Ohh, Strut is dark! I had Skinny Jeans and it was too dark for me.
I'm a pale, natural redhead and I tend to gravitate towards warmer colors. I can wear some, but not all, pinks and I think there are several good colors. What I like about Benefit is they put their colors into collections represented by their vintage mannequins. Lana is light, Gabbi is medium shades, and Betty is dark shades. It helps take the guess work out of choosing colors. Oddly, this is no longer featured on the Benefit site, but is quite clear on Sephora if you want to reference it.
I'm a huge Sephora shopper too, but I like ordering directly from Benefit because they always have free shipping codes on the site and usually include a free full-sized product with each order along with the samples. Sephora carries brands I can't find anywhere else, so they still get my business!
I'm a huge, huge fan of Birthday Suit. It is described as "brushed chrome" which I think is misleading. I think of chrome as a silver but this is more of a golden taupe (on the cool side) and gives a sexy "my-skin-but-better" look. I think it is universally flattering, too. It is neutral and subtle and very work-appropriate. (I have a conservative work environment.) It looks as good on me as it does on my Indian co-worker who has the most beautiful golden brown skin.
Another favorite is Marry-Up which is a lovely burnished copper. It is limited edition and sold out on Benefit but still available on Sephora. (SR has a Sephora increase, I might order a backup!) I like this because it can be buffed down to a sheer wash or layered for a bold pop of color. I'll wear it as an eyeliner to work, or buff it down to a wash for work and then layer it when I go out at night. It works really well with my pale skin and really enhances my green eyes.
I also like RSVP which is a nice champagne color. It is good as an all-over color or as a highlight. It is neutral and pretty.
Honey Bunny is a warm nude and slightly less shimmery than others and has very good pigmentation. This also makes a good primer for other colors.
Sippin' n Dippin' is a peachy-gold that changes depending on how the light hits it. It is fun for summer, but another one that I consider too bold for work.
Bunny Hop is a very pale silvery-pink. However, I only use this as a base because the color barely shows up on me (let alone on anyone with darker skin.) It gives shimmer, but barely any color. I'm the only one I know who likes this color. It is also limited edition and currently on sale on the Benefit site.
I like to use Stiletto as an eyeliner. It is a lovely aubergine and enhances my green eyes. The Benefit Talent Brush is a must have with these shadows. I use the flat side on my lid and turn it on edge to line my eyes.
Busy Signal is a beautiful rich brown and looks good on my friends but was just too dark for me to use which is a bummer because I really wanted to use it!
There are a few I did not like. Pre-Nup (bright metallic silver pink-- no, no, no!) Skinny Jeans (too cool grey and dark for me, but lovely on friend with cooler, darker coloring) Get Figgy (too silvery-purple which made me look sick and bruised. It is beautiful in the pot, though, and would probably be perfect for somebody who with the right coloring.)
I have not tried them all and have my eye on a few new limited edition shades like Recess and Samba-dy Loves Me. The eyeshadows are all shimmery and some might be described as metallic. The more you layer, the more shimmer and color you will get.
Benefit recently reformulated their powder shadows and I've been hearing good things about them. The only color they kept from the old formula is Buckle Bunny which is one of my all-time favorites. It is described as "rose mocha" and I think that is a perfect description. I can't wait to check out the rest of the line.
Hope that helps!
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