Benefit Blush, From the Original Benetint to Juice Stick

Benefit Blush, From the Original Benetint to Juice Stick

Benefit blush began in 1976 with a rose-tinted stain made by two twins in a tiny San Francisco shop. Here are the Benetint shades, the powders and gel-creams, and a few tints I would put next to them.

The story of Benefit starts with two twins from Indiana. Jean and Jane Ford moved to San Francisco in 1976 and opened a tiny makeup shop called the Face Place. Benefit says an exotic dancer walked in and asked for a rose-colored stain, and the twins boiled rose petals and carmine to make it. That became Benetint, and the shop was renamed Benefit Cosmetics in 1990. I like that a benefit blush begins with a customer request rather than a marketing plan.

Benetint is still the reason to start here. Benefit describes it as a long-wearing, waterproof lip and cheek stain that is buildable and transfer-resistant once set, with a doe-foot applicator. Rose is the classic, Raspberry is a raspberry tint, ChaChatint is mango-tinted, Floratint is a desert rose and Gogotint is a bright cherry. The newer Play Daze Airy Liquid Blush sets to a natural matte finish, with Willa a soft neutral rose and Chili a coral-orange. Play Daze Liquid Cheek in Berri rounds it out.

A quick test: put one dot on the back of your hand and let it set for a minute. Then try to rub it off. That is the real proof of a stain.

Comparison chart of Benefit Blush by formula, from liquid tint at the top to powder at the bottom, with every shade of one product on the same row and spread from cool pink to warm coral, featuring Benefit Benetint Lip and Cheek Stain, Juice Stick, Silky-Soft Powder Blush, Play Daze Willa and Dandelion
Benefit Blush

Benefit tints and liquid blush

Powders and gel-creams from Benefit

Benefit is not only about liquids. Dandelion is the cult baby-pink powder blush, silky, buildable and a soft satin finish. The Silky-Soft Powder Blush family sits beside it, with freshwater pearl and synthetic sapphire for a luminous look. Crystah is a strawberry pink, PomPom is a pomegranate rose, and Terra is a golden brick red for anyone who wants warmth.

If powder is too dry for you, the Juice Stick Dewy Gel-Cream Blush is the answer. Shellie is a warm seashell pink, and Figgie is a cool purple-pink. The formula has goji berry seed oil and coconut water for a cooling feel, and it is sweatproof and humidity-proof. There is also Juice Stick Cream Blush in Crystah. The Blush Palette in Western is the one to swatch first if you like options.

Pairing tip: put a Juice Stick on first, then press a little Dandelion over the top. It softens the dewy finish and gives the color a little more staying power.

What I would skip: Terra on very fair skin in a heavy hand. It is a golden brick red, and it goes on strong. Use a light brush and build slowly.

Benefit powder and cream blush

Other stains and tints like Benetint

Benetint has plenty of relatives. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush in Berry Flush is a tinted cheek serum with a sheer warm berry plum tone. Jillian Dempsey Cheek Tint in Petal comes from a makeup artist who gave every shade a story. caliray Socal Superbloom Dewy Lip & Cheek Soft Stain Tint in Wild Flower is a sheer cool pink with hyaluronic acid.

Wonderskin Wonder Blading All-Day Blush Stain in Flutter is a reddish pink stain made to be fade-proof and transfer-proof, and it comes in a dot-and-blend format. Lancôme Juicy Tubes Cheeks Jelly Long-wear Blush Tint in 02 Raspberry Jam is a cool raspberry fuchsia that sets to a blush stain. Ere Perez Beetroot Cheek & Lip Tint in Joy, Sacheu Cheek STAY-N All Day Liquid Blush in Im Hot and Freck Cheekslime Lip + Cheek Tint in Cuffed are new to me and round out the tints.

How to wear them: dot the color, tap with a fingertip, and work on one cheek at a time, because stains set fast.

What I would skip: layering a stain over a heavy moisturizer or balm. It slides around and can dry in patches. Let your skincare settle first.

Stains and tints like Benetint

Which Benefit blush to start with

Pick the format first. Benetint and the Play Daze liquids are for a stained, fresh look, the powders like Dandelion and PomPom are for a soft edge, and the Juice Stick is for dewy skin. Then match the shade to your undertone. Cool skin often flatters Figgie or Floratint, and warm skin often flatters ChaChatint or Terra. With any benefit blush you choose, use less than you think and blend until you cannot find where it starts. The best sign that it worked is that nobody asks what you are wearing, just if you have been outside.