Latest news with #BenefitCosmetics
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
These Benefit make-up products are actually worth your money
Whether Benefit's bestselling staples were your first introduction to beauty products, you swear by its porefessional range, or you are devoted to its famous brow products, the brand occupies a special spot in many make-up bags — for good reason. Known for its kitsch packaging, fun product names, and multiple award-winning formulas, Benefit has always had a playful approach to beauty. Its roster includes the cult hoola bronzer (the first-ever shimmer-free formula), the they're real! mascara and the precisely brow pencil (the gold standard for drawing on salon-quality brows), as well as its popular pore primer and powder blush. Some of its cult products can even be traced right back to the Seventies — see the lip tint that was originally created for exotic dancers as a nipple tint. With direction from my mum, I discovered Benefit more than a decade ago as a teenager first getting into make-up. Its roller mascara and precisely brow pencil are still staples of my daily routine, but what about the brand's other bestsellers? To find out which formulas are worth your money (and my own), I tried a full-face of Benefit cosmetics, from its new matte primer and setting powder to its classic badgal mascara and liquid eyeliner. How I tested I've been testing out all the different Benefit formulas to consider those that are the best. When reviewing, I assessed the ease of application, staying power, how the formulas looked and felt on my skin, as well as how easily they slotted into my everyday routine by swapping out my usual products.
7NEWS
14-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- 7NEWS
Sephora's Mega Sale is here: Shop 20 per cent top beauty brands like Ultra Violette, Laneige, Fenty Beauty
Browsing Sephora's website or stepping into one of their stores honestly feels like a mini holiday. You feel immediately transported to a blissful world full of beauty and self-care. What makes the experience even better? A mega sale. Sephora Australia's Mega Brand Sale is here, shop a vast range of beauty, makeup, skincare, haircare and body products at heavily discounted prices. With 20 per cent off a wide range of selected products, the sale is running until Sunday May 18, so you'll want to be quick. Plus shoppers will also receive a free reusable market bag with purchase when they spend $110 or more online or in-app. We've compiled a list below of some of the best beauty products on offer under $50, $100 and $150 t o help you shop the sale. Under $50 OPI Infinite Shine Gel-Like Lacquer, $25 Benefit Cosmetics Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer, $46 NudeStix Magnetic Matte Eye Colour, $46 Under $100 Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide™ Toner & Moisturiser, $73 Bangn Body Firming Body Lotion, $96 Caudalie Instant Detox Mask, $54 OUAI Anti-Frizz Cream, $51 Under $150
AsiaOne
10-05-2025
- AsiaOne
'Why didn't my mum try harder?' Woman serving jail time confronts painful past in Mother's Day visit, Lifestyle News
At first glance, the classroom could have belonged to any school — blue student tables, a teacher's desk and a whiteboard. But the lack of windows and the presence of correctional officers were quiet reminders that this was no ordinary class. Inside, nine women sat waiting for something more personal than just teachers. This was a rare opportunity for them to reconnect with their mothers or daughters. Among the nine inmates was Sarah*, a 21-year-old serving her third sentence for a meth-related offence. She has been behind bars since 2022 and is expected to be released between February and April 2026. Sarah's relationship with her mum, Nora*, has long been marked by pain and abandonment. But as they embraced in the classroom that day, you wouldn't have guessed how fractured things were not too long ago. Past wounds On Monday (May 5), at Institution A4 located within Changi Prison Complex, these women participated in a beauty workshop conducted by beauty brand Benefit Cosmetics Southeast Asia in collaboration with the Yellow Ribbon Project to mark Mother's Day. But while the session provided tangible takeaways on skincare basics and makeup techniques, it was about so much more than just beauty advice. Inmates and their mothers or daughters took this as a chance to rebuild their relationship and regain confidence in preparation for life beyond the prison walls. For Sarah, the cosmetics was secondary to the moment of emotional intimacy this special day provided her. "I miss her touching my face. It's not about the makeup, [today] is about my mum," she said. During the interview with