Benefit The Big Easy – Reviews and Swatches

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Make the easy choice for skin with Benefit’s latest

In my younger days, I avoided foundation like the plague. I hated feeling as if I had a mask on my face. Sadly, as I age, I feel that I have less freedom to let my skin go “commando”. I seem to have a lot more to hide these days. Luckily for me, there are great new innovations in the beauty world that can help me to find the coverage that I need without that heavy cakey look and feel that old-fashioned foundations used to have.

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It can be difficult to know where to turn first – tinted moisturizers, BB creams, CC creams, and primers – so many choices! Benefit has decided to make the decision easy for you with their new multi-balancing complexion perfector, The Big Easy.

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The Big Easy is a multi-balancing complexion perfector that is “bigger than BB”. Available in six shades, the liquid-to-powder formulation is oil free, non-comedogenic, and contains a broad spectrum SPF 35.

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According to Benefit, The Big Easy ($38) is designed to “help with balancing moisture and controlling oil, self adjust on skin to your exact shade, perfect and even with the liquid-to-powder finish, as well as protect with SPF 35 to help prevent aging.”

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These seem like bold claims for one small tube. You are probably wondering, as I did, if the Big Easy sounded too good to be true.

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I must tell you that after testing Benefit The Big Easy in 02 Light, I was very pleased with the results. (The team also got a look at 04 Medium and 06 Deep Beige.) Some backup info: I have sensitive, fair skin that is generally very oily with occasional dry patches.

Benefit-Big-Easy-8-swatchesBenefit The Big Easy in 02 Light, 04 Medium and 06 Deep Beige

After some trial and error, I found that you must first apply moisturizer to ensure optimal results. Otherwise, it can look cakey and settle into dry patches and fine lines. If your skin is moisturized, Big Easy leaves a beautiful finish. I felt that my skin looked smoother, the color was more even, and imperfections were well-hidden without adding additional concealer.

Benefit-Big-Easy-9- swatchesBenefit The Big Easy in 02 Light, 04 Medium and 06 Deep Beige – blended

I felt that the formula controlled oil very well for me, as I only saw a small amount of breakthrough after four to five hours. I was also very pleased with the color. Face make-up often reads very orange on me, and this did not. It looked like my skin, but better. Additionally, this felt very light and comfortable on my face. No heavy mask feeling here! I highly recommend this product.

Pros:
Liquid-to-powder finish (great for oily skin!)
SPF 35 (higher SPF than many all-in-one products)
Shade adjusting formula
Easy to use, portable tube with a cute little cap

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Cons:
Dimethicone (this was okay for me, but I know that many readers avoid it.)
Limited shade selection
May settle into dry patches or fine lines without adequate moisturization prior to application.

we heartsters – Have any of you perfected your complexion with Benefit The Big Easy?

photos: we heart this, swatches shown on NC25/30 skin tone

Kellie is a perpetual grad student, glamorous geek and writer. She hopes to one day soon add the title of history teacher to her repertoire. She resides in the frozen tundra of Northeast Ohio and is an avid consumer of books, tv, music, video games, beauty stuff, and accessories.
skin tone: NC15
skin type: oily and acne prone
favorite beauty product: lip products and face primers

Author

  • kellie76

    Kellie is a perpetual grad student, glamorous geek and writer. She hopes to one day soon add the title of history teacher to her repertoire. She resides in the frozen tundra of Northeast Ohio and is an avid consumer of books, tv, music, video games, beauty stuff, and accessories. skin tone: NC15 skin type: oily and acne prone favorite beauty product: lip products and face primers

12 Comments

  1. I am a big fan of liquid-to-powder products since I have combination skin. But I have to use a moisturizer or a primer before applying the foundation. It could give a cakey look if applied alone.

  2. I got to try the medium shade of Benefit’s The Big Easy Foundation. At first glance I thought the medium was way too orange-y for my oily, dehydrated winter skin, and that I should keep this handy for when I get a little more color on me. I was surprised to see the color blends beautifully! I have some old blemish scars on my cheek, and a small dab of the foundation covered everything without looking overdone. It worked well with my oily skin as well! Great product! 5 stars from me!

  3. I am still loving this foundation. This is truly one of the least “orange” looking foundations that I have ever tried. I absolutely still recommend using moisturizer and even primer before hand. This is 5 stars for me for sure. My skin looks great when I use The Big Easy. Give it a try!

    1. I don’t know. I am the lightest shade in MAC and it works very well for me. Swatch it in store first maybe.

  4. @kellie- Great review! I wish it did not have dimethicone. My skin revolts every single time. I recently tried Lorac CC creme — and like it no dimethicione.

  5. ClaudiaAndras13 says:

    Haven’t tried this one yet. These BB do it all creams never seem to be light enough for my skin tone. But I’ll run down to Sephora and swatch it

  6. I like how it has a SPF of 35…. Most are just 15. I will have to swatch some at the store!

  7. I got to try The Big Easy’s Deep Beige and I LOVE this product! I was a little leery because I have a sensitivity to sunscreen, but either the sunscreen is a physical one (rather than chemical) but it’s very gentle because I did not react to it at all.

    I wasn’t so sure about Deep Beige’s color for me, as I’m a NC42, but when applied it smoothed out my complexion and matched it perfectly. I’m mostly oily so I didn’t have any patchy issues, and I was crazy surprised by how velvety my skin felt. I usually use MAC’s StudioFix, and in comparison this is much more sheer, but it’s definitely gives more coverage than a tinted moisturizer. I don’t think I’ll switch to The Big Easy completely, but this is perfect for when I’m running late or just want a little bit of coverage. I also think I’ll use this a lot more in the summer, it’s so lightweight that I’m going to want it on those hot, humid Texas days. A big five stars from me!

  8. I love that this has a powder finish. Makes me feel a bit better about wanting to try this out for my combo skin!

  9. Hmmm interesting. The swatches look orangey, but you said it really looks like skin when you apply it… And the dimethicone is a turn-off. The packaging is sure stinkin’ cute though!

  10. I’ll be looking for this to sample next visit to their counter! What cute packaging too.. They always have the cutest designs! Looks like it could be a good one for my arsenal! Great review!

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