Today’s topic is three-in-one products. Gotta love ‘em! They’re not only a time-saver but also a money saver. There are tons of products out there but today I’m going to talk about one of my faves, as well as other options that may already be in your makeup kit.
I’m a big fan of Benefit Cosmetics—have been for years now. As a retired Sephora Cast member I not only worked with and sold Benefit cosmetics but I was a long-time fan well before I worked at Sephora. So being quite familiar with the brand, I hope this post will be extra informative!
Tints are a great three-in-one product—they can be used on lips, cheeks, and lids. Benefit has a bunch of color options as well which is great: Benetint (rose hue), Cha Cha Tint (coral hue), Lolli Tint (candy hue), and Posie Tint (poppy hue). Although Benefit does not advertise their tints as being used on the lids, they can be—you just want to use a specific technique. You want to dab the product onto the back of your hand and then pick up the product from there with a brush or your fingertip. If you have uber-sensitive skin I may avoid using these more liquidy tints on the lids—opt for a more creamy texture instead.
Personally, I prefer using tints, stains, and creams with my fingertips. With a liquid or cream product, they tend to blend better when heated up by skin-on-skin friction. You may find that if the product is not warmed by the skin and applied with a brush, it might be more difficult to blend. Sometimes people suggest applying three dots along the cheek and blending out. I don’t recommend that application technique—if you don’t work quickly enough or if the product is a very strong stain, you may be left with three unsightly dots. I suggest applying a dollop of the product on the back of your hand or petri dish first and picking up the product from there via your fingertips.
Below I am going to use Benetint. I suggest completing all your makeup except the lid, cheek, and lip if you wish to follow along. That’s what I’ve done below. Feel free to use anything you have on hand, a cream blush will work and so will most lipsticks!
Quick Tip: If you are applying your cheek tint over your foundation/concealer, be sure to use gentle tapping motions as not to disturb the product below. Also as a rule of thumb, you want to apply all your creams/liquids first and then finish with powders.
Step-by-Step
- Start with the rest of your makeup complete (foundation, concealer, contouring, brows, and highlighting). Apply cheek stain with the tips of your fingers, gently patting into the skin. What’s nice about this stain is it’s buildable (as most are), so you can continue to build to your desired color.
- Dab the stain gently onto the lid.
- Apply a neutral brown shadow into the crease.
- Apply a highlight into the tear duct.
- Dab the stain onto your lip, building to your desired shade of pink.
- Apply a lip liner to add some definition to the look.
- Apply a gloss to finish off the look!
Apply your mascara, lashes, and liner and there you have it! One product, three uses, and a super quick and easily achieved look. These types of products are perfect for on the go, busy women. They’re also great for a makeup artist’s kit as there are a variety of uses!
