Ah, the haze. No one told me about this buzz-killer before I moved to Singapore, and it’s an understatement to say that it was quite an unpleasant surprise. Learning about the hazardous effects that the haze has on our health, it is no wonder we all spend more time inside to avoid being exposed to the polluted air – fellow expat women all across South East Asia alike. The lack of fresh air and a healthy dose of vitamin D from the sun leaves me with a dull looking skin. My complexion lost its glow and is less radiant than usual, with an overall less fresh and healthy look as a result. Naturally, we will need to adjust our daily skincare routines to external factors such as air pollution – the right exfoliation, cleansing and moisturizing can do a lot. But sometimes we just need a quick fix. There is one product in particular that I find the ultimate fast and easy solution in this situation: a cheek stain.
Don’t get let the word ‘stain’ scare you off; a lip & cheek stain (mostly these products serve a dual purpose) is a liquid pigment that colours your skin, without building up much of a physical layer of product on your skin, which is more or less the case with a powder or cream blush. Instead, a cheek stain just subtly ‘stains’ the skin with a see-through rosy flush, with a very natural, dewy and healthy appearance as result. It makes you look like you went for a long walk, getting a breath of fresh air that provides you with that desired healthy glow.
So why a cheek stain and not a liquid or powder blush? In the hot and humid South East Asian weather I prefer to stay away from too much layering of makeup, as physical layers of makeup tend to melt and come off easily under the tropical heat, giving you a smudgy look. A stain is very long lasting and doesn’t wear off as easy as a powder or cream that rests on the skin in the form of a layer. Besides the worthy result of this type of product, I particularly like the fact that lip & cheek stains can be used by anyone, regardless of your skills & expertise, beauty routine or makeup preference. Stains are very easy to use, and work on both a bare naked face and a complexion covered in a hefty layer of make-up (or anything in between for that matter).
Do keep in mind though, that the more makeup you wear (foundation, powder etc.) before you apply the stain, the more colour the stain will give. And vice versa; the less makeup you wear, the more see-through and naturally dewy the effect of a cheek stain will be. This is due to the fact that other layers of makeup on your skin will stain with colour as well, as opposed to merely staining your direct skin, when you apply the cheek stain on your bare cheeks.
“WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK IT"
A lot of different brands offer (lip &) cheek stains, but the one I like best by far is Benefit’s “Benetint” lip & cheek stains. Benefit is a very fun brand from San Francisco that approaches makeup and beauty with a very healthy dose of humour: “Whistle while you work it” and “Fake it till you make it”. Benetint lip & cheek stain was originally developed for an exotic dancer in the 1970’s, and has soared to absolute cult status ever since.
Swatches on arm, left to right: Chachatint, Posietint, Lollitint & Benetint.
Benefit’s lip & cheek stains promise to be “the sexiest flush you can get from a bottle; the kiss-proof and smudge-proof, indelibly sheer tints give you an innocent yet provocative glow to keep everyone guessing”. And all and more is true...
PRODUCT REVIEW: BENEFIT CHACHATINT
The outright cult-colour is “Benetint”, the original rosy colour it all started with back in the seventies. This tint provides you with the most natural effect. Besides “Benetint”, three other shades are available that go by the following names: “Chachatint” (Coral/Mango colour), “Posietint” (Girly, Poppy-Pink colour) and “Lollitint” (Candy-Orchid Lilac Pink colour). I review Chachatint here as this colour works best for my skin, but apart from the colour the product features are alike for all four of Benefit’s cheek stains.
The product comes in a small bottle the size and shape of a nail polish; when you unscrew the cap it really looks a nail polish because of the little brush applicator that you use to apply the product. Brush three dots of cheek stain on the apples of your cheeks and blend right away with your fingertip(s). Don’t let the dots set, as they will stain your skin. Usually, I put the makeup I am about to use on my face on the back of my left hand first (I’m right handed), as this provides me with an always-at-hand (literally) palette to work from, and thereby makes it easier to dose the amount of product you want to use. However do not do this with this product, as it will stain your hand when the stain stays too long on your skin without blending it! All this talking about ‘staining your skin’ has probably made you wonder if the product is easy to remove; when blended after application, any makeup remover, face cleanser or soap will get the stain off your cheeks. Just make sure you don’t leave a big drop of the stain on your skin without blending it, as this is a different story…! If you are insecure on how to apply the cheek stain, make sure to check out Benefit’s Youtube tutorial on how to apply Chachatint.
Three dots of Chachatint give a very healthy-looking and natural glow, but if you wish a deeper “pop” of colour, just repeat and apply a bit more with the brush applicator and blend onto your skin. This works both on bare skin and on foundation/powdered skin. It’s easier to apply more after an initial round of testing what the cheek stain does for you; removing excess stain is somewhat impossible because –remember?- the colour stains your skin instead of adding a layer of coloured product to it.
The result? A sexy, natural and healthy glow that is sweat-proof and lasts all day and that I recommend to anyone who needs a quick fix during the skin-dulling haze. Benefit’s cheek stains are so versatile that the product is a must-have for women who like a natural to look as well as women who like a more dramatic look (just add more cheek stain). Moreover, the formula and way of application make the product incredibly easy to use, so the cheek stains can be used anyone – from the clumsiest makeup amateurs to the most experienced pro’s.
Chachatint, Benetint, Posietint and Lollitint come in 12,5ml for 54 SGD.
Available at Sephora - find stores here.
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