This is the first time in a long time I liked Benefit packaging enough to buy the product for the Museum. Named after the daughters of Benefit co-founder Jean Ford (who started the company with her sister Jane) the Maggie and Annie boxes feature unique psychedelic-looking designs.
We'll start with Annie.
Beneath the "lesson" booklet are the eye shadows. Here they are in natural light and with flash:
Maggie:
Here are the eye shadows in natural light and with flash:
I'll be frank – I have zero interest in the makeup itself. What grabbed me about these palettes is the fact that they look like a cross between the iconic Bob Dylan poster by Milton Glaser and a painting by post-Impressionist Paul Signac. Here is the Dylan poster, completed in 1966:
(image from friendswelove.com)
And here is the 1890 Signac painting, titled Portrait of Felix Feneon Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints (quite a mouthful!) As you can see, Paul Signac took after Pointillist Georges Seurat.
(image from buzzsugar.com)
Interestingly enough, you can see both of these at MoMA. Now I'm curious to know who designed the Benefit palettes and what their inspiration was, and why they chose this particular style for them!