The VIB sale is a glorious time for many, and I waited till the sale to pick up the new Benefit Cosmetics blush in Galifornia! The boxed blushes are some of the most well known products and actually one of my very first high end purchases! When I saw the packaging of the new Galifornia on Instagram, I knew I had to get this one! However, I actually ended up returning this, so find out why!
Basics
Name: Benefit Cosmetics GALifornia
Price: $38
Size: 5g
Available at Sephora
Packaging: I can’t even. The packaging is what sold me to buy this blush and I just love the color combination and retro vibe. It is in the classic Benefit Cosmetics boxed blush packaging which is a cardboard box that flips open. There’s a mirror inside but it’s not big. There’s also a brush that’s surprisingly good. Oh did I mention, it also smells fruity and lightly sweet!
Shade: Benefit Galifornia described as a sunny golden-pink blush which I was very excited to have in my collection for spring/summer. This is where it starts to go wrong. Based on the description and the photos, I was expecting a strong golden sheen to the blush. I much prefer coral/neutral blushes on my cheeks and this ended up being a medium pink (see swatches below). When swatched, the color of Benefit Galifornia just isn’t very unique and it also isn’t a shade I’d often wear. The worst part I think is that the golden overspray is SO thin and is gone after one use. I was expecting a strong gold color to pull through.
Formula: I found some people complained that there is not enough pigmentation in Benefit Galifornia. I used it with the brush it came with and I had no trouble with getting the color to show up. However, it isn’t a strongly pigmented product. The product is smooth although a bit dry/hard.
Benefit Galifornia vs. Benefit Bella Bamba Comparison
I decided to grab my bella bamba blush to do a comparison as the swatches reminded me of it! And my instincts were right, the shades were super similar! Bella Bamba is actually more of a golden pink than GALifornia. I don’t really pick up on any golden in the swatch and is more of a true medium pink. You can especially see the difference with two layers of swatches (second photo).
Left: Bella Bamba
Right: GALifornia
Left: Bella Bamba
Right: GALifornia
So I ended up returning this blush as it’s just too similar to things I have in my collection and it’s not really a color I’d like to wear. The packaging is absolutely adorable though! So if you’re looking for a true pink blush and you weren’t expecting a golden blush, then you might actually really like it! I love Benefit Cosmetics though so I hope they come out with another boxed blush soon!