Shopping Blog #2: Benetint (Michelle Lapid)

From cosmetic line, Benefit, comes Benetint: a tinted lip and cheek stain that allows women to brighten up their cheeks with a sexy flush and lips to match. The product is universal for women with all types complexions and lasts for hours—allowing women to feel sexy and beautiful at their best. The product is .40 oz and bottled with two shades, poppy-pink and rosy tint, supplied with a flat wand for easy applications. Just place a couple dots on the cheeks and/or lips and blend away just using your fingertips for fresh, flushed look that is bound to get you noticed. Benetint can be purchased through Benefit’s website, or where high end cosmetics are sold. Each bottle is sold for $28.00.

The Benefit cosmetic line was first introduced in 1977 by twin sisters, Jean and Jane in San Francisco, when an exotic dancer wanted her areolas pinker and brighter. Their playful candy atmosphere theme and the mix of sexy and eccentric, this product lines caters to all women’s needs, making them feel sexy and beautiful. With the launch of the Benetint, their successful cosmetic line continues to grow three decades later.

I choose this product because I am interested in how much men, and especially women’s spend a massive amount of money on cosmetics and beauty products. Thus, other’s who also spend a massive amount of money on their appearance might also question why? With a culture obsessed with physical appearances and competing to look good, why is there an emphasis on such expensive products. Also, I wanted to question the different places where different cosmetics are sold, such as drugstores vs. a makeup counter at a mall. In addition, I believe that by marketing products to make one feel “sexy” or “beautiful”, are products a new identity that can be interchangeable for the self esteem we as a society lack? And if so, how much are consumer’s willing to pay to achieve that emotion or desire to conform to our culture’s beauty standards for a short time?