Benefit Cosmetics LLC is a manufacturer of cosmetics founded and headquartered in San Francisco, California selling at over 2,000 counters in more than 30 countries. It is a subsidiary of LVMH.
Company background
Twin sisters and founders Jean and Jane Ford were born in Indiana. After they attended Indiana University, the two later appeared in commercials for Calgon bath products before moving to San Francisco. The decision of opening their own business was merely based on a coin toss, with the options being either a casserole cafe or a beauty boutique. Initially founded as a beauty boutique named The Face Place in 1976 in San Francisco's Mission District, the shop specialized in quick-fix products for beauty dilemmas. Their first product was a blush and lip tint called "Rose tint", now renamed "benetint". The Fords originally created the rose flushed tint for an exotic dancer who was in need of a nipple tint. Benetint is most famously known by this story, and it remains the company's best-selling product, with over 10 million bottles sold. The Face Place later moved to Kearny Street in downtown San Francisco in the 1980s, and with the move came the debut of their original lip-plumping product, lip plump. In 1989, the product catalog was developed. The Fords then focused on department store distribution, and soon after the original Face Place was renamed Benefit Cosmetics in 1990. In 1991 Benefit opened up in its first U.S. department store in Henri Bendel in New York City. With significant success in the U.S., Benefit went international in 1997 with their expansion into Harrods in London. Soon after, the Benefit Cosmetics product website was launched. LVMH acquired Benefit Cosmetics on September 14, 1999. In 2001, Benefit launched their first bath and boudoir line, Bathina. Benefit opened its first "Brow Bar" in 2003, at Macy'sUnion Square, San Francisco. In 2008, Jean's daughters Maggie and Annie joined the company, focusing on the Home Shopping Network business of the company as well as store openings worldwide. Benefit cosmetics have counters in many different retail stores such as Debenhams, Sephora, Boots pharmacy and Arnotts. Since Benefit's opening, the company has branched out their products to skin care, eyes/face/lip cosmetics, fragrances, and accessories.
Notable achievements
On April 21, 2012, Benefit Cosmetics won a Guinness World Record for accomplishing the most eyebrow waxes performed in 8 hours by a team, completing 382 eyebrow waxes. Benefit Cosmetic's "Hoola Matte Bronzer" was named the bestbeauty product by Nylon in 2014. The "Hoola Matte Bronzer" has been given much recognition, including being on the list of Top 10 Best Bronzers of 2018 and named the most sold bronzer in Britain by Vogue. The "Hoola Matte Bronzer" was also announced to be the #1 best-selling bronzer in the United States. A beauty blog called Temptalia named Benefit's "They're Real" mascara as the Reader's Choice winner for Best High End Mascara from 2013 to 2015. As well as receiving the Reader's Choice Award of Best Mascara in department stores by Allure in 2014.
