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Thursday 11 July 2013

Veracious Product Review: BeneFit They're Real! Mascara

Hi, everyone! Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I've been a busy bee at school lately, which has eaten up a serious amount of my blogging time (damn you, grad school!). But I'm back today with a review of a much hyped-about mascara, BeneFit They're Real!

This mascara has gotten an incredible amount of buzz since its release last year. While I'd heard countless raves about it, I'd come across several less-than-favourable reviews as well. Because of the latter, as well as my lack of enthusiasm towards BeneFit's other iconic mascara, Bad Gal, I was in no rush to see if They're Real! was the real deal.

But fate intervened when I received a mini-sized version of it in Sephora's birthday gift to me in May. I finally decided to take it for a spin a couple weeks ago and (sorry to ruin the suspense of the review) I've been loving it!


The mascara came in a mini grey tube with black and orange lettering and a reflective metal cap. The design and colouring of the packaging is not super eye-catching in my books, but...

the brush certainly is! I instantly noticed the unique design of the wand when I pulled it out the first time. The bristles are made of stiff, nearly sharp plastic and are dispersed regularly, but at varying lengths.


What's most novel is the end of the brush, which has an interesting rounded, spiky tip, rather than the usual tapered edge. These photos don't capture the shape perfectly, but hopefully you get the idea!

I was curious about the intended purposes of the length of the wand versus the tip (there's no getting around sounding dirty when talking about mascara; or maybe that's just me), so I ambled over to BeneFit's website for an explanation. The brand suggests that you use the brush horizontally (as you normally would with mascara) to create length and volume, then use the tip of the brush vertically to maximize curl and separation. I've been using that technique and it's been working quite well!


In terms of performance, BeneFit promises that They're Real! "lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts & separates. Our jet black, long-wearing formula won’t smudge or dry out. A specially designed brush reveals lashes you never knew you had!" (from benefitcosmetics.com).

In my experience, all of these claims are spot-on! They're Real makes my lashes incredibly long and voluminous without getting clumpy, enhances the natural curl of my lashes, and is extremely long-wearing! I spent all of Sunday at an outdoor music festival. It down poured in a major way and my mascara remained completely intact. It was a makeup miracle!


Here are some "before" and "after" shots to give you a clear idea of how the mascara looks on my lashes:

Before:


After:

(with eyes closed)

Before:


After:

And a close-up...

Before:

After:



And a few more shots of how They're Real! looks on my lashes:




And in the context of an entire makeup look:


I've already gushed about this mascara- and the photos really speak for themselves- but there still are a mix of both benefits (pun intended) and drawbacks to They're Real! Here's a summary of my impressions:

Pros:
  • Thickens lashes and creates serious volume with minimal clumping
  • Unique, functional brush that really works to lengthen, curl, and separate
  • Enhances the natural curl of my lashes and keeps the curl all day
  • Incredibly long-wearing; has weathered serious storms (literally!)
  • Very minimal smudging and flaking throughout the day
Cons:
  • The downside of the long-wearing formula is that it is incredibly hard to remove, even more so than some waterproof mascaras. Sometimes an oil cleanser isn't even enough, leaving stubborn mascara residue under my eyes (not cute!)
  • The thick, pigmented formula can be on the "gloopy" side during application. I usually end up with dots of mascara on my crease or brow bone that I have to clean up
  • Fairly expensive- at around $30, this is no small feat for your wallet!
  • Not a good option if you want a more subtle, natural mascara look

Overall, I've been so pleasantly surprised with this mascara. It's really a winner in my books! Because I have other beloved mascaras that are at a much more reasonable price point (mainly Clinique's Lash Doubling and High Impact) I won't be rushing to buy a full-sized tube of They're Real! when the mini is done. But I will definitely keep it in mind when I'm feeling like splurging on my lashes!

Have any of you tried They're Real!? Thoughts? What are some of your favourite mascaras for serious curl and volume?

Thanks for reading! Really hoping to start posting more consistently soon! xo
 

52 comments:

  1. wow, they looks amazing on you! It's so different with it !

    Would you like to follow each other on Bloglovin and GFC? Let me know!

    Newest Post: [Review] Magic Care Professional Hair Care Serum

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Yomi! It's definitely one of my new favourite mascaras! xo

      Delete
  2. Wow I definitely need to try this mascara!! Looks amazing!!
    xoxo

    www.cakeandcouture.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely worth a try! Thanks for stopping by :)

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  3. Replies
    1. Thanks, Michele! I'm really happy with it :)

      Delete
  4. I want to buy that mascara I know it's great but, drugstore ones are really good too! I don't know what to do haha :)

    www.lam-style.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This one is definitely worth a try if you want a bit of a splurge! It's great :)

      Delete
  5. great post darling
    missing you on our blog
    kisses from Kenya

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wooooow, ok now I feel a sudden urgent need to buy myself this baby! Your lashes look amazing on the after photos (of course on the before too ;))!The only downside is the persistance of colour and the not-so-natural look, but for some occasions that's perfectly all right! :)

    xx
    http://gita-oddsandends.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, thanks, Gita! This is definitely worth a try! Removing it is super annoying, but it's worth it because the performance is great :)

      Delete
  7. I have to be honest,,, i'm not very good with make up!
    but i find your blog so interesting!