AsiaOne, both mother and daughter would get slightly distracted as they broke into laughter, enjoying each other's presence. Could you blame them? Their last meeting was in December 2024, when Nora visited for Sarah's birthday. Prior to that, their relationship was far from rosy. From a young age, instability and precariousness had become part of Sarah's reality. She recalled being kicked out of her grandmother's home with her mother, admitting that it felt like an "us against the world" moment. However, that sense of mother-daughter unity would quickly fade. When Nora remarried soon after, her attention shifted towards her new husband and Sarah was left behind. "I gave up custody to her father [when she was 12]...and I could feel the attention I gave to her get lesser and lesser," the 51-year-old mum admitted. Sitting beside her mother in a prison classroom, Sarah asked the question that had been weighing on her mind all these years: "Why didn't my mum try harder?" The silence that followed spoke louder than any words ever could. Regardless, Sarah did her best to rationalise Nora's actions, perhaps as a defence mechanism. She pondered aloud: "Maybe she had other responsibilities. She needed to fulfil her husband's needs. "Cannot be 24 hours with the kid, right? My mum also needed to take care of her parents, too." Road to forgiveness In October 2023, then 19-year-old Sarah became a mother herself. When Sarah spoke with AsiaOne about her young son turning two later this year, Nora's face lit up with pride — a grandmother cherishing this opportunity to build bonds with a new family member. It seemed like the arrival of Sarah's child became a catalyst for healing the bond between mother and daughter. "It's not a bad thing when I say that I don't want to become like my mum," Sarah said. "It is just a reminder for me to not neglect him, because I know how that feels and it's not nice to put that on my son." Sarah quickly turned to her mother to reassure her that those words came without malice. And while she noted that a younger Sarah used to be clumsy and awkward with her "I love yous", this was something she wanted to change moving forward. "I want to say 'I love you' and thank you for sticking by, even if it is only since last December. Because if there's no you, there's no me... and I'm trying," Sarah said. For her own son, Sarah is determined to not have him follow in her footsteps and wants to do her best to provide him with the stability and love her growing up years lacked. A mother's redemption arc Nora, too, is on her own journey of change. It wasn't too long ago that Sarah handed her some hard truths, relating to her mum not putting any effort in their relationship. Nora did not deny any of this, adding: "I did not see her in prison for the longest time." When asked why, she paused to collect herself. Part of the reason, she admitted, was the influence of her then-husband. But Sarah's letters from prison eventually proved to be a turning point and Nora realised her absence in Sarah's life deeply affected her daughter. "I could not expect her to change if I wasn't willing to change as well," she said. With that, prison visits became more regular and this shift in her mum's behaviour felt like an answered prayer. Despite "being like this" — a quiet reference to her past struggles with addiction — Sarah too, like many others, reached out to God during her moments of darkness. "I asked God to open my mother's heart and help her see that I can make her happy," she said. Holding back tears, an emotional Nora made a promise to her daughter. "I [will] try my best to be a good mother until my final days... I cannot, and will not, abandon her like how I did the past few years." Keeping the faith As Sarah awaits her release in 2026, both mother and daughter know their journey together is far from over. "First and foremost, I really urge her to get out of this place. Then, we can [mend] all these holes and reconcile our past," Nora said. She also brought up faith, suggesting they could learn the teachings of Islam together, in hopes that the values imparted can provide a moral compass to steer their lives and relationship forward. Though their past is scarred by absence, pain and missed chances, Sarah and Nora seem to be taking ownership of what lies ahead. In the small windowless classroom in Institution A4 that Monday afternoon, both women took an extra second to revel in each other's company. "I will stick by you," Nora whispered through tears. "No matter what." *Pseudonyms were used to conceal the individual's identity. [[nid:682776]] amierul@
Business of Fashion
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business of Fashion
Is Homemade Shampoo a Recession Indicator?
Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas and new makeup influencers: NBA players. Included in today's issue: Benefit Cosmetics, Blue Lagoon, Cocolab, Decorté, Dr. Dennis Gross, Eadem, Fenty, Glossier, MAC Cosmetics, Murad, Nyx, Obagi, Omnilux, Osea, Ouai, Parfums de Marly, Pat McGrath Labs, Paul Mitchell, Paul Reacts, Redken, Saie, Saint Jane, Sol de Janeiro, Sol Labs, Tarte, 5 Sens and Hello Kitty's bikini beauty routine. But first… A few minutes after therapy, I opened my phone for some more immediate mental health care: A TikTok video of a woman making her own shampoo from onions. Her name is Ify Ekwelem, and she's a holistic healer based in West Africa. In a lulling tone, Ekwelem narrates tiny videos about DIY beauty routines made from kitchen staples — an olive oil 'bum scrub,' a lemon juice and baking soda deodorant paste. She boasts a few hundred thousand followers on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, but by far, her most viral content is this onion shampoo video, which counts over 1.5 million views and 20,000 shares on TikTok alone. She's joined by a young woman in Mexico named Geneva who has 4.5 million views on her similar recipe. By TikTok standards, this video shouldn't 'work.' The majority are just close-ups of a plain plastic bottle with a few loops of red onion and some cinnamon. Nobody is wearing a teeny Brandy Melville camisole and talking to you like a homeroom flirt. There isn't any choreography. It's just a straight-up example of ancestral knowledge transformed into cheerful, anyone-can-do-this service content. In this way, the onion shampoo video is brilliant. It's also an example of what's coming next — or what could come next, if tariffs and stock swings keep scaring shoppers away. In every moment of economic panic, there is a DIY beauty boom. After 9/11, we saw the emergence of at-home manicure kits enter the luxury space, a trend led by Rescue Beauty lounge owner Ji Baek. In 2008, the collision of big bank freakouts and YouTube curiosity led to extreme contouring, 'baking,' and other makeup tricks cribbed from drag queens and your old babysitter who went on to work at MAC. The lockdowns of 2020 caused a skincare explosion where being a '12 stepper' connoted an at-home serum routine. We're seeing the DIY push now with haircare. Onion shampoo has a 70 percent spike in Google searches since May of last year. There's also the #ricewater trend, a Tiktok situation with half a billion views (?!) where girls boil a pot of rice, leave the water sitting overnight, then douse their hair in it. And heatless curling techniques can happen with socks ($1.99) when needed. Obviously, you can buy elevated versions of this stuff. Fable and Mane uses onion juice in its top-rated $48 ayurvedic shampoo and conditioner set; Oribe and Augustinus Bader employ rice extracts in their best-selling hair care formulas, which retail for between $50 and $90. For soft and bouncy curls, the Shark Beauty dryer is a $200 marvel. But when you can pull off a beauty look without really buying anything, you feel like you're getting away with something. And in a world where creators of colour have been suppressed by various algorithms, seeing holistic formulas from South America, Africa and India triumph on Tiktok has an additional grace note. But even if the systemic subtext isn't part of one's personal beauty equation, adopting these home remedies, one can feel more resourceful. That isn't exactly the same as powerful, but it's closer than just pretty. You can buy all these DIY hair ingredients — even the cheap socks — at any big supermarket or big box store. In a sense, it's the beginning of the Pretty Preppers movement, where a 'make-do' ethos supersedes our belief in financial safety nets, but not in basic beauty standards. Considering our prestige TV calendar has just swapped the wealth-porn paradise of White Lotus for the apocalyptic root network of The Last of Us, and the gilded magic of Wicked has given way to the underworld hypnosis of Sinners, it's not entirely a surprise. Perhaps it's a relief. Visibility is the closest thing we have to currency right now, especially since our actual currency is having a more volatile moment. And if you can be seen for your practical knowledge instead of your eerily symmetrical