Lou's Reviews- Benefit vs Collection 2000

I have always been a believer of the phrase "you get what you pay for" and as and when I can afford it (which sadly isn't as often as I would like!), I have splashed out on MAC and Benefit for makeup and Clinique for skin care. On the whole, I would say that these high end brands are of better quality and give greater results. However, I have found an exception!

Now, this is not the only exception to the rule, I have found quite a few brilliant drugstore brands that I would buy over MAC and Benefit but this is the first I want to share with you. PRESSED POWDER.

I bought this Benefit Get Even Powder (In no. 2) about a year ago and when I first bought it, I was somewhat let down. The lady at the stand had insisted that it was the right shade for my skin tone and although I had my doubts, I was bamboozled by the Benefittyness and bought it for £22.50. Yikes!

I have found that this is too dark for my natural and very pale skintone but works a treat when I am fake tanned. The powder is lovely and smooth with very fine particles and doesn't dry my skin out. I usually brush a light dusting over foundation to set it nicely and erradicate that oily look that foundation can sometimes leave. It's easy to use at home with my brushes or on the go because of it's handy mirror and black puffy sponge thinygymabob.

I've had this a year and it's still going strong so you do get a fair amount- and so you bloomin's should for £22.50 eh!

So I was happy with my powder when I had a tan, but fake tanning is quite an upkeep and there are times when I like to embrace my natural hue. I didn't fancy forking out another whopping £22.50 so I opted for this little beauty above. It's from the Collection 2000 range which is a very affordable drugstore brand and I absolutely love it. It's products are so fun and frivellous and their glitter eyeliners are amazing! Review on those to come I think :)

Anyway, this is the finishing powder in Ivory for an easy £1.99 and it even claims to contain vitamin E and UVA and UVB suncreen- bargain! It goes is smoothly and silkily with my prestige fluffy brush (which by the way, is still sheading fibres- so not going for prestige brushes again thank you very much!) and sits really nicely on my foundation- I use Maybeline Dream Matt Mousse (ivory) for non tan days. I finishes my skin off nicely and doesn't leave little flakey dry patches like some powders can.

If I was asked to try these and not told which was which, I think I would struggle to differentiate between the two. The real difference is not in the product itself, but in the packaging. Collection 2000 offers the powder in a plastic palette with a pull off lid and little else, whereas Benefit displays the powder in a sleek black compact complete with mirror and sexy puff jobby-yummy!

So bloggerinos, what do you think? Do you think you get what you pay for, or that this is what we are led to believe by companies that want us to part with lots of our hard earned mula?

Toodlepip! xx