In 1976, sisters Jean and Jane Ford Danielson started a cosmetics business featuring “fake-its,” or products aimed to solve the common beauty woes of women. The boutique, originally called The Face Place, morphed 30 years later into Benefit Cosmetics, a brand known for its cheeky statements, pretty packaging, and products that have become must-haves in every woman’s vanity kit.
In 2008, Jean’s daughters, Annie and Maggie, joined Benefit and went on to prove that applying makeup doesn’t require an art degree or fancy brushwork.
During Annie’s visit to launch Porefessional Agent Zero Shine, an instantly mattifying translucent powder meant for touch-ups throughout the day, she showed the Inquirer 2bU team how to look gorgeous without spending hours in front of the mirror; the best makeup practices for morena skin; and how to look great even when you’re having a stressful day.
Silver lids for party-ready eyes
Silver is a universal color that can make your eyes look ready for a night out. “The deeper your skin tone is, the more it will pop so keep that in mind when applying it,” says Annie. She added depth to the silver shadow applied to the lids by adding a matte brown shadow on the outer corners of the lids. “This helps define the eye and lengthen it out to get a nice cat eye,” she points out.
Fiber gel for full eyebrows
If you’ve been following celebrities on Instagram, you’ll notice they always look gorgeous even without makeup. What they have in common, apart from being famous, is that they all have beautiful, well-groomed eyebrows. “If your brows are a little sparse or short at the ends, use Gimme Brow. It’s our eyebrow product that has fiber gels to give you the look of real hair, which I love,” advises Annie. To get the look of full brows, apply the fiber-filled wand and brush all over eyebrows, emphasizing the arch and using the edge of the wand to extend the edge of the brows to define it.
Blush naturally
For a natural flush, Annie recommends using a cheek tint or a cream blush and blending with fingers. “In climates where there is more humidity, I always like to finish with a little bit of powder cheek color just to make sure everything’s set,” she says. Apply color on the roundest part of the cheekbone and blend upward and outward.
Strong-soft contrast
Pair a strong eye makeup look with a soft lip and vice versa.
Benefit boutiques are at Rustan’s Makati and Shangri-La Plaza, G/F Greenbelt 5, TriNoma, 2/F SM Mall of Asia. Follow on Twitter and Instagram @benefitbeautyph
Photography Miguel Miranda
Model Carla Piscoso (UST)
Clothes Bench and Kashieca
Shot on location at Benefit Mall of Asia