In 1976, a coin toss decided the fate of twins, Jean and Jane Ford. Heads, they would open a casserole cafe, and tales, a makeup shop. No, this isn’t the preface to a piece of fiction that I have been churning out on the side but a tangible event that forever redefined beauty conversations across the world. 46 years later, this label which has acquired a cult status is a staple in every makeup enthusiast and beauty artist’s arsenal. I know that you saw it coming from a mile away but hold thy breath (drum rolls, please) — Benefit Cosmetics has survived the test of time in an ever-changing beauty landscape. A feat unlocked by staying true to their core values of providing instant beauty solutions while also having a good time. The San Francisco-based makeup brand, a constituent of the world’s leading luxury group LVMH has gone from strength to strength — expanding to 60 countries in over 5 continents (Browvo!).
In 2018, the marquee brand joined hands with Nykaa and together they have been painting the town pink. Disrupting the brow market with Benefit’s one-of-a kind eyebrow offerings (what do you expect from the Number 1 Brow Brand Awardee?) Being a massive fan of their line for years primarily because their passion for beauty translates so beautifully in every product— I just genuinely enjoy their formulas and constantly recommend their cult classics (hello Benetint!) to friends and family.Moreover, the tongue-in-cheek storytelling, the stunning and spunky packaging (oh I could geek out on those for hours) and the heart of the brand: Laughter Is The Best Cosmetic speak volumes about Benefit’s vision!
This year, Benefit celebrates its 4th birthday on Nykaa with a #BeneBash from the 8th to 10th September. To mark the event I got my hands on some of their eternal favourites (eep!). Keep reading as I share my take on some bestsellers of one of the fastest growing prestige beauty brands worldwide.
“We are thrilled to celebrate 4 years with Nykaa! With Benefit’s 4th birthday celebration, we hope to make deeper connections with the up-and-coming generation of beauty junkies shopping everyday at Nykaa. At Benefit Cosmetics, we exist to make women feel good and have fun because we believe that’s when they are their most beautiful. We are happy to be able to create such a community for women in India with Nykaa’s support.” -Sowmya Nagarajan, General Manager, Benefit Cosmetics
This iconic rose-tinted lip stain was originally created by the dynamic sisters duo for an exotic dancer and has since emerged as a cult fave. The doe foot applicator glides right over the lips and blends over the cheek for a gorgeous flush within seconds. It gives your lips a natural finish without feathering, so no touch-ups needed. The tint is one of the most cherished picks in my beauty cabinet. Just a swap helps me elevate my appearance and uplift my mood, manifold.
USP: Natural-finish, super smudge-proof, sheer & buildable, longwear
The award winning bronzer, available in 4 beautiful shades, boasts of a soft, blendable formulation. Perfect for contouring and bronzing, this offering instantly warms your tone and the impeccable matte finish it confers as a result is incomparable.
USP: Award-winning, iconic bronzer, silky-soft powder bronzer with a matte finish
This Volumising Mascara,BADgal BANG exudes undisputable main character energy. The 36 hour, full blast volumizing mascara creates MASSIVE volume without weighing down lashes. It boasts a gravity-defying formula containing aero-particles, one of the lightest known materials, derived from space technology (hello 4D lashes). The innovative intense pitch black mascara layers easily for a stronger impact. The formula is packaged in an exquisite bottle teamed with a brush streamlined to reach root-to-tip, corner-to-corner, upper and lower lashes for a 360 reach! I always rely on this product to give my lashes intense definition, depth and dimension (especially on days I have a date scheduled).
USP: Smudge-proof, water-resistant, volumizing mascara, ProVitamin B5 known to fuel thickness and strength
For those chasing brow perfection, the Precisely, My Brow Pencil is no short of a wonder. True to its name, the ultra-fine eyebrow pencil gives you a great handle to draw natural-looking, defined brows. I have a soft spot for the ‘Twist-up’ tip to the pencil which saves me all the time and energy otherwise spent on hunting for a beauty pencil sharpener (the struggle is real, you guys, sighs)
USP: Natural-looking, hair-like strokes, Twist-up, non-sharpen tip, lasts 12 budge-proof hours
Presto…everyone’s an expert with this super easy filling & shaping eyebrow pencil. It features a custom, non-sharpen “goof-proof” tip, soft colour and a glide-on formula for easy and fast brow filling. The offerings come braced with a built-in blending spoolie-brush and signature Tips & Tricks!
USP: Custom “goof-proof” tip, easy & fast glide-on formula, built-in spoolie-brush
Open pores, no more! Many years ago I was surveying the market for a pore(fect) face primer that wouldn’t clog my pores and give me a smooth base for the rest of my makeup application. I remember stumbling on the POREfesssional Face Primer by Benefit and have never looked back! A bestseller, loved far and wide for its smoothing prowess — it helps blur out the pores and fine lines in a jiffy pop. It further gives you a smooth canvas that permits the rest of your products to sit better on the face.
USP: Minimise the look of pores & fine line, help makeup apply evenly and stay put, get silky-soft, smoother-than-smooth skin, non-comedogenic
Turn up the sass with this bright cherry red tinted lip and cheek stain. The precise lip applicator glides right on lips for a juicy burst of colour and blends beautifully onto your cheeks for a subtle, vibrant flush that lasts for hours. Just a twinge is all you need for that enviable natural, rosy glow.
USP: Bright cherry tinted stain, longwear, kiss-proof and smudge-proof
