Benetints small brush targets the exact area you want but can be drippy.

Benetint is the original rose tinted cheek and lip stain and is the worlds best known product in this category.  Since its launch in the 1970s Benetint has remained unchanged (other than the name) The product comes in a nail polish style bottle with a small brush and is intended to be dabbed wherever the user wants it.

In the bottle the formula looks a very dark red colour and is very thin in consistency. Once on the skin it blends in to be a beautiful rosy flush, almost like you have just come in from the cold. Just a beautiful translucent wash of colour

Upon applying you must work extremely quickly to blend with your fingers or brush as it is (as the name implies) very staining. The products liquid formula means that it disperses very quickly on the skin and will drip and bleed if not attended to immediately.

The product has a gorgeous rose fragrance which adds another element to the product.  The staining power of this product is very good, it will last all day and is definitely buildable to get the desired level of rosy flush. It really does look pretty, and seems to compliment those of us with dark hair.

With over 10 million bottles sold, it is a firm favourite with makeup lovers.

If you’re the kind of makeup lover who adores a cult product and believes the original is the best then this is the product for you. Be warned thought that you really do need to work exceptionally fast with this product. Also bright red finger tips are guaranteed upon every use. When you have the hang of it – its great but it does take practise.

2. Thebalm – Staniac, Beauty Queen

$A22.95 for 8.5gms
Available from selected David Jones department stores and online at Adore Beauty



The doe foot wand of Stainiac

Thebalm are one of my favourite makeup brands but I have found them a little hard to find at times. I believe that they used to be stocked at Kit cosmetics but are now exclusively stocked at some  David Jones stores and Adore Beauty.  Thebalm have built up their own devoted following by making fun and on trend cosmetics with adorable packaging at a slightly lower price point.

The first thing that is noticeably different about Staniac is the packaging, while Benetint resembles a thin, transparent nail polish, the Staniac could be mistaken for a lip balm. The product is presented in a long tube and is applied with a doe foot wand.

Stainiac (L) and Benetint (R) straight after application

The formula is also very different. The consistency is a smooth transparent gel, to me it feels like it might have a silicone base as it sort of has the feel of the Smashbox primer. It glides onto the skin and its thicker consistency means that it wont drip in the time that it takes you to put the lid back on and start blending.

While Benetint has a rich, dark red in the bottle, Staniac is a pinker shade of red and this also translates on the skin.



stainiac (R) and Benetint (L) after being blended. The stainiac is slightly pinker.

Staniacs tinting ability is great,  it does not set in and stain as fast as the other product and it gives more time for you to sweep the product across your cheeks before staining. The lasting power is also very good and just like the Benetint it is longevity is good and is buildable.

This product is much more user friendly, the formula is so easy to work with and at a slightly lower price point (admittedly for less product) it would be best suited for those new to tints and stains.

My verdict

The differences in consistency is visible once applied on the skin. Benetints liquid formula means that it can run and bleed into the skin.

Considering that most of my makeup application occurs in the early morning, when im ususally in a rush to get out the door I think the ease and fool proof nature of the Staniac stain is more suited to me. Often I have used Benetint and had to rush to blend that I have managed to spill or drop the very runny formula on my clothes or table top. The Staniacs thicker formula prevents that from happening.   The fact that Staniac takes a little longer to stain is also a good thing as I for one have walked out of the house only to find when I see a mirror that I have splotches of darker staining on some parts of my face.

What has been your experience with stains? Are there any others on the market that you would recommend?