Swatch and Review: Benefit Hydra-Smooth Lip Color in Lip Service and Tutti-Cutie

January 1, 2014 by pearlessence 14 Comments

What does the new Benefit packaging bring to mind for you? I think it almost reminds me of something out of Aladdin, with their skincare packaged like glass potion bottles with corked tops. Benefit’s Hydra-Smooth Lip Color lipsticks look similarly magical, although the white tubing reminds me a little more of cathedral pillars.

If you follow me in Instragram (pearlessencepics), you’ll know that I swatched these a few weeks ago at my local Sephora and I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about them ever since.

I ended up purchasing Lip Service and Tutti-Cutie, as they were peachier shades that I really wanted to try. Juicy Details is a nice pink that also leans warmer, suitable for warm skin tones as well.

The Hydra-Smooth Lip Color lipsticks came in thick cardboard packaging. Each lipstick is 3.0 g, or 0.11 oz, available at Sephora for $23 CAD. They are very smooth and buttery upon application, but also very sheer. It took several applications to build up the colour you see in the swatches below.

The lip product itself is uniquely shaped, and a little difficult to work with if you are looking to draw precise lines. Although because they are very sheer, precise application isn’t necessary anyway. The consistency is soft and buttery so the sharp edges of the lipstick are easily eroded away.

Here are photos of Lip Service, described as a pink peach.

There is tiny shimmer in Lip Service. Although it is not visible on the lips, there is leftover shimmer on your lips after the colour is wiped off.

Below is a comparison between my bare lips and the Benefit Hydra-Smooth Lip Color in Lip Service.

Lip Service is definitely a “my-lips-but-better” shade. True to its namesake, it is definitely hydrating and applies smoothly. Lip Service could be applied without a mirror because it is such a sheer and natural shade.

Here are photos of Tutti-Cutie, described as a coral shade.

Tutti-Cutie looks vivid and bright in the tube, but upon application it is a sheer pink-coral. There is tiny shimmer in the tube as well that is not visible on the lips upon application. Like Lip Service, the shimmer in Tutti-Cutie will stay after the coral colour is gone.

Below is a comparison between my bare lips and the Benefit Hydra-Smooth Lip Color in Tutti-Cutie.

Tutti-Cutie is more vibrant on my lips, giving it a “just-bitten” look. The product is just as hydrating and smooth as Lip Service. Because the colour is more vibrant, I do find that Tutti-Cutie will settle in fine lines and accentuate any flakiness on my lips. You would do well to exfoliate your lips first.

I think that most shades of the Benefit Hydra-Smooth Lip Color would be universally flattering on most skin tones, given that most are very sheer and show your natural lip colour. They are quite creamy and hydrating on the lips, but that means that they don’t have much staying power, which is expected.

There are similar drugstore products that are smooth and hydrating as well, such as Revlon Lip Butters and Maybelline Color Whisper, but they tend to be more pigmented. As such, I find that if I purchase a colour that is too cool for my skin tone, I wouldn’t be able to get away with it. It’s harder to go wrong with most shades of the Benefit Hydra-Smooth Lip Color. This is also one of the few higher-end brands that offer a lipstick line that resembles tinted balms but has a variety of shades that are universally flattering.

I do find that the Benefit packaging is excessive for the amount of product that is actually included. It is aesthetically pleasing, but they could probably have taken 1-2 inches off the tube length and halved the cap size just so it would be able to fit vertically in my drawer next to all my other lipsticks. No denying that it looks great on a vanity, but not too practical for storage purposes. I don’t think that smaller packaging would make it less pleasing to the eye, though.

Have you tried Benefit’s Hydra-Smooth Lip Color? What do you think about it?

Here are some blooper photos where someone couldn’t resist giving the lipsticks a good sniff.