Benefit Total Moisture Facial cream - The Autumn/Winter skin saviour!

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of happy fresh faced angels singing joyfully about the glory and utter awesomness that is Total moisture by Benefit! It’s not often I do an actual happy dance in-store as I purchase a product but when I picked this up at my local Benefit counter I did a little jig.

So just what am I getting so excited about? It’s only a moisturiser I hear you say…but oh no, it is so much more than that! It is the official ‘skin saver autumn/winter’. *insert applause here* Even though I have oily skin, come winter my skin starts to really dry out and my complexion becomes super pale and dull – I could probably play an extra on the Walking Dead with little SFX make-up required! I’ve tried a variety of moisturisers over the years but they usually make my oily t-zone even worse which leads me into all kinds of realms of frustration.  

Last winter I was given a couple of samples of Benefits Total Moisture Facial cream. I was sceptical at first, this cream is so rich and thick, everything an oily skinned gal is told to run like the wind from – was I really considering putting this on my face? In the interest of beauty and sheer curiosity – why not?

I started using it as a night cream, avoiding my t-zone and concentrating a very small amount on my cheeks, temples, sides of nose, neck and décolleté. My face didn’t look all that shiny – and instantly felt ah-mazing! You know that feeling you get when you haven’t had a drink for a really long time, how cool and refreshing that first sip tastes when you finally get one? That’s exactly how my skin felt! I continued to use it throughout the winter as a night cream and my skin was exceptionally grateful for that hydrating boost every night. My skin looked brighter and fuller every morning – with this secret weapon I could take on whatever weathers Winter wanted to throw at me and then some! (say that 3 times fast!)

Recently my skin has started to show signs of winter wear and tear so I knew it was time to bring this baby out to play. It retails for £27.50 for 1.7oz. Not exactly a budget beauty but the one jar will last me pretty much the whole season so it’s a good investment buy. I’m a bit of a magpie when it comes to shiny pretty things too so I absolutely love the jar it comes in. It’s a thick solid glass jar with a faux-cork lid. It looks divine on the dressing table, you really feel like you’re using a luxury product every time you pick it up. 

Though it’s designed for normal – dry skin, as long as the oilier amongst us keep it well away from our problem zones you shouldn’t see any nasty oil-increasing effects. It smells like a high end product, with a light fresh scent. Consistency wise it’s thick, really really thick! You need the smallest amount on your finger tips and it’s absorbed so quickly into the skin. It doesn’t actually say this is specifically for day or evening use – I imagine the dry skinned ladies amongst us will find this a luxuriant and nourishing day cream but for the rest of us, I’d suggest sticking to evenings only. I think it’s too heavy to go under foundation! I actually got talking to one of the Benefit girls who said she uses it as an evening cream too – so at least I know I’m not the only one!

I have yet to try the other products in Benefits skincare line but I’ve got my eyes on the It’s potent eye cream and the pore-fessional!

Have you tried any of Benefits skin care products? Thoughts?