Five Minute Faces

Alright, retail people, here's a quick resource guide on how to get my money. 1) Feature a TV show that I like and respect, 2) Give me a handy buying list of things that I absolutely must have to be fashionable/cute/well-groomed/successful, 3) Give me something for free. If you fulfill all these requirements, I will seriously be putty in your hands. I will buy anything--jail striped pajamas that somehow reference Prison Break, Tyra Banks brand sausage casings from ANTM, ANYTHING. Luckily for me, the company that did this most recently and got my money was Benefit cosmetics, a company that I already love and use regularly. And even more lucky for me, I ordered stuff, it came in, and I look super cute today.

Last week, I got an email from Benefit promoting a "Five Minute Face" done by Carmindy, the make-up artist from my Friday night mainstay, What Not to Wear. I guess Carmindy wrote a book, so as promotion, she is using Benefit cosmetics and issuing a guide to show you how to create your own look. I know about Carmindy's five minute face from watching the show, and I have to say that I've always wanted to figure out how to do it just the way she does. That's not to say that my current make-up routine lasts longer than five minutes. It doesn't. But Carmindy's look always looks so effortless, like you could wear it to work and feel good about yourself, and then vamp it up with just a few quick tricks, just like in a Gap ad or something. And lord knows I live my life in constant pursuit of Gap ad perfection. Anyway, so when I got the email saying that I was going to learn how to do it, I said, YIPPEEE! and completely ignored the growing pile of work on my desk in favor of some retail therapy. (Unfortunately, the thing is no longer up on Benefit's website, so you'll just have to take my word for all of this). Then, I dug a little deeper and discovered that if I bought two products from the line, I would get a FREE BOTTLE OF HIGH BEAM, Benefit's highlighting potion. I actually have been known to rock the Highbeam on occasion, and my tiny bottle from my Fake-It kit was looking depressed. So, I was completely and utterly sunk. I logged on and bought Carmindy's chosen eyeshadow (Towne Car) and lipstick (Sugar Rush) so fast that it made my head spin. And just that quickly, it arrived, fresh from UPS.

So I wore it this morning. I tried to go through Carmindy's routine: first I applied foundation (here I use MAC Mineral Something or Other), then powder (I use Chanel in Porcelain), and then dabbed the High Beam (the FREE High Beam) on my cheekbones. Cuteness already.

Then, I did my eyes. I used the new Towne Car shadow as a liner, just as Carmindy does. In fact, in the Benefit "Five Minute Face" this all you do on your eyes, save mascara. No shadows, no blending, no nothing. The interesting thing about Towne Car (and all the rest of the creaseless cream shadows that Benefit has now) is that they are...creamy. I wasn't really expecting that. Probably because I ordered it so damn fast that I didn't bother to read anything about it. My bad. But I really, really like it. The black is inky and deep, and has a LOT of pigment. I just barely dabbed my brush on it, and it was ready to go. That said, the Carmindy method (using this as a liner) was a little hard for me to grasp. Possibly because the stuff has so much pigment, it would be better to start with something lighter in color than Towne Car. I did get it figured out, and managed to somewhat smush it into the lash line, like Carmindy recommends on the show. I think it looks good, but I'm probably not going to look into any magnifying mirrors today. I'm little distressed as to what I might see if I look close enough. I'm sure I'll get better with it though, and I can't wait to try it as an eyeshadow base. I'm looking to make myself all sooty eyed and Bridget Bardot-esque. But back to today: since I was doing the Benefit thing, I put on double coats of Bad Gal lash. Bad Gal is a good mascara--I only have half a tube because my mom gave it to me after it didn't work on her (she has loads of eye irritations and after a while, she started tearing up after putting it on). It plumped up my lashes, and made me look just enough like a drag queen to make it worthwhile.

I topped this off with my Dallas blush (which I love, and deserves its own post, so I'll do that later), and the lipstick in Sugar Rush. Sugar Rush is a "Silky Finish lipstick" and I love it. It's not very heavy like a lot of lipsticks (I actually rarely wear a lipstick, preferring a light gloss or something similar),and does have a silky finish. When I first put it on, I thought that it looked a little darker than what I imagined it would be, but I think that was just the light or something. It's actually a pretty, light caramel color. I wouldn't say the color is dynamic or anything--it's a pretty standard medium neutral. But it does feel nice, and the color complements the Dallas blush well. So overall, it's a very good fit with the whole look.

Overall, ordering from Benefit was a very nice experience. I have never actually ordered from them directly--most of the time when I got their products before, I visited their store in Berkeley or went through Sephora. I got a heavy discount beforehand, so that was nice, and the order was shipped very quickly and arrived in four business days. Moreover, when I opened the box, it was wrapped in cute, Benefit themed tissue paper and sealed with a sticker. Of course, the packaging for all Benefit items is adorable. I will definitely use their website the next time I need something from them.

So try out the "Five Minute Face" with Benefit. It's Carmindy-licious.