Benefit Fake Up

Benefit have a new wonder product on the market – a hydrating concealer that promises to stay put all day long. Some big claims as generally it tends to be the ‘rule’ that with a hydrating product it doesn’t last, or a long-lasting product tends to dry skin out… so to have something that promises to hydrate AND stay put… I have high, high hopes…

When I tweeted about this, and the fact that I was so excited to use the product that I was going to actually use it BEFORE I had taken photos (hence why the light shade looks a little more worn than the other two) I got a few comments saying mixed things, some have tried and loved it but a few have found that whilst it’s certainly hydrating, it maybe wasn’t living up to the claims of not creasing. So along with swatches I have also included a photo taken at the end of a long work day in front of the computer to see how it lasted and if there was any creasing!

Above you have pictures of the product, plus swatches of each shade – the three shades, Light, Medium and Deep can be used in isolation to conceal with a shade that matches your skin tone. Or if you’re more confident with contouring than I am, you can use the deeper shades to add shading/contouring.

For me, the light shade is a good match right now but I suspect by Summer I’ll move up to medium shade (fingers crossed for some sun!). I have been using just the light shade so far – and you can see from the eye shot above it matches pretty well. As before, this shot was taken at the very end of a long work day, and I felt the eye area still felt really fresh. For me, for it to have not settled into lines is a major plus point as I do have a few fine laughter lines around my eyes. The hydration element is a HUGE deal for me – as the fine lines on my eyes tend to show so much more prominently, and I definitely find that the moisture element of this really counters that and keeps my eye area looking fresher than other concealers I have tried.

A couple of things that I think are important – I do find I need to pop a little bit of setting powder on top of the concealer to keep it in place. When I went to apply some liner after the concealer, where I put my fingers on my under eye area I found it left a mark as the concealer doesn’t really ‘set’ on it’s own. For me to have it in place and last all day, I need a touch of setting powder. Obviously only lightly or else would totally defeat the point of the moisture element.

Application wise, I tend to apply to the back of my hand and pat on with my ring finger. I find this avoids any creasing as it blends as it applies and avoids it going on too thick.

Overall, I have to say I am impressed. It certainly won’t be for everyone – but if you have a dehydrated eye area and want something to keep it fresh and avoid having to choose between hydrating or concealing…! For me, this is fab!

Available from Debenhams (£18.50)

PR samples.