Event: Benefit Cosmetics b.right! Radiant Skincare Presentation at TANGS Orchard on Friday, 22 April 2011

Hello all! :) I’m sure lots of you are eagerly awaiting the launch of Benefit’s skin care line, b.right! Radiant Skincare.

Last Friday, I attended a presentation on b.right! by our very own Benefit team. The event was held at The Workshop located on level 2 of TANGS Orchard, and I was happy to see my blogger friends again!

The Workshop is a cozy little yellow-lit room with space for about… 10 people? b.right! posters adorned the room, and goodies were laid out on four tables for us.

When you attend a Benefit event, you’ll definitely be treated to sweets! ;) Since it was Good Friday, there were chocolate eggs arranged neatly on the platter along with the usual pretty cupcakes. Speaking of chocolate eggs, does anyone know what happened to the leftovers? I couldn’t find any on sale in the supermarkets! :( Birthday Fairies, I wish for a truckload of Cadbury’s Mini Eggs! ;D

Each of us received a b.right! notebook and a pen (with an attached lanyard) which lights up when you write. I love light-up pens! :) I’m so going to bring it to future events.

I chose to sit at the table near the back of the room. Right behind me, on the carpeted floor, were goodie bags, lovingly prepared by the Benefit team.

The presentation started after most of us have arrived. And yup, that’s a table full of Benefit products, which some of us oohed and aahed over at the end of the session.

Here’s Catherine, our brand manager, explaining the idea behind b.right!. Benefit is known to produce instant beauty perk-me-ups (think Eye Bright, High Brow and High Beam) and complexion brighteners (think That Gal and Girl Meets Pearl), amongst other beauty must-haves (Erase Paste!). Quick, effective, and fun – that’s Benefit. The b.right! range consists of basic skin care products that cleanse, moisturise and add radiance to the skin for a brighter, more youthful complexion. Benefit has specially formulated a key ingredient for the b.right! range, called the tri-radiance complex, which does three things: (i) captures water on the skin’s surface, (ii) maintains water on the skin’s surface, and (iii) develops the skin’s reserves of water. Sort of like creating a moisture bank for maximum hydration. b.right! was made to give your skin that glow!

Let there be light! Catherine unveils the range for us. Dressed in shades of pale turquoise and light blue, the word “aqua” comes to mind. I thought it was a refreshing change from the usual pink! :) The range gives off a fresh, soothing vibe. There are eight products in the b.right! range. These products are divided into four categories, as can be seen in the picture below, namely Cleanse, Moisturise, Eyes and Specialist.

• In Cleanse: Foamingly Clean Facial Wash, Remove It Makeup Remover, and Refined Finish Facial Polish;
• In Moisturise: Triple Performing Facial Emulsion, Moisture Prep Toning Lotion, and Total Moisture Facial Cream;
• In Eyes: It’s Potent! Eye Cream; and
• In Specialist: Ultra Radiance Facial Re-Hydrating Mist.

After Catherine’s explained the range to us, we tried out the products for ourselves! I’m going to take you through the range quickly by showing you photos of the products in the order that we tried them during the workshop (to avoid confusing myself, LOL!).

First up, the Triple Performing Facial Emulsion. You would be pleased to know that it contains SPF 15 and PA++, protecting your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays, unlike many moisturisers out there which only provide protection against UVB rays. :)  An oil-free, delicate, watery gel, the Triple Performing Facial Emulsion smells so sweet! Catherine had explained earlier that Benefit conducted a survey amongst women to find out the sort of scents they prefer in skin care products. Guess what? Fresh, fruity, and floral were amongst top choices. Benefit is a consumer-driven brand, and that’s why they laced b.right! products with cucumber and floral notes. :)

The Triple Performing Facial Emulsion spreads on the skin easily. Can you see how watery it is? It blended well on the back of my hand, but when I tried it on my face, I found it a tad sticky. Thankfully, the stickiness went away after a while. Given its super light texture, I imagine this would be great even for oily skin. Btw, the “Triple” in Triple Performing Facial Emulsion means it (i) hydrates the skin with the tri-radiance complex, (ii) protects the skin with SPF 15 PA++ sunscreen, and (iii) comforts and nourishes the skin with antioxidant Vitamin E.

