I'll be perfectly honest: I didn't have very high hopes for the Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation. Yes, yes, yes, Benefit is known for many a winner — their Hoola bronzer was my first contouring product, and still remains as one of my favourites; the Bo-ing Industrial Strength Concealer is legit; and there's no need to go on about their amazing brow products, the only brow products I restock (real talk) when I run out of samples to try. They're just not known as a foundation destination, branding Benefit clearly wants to change with the launch of the aforementioned Hello Happy liquid foundation, and the Hello Happy Velvet Powder foundation.
I'm sure I said this before. I'm old school and I usually apply foundations with my fingers — they warm the formulas to better melt onto my skin. Maybe this was why I wasn't so taken with the liquid foundation the first time around. The foundation was quite thick (not sure where the lightweight claims come from, TBH) so it was a pain to blend with my fingertips. A couple days later, I tested it with my Beauty Blender. And. It. Was. Magic. The slightly damp sponge was exactly what the creamy formula needed to be applied evenly and flawlessly on my face. I liked the mousse-like texture as I dabbed it on — without primer or setting spray to give it a chance to flex its muscles. I did use the powder foundation for additional coverage under my eyes and around the corners of my nose, before I puffed my favourite Clé De Peau Beauté Translucent Loose Powder on my face to set them in place.
Too busy to check (or touch up) my skin during my friend's birthday celebration, I braced myself as I approached the mirror when I got home. I was shook to find that not only was the foundation right where I left it, I wasn't even shining on my nose bridge . What sorcery! Only the corners of my nose needed some patting but that was quite alright. The foundation oxidised a tad, but not to the point where its colour was discernibly wrong for me. All in all, this was a Happy surprise. Good on you, Benefit! Though at only 12 shades, I can't imagine all my lighter and darker-skinned sisters and brothers enjoying the same luck I had.
Jolene Khor