I love gift sets and sample kits especially when they are by more higher end brands such as Benefit. They are fun, cute, great value for money, perfect for holidays and seem to last forever and the Finding Mr. Bright Kit is no exception!
The kit contains four products - two well liked products; Erase Paste and High Beam and two fairly new products; Posie Tint and Girl Meets Pearl and is priced at £28.50 with free delivery from Feel Unique (here).
Now as my blog is about being savvy it's only right to talk about the price and why I see it as 'great value for money'... however if you aren't that interested feel free to scroll down and read the individual reviews of the four products.
Now I must admit I like Benefit products but 4 samples for just under £30 does seem a little steep. But I kept an open mind, used the products individually and also all together in hope I'd be convinced the kit was worth it's price tag . I also compared the sample sizes with the full sized prices which definitely swayed me to think it's worth the price and more!
Scroll down to see how the mini samples volumes compare to the full size products..
Girl Meets Pearl
In kit - 7.5ml | Full size (£24.50) - 12ml
Posie Tint
In kit - 4.0ml | Full size (£24.50) - 12.5ml
High Beam
In kit - 2.5ml | Full Size (£18.50) - 13ml (stingy, much?)
Erase Paste
In kit - 3.2g | Full Size (£19.50) - 4.4g
So it seems two out of the four samples are pretty generous! I mean the mini version of Erase Paste is only 1.2g short of being the full sized product which retails for nearly £20 on it's own. Plus the four full size products actually retail for a pretty huge £87 all together so the pretty kit definitely is worth it's pennies!
The box is also a nice addition to the kit as it can be used just to store the products in or you can actually lift out the cardboard insert and use the magnetic close box with mirror for jewellery, makeup or just as a keepsake/trinket box.
The reviews...
Girl Meets Pearl - Liquid pearl for face 7.5ml
Okay, no cute turny uppy full size like packaging here (though I imagine the full size dispenses too much product in one go as you need so little) but it smells heavenly that I don't care! Smelling of sweets, sugar and summer all in one little tube. This for me was a totally new product (I do quite like my Benefit products) but a definite lovely new find. The pink toned looking highlighter is in fact a natural sun kissed golden highlighter that is perfect for along the cheekbones and up onto the brow bones and blends with such ease (no blending it and it disappears here). This suits my quite pale complexion quite well but having been tanned recently I can say it suits tanned skin just as well, if not more.
If may sound strange but this is a mood enhancing product! I've been using it every time I wear make up and just love applying it for the smell and brightening effect. A really lovely product.
Comparison to Nars Orgasm Illuminator (bottom swatch) Girl Meets Pearl (top)
For me personally I find the Orgasm Illuminator by Nars a little too watery and so subtle that it hardly shows up on my skin (especially when mixed with foundation). Girl meets Pearl on the other hand actually feels better quality in formula and application.
Posie Tint - Poppy-pink lip & cheek stain 4.0ml
Again a new product for me but from already owning a small 2.5ml vial of Benetint which I still have a quarter of after 18 months I had a feeling this was a little goes a long way tint! Still comparing it slightly with Benetint I do miss the lack of rose scent... actually it doesn't need to be rose scented it could of been scented with anything really. However Posie tint beats bene tint hands down when it comes to consistency with no watery tint/problematic application here as it's more of a gel formula that definitely doesn't run... unlike Benetint. As for the shade it's a perfect pink especially for summer or holidays which can be used lightly as a pick-me-up to the lips and cheeks or layered a few times to be worn at night. I have mainly been using this just as one swipe across the cheeks, blended and it instantly brightens my sometimes luster lacking skin.
High Beam - Luminescent complexion enhancer 2.5ml
I have owned High Beam in the past and really liked it but having now tried Girl Meets Pearl I'm tempted to say I don't think High Beam is all that special (Moon Beam is a different story!). Though I'm thinking my pale skin looks nice with a golden highlighter rather than a frost pink highlight now, which High Beam definitely is. I say this but I wouldn't highlight just under the arch on my eyebrow with anything but High Beam, it just gives that light my eyes need and the same with my cupids bow it highlights it perfectly. So I do still feel I need High Beam in my life though Girl Feels Pearl has opened my eyes to how fun highlighting can be! Sad I know... but so true.
Erase Paste (No.2 Medium) - Brightening camouflage for eyes & face 3.2g
There isn't really a point in reading this last review as the shade is way too dark for me so I've only used it twice (always find it silly when brands include a specific shade of product that rules out a lot of people when they could have included a more universal product). However feel free to read my rambles! Shade failure aside I know I wouldn't have loved this product anyway as for an under eye concealer it's just way too thick and waxy-like for my quite thin under eye area. It would just turn the skin slightly crape paper like and heavy if that makes sense.
But those with my supple skin may love it! As for coverage it's great, which is what I expect in a concealer these days. A bit of a "blah" product for in the brightening kit I feel. I would of loved to have seen a Creaseless Cream eyeshadow (Birthday Suit or R.S.V.P maybe) in their instead!
Overall
The kit is with out a doubt totally lovely - as a treat, to try out more Benefit products, to give as a gift, to buy for taking on holiday, just for whatever it's lovely to open up and use all the miniature products. The cute packaging and the brightness of the box is just more cheerful than the rest of my makeup so it strangely feels a bit different and special.
I also think Benefit got the packaging spot on this time. I know a lot of people will have loved it but I actually hated the packaging for the Confessions of a Concealaholic kit (here), it reminded me of a princess makeup set! Overall I love most of the product and use at least two or three of the four samples daily which is pretty good going!
I'm now hoping for another Benefit kit to be brought out before Christmas! I'm thinking Cha Chat tint, That Gal primer, The Porefessional balm and Moon Beam please!
PS. Please bear with me on the grammar and spelling front as this was wrote at 4am!
Fee x.