Next, the Total Moisture Facial Cream. It is a white cream which is noticeably thicker than the Triple Performing Facial Emulsion. Formulated for immediate and long-term intense hydration, the Total Moisture Facial Cream seems ideal for those with need a richer moisturiser, i.e. if you have dry skin.

Despite its thicker texture, it spreads well on the skin. I tried it on my face and didn’t find it too heavy. However, I think this may be too heavy on oily skin. As it does not contain any UV protection, I’d probably use this as a night cream. Besides the tri-radiance complex, the Total Moisture Facial Cream also contains natural plant-based squalene and mango butter emollients.

Then we have the It’s Potent! Eye Cream, which I’d been wanting to try. Fans of (the discontinued) Eyecon, this is its replacement! :) I’m sure you will love this. I do! It’s my favourite product from b.right!. It’s Potent! is an off-white cream with a very light texture. Unlike the other products from the range, it is unscented because it’s meant for use on delicate eye area.

Again, this spreads easily and I was really surprised when I tested this on my eye area because it sinks right into the skin without leaving behind any residue or stickiness. It’s Potent! contains a peptide complex to help restore skin elasticity and firmness, and a blend of hydrating botanical extracts including apple extract to help boost collagen, and loquat extract to help fight free radicals. I read on Benefit’s blog that It’s Potent! can be mixed with Erase Paste, so I’m totally going to try that!

Benebabe Jass, who helped test the products on us, whipped out Benefit’s BADgal waterproof eyeliner and made a mark on the side of my palm. What was she thinking?! :O

She then soaked a cotton pad with the Remove It Makeup Remover and held it over the mark for a second.

Wowza! The mark’s completely gone. I was very impressed with Remove It because I know how tough it is to remove waterproof BADgal. Proper removal of makeup is extremely important, because if you don’t cleanse your skin thoroughly, you’ll break out. And who loves breaking out? No one, obviously. Remove It is so great for contact lens wearers as it is an oil-free, non-irritating formula. It left my skin refreshed and supple. Like It’s Potent!, Remove It is unscented because it’s used around the eyes.

Here’s Foamingly Clean Facial Wash, a one-step cleanser that removes makeup and rids the skin of impurities.

As the name suggests, the cleanser foams up (not so much on the back of my hand here, but it did foam up with lots of bubbles when I tried it on my face) into a rich lather. You only need a tiny bit – just squeeze out around half a centimetre and that should be enough for the entire face. The cleanser left my skin squeaky clean, which is not exactly what I’m used to, as I prefer to retain my skin’s natural moisture barrier. I think this cleanser would be great for oily skin, though.

I’m a huge fan of exfoliators and I was rather excited about trying out the Refined Finish Facial Polish. It contains natural clay and seaweed extracts, rich in minerals, nutrients and sugars, to help purify the skin.

Refined Finish is a gentle scrub with perfectly rounded polyethelene beads. I like the look of it! I used this on my face and it sort of left my skin squeaky clean, just like Foamingly Clean. However, I noticed that my skin was brighter, and definitely much cleaner!

Confession: I do not use toners on a daily basis. About time I started! The Moisture Prep Toning Lotion boosts the skin’s radiance by smoothing and revitalising the skin, allowing it to fully optimise the benefits of the moisturiser. It contains Vitamin E, natural oat and meadowsweet to help purify and smooth the skin and help reduce fine lines. The specialised formula contains a blend of aloe leaf and yeast extract to help clarify and soothe the skin. Here’s a cotton pad soaked in Moisture Prep Toning Lotion. It’s a clear lotion, not unlike your usual toner, and gave the skin a cooling, refreshed feeling.

