Benefit They're Real Mascara Review

After reading numerous reviews of Benefit They're Real! mascara, I decided to purchase it yesterday to see how well it would work on my Asian lashes.



They're Real! promises to lengthen, curl, volumize, lift and separate the lashes with a specially designed brush with long and short spikes, including at the end of the wand. The tip of the wand is supposed to help lift, define and curl even the tiniest of lashes, while the staggered bristles along the body of the wand grab the lashes close to the root for building maximum volume.



The brush is fat like Cover Girl Lash Blast and comes out of the tube without much product on it. The mascara fluid is distributed very evenly without any messy gobs. It is only at the end of the wand that you see a bit more product between the bristles. At first, I was worried that the formula would be too dry but as it turns out, it applied smoothly to my lashes.



The application instructions.



Pic of my lashes after using my MAC eyelash curler.



I found that They're Real! builds volume and length very easily with just a couple of strokes. If layered excessively, my lashes start to stick together but the wand turned out to be quite good at separating the lashes again. It also holds the curl of my lashes pretty well, but I wouldn't say that it actually curled and lifted them up. Using an eyelash curler beforehand is still essential for me.



After it dries, my lashes still feel soft. I like the jet black shade, which gives my lashes great definition. There was also no flaking or smudging on me.



The fat wand wasn't the best for coating the sparse, skimpy lashes along my lower lashline. The spiky bristles tended to poke the skin. It's not painful but it's not a comfortable feeling. In comparison, the Anna Sui Perfect Mascara or Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara are much easier to use on my lower lashline.



Another before-and-after comparison.



Overall, I think They're Real! is a good volumising mascara that does a decent job of holding the curl of even stubborn straight Asian lashes. I don't think it will make you look like you are wearing false eyelashes unless you already have long, thick lashes to start with.



The mascara retails at S$42 in Singapore, versus US$22 in the US (about S$26.60) and £18.50 in the UK (S$36.80), 22.5€ in France (S$39).



For today's look, I used my new Fred Farrugia eyeshadows over Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Fred Farrugia powder blush #2, Sleek Luminaire L02, RMK Irresistible Lips B #28 Rose, Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss #102 Silky Pink, Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Sequins and K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow #1.





The Paul & Joe Creamy Powder Foundation SPF18 PA++ is a sample that was included in the most recent issue of Baila, a Japanese magazine. The foundation is set to be launched in September. The shade 102 Nude (which is the 3rd lightest of 7 shades) looks alright on my MAC NC20/25 skintone but 101 Cameo will probably be a better match. It was quite easy to apply with the sponge and then blend with fingertips for a seamless finish with sheer to medium coverage. The velvety finish makes the skin look healthier and more even-toned in a natural way.



However, like most cream-to-powder foundations, it proved to be unsuitable for my oily skintype. My skin felt slightly sticky right after application and started to look shiny after just an hour. The sticky feeling does diminish after some time but it still doesn't feel like a normal powder foundation. This would work much better for dry skintypes. For oily skintypes, the Paul & Joe Fluid Foundation S will work much better.