benefit

If high-glitter and high-pigment makeup aren't quite your thing for the holidays, Benefit Cosmetics' I'm Glam . . . Therefore I Am ($36) is a great option for you, then. The seven-piece kit contains the universally flattering rosy- and peachy-pink Glamming Face Powder, along with the brand's always-crowd-pleasing highlighter, Girl Meets Pearl.

A four-piece eye shadow palette of pale pink, icy purple, muted plum, and steely gray allows you to create looks ranging from just a kiss of color to something a little more mod to something more alluring and smoky. Bubble-gum pink gloss and mini BadGal mascara top it all off, but will also serve you well while you travel throughout the year. These teeny-tiny products can be easily tossed in your one-gallon clear plastic bag, without the TSA having to step in and confiscate them from you.

And while the palette is too big to fit into a small bag, it's still bitty enough to hold in a medium-sized purse or clutch — one that's sequined for all your upcoming festivities, of course.

Check out our newest BellaTV update, then read some of our top stories from the week that was:

• Journey to Iceland's world-famous Blue Lagoon Spa.
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• Find out how Olay's new advanced cleansing system measures up.
• Ring in the holidays with Bella's December must haves.
• Did you know that Natalie Portman has naturally curly hair?
• Touching up your makeup at work is easy with this kit from Benefit.
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If you, like myself, sometimes come into work barefaced and then engage in a mad scramble to get made up, I have just the thing to make the whole thing easier. Benefit's Her Name Was Glowla ($36) makeup kit comes with everything you need in a little box that tucks away in a desk drawer. It has a ton of eye shadow shades, a universally flattering (and trendy) coral blush, mini mascara, lip gloss, and even two luminizers. Best of all, it has tiny brushes, so you aren't fumbling around or carrying a bag-load of stuff to the powder room. I've been using it for months now, and it really cuts down on prep time. Plus, I'm never rummaging around in my purse looking for gloss or trying to carry some enormous blush brush around discreetly. It makes me feel much more adult, even if I'm not actually responsible enough to wake up early and put on makeup.

Some years matte is in, and sometimes it's shimmer. This year, just which finish is it, anyway? Makeup artist Brett Freedman says it's a little bit of both. "We're going into a matte/sort of satiny vibe," he says. And here's how to do it up right:

• Instant Iuminesce: "It's shimmer in certain spots," says Brett. To give your makeup look a little more punch, he recommends Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl ($30). The champagne-toned luminizer, which gives a healthy, subtle pink glow to most skin tones, can be used on the top of the cheeks, brow bone, eyes, and lips.
• The eyes have it: "I've been doing a lot of really velvet lids [lately], like taking a pressed powder or just a really light matte [shade] and just doing the lids super matte," he says. Adding a little shimmer on the brow bone or around the tear ducts keeps it from looking too flat. Brett's tip: Drugstore brand Prestige makes some great colors, like teal and slate gray.

Applying eyeliner can be tricky for even the most adept of us, and that's why I turned to celebrity makeup artist Brett Freedman for guidance. Brett's had lots of advice to share with us in recent weeks, from the perfect shades to wear right now to how to pick a daytime blush. Today, it's all about the eyes — liner, that is. Discover six tips to eyeliner Nirvana when you read more.

We're happy to present this article from one of our favorite sites, Daily Makeover!

Love the sexy look of liquid liner but hate how hard it is to achieve? If your hands are shaky or you just can't seem to keep that line straight, take a hint from Benefit co-founder Jean Ford — she swears by an oh-so-simple eyeliner technique that she's been using faithfully since the '70s. In honor of the launch of the brand's new Magic Ink Jet-Black Liquid Eyeliner, Ford shared this patented trick with us to help you achieve a flawless line like Lauren Conrad's here.

First, take your liquid liner brush and place it at the inner corner of your eyes. Say the phrase "Jimmy Jimmy dot" out loud, moving the brush over the upper lashline, but not touching the skin. Every time you say "dot," make a dot of black liner in between your lashes. When you've gotten to the outer corner of the eye, take the brush and connect the dots along your lashline. Space out the dots for natural-looking volume, or place them close together for a sleek line. No more shaky, broken lines!

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In the final installment of my prime time series, here's a look at Benefit's the POREfessional ($28), a recently-released balm that's supposed to minimize the appearance of pores. But for all intents and purposes, it's a primer. Unlike the brand's That Gal ($28), which is luminescent and pink, this primer is matte and beige in color.

Right away, I was concerned about the chemically floral notes I got from the creamy gel. Also, getting used to that slippery feel silicone-based primers possess, is always a challenge. However, within seconds, the scent dissipated, and the oil-free product dried almost instantly into something smooth and translucent. As a test, I applied the POREfessional to just one side of my face in the morning. At the end of the day, I asked colleagues which side looked better. While it was unanimous that the primed side looked more even and fresh, it did wear a bit dry by end of day. Find out more when you keep reading.

If you're a longtime reader of Bella, then you'll know that I'm a big fan of multitaskers. And one of the greatest things about a multitasking makeup duo is that you can easily customize your own shade by blending the two colors together. In turn, some of these coupled cosmetics come with a preapplication product (like a primer), along with the makeup item itself. Even better, they take up little space. Check out the widget below for inspiration, and tell us: what's your favorite doubled-up product?