High street makeup brand Benefit is about to have its 50th anniversary, and to celebrate it is expanding the legendary Benetint cheek and lip stain’s shades – in collaboration with the brand’s founder Dezi Perkins.

The history of this particular beauty staple – which is transfer-proof, smudge-proof and waterproof – is pretty unforgettable. It was Benefit’s first-ever product to be released, created back in the 1970s, created by twin sisters Jean and Jane Ford. They ran a small boutique in San Francisco’s Mission District, and created a rose petal and carmine stain after local exotic dancer asked for a way to make her nipples stand out while she performed on stage. After the dancer shared the genius concoction around the dressing room, the Benetint was born.

At the time, it was super early days for the beauty brand – so early that it hadn’t opted to be named Benefit yet. It was operating under its original moniker, The Face Place with just one storefront in San Francisco.

New shades are named ‘Raspberry’ and ‘Dark Cherry’ will join the original, nipple-esque ‘Rose’ shade. A statement on Benefit’s website has confirmed the wild origin story: ‘It was custom-made for an exotic dancer back in 1976 and was the first ever product sold in our original San Francisco boutique!’

TikTokkers, beauty experts and Hollywood women alike will be excited at this development. The product’s hashtag has had over one billion views on TikTok, and it’s been reported that one bottle of the blush was sold every 11 seconds in 2024 and three million vials in total throughout the year. 14 million Benetints have been sold globally between 2008 and 2024.

TikTokker Lauren Bliss recounted the origin story in a video, divulging that the product was originally named Rose Tint.

‘I feel like this cheekiness with their branding continued for a long time,’ she said, recalling being told to ask customers if they were ‘bene-virgins’ when she worked the Benefit counter.

There are many good reasons for the Benetint’s popularity. It’s water-like stain consistency guarantees staying power and a gorgeous finish and can be as subtle or distinctive as you decide. With one makeup product, you can ensure your cheeks have an adorable blush and your lips are a gorgeous shade for hours on end. And until now, there’s only ever one shade.

Babygirl star Nicole Kidman, Stranger Things’ Winona Ryder, Katy Perry and Eva Mendes are all huge fans, and Rachel Zegler has spoken out about wearing Benetint to create Snow White’s iconic rosy lips when she starred in Disney’s 2025 live action Snow White film.

‘In Snow White, my lip colour was the Benefit lip tint — the Benetint in a much pinker shade than I think a lot of people realise,’ she told Allure in an interview. ‘I think just the pink mixed with my natural colour is red, as [Snow White’s lip colour] was intended to be.’

‘I had that Benetint on for hours and hours and hours, and it never faded,’ Zegler added. ‘We would touch it up after lunch, but otherwise it was on for a good portion of the day, and having a lip like that — that stays — is very important, especially in filmmaking.’

Fans have taken to TikTok to freak out at this news and rather out-there origin for the go-to blush. ‘Just side eyed my benetint blush from across the room,’ one posted, while another wrote: ‘me finding out i was using this correctly unintentionally back when i still owned benetint.’

‘Benefit used to be such an it brand, I remember the little shell palettes,’ another fan posted, while another eagle-eyed smart fan posted: ‘I guessed this before you said it!’

Benefit’s product description of the original Benetint reads: ‘The long-lasting, non-drying lip and cheek stain promises a smudge-, transfer-, water-, and humidity-proof formula that lends a lightweight, sheer, and natural-looking flush that can be built up.’

The brand adds that the product’s non-drying formula ‘applies and builds easily and feels lightweight and comfortable on lips.

‘Apply one coat for a natural-looking, sheer hint of tint or layer for more vibrant, smooch-proof colour,’ it instructs.
Rave reviews for the Benetint prove that fans are going to be racing to get their hands on the new shades of this nipple-inspired tint. “Really beautiful stain, perfect for no makeup makeup, very natural, long lasting, kind of drippy but still blendable,” one review reads, while another says: ‘So easy to apply, been my go to for 3 years straight, the hype is worth it.’

So, basically, it’s an exciting time to be a Benetint fan. ‘Benetint’s story is not just about a beauty product, it is a story about who Benefit as a brand is,’ says Sarah Harbon, General Manager of Benefit Cosmetics UK & Ireland has said of its success.

‘There is an entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of this product and that is how we still like to operate now – to find solutions to problems that we didn’t know until that moment existed.

‘Benetint has always been a good seller and now this product, which is so old, has grown faster over the past 12 months than it has grown at any point in its history.’