Jennifer Berg

"Girl, we are so happy to be here," booms Arianne Damboise, national makeup artist for Benefit Cosmetics. It is my first trip to the newly opened shop, but something about the pink-and-yellow striped walls, sassy sayings painted on the window ("bad gals always finish first") and Damboise's contagious enthusiasm make me feel like I'm at a slumber party for sophisticated ladies. It seems I'm catching on fast: "You're the perfect Benefit person," Damboise says: "because you come in here and you're all about the girl talk."

Benefit, a 30-year-old cosmetics company, was founded by identical twins Jean and Jane Ford. The girls got into face-painting early on: growing up on a farm in Indiana, they found immense pleasure in crushing fireflies' behinds and smearing each other's faces with glowing gunk. In 1970, the sisters took their zany, creative energy to San Francisco, where they opened a makeup boutique called The Face Place in 1976. The shop immediately attracted a loyal set of fans from the Mission District--many of whom had their own fans at surrounding strip clubs. The Fords' first big seller was made with these ladies of the night in mind; Benetint, a rosy stain for lips and cheeks, started as a pinkness-enhancer for nipples.

From the stripper-laden seventies on, Jean and Jane have opened boutique after boutique in which a "locker room" setting prevails. Benefit stores allow women to gather, dish and take an unself-conscious load off. Throughout my visit to the Armitage store (852 West Armitage, (773)880-9192), beautifying intertwines nicely with gabbing; by the time I leave, I've gotten my views of Kevin Federline off my chest and discovered eyebrows that I didn't know were in me. I'm also armed with tips on how to keep up the arching at home: "Why get an elaborate makeover that you have no chance of doing yourself?" Arianne asks. In case you do forget a trick or two, the candy-hued boutique provides services that include lash tinting and body waxing. All treatments take place in rooms replete with floral wallpaper and silky pink curtains, making the plucking and pulling a near-quaint affair.

For Jane and Jean, having a home in Chicago is a dream realized: "We always noticed that the women in Chicago smiled more than in any other city," Jane has said. "With our new boutique, now we can stay and play!"

(2006-07-25)

Also by Jennifer Berg

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Open for Business
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