Benefit Dandelion Twinkle & Hoola Lite

When two cult makeup products are released in new renditions, all of the makeup loving world of course has to jump on that bandwagon. And so did I. Benefits Dandelion blush and Hoola bronzer are some infamous makeup products that are loved by many. So when they released the first as a highlight and the second in a much needed lighter version, I knew I wanted to try them. These are my thoughts.

Benefit Dandelion Twinkle highlighter
Benefit Hoola Lite

Benefit is of course not a very affordable brand. It’s one reason that refrains me from buying everything in their line. The packaging is always spot on and for a while there, this was my favorite makeup line on the planet. Back in my early makeup loving days I swore by many of their products before I decided to branch out more. In The Netherlands each of these powders will cost you €34,68. And as Kathleen Lights would say: thass espensive!

Dandelion Twinkle

Dandelion blush is one of my all time favorite blushes for the winter time. It has holy grail status after trying a cheap dupe I bought of Ebay years ago and then buying the blush as part of a palette. When I spotted this highlight I knew it would be right up my alley. The highlighter comes in a box as all Benefit powders do. The box contains a mirror in the lid and a brush.

Dandelion Twinkle is that great everyday subtle highlight that is perfect for work and natural makeup days. This is not a WHAM BAM in your face highlighter. Rather, this is a subtle sparkle that adds just enough glow to the cheeks to make you look fresh and healthy. It has a pinky champagne shades that matches well with its sister product. I do find that this runs lighter than the blush shade though.

Hoola Lite

The original Hoola bronzer I was always scared to try. When I bought the set that included Dandelion blush, that was also in it and I never really reached for it as I found it too dark. For pale skins, Hoola can work, but only with a light hand and a whispy brush. It is easy to go overboard and make yourself look like a carrot rather than healthy. So you can imaging how thrilled I was to find out Benefit came out with a lighter version of this product (now only if they were to come out with a darker one too!)

Hoola Lite is so pale that I think many people would look at this and not believe this could work. This is lighter than Too Faced’s Milk Chocolate Soleil and that is already incredibly light for a bronzer. This has a very light light brown shade to it. Like coffee with too much milk in it. I was curious to see whether this would work on my pale face. As the highlighter, this box comes equipped with a brush and a mirror.

The Swatches

Ah! I know what you are thinking: that looks like nothing! And that is exactly the point. These swatches barely show up because are not too pigmented and blend in extremely well onto my fair skin. The bronzer and highlight are very much aimed at light complexions and even on my skin it looks like it might not show up. As with any Benefit boxed powder I’ve tried, these products feel smooth, blend well and stay put. I have had no issues with their boxed powders in the past and I have had no issues with staying power, blendability and pay off with these.

The Application

Before | After

But the question of course is: will this work? Above you can see the before and after bronzer look this gives me. So while incredibly light and barely showing up on a swatch, this bronzer actually does the job and does it well. I have a hard time wearing bronzer in the winter time as my skin gets so pale that a MAC NC15 foundation still runs a little too dark. And that’s when this works! I have found myself pulling this out more and more as my skin turns paler and paler and I love how I don’t have to be super careful with going overboard. I can just slap this on and be out the door and know that I will not look deadly pale.

Before
Bronzer
Highlight

Close up there really isn’t too much of a different with this bronzer, but the highlight definitely shows up. It is a cooler toned highlight: a champagne pink that complements my complexion very nicely. If you have a warm undertone though, this may be difficult to pull off. And while the glow is there, it is very subtle and natural. A great highlight if you want to wear a natural makeup look or if you’re like me and that is just your day to day style of makeup.

The conclusion

If you are a fair skinned girl like me and have yet to find a highlighter and bronzer that work for you than look no further! Benefit’s Dandelion Twinkle and Hoola Lite will have your back. If you are darker or are not a fan of subtle, everyday makeup looks than this is not for you. The price point is high, but to be honest I have not found a bronzer this light and suitable for my skin tone. So if you have to chose between the two than I would put your money towards that over the highlighter.

What is your favorite Benefit boxed powder?