Oh Hello Flawless!

Oh my god it has been absolutely ages since I last posted but I have been extremely busy settling into my new job whilst also trying to balance and co-ordinate the hours of my old job. Despite all the juggling and lack of sleep, I am enjoying it loads and am actually finding that once I get into a routine I'll probably have a lot more time to do things instead of spending all day sleeping and working all night, so it's all good and exciting.

I thought this week I'd do a post on my favourite make up brand (it was only a matter of time). As my close friends know, I am obsessed with and a devout addict of Benefit make up. All through uni whilst my friends were saving pennies to buy books and food, I'd be saving to expand my collection of Benefit products and it paid off; I think I'm up to about fifteen products and I have no intention of stopping.

So the product I have chosen to review is the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! foundation. 

Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! £25.50

I ummed and arred over whether or not I should take the plunge but since it was my birthday in January I thought why not? And decided to treat myself using some of my birthday dollar. 

The Claim:

Our new oil-free brightening liquid foundation builds from light to medium coverage for a natural complexion you can believe in. It's you...just more luminous & healthy looking.

[Taken from the Benefit website]

So what can I say about this product? Well, as always the packaging is as intriguing, if not more dare I say, than the actual product inside. It is simplistic and to the point about the foundation, it features a more contemporary design than we are used to in comparison with Benefit's usually retro style. However this by no means deterred me from the product itself at all; never judge a book by its cover...

The lady at the concession matched me to 'Believe in me IVORY', which I have to admit is a perfect shade for me. I have quite a rosy complexion and I sometimes find it difficult to match my foundation to it as I can go from quite to very pink in the face easily. It's great -_- The foundation itself is smooth and silky and goes on a dream with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush, I buff it in in concentric circles and it does even out my skin tone. That's what a foundation should do right? However I do find that to get a really decent coverage over problem areas I would need two layers as the foundation is quite thin.

Another thing that leaves a lot to be desired is the setting period; that time between applying your foundation and being able to touch your face without your hands coming away caked in the stuff. This foundation takes ABSOLUTELY AGES TO SET, if I'm honest I'm not even sure if it ever really does. You have to really work it into the skin and I always use the Hello Flawless! powder straight after to seal it in.

Overall I do like this product, I'm not in love with it like I am with Benefit's BrowZings or their Porefessional, but I can see it growing on me. Especially in the summer months when I'm looking for something more of a tinted moisturiser rather than heavy coverage. As for the price... Well I think most of the money has gone into the design of the packaging rather than the foundation itself (sorry Benefit!) and I'd say, with great reluctance, that perhaps in this instance you are paying more for the label than the actual product.

Anyone else tried out this foundation? What were your thoughts on it? I'd love to hear if you'd had a positive experience with it, as I hate putting a black mark against my beloved Benefit's name haha.

XO