Product Review: Benefit's High beam

As most of you might already know, I am a total sucker for anything cute and well packaged. And the first time I laid my eyes on the Benefit counter a few years back, I've been seriously smitten. Seriously smitten.

That's why this review might be totally, completely, and outrageously biased. 

Just kidding. 

I love Benefit Cosmetics, but I know being objective is important in the beauty junkie world. I wouldn't want to misguide any fellow make-up addicts out there.

So, High beam. What is it, you might ask?

According to Benefitcosmetics.com, it's 

"The celebrity make up artist's secret...this satiny pink highlighter creates a young, radiant, fresh complexion on all skin tones. Use it as a spot highliter or blend all over your complexion...the soft-focus sheen is enticing and sexy."

So basically it's a highlighter, and...I'm guessing the soft-focus sheen refers to the out of focus effect on a camera? Anyway, before trying this product, I was pretty dubious on its claim that it'd work "on all skin tones". I've noticed that Benefit loves making one-size-fits-all products (Benetint, Moon beam, some kind-a gorgeous before they came up with the darker shade, and you rebel before they came up with you rebel lite, etcetc), and while I've tried Benetint and it most definitely worked (wonders) for me, I just wondered if it'd work as well for other people with different skin tones.

But, having heard the reviews on this product that made it seem like the elixir of youth, I decided to give it a try. 

It comes in a bottle that resembles a nail-polish bottle (refer to picture) like Benetint, Glamazon and Moon beam, and the first thing I noticed was that it was goopy. Very thick and clumpy, not at all like Benetint. Unfazed, I dotted some on my cheekbones and observed. 

It was hard noticing a difference at first (maybe because I didn't put on enough?), but there was a subtle gleam on my cheeks that wasn't there before. It made my cheekbones stand out, but I failed to see the soft-focus sheen. Reviews I read claimed that it would give me a dewy (by the way I hate that word. It's like the word "love", people throw it around without knowing what it even means. Heck, I don't know what it means. I looked it up and it said "dew-like". No, really?) glow, but unfortunately, it did not. 

It did make my cheekbones shimmery and whiter, but the "soft-focus sheen", it failed to deliver.  If you're looking for a highlighter, I'd suggest opting for a cheaper alternative, such as Revlon's Skinlights Instant Skin Brightener. Unlike High beam's one size fits all claim, they come in different shades and with SPF 15. Most importantly they are only $10.99, as opposed to Highbeam's whopping $24.

Having said all this, I still stand by Benefit, because I've tried other great products from it and more importantly, because they know how to make their stuff look irresistible!