Benefit - They're Real! Beyond Mascara

Jet-black, lengthening, long-wearing mascara from Benefit

One of Benefit’s top selling products, a cult favourite amongst beauty bloggers and my personal favourite mascara. None of Benefit’s products have ever disappointed me; the quality seems great, the packaging and names are cute... many of their products are some of my favourite ever (e.g. The Porefessional – which I will blog about soon) and this is one of them. Yes, once again I am jumping on the beauty blogger’s ‘HG’ bandwagon and saying that this mascara is exactly that.

The first time I used They’re Real Mascara I honestly believed I had found the mascara I had been searching for and that I would never need search again. That belief still stands with me and until I hear about a mascara surrounded by as much positive hype as They’re Real, this shall stay my one true mascara.

Why I love this mascara so much… It gives my relatively short, blonde lashes instant length and volume like they have never had before. I generally apply one or two coats of it and afterwards it looks and feels like I am wearing false lashes - they are that long. For me it definitely is long-wearing (a little too long-wearing… but I’ll get to that), lengthening and the consistency is smooth and does not make my lashes clumpy... ticks all my boxes.

The packaging of the smaller version (4.0g) that I am reviewing, is out of the Primping With The Stars Kit by Benefit and is the only size of it I have had, but I believe the packaging is pretty similar to the full-size one. The shiny silver and dark grey packaging is fabulous and the brush – attached to the lid, is well-designed and is quite firm plastic (but does not scratch).

Though I may love it dearly, I personally have four problems with it.

1.)  It is very very very hard to get off - like waterproof mascara – and even when I think I have got it all off, there is still some there the next morning.

2.)  It claims that it curls and I just don’t see that effect on my lashes… it definitely lengthens, but curls… I am not too sure. I always have to use eyelash curlers before I use it.

3.)  It also claims to separate lashes… once again I don’t see that on my lashes and I usually have to wait until it has dried and then use a lash comb to separate them.

4.)  At £19.50, it is rather expensive for a mascara and I find it hard to justify spending that much on it, though having tried the smaller size I got in the Primping With The Stars kit, I would buy the full-size.

Overall, I will always (until I find one that I love even more) re-purchase this mascara. I love its packaging, name, consistency and how long-lasting and lengthening it is. I just wish it was easier to get off… if anyone has the same problem with this mascara, have you got any tips on how you get it all off? I would love to hear them if you do!

The full-size version of this  mascara  costs £19.50 and can be found on asos, in John Lewis, Boots and Debenhams.

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