I’ll say one thing, life at Benefit is never dull.  As part of our job, Annie and I  present new products to beauty editors and bloggers. Last week, we were doing just that in our new Soho boutique.

I can’t spill the beans about what new product we were presenting but I can show you what we looked like during the presentation…

I've 'pinked out' the secret product info :)

This. Is. Not. Normal

But it’s also what I love about my job and about Benefit.  I got to dress up like a crazy- mad- Benefit- rocket scientist to present a very important, game changer type of product to top Beauty editors. We bring the fun…..always!!

I also got to play with dry ice which is just about the coolest stuff ever.

Golden Girls meets mad scientist meets Benefit

Some say love is blind, but when I moved in with my boyfriend a few months ago, I had my fingers crossed that this meant love is blind to 30 handbags, countless art supplies, & a 3-drawer dresser of makeup. (My sister claims to have my application to Hoarders at the ready.)

On moving day, he stopped what he was doing and just stared as I set up my makeup drawers & bathroom counter with 20 brushes and all of the Benefit products that I’ve accumulated over the years. The look of utter confusion that washed over his face when he saw the eyelash curler…priceless.

It got me to thinking about guys & makeup. What do they think about our beauty routines? So I asked some dear friends of mine what they think about their woman’s makeup. Here’s what they had to say…

“So on more than one occasion when we’ve been out, she will comment how she doesn’t have any lip gloss in her purse. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?! Seriously. She has an entire drawer full of the stuff!” -The Confused Newly Co-habitating Boyfriend

“Super cheesy but true…I never thought she needed any makeup at all. So what I’m saying is, I don’t understand the whole routine!” -The Super Sweet Newlywed

“I wasn’t really surprised by the amount of makeup she had, but lotion, there are so many different lotions that I’m sometimes scared I’m living with Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs.” -The Newly Engaged Guy

“There’s not much I don’t understand anymore, but when we first met she did some mind-boggling trick with fake eyelashes, where she’d cut them and attach them towards the outer part of her lashes. So technical and precise, but amazing to watch! And yes, I was amazed how much of her makeup I later recognized as Benefit products. We have two drawers in our bathroom dedicated to makeup and beauty products.” -The Attentive Husband who works at Benefit

how much makeup is too much makeup?

“She definitely looks perkier when she has makeup on, but I never really notice if there’s too much or too little makeup. But two things I do not understand: Eyebrow curlers. [author's note: yes, he wrote eyebrow curler] I don’t know if that’s what they’re called, but they’re scary looking. I would never put one of those near my eyeballs. Oh, and lotion everywhere, all the time. Lotion for the face, lotion for the body and legs. I don’t get it.” -A Clearly-not-as-Moisturized Boyfriend

“Oh, I absolutely love the end result, but there are some things that are better left with a sense of mystery & surprise.” -The Happy-to-be-in-the-Dark Guy

“I wouldn’t say that there is too much surprise about her makeup routine.  I guess the thing I was most surprised by was how much there was and how little of it was actually used (all just slightly different shades that the typical guy would call all pink).  I would say a woman’s makeup routine is similar to her closet: Full of all sorts of stuff and one-offs of each other, but she really only uses/wears 20% of it.  I guess it’s just a woman thing: Need to have it in case that rainy day comes around and she decides that the shade subtly darker than her normal shade is the way to go.  In any event…one thing I have learned is to just accept it as part of the relationship. Questioning why she needs a 200-piece makeup collection is never going to end well.” -The-Wise-Beyond-His-Years Married Man

a drawer of makeup

Clearly the final answer is: they haven’t the slightest idea. Perhaps it’s better left that way. Do you have any hilarious stories of when guys try to understand makeup?

At Benefit it’s important to step out of our day to day beauty routines and see what’s going on out in the real world. We want to make sure that our people, products and design are looking the best they possibly can. So Shannon, the International Eyebrow Mover and Shaper and myself jet-setted our way to the windy city, Chicago!

taking our act on the road

We hit up 8 brow bars, 2 boutiques, 5 Ulta stores, 3 Sephora stores and 5 cupcakerys! ( Some tourists travel to Chicago to get a taste of a real Chicago dog but us Benefit gals prefer our sprinkles and icing!)