smile, some would consider that progress. You, dear readers, are likely too cynical to embrace that ethos wholesale. But at least you'll consider it a change in your market strategy. What else is new… Skincare It's literally captivating. Obagi's Retinol + PHA Refining Night Cream has 'entrapped' its retinol for a longer release period, which allegedly reduces skin sensitivity and prolongs the whole 'less wrinkles' situation. It hit shelves on May 5 and retails for $135. Double cleanse? They don't know her. Osea launched its Ocean Wave Cleanser on May 6, and it's meant to be both a makeup remover and a pore cleanser, all in one bottle for $38. Nobody's mad. Plant mucus is a thing now. On May 6, Saint Jane debuted Rich Rescue Phyto Mucin Cream, a tube of hydrating goo made with mucin proteins derived from yam roots. The cream retails for $48 and claims to boost skin elasticity and volume. Omnilux is one of those gizmo brands that straps a Friday the Thirteenth hockey mask on you, then floods it with LED light to mimic the effects of a laser facial at home. On May 6, the Napa Valley-based brand alerted press that you can now buy the $395 gadget on a payment plan. Old: Swiping on Bumble matches. Now: Swiping on self-tanner. On May 9, Dr. Dennis Gross dropped Alpha Beta Glow Pads, a range of pre-soaked wipes loaded with face and body self-tanner. They're $48; a Sephora exclusive. Blue Lagoon wants to make summer clothes for your skin. On May 8, the brand introduced BL+ The Cream Light, a 'warm weather moisturiser' made with a less dense formula. It's got microalgae in the formula, and you know what that means — pondscum alert! Is TikTok Shop a development or a retail site? Murad will find out. After its Deep Relief acne treatment went viral this winter, the doctor-fronted brand developed a whole new product — Biome-Balancing Clear & Prevent Acne Treatment Serum — to launch exclusively on TikTok Shop starting May 8. It'll hit two weeks later. On May 7, Japanese luxury skincare brand Decorté introduced Sun Shelter, an SPF 50+ formula with rosemary extract and aloe. It's $42 and found at the Big Three — Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom and Saks. Makeup It's a bronzer! It's an SPF! It's a wrinkle treatment! It's $36. Sol Labs debuted Lumibronze, its new 3-in-one sun serum, on May 2, in three shades. Tarte's latest Maracuja extension: A Juicy Lip Tattoo product that stains lips with 'no pain and no regrets.' The dual-ended colour tint costs $29 and comes in five shades of 'yes, great, I'll have that.' Glow-La-La is the newest Benefit Cosmetics compact. The powder highlighter launched on March 5 with six shades including Raya, a luminescent pale peach. It's a tiny indication that dating apps are declining — four years ago, if you named anything 'Raya,' you would have had to make a joke about swiping with Ben Affleck. Ellie the Elephant is gonna dance to 'Umbrella (Ella, Ella).' On May 7, Fenty Beauty announced a partnership with the New York Liberty. Fenty founder Rihanna says, 'We're excited for them to get their game faces on.' Does that mean we'll see you courtside, Ri? Fingers crossed! Bring the kids! Saie Beauty had three Dew Blush shades — Lady (mauve), Hottie (peach) and Flirty (pink) — hitting shelves on May 7. They're $25 each. Rather put pink on your lips? Eadem's Guava Fresca gloss also hit May 7. Glossier's new campaign stars Katseye, the K-pop group birthed on Netflix and brought to cutie-pie life by revered creative director Humberto Leon. Did I report in 2024 that a beauty brand should scoop them up? I did, though to be honest, I'm surprised that a label as big — and as Millennial-driven — as Glossier would be the one to do it. Still, great. Now we just need justice for Emily Kelavos!!! Blurred lips for less. On May 9, Nyx launched Smushy Matte Lip Balm, a 12-shade range with a chubby font, a $9 price tag and a lot of dessert-scented formulas named for cakes and pies. Hair Care Paul Mitchell debuted its Clear Collection on May 2. The line for extra-sensitive skin includes shampoo, conditioner, smoothing serum and styling 'glaze,' each with 10 ingredients or less. Ouai introduced a Thickening Spray on May 6 that doubles as a heat protectant and smells like ginger, basil and tomato leaves. (Your move, Loewe.) Fragrance