Blush stains have been having a major moment again, and if you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen people comparing the classic Benefit Benetint Liquid Lip + Cheek Blush Stain with the e.l.f. Sheer For It Blush Tint. Benetint has been around for decades and is one of those iconic products that many people swear by for a natural, just-pinched flush. But recently, e.l.f. dropped its own version of a lip and cheek stain, and because it’s a fraction of the price, people are wondering if it’s actually a good alternative.
Both promise that sheer, natural-looking wash of colour that works on both cheeks and lips, but they’re pretty different when it comes to formula, price, and how they perform. Since I’m a beauty editor who gets to test a lot of makeup products, I decided to put them head-to-head to see which one actually comes out on top.
The Unexpected Origin Story Behind Benetint
Long before blush stains were trending on TikTok, Benefit Benetint Liquid Lip + Cheek Blush Stain already had cult status.
The product was originally created in 1976 by Benefit founders Jean and Jane Ford in their small shop in San Francisco.
A dancer from San Francisco’s Mission District came into the shop asking for something that would make her nipples appear more prominent on stage. The Ford sisters experimented by boiling rose petals with carmine to create a red stain, and the dancer loved the result. She ended up sharing the mixture with other dancers, and the tint quickly became popular.
What started as a nipple tint for exotic dancers eventually evolved into one of beauty’s most recognizable lip and cheek stains.
Similiar Ingredients in Benetint and the e.l.f. Sheer For It Blush Tint
Both the Benefit Benetint Liquid Lip + Cheek Blush Stain and the e.l.f. Sheer For It Blush Tint are water-based formula designed to leave behind a sheer, natural-looking flush. But when you break down the ingredient lists, you’ll see that each product takes a different approach to how the tint is delivered, how it feels on the skin, and what additional benefits it offers.
Shared ingredients include:
- Water (Aqua): the base ingredient in both formulas that gives the tint its lightweight liquid texture
- Glycerin:a humectant that helps attract moisture and prevents the tint from feeling too drying
- Hydroxyacetophenone: helps stabilize the formula and supports preservation
- Caprylyl Glycol: a moisturizing preservative booster that also helps prevent bacterial growth
- EDTA ingredients
- Benetint: Tetrasodium EDTA
- e.l.f.: Disodium EDTA
- These ingredients help stabilize the formula and prevent ingredient breakdown
Overall, both products rely on a water-based stain formula with humectants and preservatives to deliver sheer colour that blends easily into the skin.
Key Ingredient Differences Between Benetint and e.l.f.
While the two formulas share some core ingredients, there are several differences that affect texture, hydration, and overall formulation.
Ingredients unique to Benetint:
- Butylene Glycol: helps the tint spread easily and contributes to the watery stain texture
- Parfum (Fragrance): gives Benetint its signature scent
- Geraniol, Citronellol, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal: fragrance components that contribute to the scent
- Carmine (CI 75470): a natural red pigment derived from insects that gives the tint its colour
- Maltodextrin: helps stabilize the formula
Ingredients unique to e.l.f. Sheer For It Blush Tint:
- PPG-26-Buteth-26: helps blend ingredients together and improve texture
- PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil: helps disperse pigments evenly and improves smoothness
- Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate: a form of hyaluronic acid that helps attract moisture
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride: a lightweight emollient that helps soften the skin
- EthylhexylglycerinL a preservative booster that helps maintain formula stability
- Xanthan Gum: thickens and stabilizes the formula
- Synthetic colour dyes (Red 40, Red 33, Blue 1, Yellow 6): lab-created pigments used to create the tint shades
Ultimately Benetint is a minimal, traditional stain formula with fragrance and carmine pigment where as the e.l.f Sheer for it Blush Tint is a slightly more complex formula with added hydration ingredients and synthetic dyes.
Which One Is Better?
In my experience, Benefit’s Benetint can be a bit tricky to work with. Because the formula is so watery and dries down quickly, it can be harder to blend, especially on the cheeks. If you don’t blend it right away, it can sometimes leave a patchy finish on the skin, and I’ve noticed it can look a bit uneven on the lips as well.
The e.l.f. Sheer For It Blush Tint, on the other hand, feels more hydrating and is easier to blend. The formula spreads more smoothly on the cheeks and gives a softer, more even flush. It also leaves a really pretty wash of colour on the lips, making it a bit more versatile and user-friendly overall.
There’s also a noticeable price difference between the two. The e.l.f. Tint contains 6.8 ml of product and costs $7.96, while Benetint contains 6 ml and retails for $38. So not only is the e.l.f. version easier to blend, but you’re also getting slightly more product for a fraction of the price.
e.l.f. Sheer For It Blush Tint
Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Liquid Lip + Cheek Blush Stain
Disclosure: This product was gifted, but I am under no obligation to share a positive review. All opinions are entirely my own and based on my honest experience. This post also contains affiliate links; if you choose to purchase them, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support the content I create. Thank you for your support!