Not Worth It: Benefit The Porefessional, Agent Zero Shine
When Benefit's original Porefessional face primer and pore perfector was launched, it became an instant best seller and classic beauty product. Now Benefit have added to the sub-brand with the launch of The Porefessional: Agent Zero Shine, a 'shine vanishing pro powder' that claims to minimise pores and eliminate shine. The lightweight tube features a detachable brush on one end, and a lid on the other that reveals a 'talc' like dispenser. To use the product you simply tap a small amount of powder into the lid, use the brush to pick up the product (tapping to remove excess,) and buff into the skin. It can be used under or over makeup, depending on how heavy you like it or the consistency of your foundation, to provide a flawless finish... But is this to become as cult-like as the original? In my opinion, no.
Although the powder does provide a shine free finish and help to create a flawless result, even on oily skin and visible pores, it's essentially just a loose powder. As someone that has used finishing powder within my makeup routine as long as I can remember, for me this was an added extra that I didn't really need. The powder is exceptionally fine and perfect for those afraid of the matte or heavy result a loose powder can provide, but the trick is all in the application - if you use a high quality powder and great brush then the same result can be achieved. I also felt a little let down by the quality of the product; I'm used to lusting over the detail of the Benefit packaging, really believing love has gone into producing it, but this felt a little cheap. I hated the quality of the brush and found I could achieve much better results with my own, while the detailing and different elements made me feel Benefit have over-complicated what could have been a simple product.
What also makes me uncomfortable about The Porefessional: Agent Zero Shine, is the price point. It's a whopping £23.50 for 7g of powder, which in comparison to the £3.99 pressed powder from Seventeen Cosmetics I'm also currently using, is seriously overpriced. If this provided something unique or different then I would be singing it's praises, as a lover of all things Benefit; however, in my opinion this is simply a loose powder presented in an innovative format so a premium can be charged. This is a perfect example of a brand taking advantage of a successful launch and consumer enthusiasm, without really thinking about what it is they're buying into - there isn't really a unique selling point here, which is why (for me) this has been one of the biggest disappointments of 2013. Keep your pennies and buy some more Quality Street...!
Benefit The Porefessional: Agent Zero Shine is available now priced £23.50 for a 7g tub.
Although the powder does provide a shine free finish and help to create a flawless result, even on oily skin and visible pores, it's essentially just a loose powder. As someone that has used finishing powder within my makeup routine as long as I can remember, for me this was an added extra that I didn't really need. The powder is exceptionally fine and perfect for those afraid of the matte or heavy result a loose powder can provide, but the trick is all in the application - if you use a high quality powder and great brush then the same result can be achieved. I also felt a little let down by the quality of the product; I'm used to lusting over the detail of the Benefit packaging, really believing love has gone into producing it, but this felt a little cheap. I hated the quality of the brush and found I could achieve much better results with my own, while the detailing and different elements made me feel Benefit have over-complicated what could have been a simple product.
What also makes me uncomfortable about The Porefessional: Agent Zero Shine, is the price point. It's a whopping £23.50 for 7g of powder, which in comparison to the £3.99 pressed powder from Seventeen Cosmetics I'm also currently using, is seriously overpriced. If this provided something unique or different then I would be singing it's praises, as a lover of all things Benefit; however, in my opinion this is simply a loose powder presented in an innovative format so a premium can be charged. This is a perfect example of a brand taking advantage of a successful launch and consumer enthusiasm, without really thinking about what it is they're buying into - there isn't really a unique selling point here, which is why (for me) this has been one of the biggest disappointments of 2013. Keep your pennies and buy some more Quality Street...!
Benefit The Porefessional: Agent Zero Shine is available now priced £23.50 for a 7g tub.
