Empowering women and girls is a core value of Benefit Cosmetics, a playful cosmetics company founded in San Francisco, California that sells light-hearted beauty products – with names like “The POREfessional”, “they’re real! mascara”, “hello flawless”, “gimme brow”, “benetint”, and “Dr. Feelgood” – at over 2,000 counters in more than 30 countries. With its goal of helping women with cancer feel like themselves again, Look Good Feel Better (LGFB) has values that naturally align with Benefit’s. But for many of Benefit’s team members and leaders, the two organizations’ long-time partnership is more than a business affiliation – it’s a deeply personal alliance.
From personal experience to community-wide impact
Deny DiFelice, General Manager of Canada and Mexico at Benefit Cosmetics is proud to be involved in the community-supportive partnership. DiFelice lost her grandmother – with whom she had formed a close bond – to cancer in 2014. Then in 2019, her daughter was diagnosed with a rare fibrosarcoma at the young age of 28. For two months DiFelice lived at the hospital with her daughter, and saw firsthand the desperate need for support for people facing cancer – especially those without strong support networks to rely upon. She also came to understand the excruciating anxiety of remission, as she endured intolerable waits with her daughter at her bi-annual follow-up appointments and tests, closely watching her daughter for any sign of being unwell. “It takes an emotional toll – the fear of the unknown,” says DiFelice. “Anything we can do to support this cause is something that I have to continue to champion.”
Embracing the power of cosmetics
As the general manager of a leading beauty company, DiFelice has an innate understanding of the power that cosmetics can have in boosting women’s mood and confidence. “I love what LGFB offers,” she says, referencing the organization’s workshops that teach women with cancer techniques to help them manage the appearance-related side effects of their treatment. “I know how I feel when I do my hair and makeup – especially right now with all the isolation around COVID. And then imagine a woman with cancer. Your body changes, you need support – and maybe you need someone to educate you on how to take care of your skin differently or how to recreate your lost eyebrows. Maybe you’ve never used an eyebrow pencil before. LGFB can bring back confidence – it can be life-changing for a woman going through cancer.”
A team with a purpose
The partnership has been life-changing for the team at Benefit, too. “Our staff members love the partnership,” says DiFelice. “They love not only the charity concept, but the teamwork it takes to bring it to life. It’s very meaningful for them. They want our customers to feel empowered.”
She notes that Benefit’s partnership with LGFB also boosts staff morale by giving the team a purpose and a shared drive toward a common goal. The partnership is something they can be proud of and is a powerful, actionable way for them to give back to their community and to serve their customers.
At the end of the day, Benefit Cosmetics and LGFB are both driven by the desire to help women feel better, lighter, and like their best selves. Certainly, Benefit’s unwavering belief that “laughter is the best cosmetic” is an adage that’s hard to argue with.
