Maggie Ford Danielson and her sister Annie, daughters of Benefit co-founder Jean Ford and nieces to co-founder Jane Ford, grew up with make-up their entire lives, but still can't seem to get enough of the industry.
"Make-up can make women feel empowered. A lot of people say you shouldn't wear make-up, that you shouldn't cover up your natural beauty. It's not about that — it's about enhancing it and making you feel good about yourself," said Danielson, who was recently in Bangkok to promote Benefit's most recent product Roller Lash.
According to her, mascara should never be taken lightly. "For eyes, you want some drama. Mascaras are a very serious business. Honestly, lashes are a major concern for all women. No matter where I go, women usually complain about their lashes for different reasons. In Asia, they're too short and pointing down. In Western markets, everyone wants them thick. Here in Thailand, they want eye lashes to lift and curl," said the global beauty authority for Benefit Cosmetics.
Roller Lash is the latest innovation inspired by pink hair rollers. It is designed for short, straight lashes that Asian women tend to have.
"We think it's going to be a great answer for a lot of our customers who have short and straight lashes. Honestly, lashes are a major concern for all women. We knew that with They're Real mascara, which is one of the top sellers globally, we really were able to give women the thickness and the drama. But it wasn't necessarily solving the lash issue here, and that's why we knew we had to create something else. Roller Lash can solve that issue."
Maggie Ford Danielson, global beauty authority for Benefit Cosmetics.
Danielson explained that the magic is in the brush, which takes its innovation from the old-fashioned pink hair rollers worn by elderly women. Those rollers have little teeth that grab the hair. The Roller Lash wand has the same micro hooks which curl and coat the lashes. Benefit is so confident about the product's curling effect that it writes on the box, "Bye-bye, eyelash curler!"
"The thing is, lash curlers can sometimes damage your lashes. A lot of women can pinch their eyelids," said Danielson, who formerly used a lash curler every day and pinched herself from time to time. "The curl that it gives is not a curl — it's more of a bend. Roller Lash gives much more of a natural bend to your lashes."
While most mascaras today are going waterproof, Benefit doesn't follow suit, for what it believes is good reason. Danielson explained that waterproof mascara can dehydrate the lashes and the eyelids, and is harder to remove.
"None of our mascaras are waterproof. They are long-wear. Waterproof formula really has a lot of harshness and it can dry out your lashes. It's really hard to remove and you end up scrubbing, and you get wrinkles."
Danielson said that launching a new mascara in Thailand is no walk in the park — Thai women are mascara-savvy and demanding, like good consumers should be.
"Here, people really know their mascara. In the US, people would just throw any mascara on. They don't care what it does. Here, everyone wants to know what it does, because everyone is really knowledgeable about it. They've probably tried hundreds, and know what's good and what's bad. For a mascara to be a success here, it has to be top quality," Danielson said.
That is one transition she has noticed in the beauty industry, that consumers today are more demanding. She credited the shift in the industry to the digital world and cyber influencers such as bloggers.
"It used to be that you either had to learn about beauty from your mother or go into a store and the experts would teach you about make-up. Now, there's much more quality in the beauty industry, and it pushes companies to be more innovative," she said.
Apart from eyelashes, Danielson also believes in the power of a good pair of eyebrows. She expressed that there is a knowledge gap between the ideal eyebrows that women see in magazines and how to achieve them.
"There are lots of products out there that are more for artistry. We have those, but we also have a product for dummies, which is most people, not in a negative way. They are people who just don't have a lot of time, and just want to brush it on and be done, me included," Danielson said, referring to Gimme Brow Brow-Volumizing Fiber Gel.
However, she doesn't believe in eyebrow trends, nor does she think brows should be trendy.
"Back in the 90's, it was cool to have really thin brows. Now, it's cool to have thick brows. Who knows what's going to happen in 20 years? At Benefit, we believe that a groomed full brow always looks good. It's like when you have a good haircut. If you feel confident in it and it's right for your face, you should keep it. Once you've found the right brow shape, don't stray from it."
She added that Benefit is all about finding what makes you happy, based on the philosophy that laughter is the best cosmetic. Thus, its products are diverse to cater to every woman.
"I just like to be able to make women feel confident. I'm lucky that Benefit is a brand that is based on smiling and laughing and having fun, feeling the freedom to play with make-up. There are a lot of beauty brands that are all about creating an ideal or an aspirational look," said Danielson. "While that's nice, it's not necessarily something that every girl can achieve. At Benefit, we're really inclusive. No matter who you are, you can find something that you want to try or feel comfortable with."
