Benefit Posie Tint

RRP: $28/£22.50 for 12.5ml

--What does the promo say?--
"The cheekiest flush you can get from a bottle. Our petal-pink stain plants a kiss of see-through tint on cheeks & lips. With hours of smudge-proof, just-picked perfection, you'll be the prettiest bloom in the bunch!"

--Packaging--
As with everything Benefit, very sleek, fun, and in keeping with their classic, slightly cheeky, 1950s image. The bottle is a shiny pink deal in an equally pink box, with white decoration, though I'd say the box is too big for the bottle and therefore a bit of a case of much ado about nothing. The applicator is much like that seen on nail varnish bottles, and it seems weird to be using this kind of brush to apply something to your face rather than to your nails.

--Application--
The Benefit website provides what it calls 'tips and tricks' for using Posie Tint. "Brush three strokes on the apple of your cheek," it says, "and blend quickly with fingertips. Do the same on your other cheek. Dot on lips & blend with fingertip. For a deeper "pop" of colour, repeat."

--Appearance--
A lurid, bright, almost neon pink liquid is what you first see on drawing the brush from the bottle, which is a little concerning. However, on the face it endows you with a very natural-looking flush on both lips and cheeks, though it is very subtle, and most people (apart from the very palest redheads) will probably need to apply the stuff twice to achieve the desired effect (during my first test, a one-layer application to the lips only, I wasn't even sure if it had worked properly as I could barely see the results).

--Scent--
No discernible scent.

--Texture/consistency--
Liquidy without being too runny, lumpy or sticky. It doesn't cause any irritation to the face, and in fact feels very moisturising on the lips. It also dries in perfect time: not so slowly that you can't continue with the rest of your routine, but not so quickly that you can't finish fast enough.

--Longevity--
The results on the cheeks are excellent: Posie Tint provides a natural blush that lasts all day. However, on the lips, results are poor, with the colour being barely visible to begin with, even with multiple applications, and fading quickly.

--Value for money--
Posie Tint certainly provides the best blusher I've ever used, giving a natural look that lasts all day. However, performance on the lips is disappointing: it's all very well to have a multi-use product, but only when all of the multiple uses work well concurrently (though I realise that this is difficult to achieve). As with the majority of Benefit products, it's also quite expensive for what it is, with the company relying on its pretty packaging to draw the suckers in (luckily for my wallet, mine was a Christmas present). My advice would be to try to procure this on ebay or via other online retailers for less money than the RRP if possible, rather than going directly to the Benefit website or franchises. Once you have done so, you'll have permanently charming winter-flushed cheeks, and a happier bank balance.

perfect partners
BadGal Lash Mascara, $19/£14.50
That Gal Brightening Face Primer, $28/£19.50
Lust Duster Loose Powder, $18/£13.50