Make-up Bag Essentials - Benetint

There are some products that we flirt with; we spend £££'s on trends, colours, technology, only for them to fall by the wayside after a couple of weeks because you suddenly realise that the colour is crap or it isn't doing what you hoped. Then there are the products that you inevitably fall back on when your new flirtation ends. That's what this mini-series is about; the oldies, but goodies.

Today is Benefit's Benetint. This was actually one of the first two products I ever owned from Benefit (the other was Bad Gal Eyeliner) and believe it or not, it was given to me by Mac on our first Christmas together in 2005 and so, that Christmas, 2 Great Loves began.

5 years ago, I'd never heard of 'tints'. I'm not sure if Benetint was the first one on the market? Maybe someone can enlighten me? And I'm not even sure that I would have had the guts to go for something like this, if it hadn't been bought for me. Now, 5 years later, I don't recall what life was like without it. I use it all the time. It doesn't matter if I'm tanned, pale or inbetween. It works. And it always looks fab. We've had our ups and downs - the first time I used it as a lip tint and realised it had wiped off the inside of my lips, leaving me a ring of pink round my mouth. The first (and only!) time I spilled it over the cream carpet in my new, rented flat. It wouldn't be a good makeup day without 1 stained finger tip from patting it onto my cheeks.

So, this is for the girlies amongst you, who tend to stay on the safer side of makeup purchases and have never understood this blood red bottle of ink, winking at you from the Benefit stand...

I gently tap off the excess from the brush on the inside neck of the bottle and dot 5 or 6 drops onto my cheek in a circle, like here. I didn't demonstrate on my cheek as by the time I'd taken the photo, it would have stained in dot format and I was leaving for work shortly after these pics were taken... On your cheek, it wont 'spread' like it has done in the lines on my hand, unless your face is as lined as the back of my hand!

I pat the dots with the pad of my ring finger until all the dots are blended and there are no discernable lines. I repeat if I want more of a girly flush. It's then stuck fast for the day and wont budge or need touched up. If you don't like a lot of fuss, this could be your wonder product.

The 'before and afters'

It is available from most Boots stores, Debenhams and online. It's RRP is £23.50.

What are your 'can't live without' products?