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    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, thanks so much! Glad you found the blog helpful :)

      Delete
  8. I loved this mascara initially, but that dissipated after I learned how difficult it was to get off - very damaging to my lashes! Despite that, I think it's my favourite high end mascara so far, and I may buy it again if I have a gift card. I actually like Maybelline's new Rocket mascara better as far as performance goes... plus it's a fifth of the price! I'd recommend giving that one a go :) xxx
    awkwardpandamusings.blogspot.ca

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I definitely find They're Real worth it, despite the difficulty removing it. Thanks for the recommendation for the Maybelline version. Will have to check it out! xo

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  9. Oh wow, glamorous length! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Eeee I just reviewed this too and love it! Haven't tried the vertical upward strokes though and will be on it in the morning haha...

    Holly Mixtures
    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hehee, glad you're loving it too! Thanks for stopping by, Holly :)

      Delete
  11. I've been debating purchasing this foreverrr...will take the plunge sometime!

    -Maddy @ www.BeautyBanterBlog.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's definitely worth the plunge! Thanks for stopping by, Maddy :)

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  12. Love! Please chk out my blog! I think we have similar tastes ;) www.loveolia.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Will check out your blog soon :)

      Delete
  13. amazing lashes *_* your blog is very lovely and interesting. im glad if you visit my blog, too <3 keep in touch!

    xx
    beauthi.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Thi! Will visit your blog soon :)

      Delete
  14. I love this mascara... glad it worked so well for you too! And agreed, I get so annoyed when I have trouble removing long-wearing mascaras... still looking for that eye makeup remover that takes away every last trace!

    Ellie | Ellalogy 

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooh, glad you love this too! It's so great that I don't mind that it's send me on a quest for a better eye makeup remover :)

      Delete
  15. Good mascara's are hard to come by its either the brush is bad or it clumps up..thanks for doing this great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, they can definitely be hard to come by! Glad you found my review helpful :)

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  16. Thank you for the sweet comment <3
    I have this mascara and I like it except that it's really spiky and sharp so it kinda hurts when I apply it :/

    x0x0

    sixthtractate.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you're liking it too! But yeah, the brush can be a bit spiky!

      Delete
  17. Wow, that's a great mascara! I love how it doesn't clump and separates the lashes. I think I'm gonna give this a try.

    THanks for stopping by my blog. Would you like to follow each other?

    WWW.ROXTHEFOX.COM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should definitely give this a try! Always enjoy stopping by your blog- have just started following :)

      Delete
  18. Replies
    1. Glad you're loving it too! Thanks for stopping by, Wanischa! xo

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  19. amazing post, i really love that mascara!

    xx

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Tere! It really is a fantastic mascara :)

      Delete
  20. I'm not a big mascara wearer, but WOW, there is a big difference! Now I'm sad I didn't choose this as my free b-day gift from Sephora!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, this really does make a dramatic difference, but without being over-the-top. Thanks for stopping by, Lisa! xo

      Delete
  21. I love this mascara! I've been using it like crazy lately!!

    Kendra

    www.beautybykendrac.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooh, glad you're loving it too! Thanks for stopping by, Kendra :)

      Delete
  22. I love this mascara, I've just reviewed the product myself! Check it out?

    www.lisa-cequejaime.blogspot.co.uk
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lisa! Just checked out your review. Glad you're loving it too! :)

      Delete
  23. WOW! You can tell a HUGE difference! I've been meaning to try this out, too... I feel like such a slacker!!!

    thebeautyblahg.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, the difference really is dramatic! Definitely worth a try. And I've been slacking on lots of makeup things lately too ;)

      Delete
  24. really cool product! Like your blog a lot! :)
    http://www.addictedtofashionforever.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for the kind words and for stopping by! xo

      Delete
  25. I like how you have detailed reviews and list all the pros and cons of products... I have been looking for a blog like this for a while!


    www.sassyelegancy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, thanks so much! So glad you found the review helpful and that you're enjoying the blog. Thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  26. Yeah! Sephora gives out mini gifts during the month of your birthday if you have a Beauty Insider card. A nice treat! The staying power of this is definitely super impressive; makes the trouble removing it worth it! Glad you found the review helpful, Marlen! xo

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  27. I actually tried this mascara yesterday from a sephora mini sample as well and I love it!! Really makes my lashes look big and separated! Although I also had a hard time removing it, which I hate about waterproof mascaras... I wasn't sure if this one is too.
    I also love DiorShow Blackout mascara, does wonders! Check it out!

    Phdfashionista.com

    ReplyDelete

All of your lovely comments make my day! Thanks for taking the time to share your musings, ideas, and opinions. Feel free to leave a link to your blog- I'd be happy to check it out :)