There can’t be many beauty products that can claim the same longevity as Benefit’s Benetint. Not only is it one of the most budge-proof, heat-proof makeup products on the planet, it’s almost 50 years old yet showing zero signs of ageing. I first fell in love with it as a baby beauty editor back in the late 90s, and I've used it on repeat ever since. An eternally modern and flattering formula, it works just as well on my face at 50 as it did 25 years ago.
It's also the product with the best, most evergreen backstory in beauty. The brand’s very first-ever product was dreamed up back in 1970s San Francisco by twin sisters Jean and Jane Ford, who ran a small boutique in Mission District, and had been asked by one of the local exotic dancers for a way to make her nipples stand out on stage. Yes, truly. The resulting rose petal and carmine stain was quickly shared around the glamour girls’ dressing room, and a makeup legend was born.
Flash-forward through the next five decades, and you’ll find Benefit’s iconic rosy-red tint gracing the lips and cheeks (and who knows where else) of a host of celebrities, from Nicole Kidman and Winona Ryder to Katy Perry and Eva Mendes.
It’s a bestseller, too. Last year alone, a whopping 3m Benetints were sold worldwide, and it’s far from just a heritage buy. Gen Z-ers have really taken it to their hearts, feeds and faces, with #benetint boasting more than 1bn views on TikTok.
The water-like stain is prized for both its staying power and its beautiful finish, cheating a look that’s simultaneously sexy and wholesome. Cheeks get an out-in-the-great-outdoors flush, while lips are lent a just-bitten quality. It's youthful as well, cleverly replenishing natural radiance that's sapped by time without looking makeup-y.
There’s only been one teeny negative and that’s the shade choice. Of, er, one. While Benefit has created several other tints, the nipple-tastic OG formula has only been available in Rose – until now. With its 50th birthday drawing closer, Benetint has finally welcomed not one, but two new sisters into the fold.
The original has been joined by Dark Cherry and Raspberry, offering a fresh twist on an icon. The former skews towards purple, while the latter is a perky pink. Dark Cherry has already gone viral, selling out within days of launch although it’s now been restocked.
When I saw the bottles, I did wonder if the new colours would mean a compromise on the wearable effect of my adored original but that’s thankfully not the case.
Even though the shades themselves are quite different in tone to the original, the sheer stain formula still allows skin to show through, although it’s easy to build if you want a more vibrant effect.
Neither of them required a blusher brush or sponge; simply a dot or two on cheeks followed by a quick whisk with the fingertips to blur the stain into the skin with no hard edges. I’m no makeup pro, but I found there was ample time to blend the darker stains into my skin before they dried and set in place, all day.
My lips needed no liner or brush, either. The applicator tip was slim enough to get a precise line, sweeping it neatly across Cupid’s bow. As with my beloved original Rose, the formula was completely comfortable to wear and I forgot all about it – until I caught sight of my face in a mirror mid-afternoon and realised the colour was still going strong.
I've been wearing them constantly through the hot weather, and they've not slipped a bit. I've also had lovely compliments about the general 'healthy' impression they create. (I'll always take 'you're looking really well' over 'nice lippy'.)
I’d say that both of the two new shades are easy to wear and flattering. However, if I had to choose one, I’d go with Dark Cherry as the shade reminds me of Clinique Black Honey, turned into an all-day sheer tint. And you don’t get more iconic than that.
