Beyond its charged core, the brush features zigzag bristles strategically shaped to penetrate the lash line and coat each little hair, providing optimal lift and separation. But the innovative magnetic technology isn’t the only thing it’s got going for it. The mascara is the first of its kind and the subject of pending patents in the U.S. Instrumental tests found that this created 40 per cent longer lashes-“not just longer-looking!” Helfrich points out. That principle rings especially true for this newcomer as the brush, which holds a magnetically charged core, and the formula, which is also magnetic, are specifically designed to attract each other and stretch the product beyond lashes’ tips.

“When we’re developing a new mascara, it’s all about that perfect marriage between formula, wiper, brush and then of course your lashes,” says Ford Danielson. The result is They’re Real! Magnet, flanker to the bestselling They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara. It took four years but they finally got it just right. Too weak of a magnet wouldn’t attract enough product to achieve the desired lengthening effect. Too strong of a magnet would pull too much formula and make for a messy application. “The most challenging part of the process was literally creating a new magnetic technology in both the brush and the formula,” he says. Bichon is a premiere authority on all things mascara, but even he found himself scratching his head. One of the experts they called on was Yohann Bichon, head of mascara development for LVMH, Benefit’s parent company. From fridge magnets to cell phone magnets, we were pulling in examples all around us.” But could it actually be done? To find out, they brought in world-class scientists and engineers. In the days that followed, Helfrich and her team became magnet obsessed. Watching them roll around and attract each other from far away, Helfrich wondered, “What if we could develop a mascara with the same power? A new kind of mascara where the brush and formula were attracted to each other by a magnetic force?” Those magnetic balls would wind up sparking an epiphany. “What if we could develop a mascara where the brush and formula were attracted to each other by a magnetic force?” “This time around, we were playing around with beauty sponges, blocks, notepads, sharpies of every colour and magnetic balls, just to name a few.” “Inside, we hold all different sorts of objects and toys, and to keep things fresh, we’re always changing it up,” says Kate Helfrich, Benefit’s SVP of global product and service innovation. They held product innovation sessions, which included something called a “creative toolbox”-essentially, trinkets to help break the ice and jumpstart ideas. So the brand began brainstorming possible ways to make lashes longer than ever. “We realized, ‘You know what? We may need to relook at the lengthening category.

Looking at market data, Benefit noticed consumers were spending tons of money-and time-on things like lash extensions, lash lifts and lash serums. “That tells me two things: 1) That our consumer is still looking for education on mascara, and 2) They’re not satisfied with what they have.” “Mascara is one of the highest searched words on Google,” says Annie Ford Danielson, chief beauty ambassador for Benefit and daughter of co-founder Jean Ford. Not that Benefit is really one for sitting.

Having assembled an all-star roster of lash-enhancers over the years-They’re Real!, BADGal, Roller Lash-the brand currently sits at number 1 in the prestige mascara category in Canada and the U.S.

Magnet mascara