who doesn't need a little good karma?

Believe it or not we started talking about this product over two years ago! (See! I told you it was hard to keep these launches such a secret!) We took a look at our current box o’ powder collection and had to figure out what we were missing. After many brainstorm meetings (and lots of candy and diet sodas) we decided we needed a shade that gave a beautiful orchid blossom finish to cheeks with a low amount of pearl so that it could be a great every day shade!

Fast forward a few months and after many rounds of seeing submissions the shade wasn’t 100% perfect so we sent two of our Project Marketing Managers on the first flight to our labs! We received daily updates and have been holding on to them waiting to share with you all!

The picture below (literally from someone’s phone) shows all of the shades that make up hervana, lucky shell, divine peach, heavenly rose & berry delight before being pressed!

The shades that make up hervana!

Shades were chosen individually and then pressed together!

The product process doesn’t stop there…

Our copy team is pretty brilliant here at Benefit, writing about products is no easy task and this new box o’ powder was no exception. To give you a little bit of the back story… the name comes from nirvana, the ultimate state of bliss. If you know anything about Benefit we couldn’t just have named it some regular old word! So those divas of diction came up with hervana, her + vana…get it?! Once the name was decided art takes the theme and runs from there!

Hervana is defnitely my new go to product. My favorite way to wear it is to swirl all the shades together and apply to cheeks. Next, I like to lift my look to cloud 9 by using the tip of the angled brush and concentrate the hairs into the heavenly rose shade and berry delight, pop that blend of color on to the apples of your cheeks and voila! If you are obsessed with the orchid blossom shade like myself repeat, repeat, repeat! Since this is a fairly matte shade I of course take my watts up! and highlight just to the top of my cheek bones… truly enough to make an angel blush!

Have you gotten to try the newest box o’ on the Benefit block?

As a luxury cosmetics company, I’m pointing out the obvious by stating that Benefit is in the business of making women look their best.  And while I know that our fix-its and fake-its can go a very long way, I’m also keenly aware that makeup is only one component of being one’s best self.

bendy-babes erica, lindsey and leslie doin' the (spinal) twist.

So here at Beauty Central we have yoga classes twice a month, taught by Erika Hollister, a San Francisco-based yoga instructor (and Benefit fan, of course – her favorite box o’ powder is sugarbomb).  Isn’t she incredible?

Being one’s best is relative, but for most women, I imagine it involves some combination of looking good, feeling at ease with her body, giving and receiving love, and maintaining a sense of purpose and forward movement in her life.  All these things require constant attention:  to personal style, to regular engagement with the body, to relationships, and to goals.  In short:  being one’s best is complex and challenging.

I found myself wondering whether and how Benefit as a global brand addresses the complexity of being one’s best self.   Clearly, we’ve got the looking good part down, but do we address the rest?  As I thought about it, I came to realize the messages Benefit sends out in the world start at Beauty Central.  For example, the fast and quick-fix service with a smile you receive at a Benefit counter is very much a reflection of the work ethic at our office – people are quick to respond to each other and do so cheerfully.

By making yoga available at Beauty Central, we do address this complexity – yoga teaches one to use the body with more intelligence, it is a form of self-love, and it helps one find perspective more quickly.  By extension, this message does and will continue to make its way to you.

quiet moment.

So here’s to being your best you.

namaste.

Hey Bene-babes! It’s your trusted party source (who’s feeling oh-so-flawless) reporting once again from the “pink-carpet” at the Benefit Boutique SoHo!

Benefit and over 30 top beauty bloggers and online writers celebrated the launch of the NEW! Benefit hello flawless oxygen wow liquid foundation. It was Boogie Nights all over again with an out-of-this world performance from the Benefit Soul-ar sisters singing disco hits while waving goodbye to imperfections! Bloggers were dancing the night away with their perfect match of Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in one hand and pink champers in the other!

The Benefit Boutique SoHo had a full house of flawless faces! Beauty bloggers & online writers could not wait to get color-matched and once they did… they were over the moon with the results! Last night Benefit took one small step for complexion, one giant leap for perfection!

SHHHH! Be the first to get your hands on this baby with a sneek preview February 2nd on HSN or online February 15th!

xo
Media Darling

The Benefit Boutique SoHo Gang!

tweet. tweet. tweet.

Flawless in a Flash!

Sing it girl!

"I love the nightlife, I got to boogie"

Shade Matching!

The Hostess with the Mostess, Maggie Ford Danielson

PARTY-Time!

Hello Flawless!

Playing at the Benefit Boutique SoHo!

The Benefit SOUL-ar Sisters

Welcome to the Party girls!

Hi friends! It’s you’re trusted party source writing to you once again from the pink-carpet at the Benefit Boutique Soho. Last night was a-buzz with NYC’s bright-eyed and makeup lovin’ publicists from leading fashion houses to NYC’s top PR agencies. It was a full house (and I ain’t reffering to Uncle Jessie) of 42 gals gushing over Benefit’s makeup heaven. Our guests all went home with more than a just sweet tooth after an evening in this “candy shop” for makeup. Tinting and shaping brows was all the rage and you better believe these publicists “whistled while they worked it” out the door to hit the town and talk about their new favorite one-stop shop for makeup & brows!

Ladies… remember to keep in your purse some ooh la lift. You’ll need it after last night’s party!

xo Media Darling

BFF's at the Benefit Boutique SoHo!

I feel pretty...oh so pretty!

I heart my Benefit Brows!

fierce brows!

Publicist pals!

say benetint!

the gang's all here!

When I was a little my favorite things to do was sit in my mom’s bathroom while she got ready for work and try to do my makeup just like hers.  I’d pack on the magenta lipstick and electric blue liner…my mother was clearly a product of the 80′s.  But next to makeup my favorite thing to do was to get as dirty as possible.  So, in honor of getting a bit dirty and giving back to the community some of us from Beauty Central took a day off from Beauty and volunteered at the Hayes Valley Farm.

finding new homes for plants to grow

The farm is actually located in the middle of the city on what use to be the remnants of the freeway that was destroyed after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.  So in 2010 that land was finally used for good and the Hayes Valley Farm was birthed.  Our tasks on the farm included planting new vegetables, potting new seedlings, sifting and turning compost, and bringing in the Harvest which will be donated to Project Open Hand

Angelique has quite the green thumb

Tiffany looking stylish as always bringing in the Harvest

Working on the farm can seem like a breeze but I assure you there were some less then glamorous jobs that needed to get done. One of the many less glamorous jobs was flipping the compost piles. The compost material needs air to allow the bacteria to do their part and break stuff down and actually heat it up and purify it to some degree.

one hot pile of compost coming right up!

new plants not quite ready to be placed in the ground

Emily is a natural with the watering can

One plant that stood the most to me was the Magenta Spreen.  When you touch its leaves your fingers are dusted with sparkly magenta dust.

the same color as my moms favorite lipstick

until next time….

Yours in Beauty,

Shannon