BENEFIT of beauty

Lipgloss, my gateway drug.

I have, like, 50 bajilliontrillioneleventy glosses but I only own one from benefit cosmetics. I use it all the time. For that matter, I don’t own any other piece of benefit make up, the hell? . So why don’t I own more? I have no idea, I really don’t. I’m always at the counter looking and touching and admiring every single gloss, thinking to myself how ME the colors and formulations are.

Imagine my utter glee when I spied that there is a new line of glosses on the horizon! To boot the glosses are paired with 6 of their most popular Box O’Powders! I mean, really, it’s like they KNOW I won’t be able to resist. It’s like they understand that I’ve been just looking for an excuse to give into my hot desire to join the ranks of Benefit Gals, lusting after our own faces every day. These Ultra Plush glosses will be my utter benefit undoing. In short order I will have every one of the glosses and their matching Box O’s. Don’t send help, I don’t want to be rescued.


Of the 11 powders, 6 of them will have a matched gloss. This product line will be called Ultra Plush Lip Gloss and will launch in July, retailing for $16 each. A color description break down:

  • Coralista-Sheer coral
  • Bella Bamba-Sheer bright watermelon
  • Hoola-Shimmery golden nude
  • Sugarbomb-Shimmery pink nude
  • Dallas-Dusty rose
  • Dandelion-Soft pearly pink
  • In need of a cavity? Look at this picture:


    My name is Heather, and I am addicted to lipgloss.

    all photos by benefit cosmetics and sourced via temptalia.com. Cupcake stand image manipulated by me.

    Plump It Up with NYX

    I recently purchased another lip gloss from ***NYX Cosmetics***, this time from the Pump It Up lip plumper line. I have a couple of lip glosses that are plumpers and, truly, I don’t care so much about the plumping aspect of it, mostly because I don’t personally see any difference in size when using these products. I have to admit, I don’t enjoy the sensation either.

    So why did I buy it? For the color of course! This shade is an almost foiled finish with a perfect balance of peach and gold tones. It’s not exactly a shimmer, it’s not really metallic, somewhere in between. Definitely not glittery or frosted.

    The color, against my skin, which is only just slightly tanned, makes it appear glowing and healthy. I imagine it would be gorgeous on a wide range of skin tones saving for the darkest beauties where this may look washed out.


    As to the intensity of tingling one would expect from any lip plumper, this one, in relation to others that I’ve tried(including one that I had to wipe off my lips immediately), is really quite tame. It feels more warm and tingly, not at all like someone is pricking my lips all over with a hot needle.

    Wear time is a little longer than you would expect from a gloss that isn’t sticky, 2.5-3 hours. I attribute that to the almost metallic finish, which tends to leave behind a hint of the color as the glossy aspect wears away.

    I also enjoyed that I could give one pass of the gloss and get a sheer lock, give a second pass and build the color evenly. Three would be overkill. No feathering, no bleeding. Holy good quality for cheap moola!

    For $5.50, this is an affordable addition to the Bronzed Goddess looks I’ve been favoring this season.

    Would you wear a plumper and deal with the tingling to get the color you want? Are you embracing your Bronzed Goddess this season?

    I’m Ok With It. Probably.


    I like a lot of colors and I like things that shimmer and shine. I love red and turquoise, neons and soft, muted beachy shades. I also love when I see a rainbow of colors gathered together (the 5 year old in me just skips about in glee when that happens), and I love black and I love white for their supporting roles of contrast and structure. Color moves me, textures thrill me, and I’m compelled to fill my world with any of it, all of it. But can you imagine what a nightmare I am to buy for?

    But there is a truthiest truth deep down in all of us…you know the kind, like when you have to answer a question IMMEDIATELY with whatever comes to mind first because that’s supposed to represent what you really think or feel? Well, that’s what pink is for me. It’s what and how I think and feel. I mean, if you can think and feel in a color. Which I’m pretty sure you can because I do it all the time.

    Pink lipstick far outnumbers all the other colors in my stash. Nailpolish? Same. Every lipgloss I own…yep, pink. I don’t wear a lot of pink clothing anymore but when I’m looking at stuff in windows and magazines, that’s what my eye is drawn to. If I could have a hot pink couch? Totally would. It’s not just baby pink, it’s every pink. Pink, pink, pink, pink. My sister asked me not so long ago, “What’s up with the pink fascination?” (Ok so I don’t remember exactly what she said but it was pretty much that.) And I was all, “ARE YOU NEW HERE?” I mean really, she’s not only my sister but my twin. Haven’t I loved pink for, like, EVER? Seriously, pay attention.

    Here’s another thing, just to shake things up a little more for you. I change my mind. Like, a lot. I can’t decide if I’m a feminine sort of girlie girl, or a sporty/casual girlie girl, a chic and put together girlie girl, or what. I need, like, 50 gazillion bracelets and earrings and shoes and outfits just to be able to play dress up in all the roles I feel fascinated and in love with.  It’s frustrating for my husband who indulges my whims and pays for stuff when I ask him to, sure, but it’s also frustrating for me because I do like an awful lot of things.

    I keep telling myself, Heather, you gotta grow up, there is a big world out there and nobody likes just pink their whole life. And nobody jumps around, never really settling on a style. No! Girls grow up to be women and women who are grown up know who they are and when they know who they are they can pick a wardrobe for a season and it makes sense, damn it. Their homes tell a story and don’t confuse the crap out of anyone that stops by to see why you still have Christmas lights in the bushes out front. Grown ups can shop on line and not give up after 4 hours because they love everything and can’t decide on anything (true story). I like a lot of stuff. It’s just hard, you know? Committing?

    It’s a new day though, and I’ve made up my mind: I’m going to embrace my inner pinkness and I’m also going to love that I love a lot of things and be ok with the fact that I’m mercurial.

    Who knows, by tomorrow I might(probably most definitelyish) decide I love stars and chartreuse after today’s fascination with tortoise and rose gold bracelets. Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.

    Pink Out! Heather

    P.S.
    I also LOVE bows. Especially on top of presents. Especially when the presents are pink and bow-ish. That totally never changes. Ask anyone.