Benefit Cosmetics have been around for a while and yet it seems like they constantly fall under the radar. In an environment where so many brands are banging out new products every five minutes, who even notices Benefit’s one new release a year (if that). That being said, there’s something to appreciate about curated makeup lines, so let’s talk about Benefit’s Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation.
The name is quite a mouthful and Benefit used to have a foundation called the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup, that they’ve since discontinued. I remember that one having this beautiful radiant finish yet somehow I never got around to picking it up.
They also recently discontinued their Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation which was supposed to be a matte product and looked very similar to this one.
With the names being so similar, when I discovered a mini of this foundation, I thought it might be a new an improved combo of both foundations and decided to try it out.
- Benefit Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation Overview
- Benefit Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation Review
- Cruelty-Free and Vegan Status
- Where to Buy the Benefit Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation
- Final Thoughts
Benefit Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation Overview
The Benefit Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation is available in two sizes. The full size contains 1 fl. oz and retails for $30. The mini size which is pictured here contains 0.33 oz and retails for $15.
Hello Happy contains SPF 15 and comes in 12 shades. The mini size is only available in 7 shades.
The foundation comes in a cute little frosted glass bottle with a pink reflective cap and a heart-eyes smiley face depicted on the front. This foundation does include a pump even on the mini size.
Benefit Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation Review
Claims
Benefit describes this product as a brightening, medium-coverage foundation, which feels lightweight and is virtually undetectable on skin.
Consistency
Hello Happy is on the thicker side of a standard liquid foundation. When you first pump it out it holds its shape and doesn’t run down your hand.
It doesn’t totally break down as it blends but rather keeps some opacity which keeps it from fully sinking into the skin.
It sets pretty quickly to a finish that’s almost, but not quite completely dry. To tap your skin you’ll pick up the slightest layer of foundation on your finger. I always set with powder so I didn’t find it to be an issue.
I wouldn’t describe the Hello Happy Flawless Finish as a moisturizing foundation but it’s definitely not drying. There’s maybe the tiniest bit of hydration upon initial application but overall it wears like an average liquid foundation. I didn’t find it to be particularly lightweight either.
Coverage
This foundation claims to be medium coverage and I’d say that’s accurate. It evens out the skin and covers minor redness around my nose but isn’t enough coverage to tackle undereye circles or major blemishes.
I wasn’t too impressed with the way the foundation built on itself. I applied it with my Artis brush which usually maximizes the coverage of any product I’m applying. This foundation couldn’t really build past a medium coverage, even with multiple layers.
Finish
When I hear the word “brightening” in a foundation title, I usually assume it’s designed to give some level of radiance to the skin.
That’s not the case with Benefit’s Hello Happy. Contrary to how I remember the finish original Hello Flawless Foundation, this one seems pretty much matte.
I wouldn’t describe it as super dry but it’s flat enough that I wouldn’t even categorize it as a satin. If I turn my head I don’t see the light picking up on any points of my face and there’s really no glow to skin.
For me the finish didn’t really do much to flatter my skin. I didn’t feel like it made my skin look healthier or improved. It just looked kind of average all around.
If you generally stick to matte finishes you might like foundation. I’m all about the glow and this finish wasn’t brightening or particularly flattering on me.
SPF Properties
Hello Happy has an SPF 15 and contains both physical and chemical sunscreen properties. The active ingredients are Octinoxate and Titanium Dioxide.
Shade Range
The Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation comes in a total of 12 shades for the full size and 7 shades in the mini. For a medium coverage foundation 12 shades isn’t enough to cover a broad range of skin tones.
Most of the shades are labeled as warm or neutral warm so there’s not many options for those with cooler skin tones. There is a spectrum of light to deep so if you are warmer toned you may be able to find a shade that works for you.
I wear the shade 4 Medium Neutral which is a hair dark on my NC30 skin. I also felt like the foundation oxidized a bit so that may have contributed to the shade being to deep for me.
Scent
Hello Happy has a mild floral fragrance with a slight alcohol undertone. It’s not really noticeable once applied but may be bothersome for those that are really sensitive to smells.
Cruelty-Free and Vegan Status
Benefit is not considered a cruelty-free brand.
The brand states that they themselves do not test their finished products on animals however they do have animal tests performed on their behalf in countries where it’s required by law.
Benefit makes no claims of any of their products being vegan.
Where to Buy the Benefit Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation – $30
- Sephora – Free shipping and free returns.
- Ulta – Free shipping on orders over $35.
- Macys – Free shipping on orders over $25 and free returns.
- Benefit – Free shipping on orders over $50.
- Beautylish – Free shipping on orders over $35 and free returns. International shipping available.
- HSN – Free shipping
Regardless of where you choose to purchase from, make sure to check if Rakuten (ebates) is offering cashback. Sephora offers cashback for anywhere from 2% to 8% and Macy’s up to 10%, so it’s definitely worth looking into.
If you haven’t signed up for Rakuten yet, you can do so here, it only takes a minute and then you’ll earn cashback every time you shop through their link. They also have an extension which I recommend installing, that activates cashback on all eligible websites with one click. It also scans for coupons.
Final Thoughts
This was just a meh foundation for me. The coverage was ok but not anything special and it wasn’t a particularly lightweight product. I didn’t think it left a flattering finish and overall I didn’t find that my skin was enhanced much in any way.
If you want a matte finish medium coverage foundation this will give you that but for the price you can probably find something better with a broader shade range.
Pros
- Medium coverage evens out the skin
- Doesn’t dry out the skin
Cons
- Finish doesn’t do much to enhance the skin
- Foundation didn’t build well on itself
- Very poor shade range
- Foundation oxidizes slightly
Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment below.
Bye now,
