Review: Benefit, They’re Real Mascara

When Benefit launched their new Mascara, They’re Real, there was a lot of publicity surrounding it.  Now I don’t mind Benefit and have a few of their products but its not one of my favourite brands, and to be honest, the packaging is just not my style.  I tend to prefer, clean, minimalist or luxury packaging, and cardboard containers, such as those used for the blushers, are not the easiest thing to transport.  However BuyaPowa was having a Benefit week, and I couldn’t resist when They’re Real was available for £11, a remarkable £7.50 off the usual retail price of £18.50.

As with my previous experience with BuyaPowa, delivery was fast and the item was well packaged.  The mascara comes encased in cardboard packaging, and when opened, is revealed to be a sleek, silver tube, very different from Benefits normal kitsch, pink branding.  I much preferred this and felt it looked more expensive and much more like a luxury product. 

Benefit claims this mascara will  ‘lengthen, curl, volumise, lift and separate lashes, giving a false lash effect that won’t smudge or dry out’.  That is a bold claim for a brand to be able to essentially do everything and I’m not sure how realistic this claim is.  The wand looks similar to the usual wand you would expect from a mascara, however it also has bristles on the tip which are very useful for grabbing the small lashes on the inner corner of your eye and mean that you are less likely to poke yourself in the eye with the wand!

When I initially applied this I was very impressed.  It did indeed lengthen my lashes and also seemed to curl them as I have very straight eyelashes that require manual curling.  I encountered no clumping, although I only use 1-2 coats of mascara.  

I did find a couple of drawbacks with this product though in that there was quite excessive smudging underneath my eyes and I am not a habitual eye rubber!  This occurred sometimes after about 6-7 hours and was even worse if I actually did need to itch or rub my eyes.  It seems to smudge VERY easily, as though it is constantly wet.  It was also a nightmare to remove in the evening before bed!  I underwent my usual routine of removing my eye makeup with Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and followed up with Garnier’s Fresh Essentials Gentle Eye Make up Remover.  However, the following morning, after my shower, I still had panda eyes!  I have no idea how it manages to stick around so long and this difficulty in removal is one of my main issues with it.

Verdict 
Having never tried Benefit’s Mascara before, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this.  I enjoy the effects it gives me and although I wouldn’t say my eyelashes look like I am wearing false lashes, they do look nicely separated, longer and with a defined curl.  The downfall for me is the smudging and difficulty in removal, and therefore I will be saving this product for occasional night time events rather than all day wear.  It is worth a go though and if you are prepared to deal with these issues, you may find it is the mascara for you.

4/5    

Price –  £18.50 

Where to Buy – Benefit, Boots, House of Fraser, Debenhams