benefit – The Beauty Swatcher

This weekend, as I was scrolling through my Instagram, I kept on seeing posts with the hashtag #friendswithbenefits. Apparently, Benefit Cosmetics has some new product out and decided to take a bunch of influencers to the desert in the hopes that we will begin to care about their products again.

Ouch….I’m feeling feisty today.

But seriously, I hate that. I mean, I really, really hate that. I hate Benefit for suggesting that we are all so gullible into thinking that throwing a bunch of our favorite gurus into the desert for an impromptu “Out of this World” photo shoot is going to make me want to buy their shitty new mascara. The same goes for all those beauty gurus who go on these expensive trips. How stupid do you think we are?

To be honest, I would have bought their mascara before I saw all this stupidity over my feed. I mean, I LOVE mascara. I can practically have philosophical discussions about mascara and which types of bristles are best for full or thin lashes and whether a curved wand will really help curl your lashes or not. So it’s not their mascara that turned me off, it’s the total waste of money that went into this trip.

I get that beauty trips are just part of their marketing campaigns, but come on! I would love to see a beauty brand use all that money they spent on wining and dining these gurus, and maybe donate it to help Hurricane victims. Yeah, last I checked, loads of people still don’t have a place to live in yet in Houston and the Florida Keys. Same goes for all those people who lost their homes during the Caifornia wildfires. Why not go to a hospital and do makeovers on cancer victims? I’m sure they would appreciate the pick me up.

Heck, if you really want to take these people on a getaway, why not bring them to Puerto Rico and donate some much needed feminine hygiene products, along with some feel good makeup, to all the woman in the island who STILL don’t have power and are still pulling their drinking water from the rivers. I would love to see pictures of all these influencers putting their fame and power for the greater good of humanity.

And this is not to say that they have not already donated millions of dollars towards these causes and many other charities, but I want to see those posts pepper my Instagram every now and then rather than a random pic of XYZ guru enjoying her continental breakfast poolside in their private cabana. I mean, if they can possibly encourage just 1 fangirl into donating her time or the money she will spend on yet another mascara towards a good cause, wouldn’t that be worth it?

It’s just so damn excessive and I just don’t like it. I think it’s so much more genuine if they would showcase the damn mascara that they received via PR (which is fine!) on their channel, try it on, give me their first and final impressions. But why the hell are you posting a picture of your backside in a bikini?

WTF? Aren’t you there for mascara?? Why are you showing me your butt?

Trust me, I know it’s just make up. It’s not world peace I’m writing about myself, so I get how some might accuse me of being hypocritical, but I don’t make any money off this blog. My full time job is not taking selfies and writing my thoughts on the latest Too Faced palette. I do this because I love makeup and writing provides me a creative outlet. I’m not saying these gurus don’t feel the same way, but I have about .0006% of followers compared to all those gurus who went on this Benefit trip, so when you have that kind of influence, why not use it to make a small difference in the world?

Anyways, like I said. I was feeling a little feisty today, so please excuse the rant.

Till next time, my friends.

Maritza

Did anyone blink and suddenly it was July? I know that this is something that we all say, but I am really getting concerned about how quickly time is flying. It’s time to stop and smell the roses, people!!
With that being said, it’s also time to showcase June’s Hot Picks. These products were the ones that made me say “Damn, Girl! You look good” when I checked myself out in the mirror last month.

June Faves

Hot Damn Pick # 1
Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil. I will start off by saying this product is EXPENSIVE!!! I don’t know about you, but shelling out hundreds of dollars all willy-nilly on skin care isn’t in my monthly budget. I’ve got kids to feed! But this stuff is good. I mean really good. It’s a retinol oil blended with crap loads of botanicals and essential oils. It’s does smell somewhat grassy and it’s blue straight out of the bottle, however, it sinks in clear. The morning after I first used it, my skin was glowing and I haven’t stopped using since then. A little goes a long way, so I recommend buying the 0.5 fl oz., which will cost about $55 at Sephora and you should get a good 3-4 months use out of it.

Muy Caliente Pick #2
Cover Girl Vitalist Healthy Elixir Foundation. This product was all over Instagram and YouTube in June. Some loved it, others hated it and the beauty world was divided. It was Civil War. I was in the love category. The formula is creamy and, although it says that it’s full coverage, I don’t particularly believe that claim as my freckles peek through. Not a problem because what I love about this foundation is that it looks like skin. It’s glowy, long lasting and a perfect base for your make up. It comes in a variety of shades and runs you about $10 or less at the drugstore.

It’s Getting Hot in Here Pick #3
Benefit’s Galifornia Blush. I’ve never been a fan of Benefits blushes. I know for the past few years, they have come out with their cheek palettes and they were very hyped, but I always found their blushes to be quite dusty and either too shimmery, too pale or too matte. In walks in this Beachy Babe of a blush. It’s a gorgeous golden peachy pink that flatters multiple skin tones. It’s perfect for summer as it gives you that “I just came back from the beach” look. It does have a slight shimmer, but it doesn’t look like you accidently picked up the highlighter instead of blush. Did I mention it smells like coconuts? Benefit also has a travel size version, which is just so darn cute and perfect to throw in your beach bag or tote.

Smoking Hot Pick #4
Hard Candy Velvet Mousse Matte Lip Color. Back in the 90’s, I lived and breathed for Hard Candy and it’s like going back in time every time I peruse their display in Walmart. I ended up purchasing one of these lippie beauties this month and was completely blown away. First off, it smells like cupcakes. The formula is gorgeous. It’s went on even and the pigmentation was excellent. It’s long lasting, but surprisingly comfortable and they cost $6! I vowed to throw one in the cart anytime I was in Walmart because these are a great buy. I don’t know why I don’t see more people talk about them.

Jal -a -peno Business Hot Pick #5
Boscia Charcoal Makeup Melter Cleansing Oil Balm. I got a sample of this in one of my Sephora orders and kind of ignored it for a while. I was generally pleased with my nighttime routine and figured why change things. Of course, as is always the case, you run out of one of your regulars and shop the sample pile you have thrown in a drawer for a quick replacement to do the job at that moment. Boscia is one of my favorite skin care lines as their Sake Brightening Hydrogel Mask is one of my favorites, so I figured they would not let me down. Let me tell you, the people at Boscia must have made some deal with the devil, because this stuff wipes every speck of makeup from your face. I don’t know how they do it, but all I can say is that my face is not only clean, but it doesn’t feel tight, which sometimes with products that have that kind of cleaning power, have a tendency of doing. I know they also came out with a Charcoal Jelly Ball Cleanser, but I like the product in a pot simply for storage and traveling reasons.

I know there were a lot of new beauty releases in June and I am excited to see what you all think should be added to the list above. Share and leave your comments below.

Have a wonderful Sunday, my friends.

Maritza