BENEFIT COSMETICS IS FILLED WITH EASY IRONIA AND FUN, AND THE UNUSUAL RETRO PACKING IN THE PIN-UP STYLE WILL NOT BE CONFUSED WITH ANY OTHER. DUBAI VISITED JULIE BELL, VICE PRESIDENT AND INTERNATIONAL BRAND MARKET DIRECTOR RECENTLY. WE COULD NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW WITH THE HEAD OF THE MOST CREATIVE BEAUTY BRAND FOR TODAY. Interviewed by Irina Malkova
Julie, how many years has Benefit brand been around?
Julie: Mark was founded by twin sisters Jin and Jane Ford in 1976 in San Francisco. It all started with the fact that they threw a coin - to open a cafe or a beauty boutique for them. And 40 years later Benefit turned into a multi-million empire with 2,000 corners in more than 30 countries around the world.
What is the very first product Jin and Jane released?
Julie: It was a blush and a lip gloss (two in one) called Rose tint. Now this product is called Benetint and is still a bestseller! Things went uphill, and gradually the sisters expanded their network to a national scale. Today, Jin and Jane have already retired, and in 1991 the company was bought by the leading luxury goods group LVMH. But Gene's daughters, Annie and Maggie, work at Benefit.
What's your job?
Julie: I am responsible for innovation and strategic development. In other words, I create new products, come up with what makeup products will be in demand and how girls can solve their problems with their help.
Sometimes it seems that everything has been invented in the field of beauty. Nonetheless, Benefit manages to create absolutely hit products, for example, a tonal base for POREfessional makeup or they're real Super.
Julie: To release something really effective, you need to have a very strong laboratory. Plus, you need to come up with the right type of application, that is, the form in which the tool will work as efficiently as possible. Therefore, we at Benefit take innovation very seriously. This year we will introduce five new products that I can’t tell you about right now, I can only hint - "the whole thing is in the air." Remember my words.
Tell us about your retro style creative packaging. Who came up with this idea?
Julie: Sisters Jane and Jean have always loved colorful packaging. It all started with the name - Benefit. When the name appeared, our creative director had already developed everything else. You should see the interior of our office! Share with us.
Julie: It's all pink! The lobby is called Beauty Central, at the top we have a conference room called Work of Arts, the meeting room is called Brains and Beauty, and the place where the correspondence is brought is Nice Package. The whole office is designed in the style of the brand, it is called - "Pink Palace".
Did San Francisco's beauty somehow influence brand philosophy as such?
Julie: San Francisco is an insanely creative city. Thanks to the geography of the place and the incredible beauty of the landscape, it is enough for us to look out the window, ideas come by themselves. In New York, for example, everyone is running somewhere and there is no time to stop. And in San Francisco, nature itself helps to come up with new ideas. One view of the Golden Gate Bridge is worth it! We do not repeat what others do, we do what is good for us. I even noticed that I never say that I am from California, I say that I am from San Francisco - a small oasis of North America.
How do you manage to maintain product prices at such an affordable level without getting into the luxury segment?
Julie: We at Benefit believe that cosmetics should be affordable, and we are working a lot on this. The idea belonged to Jane and Jin, who wanted the girls to buy a product, and then come for another. Since the foundation of the brand, we have not changed anything at all - we are only improving the original DNA of the brand, developed by our founders.
What is the most difficult job for you?
Julie: Probably the hardest thing is staying true to yourself. It is very difficult to resist and not listen to all these conversations around, tips on how to do better. Beauty experts, retailers, cosmetologists see everything differently. Therefore, it is important to adhere to your own opinion. If you listen to everyone, you can lose yourself.
As an expert in the beauty industry, tell me, what are the main mistakes girls make when applying makeup?
Julie: They do too much makeup! You need to be yourself. Love yourself, accept yourself and understand that true beauty comes from within. And makeup is just a game, and it should be fun!
