Redemption

The question I'm being asked most often is: "What's the best makeup brand?". My answer is always the same: It's not about brands. Most lines and companies, even the less celebrated ones, have at least one great product. Just as there are real duds in otherwise wonderful lines. Examples are everywhere: I'm a huge fan of Chanel, but I find their eyeliners inferior to many drugstore brands. Smashbox can do no wrong, except when it comes to the dreadful O-Glo gel blush. Benefit Cosmetics, who make some of my favorite products (Dallas bronzer/blush, creaseless cream shadows, Smooch lip balm), also offer less than stellar lip glosses and the inferior BADgal mascara I reviewed the other day. Which brings us back to my point: Don't buy blindly into a brand, fabulous as it may be. It's better to pick and choose the right products for you and remain open-minded.

As far as I'm concerned, Benefit have redeemed themselves completely with their Silky Finish lipstick. This formula is amazingly soft and smooth. It glides over the lips, covering them with a creamy-yet-almost-sheer color. It looks lipsticky enough, while still feeling like a gloss. The lipstick is kind to my sensitive lips, comfortable and very easy to apply.

My color of choice is Dessert First, a creamy pinkish plum (the photo above is quite true to life). The color is a shade more vibrant than my natural lip, so it's a "my lips, only better" look. It goes nicely with most makeup looks I tend to favor, and would be just as great for fall. It's pigmented enough to hold its own for several hours.

The texture and ease of wear remind me of Clinique's Almost Lipstick, but it's superior in pigment and staying power.