Lychee is gaining steam in the gourmand wars. On May 6, Cocolab introduced Lychee Breeze as its new flavor for Cocoshine and Cocofloss. Wear 'em and weep? On May 6, fragrance brand 5 Sens, founded by Wander Beauty's Divya Gugnani, launched Happy Tears, an orange blossom and jasmine fragrance that claims to be 'serotonin in a spritz.' IDK though — my bottle of Lexapro is free with insurance, and this stuff is $65. Paul Reacts is a TikTok channel where a dude smells perfumes and tells you if they're good. On May 8, the brand debuted its own scent, Strawberry Sensation, a $65 formula with vanilla and sandalwood. The press release says the scent 'isn't a dupe or riff' and namechecks strawberry motifs from Rhode, Glossier and — wild card — Simone Rocha as proof of concept. (But the real proof is whether this thing sells.) Met Gala Learnings Parfums de Marly would like its red carpet callouts, please. The French label spritzed Tyla and Joey King with its hair scents and even secured quotes from their stylists (Yusef Williams and Rena Calhoun, respectively) to reinforce the message. Expect more #ad attempts like this in the future, especially with Cannes coming up. Sol de Janeiro also dipped its toe into the celebrity space, lathering up the model Paloma Elsesser in body oil and Bum Bum Cream. Meanwhile, men's grooming went big on the carpet, with Avène Eau Thermale, MAC Cosmetics, Nyx, Pat McGrath Labs, Redken and Vaseline getting their spotlight via male celebs like Lewis Hamilton, Shaboozey and Law Roach (whose matched his Vaseline partnership to a blue-and-gold crocodile Hermés Kelly). And finally… The K-Beauty brand Amuse launched its Hello Kitty collaboration on May 2. To celebrate, they gave the beloved cartoon a tan. If Hello Kitty had a mouth, she'd be laughing so hard right now… Sign up to The Business of Beauty newsletter, your complimentary, must-read source for the day's most important beauty and wellness news and analysis.
Nylon
09-05-2025
- Business
- Nylon
Benefit Cosmetics and the Yellow Ribbon Project teamed up to make Mother's Day a meaningful celebration for inmates and their loved ones
Mother's Day has always been an important date where we celebrate the women in our lives who have given us nothing but love and support as we grow. Benefit Cosmetics Expert explaining the product at the workshop. Image courtesy of Benefit Cosmetics. In an effort to provide women inmates and their mothers or daughters to strengthen their familial ties through beauty and self-care, the Yellow Ribbon Project and Benefit Cosmetics Southeast Asia recently teamed up to host a beauty workshop for the women inmates at Institution A4 on 5 May 2025. Led by Benefit Cosmetics' training team, the session focused on the importance of cleansing using Benefit's Get Unblocked Pore Clearing Cleansing Oil & Good Cleanup Pore Purifying Foaming Cleanser, as well as hydration with the Hydro Pop Hydrating & Smoothing Essence and Smooth Sip Lightweight Gel Moisturiser, and some makeup tips. This was in addition to the goal of creating a safe space for inmates and their relatives to have a meaningful connection, and the rare opportunity for physical touch after potentially years of separation. The Benefit Cosmetics team with Adrianne Quijano on the left. Image courtesy of Benefit Cosmetics. Speaking to NYLON Singapore, Adrianne Quijano, PR & Digital Executive of Benefit Cosmetics shared that the idea came about when they were looking for a project to celebrate International Volunteer Day as part of their Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Project. 'We reached out to Yellow Ribbon Project Singapore (YRP) where they linked us up to conduct a beauty workshop for NeuGen, a charity that provides holistic and empathetic support to reformed offenders, their children and families to prevent intergenerational offending.' Seeing the partnership as a value-add, Assistant Director (Aftercare) of the Yellow Ribbon Project Saraswathy Gunasegaren told NYLON Singapore that the partnership was a 'natural progression' since both organisations shared the same belief that every individual deserves the opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity. 