A new product launch from Benefit Cosmetics sparked a lot of interest when I posted a pic of it on my recently with many of you wanting to know how it faired and whether it was a worthwhile purchase? I was kindly sent this small luxury sized sample size of the product in a recent which I was so happy to receive because I too had seen this new launch pop up everywhere on social media. So I have listened, tested and have lots to tell you about this highly spoken about product, Benefit Dew the Hoola - such a great name!
First up, what this is. As Benefit quote "Benefit Dew the Hoola is a liquid bronzer that gives your face a year round glow with the gleam. The smoothing effects and light weight texture melt in for a shimmer less, natural look that is very sheer. Gives a soft matte finish, blends easily and has the signature Hoola scent". This in terms is the the liquid equivalent to the famous Hoola Powder Bronzer that has been a cult favourite of many for years. The Original Hoola is a matte powder that has no shimmer, no sparkle or shine and no orange; just pure matte colour that works on so many skin tones and types. It has been one of my personal favourite bronzers for some time now as it's a perfect bronzer.
Benefit recommend that you smooth Dew the Hoola on bare skin or over foundation for a seamless natural looking bronze look. They also recommend it as a contouring product to be used on the cheekbones, hairline and jaw line and then finish with the Hoola Powder should you so wish too.
The formula is very liquid/gel like; quite thick so it wont run off the back of your hand, in fact the texture is beautiful as it's really soft and creamy like a moisturiser and is in fact one of the nicest textures when it comes to liquid face products that I have come across.
Ok, so I can't pussyfoot around the issue but I So what did I think? I have to admit I was on the fence with this product for a while after having tried it out a couple of times because it does take some playing around with. It is in my opinion not the same shade as Hoola Powder Bronzer at all as the end results are very different. I did as Benefit suggested and applied a light layer over my primer, pre foundation definitely looked orange . I was way more of an orange tone as opposed to a golden goddess tone unlike the powder version that gives a very brown natural look. I am fair skinned so this may not be the issue for you but having read a few reviews online I have seen this is a common issue. Hence it was removed immediately from my face. all over my face. It is so creamy to apply but can go a little streaky should you miss a spot so you need to be very thorough whilst bearing in mind this is a sheer finish. It is very buildable without flaking or caking or that feeling of having lots of product on your face thanks to it's lovely lightweight gel texture.
Therefore I was in the mind set that this product just wasn't for me but I loved the texture of it so much that I was determined to try and make it work somehow? Good news is, I have! The way that I have found this to give a totally different result is by mixing a small amount in with my foundation and then applying it to my skin with my foundation brush. It kind of acts like those darkening drops but instead of making your foundation darker it adds a golden warmth and summer glow that really warms up your skin to give you that 'just got back from holiday look'. It definitely has no shimmer or glitter to it which is what makes it look very natural when mixed in. You can play about with how much you need to add in depending on how tanned you are at that time. Using the product in this way gave me a much better result that was not orange, just a natural bronze that Benefit promised. This is the perfect solution for warming up all of your winter foundations that you are finding are too light for your summer skin. I do feel this would work on most skin tones; medium complexions will maybe need to apply a bit more and deeper skin tones may even use it more for highlighting and lightening. You can of course finish with Hoola Powder for contouring to add more definition to your face or if you like using the Dew the Hoola as a contour cream over your foundation then you can set it in place afterwards with the powder Hoola.
Sometimes a little perseverance pays off. It is definitely going to be a hit or miss product that I probably wouldn't have even purchased had I swatched it in store. I would however highly recommend the powder Hoola bronzer to all as I think it's such a great product but I would only really recommend Dew the Hoola to those looking to add warmth to their foundations as this is great for that as opposed to an all over face bronzer. In my opinion there are better products on the market today that do this.
If you too have tried Dew the Hoola then let me know what you thought about it!