Benefit Cheekathon Palette Review & Swatches

You guys probably know by now that I'm a total blush addict. I just can't resist when I see a pretty new shade! And I have to say...I tried. I tried really hard to resist the new Benefit Cheekathon Palette ($58). I put it in my cart at Ulta during the 20% off sale and it sat there for several days while I went back and forth. Should I? Shouldn't I? Yes? No? Maybe?

In the end, the makeup addict in me won the fight against my practical side and I indulged. I tried to justify it by reminding myself that I don't own any of these powders except for Hoola and as a beauty blogger, I really should because, you know, I might want to swatch these against possible dupes at some point down the road. Makeup Addict also reminded Practical Side that these are all full sizes and if I were to buy them separately, they would add up to $145 (and take up way more space). 

So in the end, I got it for $46.40 with the 20% off coupon at Ulta. If you missed out on the sales at Ulta and Sephora, I have another deal for you that will bring the price of this down to $33, which I'll explain at the end of this post. 

Before I even show the inside, let's talk about the packaging. It's all adorable, girly and retro with dancing showgirls on the front, tons of pink everywhere, and gold stars sprinkled throughout. It's also a great size, not too bulky and is made of soft cardboard rather than plastic.

Inside, there's a mirror, five face powders, and the same brush that's included in all of Benefit's single boxed powders.

I can't even tell you how long I've been waiting to try Rockateur, Dallas and Coralista. Back when I worked at Sephora, the only two shades that existed were Dandelion and Hoola (okay now I feel old!). I used them all the time when I did my makeup at work and I even ended up buying Hoola at one point. But I never went back and bought the other shades. I think part of it was that I wasn't too fond of the boxes they came in. I mean, they're cute, but kind of a pain to open (and to store...so bulky!). They were also really expensive at $29 for one blush...yikes.

Another thing I should mention is the scent! It has a beautiful fruity-floral scent that reminds me of peaches. I happen to love it but if you're sensitive to scents, just know that it does seem to disappear once you apply them to your face. At least, I couldn't smell them once they were applied.

When I swatched the shades, I was noticed that they were sheerer than they look in the pan. I do remember Dandelion being subtle, but I was expecting Coralista and Rockateur to be darker (Dallas and Hoola are more pigmented). I'm totally not complaining though, because I have really fair skin so they all show up nicely on me and look very natural. Plus, they can be built up very easily for more impact.

I just wanted to mention it because those of you who have deeper skin tones might be disappointed in the color payoff and may have trouble getting the lighter shades to show up.

Overall, this is one face palette that's not to be missed, especially if you're already a fan of Benefit's face powders. It's such a great deal for what you're getting and is way more portable than all of those bulky, individual boxes.
You can find this at Sephora and Ulta for $58 or...

if you're willing to sign up for the free Visa Checkout service on the HSN.com website, you'll get $25 to use toward anything over $50 at HSN. That brings the price of this palette down to $33!

Visa Checkout will store your credit card information (any major card, not just Visa) so you don't have to fill out the payment information forms when you shop online...basically it saves you time during checkout and is free. Here's how to sign up:

1. Go to HSN.com and add the Cheekathon palette (or anything else over $50) to your shopping cart.
2. During checkout, choose the Visa Checkout option.
3. Sign up for a free account and when you return to HSN, you'll have a $25 credit in your cart.

Have you tried the Benefit Cheekathon palette yet? I'd love to hear your thoughts!