'The workshop goes beyond just makeup application and empowering women with skills — it is one that helps them build that connection with their loved ones, and can help rebuild their lives as well as confidence for a successful reintegration and rehabilitation,' said Saraswathy. One of the inmates watching the Benefit Cosmetics' Expert applying makeup on her mother. Image courtesy of Benefit Cosmetics. For Benefit Cosmetics, this marked the first time a beauty brand had collaborated with the Yellow Ribbon Project and Institution A4 to organise something like this. Adriane Quijano from Benefit Cosmetics, said: 'Benefit Cosmetics goes beyond focusing solely on external beauty. We strive to demonstrate that we are here to foster genuine connections and to raise awareness for the important social causes championed by Yellow Ribbon.' Even though hosting a beauty workshop is not something new for Benefit Cosmetics, it was not without its challenges for the Benefit team, especially when Changi Prison Complex is a government facility that has maximum-level security. 'For instance, no personal belonging, especially technology is allowed within the facility and this posed an obstacle as we were unable to capture the area for space planning,' said Adrianne. She added, 'We also had to declare all of our items days beforehand to ensure that the cosmetics will be authorised for clearance. This required deeper consideration for the products and display items that we wished to bring in as following the submission of the declared list, no further additions were permitted, and this meant there was a need for meticulous preparation from the outset.' The workshop was also not open to all inmates and only selected participants who were identified by the officers based on the evaluation of the inmate's conduct and family relationship. Staff Sergeant Noor Aisha interacting with one of the inmates during the workshop. Image courtesy of Benefit Cosmetics. As someone who interacts with the inmates daily, Personal Supervisor Staff Sergeant Noor Aisha Azman shared with NYLON Singapore that she personally finds that unique workshops like this is a 'good opportunity' as it allows the inmates to foster relationships with their loved ones, who have been impacted by imprisonment. 'Female inmates tend to present different challenges due to the diverse roles they take on and some of them had adverse experiences (e.g. abuse) related to the varied roles which needed specific intervention such as support in mothering roles, trauma, mental health needs, and negative self-worth,' said Staff Sergeant Aisha. In addition to external workshops like this, Staff Sergeant Noor and her colleagues also implement initiatives to help inmates foster a sense of community and rehabilitation, as well as build networks and social capital. She said: 'For example, we introduced the Grief Support Group for female inmates affected by significant losses and the aim was to help address their emotional needs, foster positive social connections within the prison community, and promote emotional healing, self-efficacy, and support-seeking behaviours.' Another example is the Peer Supporter Initiative that trains suitable female inmates as peer supporters to provide support and guidance to fellow female inmates to enhance their overall well-being and self-coping strategies. An inmate and her mother applying the makeup skills during the workshop. Image courtesy of Benefit Cosmetics. On top of providing another way for inmates to continue building their confidence, Saraswathy Gunasegaren from the Yellow Ribbon Project, sees this workshop as a great opportunity to empower these women. 'For an international brand like Benefit Cosmetics to step forward and partner the Yellow Ribbon Project to empower females in our community; it reaffirms Singapore's rehabilitation efforts,' said Saraswathy. 'Their commitment to empowerment and inclusivity is heartening to see and will hopefully inspire others. It also showcases how corporates can contribute meaningfully to a more inclusive society.' When asked if this would mean more of such workshops in the future, Benefit Cosmetics' Adrianne Quijano said that they are 'currently in conversations' with Yellow Ribbon to continue this partnership. She added, 'For future events that they wish to engage us in, we hope that it will be as meaningful as this year's Mother's Day Event.'
