Tried and tested: Our Beauty Editor gave the new Benefit foundation a whirl

You'll never look back.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I have a serious love for Benefit Cosmetics. It was the first makeup brand I ever used at just 15, and I've been singing its praises ever since. Of all the Benefit products ever released, their Hello Happy foundation has been my favourite. This soft blur foundation has been my hero makeup product for the last year (I honestly can't get enough of it.) Anyway, last week Benefit dropped a new member of the Hello Happy family, and wow the excitement was real.

The Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation is here, and it is something else.

Described on the Benefit website as a "medium coverage liquid foundation," as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to try it. Mainly because I was curious to see if it could stand up to the Hello Happy OG. The beautiful humans at Benefit sent me over the groovy new foundation in shade 4, and I was super eager to give it a go. And so I lashed it on. First impressions? This medium coverage liquid foundation feels lightweight, looks natural and is virtually undetectable on skin. It almost feels like a second skin. I went on with my routine, and applied the new Hello Happy Velvet Powder on top of the foundation to really lock it in. Then I lashed on the rest of my makeup, which included Benefit Hoola (because obviously!), Benefit Gimme Brow, and Benefit Rollerlash mascara. Yes, I'm very brand loyal. Sue me. And needless to say, I was only delighted with the finished look - please see embarrassing before and after imagery for reference. [caption id="attachment_472406" align="alignnone" width="943"] No, I'm not naked in the middle picture FYI.[/caption] I decided to look into the ingredients, as I was curious to know what made this baby so lightweight and gorge. Well, it's pretty damn impressive. The new Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation contains photochromic pigments (science baby) that actually adapt to brighten skin in any lighting, natural or artificial. So yeah, that explains why it's such a nice finish. It also contains flower acids to help boost radiance and hyaluronic acid to attract moisture to the skin’s surface and help maintain hydration. Which means that you're actually treating your skin while wearing makeup. Two birds, one stone. Anyway, all in all this new creation is getting a 10/10 for me - as someone who loves wearing makeup, but also hates wearing too much. It's perfect for anyone who wants a gorgeous, long lasting glow, but doesn't want that cakey, matte finish. Oh and BY THE WAY, this new benefit foundation comes in 12 fabulous shades - yay for inclusive beauty. You can get your hands on the full size here for €45, or if you want to try before you commit, there's also a cute mini size available for €16.50.