Hello lovelies, it’s time for another bronzer review this time from Benefit called Hoola. I’ve been on a bit of a bronzer kick lately especially for mattes that I can double for contouring because I have a round face that comes off flat but this irk is a quick fix with the right bronzer. 
Benefit’s Hoola retails for $28 USD for 0.28 oz of product. It’s priced very well for the quantity and quality. A Nars bronzer will usually be about $36 USD for 0.28 oz and most Too Faced bronzers will run you $30 for 0.35 oz so it’s in that ballpark for comparison. You can find Hoola on Benefit’s main site and in-stores at Macy, Sephora, Ulta, Bloomingdales, etc. Throw a rock in a direction and you’re bound to find a mall or department store that sells it. I know Benefit flagship stores exist but I think there are like…40-ish in the entire world? I saw one in London once and had that “Oh my god, they do exist” moment of awe.
Packaging is a cute little box with a magnetic closure. It’s a bit of an unusual container if you’re not familiar with Benefit’s boxes because it’s just a cardboard box with a tiny little mirror and wooden paddle brush. Most other companies package their bronzers in some sort of compact so you can toss in a bag and go while this is more setup for sitting on your counter. You CAN keep it in your purse or makeup bag, it’s sturdy enough for travel but you might ding your perfect corners a little and any liquids will be a deterioration risk on the cardboard, and again, risk scratching that cardboard surface as well.
The paddle brush comes off small. I mean, it’s tiny looking and almost looks too tiny for application but the bristles are extremely soft so they spread out during application for a wider coverage that doesn’t carry heavily across your face. You can check out swatches later for what I mean. There is some minor initial shedding out of the box but nothing so drastic that you’ll get tiny hairs all over your face after that. I tend to prefer an angled contour brush for better control but this is a nice addition to the box and in a pinch does the trick.
The bronzer is a finely milled pressed powder and feels soft and velvety smooth on your skin. It does not feel powdery or dry. The shade itself is close but definitely not as dark as Too Faced Chocolate Soleil with a cool undertone and no fragrance whatsoever. It’s a VERY flattering matte contour color. No glitter, no shimmer, no funky orange undertones…it’s phenomenal and comes off for day application much more natural and cooler in undertone than my other bronzers. If bronzers could talk then I’m pretty sure my Chocolate Soleil is calling me a cheating harlot right now
Here are my swatches. I did two things with this. The upper bar was my sweep with the makeup brush that came with the box brushed sideways for originally a narrow stroke but the soft bristles spread out WIDER than I anticipated during application. A gentler touch would make that line narrower but at least there’s a visual of just how wide and soft a coverage you can get with the packaged brush. The lower bar is with my finger so it’s more concentrated than the the softer line above. Overall awesome pigmentation where a little goes a long way with buildable color straight from that cute powder box. Dark skin tones may find it too light but would work very well for light to medium with it looking softer on medium, of course. I found it easier to blend out with one of my rounded powder brushes than with my fingertips.
Well, my lovelies, that’s Benefit’s Hoola bronzer in a nutshell and it is superb. I love it and would definitely rebuy this baby if I ever ran out. If you’ve tried this comment or have a favorite bronzer recommendation feel free to comment below. 🙂
Makeup Noir 