Sunday, April 1, 2012

Beauty Origins

I was a late bloomer when it came to makeup. When I was 16 my Mom literally dragged me to the mall for my first makeup appointment (to be fair, she wasn't forcing me to wear makeup, but wanted me to at least give it a try). After wandering around the various beauty counters I chose Benefit for my first appointment. Some of my friends were already using Benefit products, and I appreciated the line's fun, girl-friendly approach to makeup. My Benefit makeup artist was fantastic - she recommended products that weren't intimidating to a first-time makeup user AND complimented my features and complexion! I used many of those products for years, and even have some in my makeup bag now! Just for kicks, below are the first makeup products I ever used.


Benefit Eyeshadow in Shimmy
Shimmy was a peachy bronze shimmer - an easy neutral for a new makeup user. The color really accentuated my green eyes and I ended up using every last bit of this shadow. This product has since been discontinued, but Benefit and many other companies make warm neutral shimmers that could be dupes.


 
Benefit Face Powder in Dandelion
Blush for dummies: This sheer pink powder was pretty much impossible to over-do, and I liked the way it brightened my complexion. I still have a box of it in my makeup bag!


Benefit The Gloss in Kiss Me
Kiss Me was a clear fuchsia gloss that smelled like strawberries and gave lips a light but noticeable tint. This cult favorite was re-released several times, and is now available in the form of Benefit's Ultra Shine lip gloss in Kiss You. From what I've heard Kiss You is slightly more pigmented that Kiss Me and contains a bit of shimmer. A mini size of Kiss You is available in Benefit's LE Ticket to Glossytown lip gloss set (6 glosses for $24) for those interested :)


Benefit Plush Mascara in Eggplant
The eggplant color of this mascara made my green eyes pop an the formula was great. I used this stuff for years before it was discontinued. Benefit now carries another purple mascara, BADgal Plum Mascara, which I find to be redder and brighter than the Plush Mascara in Eggplant. The BADgal mascara brush is also much larger, which some people may prefer. Personally I find the large brush to be a bit unwieldy, but maybe that's because I'm clumsy and accident-prone :P


So those are the origins of my makeup story! Do you have a story about your early makeup years you'd like to share? Are there any products from the early days that you still use, or were discontinued and you miss?

6 comments:

  1. I totally remember when you got Dandelion, I thought it was the prettiest thing ever! I've still never owned it- Georgia was my go-to box powder for pretty. I can't believe it's been discontinued :( I think some of my first makeup products were Urban Decay... I had Asphyxia (iridescent violet) in a Lip Gunk formula and eyeshadow. I had two pink lip colors from Revlon that I adored, too; one was a very pale cream liquid lipstick (called Goddess, maybe?), and another was a sheer iridescent pink lipstick (I think it was named Flash...). Oh, the memories!

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    1. My heart breaks every time a product I love is discontinued! There's only one thing to do in that case...hoard like a crazy person. Thanks for sharing your early beauty favorites! I have s many fond memories of us doing "makeovers" and rummaging around through our makeup stashes :) I still love talking makeup with you!

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  2. I think its so lovely your ma did that for you! Starting in the make up world the right way and with solid tips and the right products leads you down a better path than what I had (stealing mums make up from the 80's...bright blue eye shadow and orange lipstick!) haha I havent heard of benefit before though so will keep my eyes peeled in my local area where I buy my make up :)

    Anna xo

    http://lifesshinyprettythings.blogspot.com.au/

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Anna! It was sweet of my Mom to do, it opened up a whole new world for me. And luckily I avoided the bright blue eyeshadow :)

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  3. Lol, I think that's a great idea for a post, might have to give it a go! Only problem is I can't remember for the life of me what I used to begin with, will have to think about this!! I used to love Benefit products before I switched to organic products. I loved their products and their funky packaging! Luckily, I've managed to find a few dupes though :)

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    1. Thanks for your comment! I would love to see what products you used in the early days :)

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