The Story:
Jana and Jane Ford are two twins that were raised on a farm in Indiana. They moved to San Francisco to start a new life for themselves. They had two business ideas – a cosmetics company that delivered high quality product with fun, fresh, youthful and adorable packaging OR a casserole cafe. Thank goodness that coin landed on tails or we wouldn’t have Benefit Cosmetics today. Jana and Jane built their company around the idea that “makeup doesn’t have to be serious to look good” and firmly believe the idea that “laughter is the best cosmetic”.
They began by opening a small cosmetic shop in California called “The Face Place” in 1976. In 1990 the company was renamed Benefit, and the first Benefit Beauty Counter popped up in a New York City department store! They went international in 1997 and in 1999 the company was acquired by Louis Vuitton!
You can read more about the companies story here.
The Brand:
Benefit Cosmetics stands out by having funky and unique packaging and marketing. Most high end companies try to make their packaging look sleek, clean and expensive. Benefit’s founders believe that makeup shouldn’t be so serious, so they created silly names and quirky packaging to bring a smile to every beauty lover. If you go to Benefit retailers on the days that new products launch, you’ll often find employees wearing silly props to promote the new products.
The Products:
Benefit has over 200 products ranging from cosmetics to skin care. The following are my personal opinions of a few of their products.
They’re Real Mascara is an award winner and a Benefit staple. This product is accompanied with ad campaigns and product posters featuring women with obviously fake breasts taking lie detector tests and sporting handcuffs in front of a line up wall. This mascara isn’t one of my favorites. To me it makes my lashes clumpy, but I know it’s a fan favorite. You can read a more in depth review here. You can purchase it here. I also have to mention the They’re Real Push Up Liner which is another innovative product from them. You can ready my review on it here, and buy it here.
Another award winner from Benefit is Air Patrol. This is my die-hard favorite eye shadow primer. This primer protects your eyes from pollution, the sun (it has spf!), it hydrates and conceals as well. It’s a BB cream for your eyes, which I love! It also locks on eye shadow. I love multifaceted products like this one. You can read my love letter to Air Patrol here. Then you can buy it here.
The next Benefit product that is a best seller is Hoola. They have a whole Hoola line now which includes the original matte bronzer, Hoola Lite (a lighter version), The Hoola Zero Tanlines, and the Hoola Bodess Cream. I have actually tried all 4 of these. The bronzers are soft and creamy in texture, they are a powder though. They come with a brush that is honestly dreadful. It feels awful and falls apart quickly. But even without the brush they are nice. The packaging for them is a box, so it is a little harder to work with than a compact, because the product is set into the box. The Zero Tanlines is a hero product to me. You can read my full review here. It is so easy to use, it works, and it is the highest rated product on my blog. The Boddess Cream smells amazing and is cute, but I honestly bought it thinking it was the Zero Tan Lines. I do not see the need for expensive lotion. It’s nice, but it’s nothing special. If you click on the product names above you can purchase them.
They have a few foundations, none of which I am a fan of. The Hello Flawless foundation oxidizes to look different on your face 10 minutes after applying it. I felt the coverage wasn’t there and it wasn’t long lasting. You can see more here. The Big Easy BB cream is also lack luster in coverage as well as wear. It also has limited shades, however it is very hydrating. You can pick that up here.
Next on the list is Porefessional, which is a bomb primer. It is super soft and cushioned feeling, and it fills in fine lines and wrinkles and gives your face a flawless and smooth appearance. I am in love with it. It’s a killer primer for gals with big pores, scaring or pock marks. Pick it up here.
Another one on my list is the Benefit Bene-Tint. This is an original product sold by The Face Place way back when. It was originally developed for an exotic dancer who anted something to tint her nipples to make them look more appealing. This lip and cheek stain is sheer and supposed to be universally flattering. I am not a fan of any of their tints. I feel they don’t have great coverage and tend to be streaky and sticky. You can see more about it and pick it up here.
Last but not least Benefit has a brow bar! You can find Benefit Brow bars in stand alone stores, Ulta Beauty locations and some others. They have a whole line of brow products to compliment these brow bars. I personally love the BrowZings, which are a dual powder and tinted gel compact with brow tools (get it here). But the real hero is Benefit’s Goof Proof, which is a soft gel like pen that fills in brows with subtle shadow-like color and is so easy to blend and build it is practically goof proof! Pick it up here.
My Take:
I think that Benefit’s packaging is on brand, but it is a little hit and miss for me personally. I am also not a big fan of any of their skin care. Their products come and go frequently which is fun because there is always something new to try, but you never know how long it will stick around, which is a bummer. As far as quality, I think that is really everyone’s personal opinion but to me – benefit has a few hero products with a lot of subpar items. Other than the foundation I don’t think any of the will hurt your skin, so play away and go to a benefit boutique or an Ulta to play with some of their products today!
The Recap:
Some people may not love the quirk that these products bring to the table, but overall I think it’s safe to say that the Ford sisters have created a legacy. Not every product can be dynamite, but this brand is peppered with hero products. Head over to an Ulta Beauty or a Benefit Boutique to test out some products and get your hands dirty today! Comment below if I failed to list your favorite benefit product, or if you disagree with any of my reviews.