Benefit Cosmetics

Laughter is the best cosmetic

Summary

A subsidiary of LVMH, Benefit Cosmetics LLC was founded by twins Jean and Jane Ford in 1976 and headquartered in San Francisco. The beauty brand has always pushed the envelope with its instant beauty solutions, creative feel-good storytelling and unique packaging.

History

Alumnus of Indiana University- twin sisters Jean and Jane Ford were farm gals turned successful models and makeup artists. They moved to San Francisco to to pursue a bright future. Interestingly their profession was chosen based on a coin flip with the options being a casserole cafe or a beauty boutique: the only things they knew! Thankfully it was tails (no offence casseroles)!

The sisters combined their business acumen and beauty know-how to open a store named the “Face Place” in Mission District which specialised in quick-fix beauty products. Their debut product was blush and lip tint “Rose Tint” now renamed “Benetint”. The Fords had created the rose tint for an exotic dancer who required a nipple tint back in the day and it remains the company’s best-selling product with over ten million bottles sold. “The Face Place” later moved to Kearny Street in downtown San Francisco during the Eighties and the twins debuted lip-plumping product “lip plump”.

Benefit Cosmetics became famous for its quirky packaging and its motto: ‘Laughter is the best cosmetic … so grin and wear it’. The creative approach is just as strong today: every new Benefit product moniker is vetted during weekly naming sessions and unanimous approval is required!! In 1989 a product catalog was developed and the Fords focused on department store distribution. The following year, they renamed the brand “Benefit Cosmetics”. In 1991 Benefit opened in a department store in New York City. With runaway success in the U.S., the brand expanded overseas in 1997 with Harrods, London. Benefit Cosmetics’ website was launched.

Impressed by its vision and unbridled success… LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton took a controlling equity stake in Benefit Cosmetics. Jane Ford and Jean Ford-Danielson- the twin sisters who founded the company- will remain presidents. “At Benefit our mission is simple: Laughter is the Best Cosmetic! From our instant beauty solutions to laugh-out-loud packaging we are a strong global brand with quality products and services that remain connected to our unique DNA. Our Benebabes from around the world inspire us to push the envelope on innovation- to take risks- and to live boldly” per CEO Christie Fleischer on the official website.

In 2001 Benefit launched bath and boudoir line “Bathina”. The brand opened its first “Brow Bar” — a boutique specialising in brow shaping — in 2003 at Macy’s Union Square San Francisco. In 2008 Jean’s daughters Maggie and Annie joined the company and focused on developing the home shopping network and opening stores worldwide. Their efforts didn’t go unrecognised. On 21 April 2012 Benefit Cosmetics won Guinness World Record for accomplishing the most eyebrow waxes performed in eight hours by a team — three hundred and eighty two eyebrow waxes! The brand continued its upward trajectory. Benefit Cosmetic’s “Hoola Matte Bronzer” was named the best beauty product by Nylon in 2014.. the most sold bronzer in Britain and best-selling bronzer in the United States. That year Benefit’s “They’re Real” mascara received Reader’s Choice Award of Best Mascara in department stores by Allure.

In 2019 Benefit Cosmetics named former Netflix executive Christie Fleischer its CEO. While most cosmetic brands enter every category from lips and eyes to skincare and wellness.. Benefit narrowed its focus on brows- mascara and cheeks though it offers a limited selection of products outside its core categories. Today its success can be attributed to the effectiveness of its products and its extensive retail distribution of multi-brand retailers.. department stores.. airport vending machines.. and its own physical and e-stores. And locations in fifty-nine countries across five continents with more than three thousand Brow Bars and eighty-five Boutiques.

Mission Statement

“Laughter is the best cosmetic. We’re not only in the makeup business…we’re in the feel-good business. When we are laughing and having fun, that’s when we are at our most beautiful.”

Vision

Beauty brand Benefit Cosmetics LCC was built on the belief that, above all else, beauty should be fun and make you feel good. Every new beauty product or service the team dreams up is about igniting joy—to surprise and delight consumers, to inspire you to be fearless, to invite you in on the fun. And while it IS always about fun at Benefit, their team of innovators behind the brand are serious about creating unexpected answers to meet beauty needs.

Key Team

Christie Fleischer, CEO

Products and Services

From waxing to tweezing, tinting and more… Benefit Cosmetics’ Brow Experts’ services ensure that your eyebrows are taken care of. Products cover cosmetics for eyes, brows, lips and cheeks.

References