Benefit Coralista

It's been a long time since I've done a good, old-fashioned product review! Well, I am trying to remedy that; I have a couple in the works, and we're going to kick it off today with an exploration of Benefit's Coralista.

Coralista is one of Benefit's Box o' Powders, their collection of brightening, bronzing, and blushing face powders. I'd call Coralista a blush; if you have a darker skin tone, though, you could probably use it to highlight and brighten. It's the perfect coral shade, a beautiful balance between pink and coral that makes it suited to both warm and cool complexions, and I love that it goes with almost any combination of colors you can think of. When I need a quick wash of brightening blush and don't want to think too hard about matching the blush color to the eyeshadows I've chosen, I reach for Coralista. It's also a sheer enough but buildable color that it's pretty foolproof; you are not going to look like a clown (unless you want to; like I said, it is buildable).  It will run you $28 for .28 ounces of product, and the box includes a specialized brush. If you'd like to read more about it, you can do so at Benefit's website.  I don't use the brush that is included with it; it's a fine brush, just not the right size for precise placement. I use Coralista with a pretty basic fluffy blush brush (mine is Sonia Kashuk).

My poor Coralista is a couple of years old; the box is looking a little bit beat up, and they've changed the box design so now the lid flips up, instead of lifting off. I suppose this is an improvement, but I don't really mind mine! I mentioned before that this is a nicely balanced coral-pink shade that isn't overly cool or overly warm. It isn't sparkly, but it does have a faint hint of very fine pink-gold shimmer to it, just enough to give it a bit of an iridescent glow and keep it from looking flat. While the base color leans more coral, this glow pulls a bit pinker, and I find this finish really flattering (and forgiving when it comes to application)!

Here's the box:

Coralista!

 The included brush:

And the product itself! You can get an idea of its "glowiness" here; notice that there is no glitter or noticeable shimmer.

And swatches! I've shown what it looks like sheer on top, and built up on the bottom. I love that finish! Kind of a glowy satin.

And here I am wearing only Coralista over foundation and powder; no bronzer or highlighter. I've done a couple of passes of Coralista with a fluffy blush brush to build up the color some.

Summary: Coralista is a gorgeous pinky-coral shade, and its finish and opacity are SO forgiving. It's a really easy to wear, flattering blush. I'd recommend this to anyone, from blush novices who are afraid of overdoing it, to those who have a full arsenal of blushes and are looking for something soft and pretty but buildable.

Do any of you own Coralista? I love Benefit's Box o' Powder line, and Coralista has become my go-to brightening blush. I can wear it on its own and get a bit of a highlight along with a healthy glow.