You probably can’t tell what I applied on the back of my hand in the picture below, but I just wanted to show you the Ultra Radiance Facial Re-Hydrating Mist, which is a favourite amongst a few of the bloggers who attended the event. Formulated to be a pick-me-up, the light mist enhances radiance with the tri-radiance complex, delivering hydration. It also relaxes and soothes the skin with magnesium PCA and white and blue lotus extracts to help combat stress. Use this to set your makeup in the morning, and toss the bottle into your bag for a quick spritz or two during the day. It refreshes the skin!

So there we have it, the eight products from the b.right! range. :) Which do you think you’d like to try first?

What’s a gathering without a group shot, right? :P You may recall me saying that I do not usually participate in group shots, but of late I felt that blogging has sort of opened me up to social situations, and I find myself more willing to have my picture taken in such gatherings. I used to be really awkward but I’m happy to say I’m not anymore! From left: Renee, yours truly, Jenny, Juliet (we finally meet!), Iris, Mag, Kas and Jerlene.

After the session, a few of us hung around to chat and take more photos! Here’s a photo of me, taken by Jenny. I look perpetually evil (is that why most people don’t say hi when they spot me on the streets?) so I try to wear less black and more colours! Well, I took dENiZEN’s advice and threw on a preppy plaid shirt. I’ve been wearing this tan headband a lot recently, because I like that it’s devoid of detail, unlike my other headbands. I am going to get the black Ferragamo bow headband soon, though, and I think that will be a staple because it’s so classic.

Here’s Jenny!

Jenny again…

Me and Jenny! This shot was taken by Sok Kheng, our Assistant PR & Communications Manager. I liaise with her on everything about Benefit. :)

Another group shot! From left: yours truly, Jenny, Sok Kheng, Juliet, Catherine, Jerlene. This shot was taken by Benebabe Tammy. :) It was a truly great party, with great company and laughs! Kudos to our Benefit team – to everyone, including the Benebabes behind the scenes, for their efforts in making sure that everything ran smoothly. :)

I bet you’re curious about what’s inside the goodie bag! :P

There are b.right! miniatures, which are totally adorable!…

And a see-through pouch (love it!) with deluxe samples of Porefessional and Stay Don’t Stray. I own both in full size. :D And of course there’s the press kit in a cute little CD, not shown here.

While you are eagerly anticipating the launch of b.right!, which will happen mid-May, let me fill you in on the retail prices!

• Triple Performing Facial Emulsion SPF 15 PA++ – SGD50;
• Total Moisture Facial Cream – SGD70;
• Moisture Prep Toning Lotion – SGD52;
• It’s Potent! Eye Cream – SGD60;
• Foamingly Clean Facial Wash – SGD39;
• Refined Finish Facial Polish – SGD40;
• Remove It Makeup Remover – SGD39; and
• Ultra Radiance Facial Re-Hydrating Mist – SGD43.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the products once you’ve tried them!

J

Tags: Aloe leaf extract, Apple extract, b.right!, b.right! Radiant Skincare, Beauty, Benefit Cosmetics, Cleanser, Cucumber, Events, Eye Cream, Facial Polish, Facial wash, Floral, Foamingly Clean, It's Potent!, Loquat extract, Lotus extract, Magnesium PCA, Makeup remover, Mango butter, Meadowsweet, Moisture Prep Toning Lotion, Moisturiser, Natural clay extract, Natural oat, Product reviews, Refined Finish, Remove It, Seaweed extract, Skin, Skin care, SPF, Squalene, Tangs, Tangs Orchard, Toner, Total Moisture Facial Cream, Tri-Radiance Complex, Triple Performing Facial Emulsion, Ultra Radiance Facial Re-Hydrating Mist, UV rays, UVA, UVB, Vitamin E, Yeast extract