The first day of our trip was dedicated to Ulta! We had a great time touring the stores and meeting all the amazing staff that help spread the Benefit word!

Our awesome team at the Clark & Wellington Ulta: Jes Pashea & Shirley Ortega

On to the next one!

The last Ulta store we visited was Clybourn Square. The Benefit space was gorgeous and we just couldn’t get enough!

Shannon striking a pose outside of the newly remodeled Clybourn Square Ulta

Check out that gorgeous Benefit counter at Clybourn Square!

Michael Bowman our VP of Ulta and Lisa Ho our Director of Product Marketing

Loving Bake's photo collage!

Delicious treats from Baked!

We couldn't wait...we had to eat it in the car!

The day of all things Ulta didn’t end with store visits. We had to get back to our hotel so we could glam it up for the evening’s festivities.

Hey Chicago, what's with all the toll roads?

 

Who is the real Honest Leah?

The new hit game sweeping the nation!

It was a fight to the finish but in true Benefit fashion everyone was a winner!

Survey says!

Don’t worry, our adventures in the Windy City didn’t end here.  Stay tuned for part 2 as we visit brow bars, boutiques and bakeries galore! Hey gals of Chicago, what’s your favorite Benefit counter to visit?

For 3 years and counting our family here at Beauty Central has been participating in the American Heart Association Heart Walk in SF. Approximately 125 people signed up for the walk and helped to raise money for such a deserving cause.  I of course brought my camera along for the stroll and got some great pics of “Team Benefit” in action.

walkin' in style

look at them guns!

Last year more than a million people walked and raised more than $100M to fund lifesaving research and heart health education efforts!  Heart Walks are held in cities and towns across the country, led by Leadership Committees who involve more than 10,000 companies and almost 100,000 teams of fundraising walkers.

Annie Ford Danielson & Product Marketing showed their support and hit the pavement

Packaging Development ready for a stroll

The walk began in front of the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero which is without a doubt a must-see stop if your visiting San Francisco.  The Ferry Building farmers’ market on Saturday is full of local vendors serving up some of the best eats in the Bay!  The trip ended right in front of our very own Giants stadium. Go Giants! Here’s a shot in front of “Raygun Gothic Rocketship” — a striking 40-foot, 8-ton retro-themed rocket ship sculpture on the waterfront. It recalls a time when Americans romanticized the unlikely pursuit of space colonization.

team awesome

Part of being beautiful is remembering to give back and helping those who need it the most.  Our culture at Benefit reflects this thought and we try to remember how luck we all are.  One of the many reasons I love working here.

My good friend Erica got married this past weekend and I had the honor of doing her makeup for the big day.  This is now my third time doing a friend’s makeup for her wedding and I seem to get more and more nervous each time…I’m not quite sure why?! Maybe because as my own big day quickly approaches (t-minus 3 weeks) the reality that I’m doing a bride’s makeup for one of the biggest days of her life becomes more and more clear.

To calm my nerves I took stock on Friday before I left for the wedding of the products I would be using on her.  Here are some of them…

Started with Porefessional and Stay Don’t Stray.  She has the most smooth flawless skin I’ve ever seen so honestly I only used a little Boi-ing here and there to even out her complexion and also used Erase Paste (not pictured) under her eyes.  I like to use Erase Paste under the eyes becuase it gives a really dewey finish and never EVER looks dry.  Then came the eyes.  In her makeup trial we did a bit more of a soft grey/taupe smoky eye but at the end of the day, she asked if we could make it a bit more neutral and use browns so we settled on a soft brown romantic eye look using Rich Beach and Dandy Brandy with a soft sweep of Magic Ink and  tons and tons of They’re Real.  And I couldn’t resist adding a few individual false lashes to the outer corners of her eyes to give that extra pop.

She’s a “cheeks” girl so I used a combo of Cha Cha tint, Dallas and a bit of Hoola and last but not least least a very soft pink-ish lip in Lady’s Choice and a light dusting of Honey Hello Flawless.

The official wedding pics haven’t come back yet but here is one that our friend took at the reception.  She’s really into black and white right now so you can’t see the final makeup look but you can see how happy she is!!  (ps that’s me in the foreground)