Benefit recently premiered a new face primer, Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer (S$50).
This new primer complements the current compact powder and liquid foundation range – Benefit’s Hello Flawless. Together, the 3 step routine of primer, liquid foundation and compact powder aim to work in tandem to create a smooth, radiant and flawless visage.
… and Benefit wants it to stay that way for a good many hours. I edited the following 2 promotional photos from the Stay Flawless press kit into a collage with the captions – I think it mostly captures Benefit’s thoughts in that it wants to tell all its fans that you don’t have to worry about smudgy, messy makeup with Stay Flawless.
Benefit’s consumer panel survey with women who paired the new Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer with the Hello Flawless liquid foundation and powder reported the following:
- 94% said it helps foundation last longer
- 97% saw an improvement in the look of their complexion
- 94% said it increased foundation coverage
- 97% said it enhanced the foundation’s performance
How does it work? Benefit put the Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer to the test during the preview.
First they applied a thin layer of Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer and blended it out. This was followed by a layer of Hello Flawless Liquid Foundation. They spritzed my hand generously with water and then finally blotted away at the patch with a piece of tissue.
To be honest, I was expecting the tissue to be stained with the foundation, especially since Hello Flawless Liquid foundation isn’t ultra thick and heavy. Definitely, sebum and perspiration are different from water and will be better able to eat away at your foundation. Nonetheless, I appreciate how Stay Flawless managed to withstand that much moisture and a good blotting so to a large extent, I can see why Benefit calls Stay Flawless a “makeup magnet”.
Let’s take a closer look at the primer before I share my final thoughts with you.
Stay Flawless is packaged in a black and white swivel-up tube and also comes with an inner cap to further protect the primer from drying out. The swivel-up packaging makes it convenient to stash away in a makeup pouch.
The product itself looks like its tinted a pale beige – my first reaction was “WHYYYYYY? How am I going to use this now?!”. It might look beige in the stick but it actually applies clear.
As you can see from the photos above, it might look greasy and shiny when it’s fresh out from the tube but once you smooth it out, it blends into skin seamlessly. For ease of use, I usually apply some to the back of my hand and then use a small buffing brush to blend it on my face – I find this method the fastest, easiest and it ensures even coverage for me.
In the photos below, I have had my makeup on for about 6 hours (from about 9am to 315pm) and if you look closely, you probably can see the nose-pad marks from my glasses which I tried to smooth out. I was mostly in an air-conditioned environment but I normally get oily no matter where I am. I think my makeup still looks pretty much ok (even though I look tired in the first photo – the last few weeks have been so tiring for me!)
I think the Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer works more than decent for me – I still love my Sofina Ange Long-Keep Base because that wears like an armor through the oilies and perspiration but Benefit’s Stay Flawless is a good option to try because it performs well – just be sure to blend it out properly so you have even coverage.
In my LOTD, I’m using my usual base combination of Olay White Radiance Sunblock, Shu Uemura Face Architect Smooth Fit Fluid Foundation and MUFE Duo Mat Face Powder – a combination that works well for me currently. I have tried Benefit’s Hello Flawless Liquid Foundation in Amber (review HERE) but that shade is now too deep for me so I’ve had to stop using it. However, the other Benefit product I’m using in my LOTD is one of my favorite blushes – Benefit Bella Bamba. And I really need to showcase this:
I HIT PAN on it – I have several blushes (several, I think, is too mild an adjective) and while I somehow can finish up eyeshadows, it’s been a terrible terrible long time since I hit pan on a blush (gone are the days when I had 2 MAC blushes and repurchased the same colours). So yay for me!
Back to Stay Flawless – it is available at all Benefit Counters and retails for S$50. Approach a Benebabe to try it and you just might like it!
Thanks for stopping by and have a fab day ahead
Disclaimer: This post contains products and some images extracted from a press kit furnished by the brand itself. All opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.
