(This post was written for The Glosse Posse.)

This week’s beauty product recommendation is the lip and cheek stains from Benefit. At $30 USD, each jar is 12.5ml and comes with a brush that can be used on lips and cheeks. While the price may be rather steep for some of you, I highly recommend it. When I first discovered Benefit’s Benetint, I found it so easy and convenient to use that I didn’t want to bother with powder blush or lipsticks / lip glosses anymore. What I love best is that it gives you a very natural look and no one would believe that you have any makeup on. 

If Benetint is a shade too red for you, try posietint, a poppy-pink lip and cheek stain, which is more subtle and better suited for a more Victorian- or Edwardian-inspired look, particularly if you have the desired noble pale complexion. Similar to this tint is chachatint, which has a mango- or coral-tinted stain but still give a subtle rosy glow. Unlike benetint which is liquid-based, both of these are creamier.

• Lips: first apply your tint, then apply lipbalm. Doesn’t work as well the other way around!
• Cheeks: first apply your makeup, then your tint. If you put on too much tint, you can add more foundation.

For a list of other lip & cheek stain products, take a look at the reviews on totalbeauty. If you would rather be more authentic and have something natural, LittleBits on Etsy has a number of beauty products based on 18th Century recipes. One of these is the 1772 Liquid Rouge and Blush for $10 USD. Another age-old alternative is to apply beet juice on your cheeks and lips. It’s healthy. 

Don’t like putting on makeup or have anything on your face? Pinch your cheeks! That’s what they did back then.  As for your lips, gently exfoliate your lips and drink lots of water. Voila, your natural lip colour!