Corallista Makeup Blog

Everyone loves rosy cheeks and lips and here’s one product meant just to give you that! I’ve always liked roses – be it in drawing , fragrance or lip colors. Today I’m reviewing Benefit cosmetics Benetint lip and cheek stain – my go to product for a natural rosy glowing look!

Price : $29 = approx. Rs 1500

Quantity : 12.5  ml

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain- Review , Swatch and FOTD

What Benefit Cosmetics says about Benetint : 

Our original rose-tinted stain is kiss-proof, see-through color for lips & cheeks that lasts for hours. Naturally sheer & sexy on all complexions…it’s innocent yet provocative.

Originally created for an exotic dancer in the 1970s, benetint has soared to cult fave status. It’s loved by celebs, makeup artists and gals around the world. It’s the sexiest flush you can get from a bottle! 

Beauty tip : Amp up the staying power of your lip color…wear benetint under your favorite lipstick or lip gloss. Wear under high beam on cheeks for a healthy, dewy glow.

 Click HERE to see Lesson on how to apply the product.

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain : Review, Swatch and FOTD

My take on the product

Benetint comes in a rather simple cylindrical transparent bottle with a white screw on cap which has a brush inside – something like a nail paint bottle. Through the bottle, the liquid inside appears like a deep burgundy shade but the product is actually much lighter and sheerer. I wouldn’t call the packaging attractive but its fairly easy to use. The brush is small which makes it very easy to apply the product directly onto the lips without the color bleeding outside. However, there is the slight risk of the spilling the tint as the tint inside is very watery and thin and the mouth of the bottle is quite wide – a bit of tilting of the bottle or falling can cause the entire product to spill out in seconds. For this reason, I find marker-pen type tints much easier to use.

The consistency of this tint is very watery and thin – which is why it was really difficult to swatch as it kept running off my skin! It blends easily though one needs to be quick while applying tints to the cheeks as they tend to set if allowed to stay in a few seconds. The good part is that it is quite sheer – so it doesn’t give a bright streak of color in one swipe. The color intensity can be built up in layers and this makes it easy to use for beginners too. Compared to this, I’ve found Bourjois lip/cheek stain much more pigmented which made it a little harder to use. To apply, just swipe the tint on the apples of the cheeks using the brush in the packaging and blend with fingers. Blending with fingers further sheers out the color. For the lips, I apply the tint directly onto the lips using the brush. I have moderately pigmented lips and it evens out the tone of the lips in 2 layers. Women with heavily pigmented lips might have to layer it a little more.

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain- Review , Swatch and FOTD

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain- Review , Swatch and FOTD

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain- Review , Swatch and FOTD

Like most tints, I feel my lips getting a little dry after 2-3 hours and the color also gets a little patchy. Applying the little sheer/clear gloss solves both these problems! I generally use NYX Sheer gloss in the shade ‘HOT‘ for this purpose. Its a sheer rosy pink which doesn’t add too much color but gives the lips a boost of hydration and stays put for a long time.

Staying power : It stays on my lips for 5-6 hours including meals. Since the color is quite soft, it doesn’t stay beyond 6 hours. However, using this under lipstick or gloss can give a much longer wear time. On the cheeks, I get about 8 hours of wear time which is more than any blush would give! It does not wash off with water/sweat and one needs a makeup remover to remove this. It does not get patchy as it wears and since its water based, it doesn’t make the skin oily.

The color : 

As described by Benefit, its a rose tinted stain which gives the sexiest flush one can get from a bottle! I couldn’t agree more! The color is a soft and sheer rose shade which gives an amazingly natural tint to the lips as well as the cheeks. On layering, the color gets a little deeper but doesn’t get too overpowering and stays natural. This is the perfect product for a no-makeup, rosy look! The tint is suitable for all skin tones though I feel dusky women might need to layer it for the color to show well. It gives one the kind of natural rosy flushed look that one would think only very fair skinned women would get after a workout or a walk in windy,cold weather!

I absolutely love this product and even though I’ve used stains/tints before, this one is just FABULOUS! I have been using this so often since I purchased this that I’m quite sure I’ll finish up this bottle in a few months!

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain- Review , Swatch and FOTD

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain- Review , Swatch and FOTD

Unfortunately, Benefit is not available in India. But if you have relatives/friends visiting from abroad or you’re going on vacation, this is a product you should definitely pick especially if you love the Soft rosy makeup look!

A word of caution regarding Tints/stains : Tints and stains should not be used over broken skin. If you have fresh breakouts/acne or chapped lips, the tint will show up uneven and patchy. One needs exfoliated/moisturized lips to get the best results!  Also, one needs to be quick at blending otherwise the tint will set within seconds and one would be left with a bright streak of color across the cheek!

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain- Review , Swatch and FOTD

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain- Review , Swatch and FOTD

The GOOD about Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain :

1. Comes with an easy to use brush
2. Sheer color – makes it easy to control the color intensity
3. Blends easily
4. Gives the most natural rosy flush
5. Stays a long time (6 hours on the lips, 8 hours on the cheeks)
6. Can be used under lipstick/ blush to prolong wear time
7. Does not get patchy/uneven as it fades
8. Does not wash off with water/sweat
9. Suitable for all skin types
10. Will suit all skin tones
11. Can be layered to build up color

The NOT-SO-GOOD about Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain :

1. Not available in India!
2. Expensive  - considering one needs to use 2-3 layers to build up color, it would get used up fast
3. Danger of spilling the product
4. One needs to blend quickly otherwise it sets on the skin and can only be removed with makeup remover

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain- Review , Swatch and FOTD

Overall Verdict

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and cheek stain comes in a rather simple transparent bottle packaging but packs a powerful product inside which has a cult following the world over! This sheer rosy tint gives the most natural flush of color to the cheeks and lips which stays put for 6-8 hours. It blends easily and the sheer formula allows one to control the color intensity by layering. Suitable for all skin types and skin tones, this is one product that is hard to get tired of!

Highly recommended!

Rating : 4.7/5

Have you tried lip/cheek tints ?