bit of an Origins addict. When it comes to bodycare and skincare I can’t fault them, but make up is a whole different matter. Origins aim to achieve a natural, barely there look, a mere enhancement of your natural appearance, whereas I prefer something striking or daring, something unique. Enter Urban Decay, MAC, Ruby & Millie and last but not least BeneFit.

I have known about this cult brand for some time but as my mum bought my first two items from the range as presents it wasn’t until recently that I braved the actual counter. You know what I’m talking about, that lady who pops out as if she had an alarm attached to her which buzzed when anyone came within a two metre radius of the counter! However, spurred on by the promise of 700 extra advantage card points when you spend £20 I persevered and allowed her to poke around with some things on my eye. I was so taken by the effect of the lilac that she had applied that I bought it immediately, along with another shade.


SHOW OFFS

Show Offs are available in seven different shades:

* Bambi – I can only see the following on the website as I’ve never looked at it in the shop. It looks pale peachy, very pretty.

* Candi – This is my favourite, it is white in the tube but when you apply it, it comes out sheer whitish with a blue shimmer – like a pearl. Brilliant for highlighting areas such as under the eyebrows.

* Cooki – My sister has this, it is fairly dark blue in the tube but applied it has a warmer glow to it. This is good to wear as actual eyeshadow because it is slightly bolder than the others.

* Jacki – A pale girly pink. I have never looked at this in real life, but on the website it looks like a similar powder to Lola, only pink instead of lilac.

* Lola – The lilac one I chose first. It is vibrant, but subtle purple. It has a hint of blue as if it was a purple mixed with Candi.

* Suga – From the website it looks like a pale brown shade. Probably best as an eyeshadow although it could look good as a bronzer if it’s not too dark or solid colour.

* Icing – It is hard to tell what this is like on the website, as it looks similar to Candi only darker. However, there is no sense of shimmer or pearl effect on the website, so it looks almost identical to Candi. You would have to see this in real life; I expect it is stunning like all the others.

I chose Lola because it looked so striking when the lady had applied it to my eyes that I just *had* to have it. Due to the spend £20 and get 700 advantage card points I would have been silly not to spend it (I’ll explain later) so I hunted around the rest of the counter. A couple of years ago I owned a stunning white eyeshadow the exact same shade as Candi but it was stolen and I have never found a worthy replacement, so when I clapped eyes on it I knew I couldn’t have anything else.

Show Offs are presented in small 5g tubes, about three quarters of the size of a regular lip gloss and in the same style tube. They all have a silver lid and a frosted main body through which you can see the colour powder. They look very glamorous – certainly something you would be proud to have living in your makeup bag. Although the powders look gorgeous in the tubes, they are slightly disguised by the frosting and look twice as stunning when applied. The tubes are sold in a large clear plastic tube with a snap on cap. I have chosen to keep mine in there for the time being because they look pretty smart. I am eternally grateful that BeneFit added no form of an application brush or wand as I have always found this to be more of a hindrance in opening a tube because it wastes a lot of powder each time you take the lid off.


WHAT ARE THEY?

Answer – whatever you want them to be! The instructions on the tube state ‘To use: smear it anywhere – we don’t care!’ Thanks, very helpful. I guess being a coloured powder most people would assume it is loose powdered eyeshadow. Whilst you wouldn’t be wrong assuming that, it’s not the only use for Show Offs. I personally use mine as lip colour, eyeshadow, undereye highlighter or under brow highlighter, depending on which colour I’m using.

As they as such fine powders you are only limited to uses by the colour you choose, as they I’m sure they would even stay put on cheeks if you found a colour to suit your skin. I wouldn’t use either of mine on my cheeks as they have unnatural tones of blue in them (don’t wanna look dead!) but something like Jacki might be suitable as a kind of pearly blusher if you’re careful. As I mentioned earlier, Suga *could* be suitable as a bronzer, depending on what other tones it has in its colour, so as you can see, it’s really up to you!

Apparently, when mixed with a small amount of water they can also be used as liquid liner, but as I don’t own a suitable brush to experiment with I am unable to confirm this yet!


APPLICATION

I will explain how I apply Show Offs to eyes and lips, as the others are self explanatory.

Eyes – more often than not when I use these I apply them underneath my bottom set of lashes. I can use either Lola or Candi for this and I would imagine most of the shades would also be suitable, although I would be careful with darker shades as it might not suit some people. I take the lid off and tap a very small amount of powder into the lid. I use my ‘Ruby & Millie Eye Define Brush’ (a very small slanted tipped brush) to dip lightly into the lid and apply it carefully to the outer corners of my eyes. Replace the lid carefully once finished and there should be no mess.

Lips – take the lid off and place a finger over the neck of the tube. Turn it upside down and then back up the right way. Remove your finger and you should have a small amount of powder there. Spread it evenly on your lips and repeat this until you have the desired amount of coverage. Apply a small amount of Vaseline to hold or, or coat it with one layer of clear lip gloss for a glass pearly effect.

Although Show Offs are powder, they don’t have large glittery particles or other rough irritating bits in them that will fall off once applied. After application Show Offs stay exactly where they were put. They don’t feel heavy in the slightest and they won’t cause any problems – apart from maybe an excess of attention from the opposite sex!


APPERANCE

Sexy, glamorous, flirty. What more could you need? Once applied to the undereye area Show Offs highlight my eyes and often I’ll go without eyeshadow on my lids to avoid looking overdone. On the lips Show Offs (in the colours I own) are striking. I would compare Candi to ‘Exhause’ lip gunk from Urban Decay. From those of you who have no idea what that it, it’s subte pearly white with a hint of blue….like cool mint. Lola looks more obvious, giving a somewhat electric plum effect – sexy, but perhaps something to save for night wear.


LASTING EFFECT?

Again, it all depends on where you apply it. On the lips it will last the life span of your lip gloss. Anywhere else will last all day and not fade at all unless you rub it off accidentally. I am impressed with the durability as I am not one to reapply make up. It goes on and if it comes off, it stays off (perhaps with the exception of lip gloss).


PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

£11.50 a tube from Boots. Quit moaning, it’s a better buy than a crap Miss Selfridge one that cost £4 but falls from your eye to your cheek immediately after application and therefore sits in your makeup box for 6 years! (Just me? Oh…..)

Seriously though, why waste money on several crap things that you will not want to use when you could have one that you absolutely adore and get regular use out of?

Anyway, I managed to bag myself a bargain in Boots:

2 x £11.50 Show Offs = £23
- 700 advantage card points = £16
- Triple points day (276) = £13.24
£5 Ruby & Millie voucher = £8.24

So all in all I paid £4.12 each. Beat that!

With my £5 Ruby & Millie voucher I bought an Eye Define Brush with which to apply the Show Offs. They also stock BeneFit in Debenhams and House of Fraser but Boots is your best bet as you can earn points on your Advantage card.


VERDICT

I would have paid £11.50 for these without batting an eyelid but the fact I paid £4.12 each makes me love them all the more. I adore my Show Offs as they are so versatile (and so sexy in those little cute tubes….) I plan to buy more in the future, probably the whole range – so I think you’ve got the answer there.

To view the shades or for more information on the brand see www.benefitcosmetics.com


carly_pussycat - dooyoo UK ©

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