Test Driving Benefit They're Real! mascara!

Benefit They're Real! Mascara - $29 - claims to give you dramatic length and volume, base-to-tip curl and visible lift with long-wearing results.

The brush is very interesting - rubbery and spikey.  They recommend you use it horizontally and wiggle the wand from side to side, base to tip so the staggered bristles can grab lashes close to the root to boost length and volume and then hold the wand vertically so the custom tip can lift, define and curl even the tiniest lashes.

While the horizontal thing was easy enough to do and gave decent results, I can't for the life of me figure out how to use the tip part without making a mess and getting globs of mascara everywhere - so my tiny lashes had to go without being defined and curled, I think they'll live.

Right eye has no mascara, Left eye has one coat.

Right eye with 2 coats, Left eye with one coat both after a full day's wear and yes, I walked around all day with different layers of mascara on each eye, just for you!

My verdict: good length, okay volume, good curl and great staying power. No issues with clumping, smudging or flaking. I expect with practice, my application technique will improve and I'll get a better look but I don't think anyone will be asking me anytime soon if they're real or not... I'm talking about my lashes of course...

This is the picture from the advertising campaign which I tried very hard to emulate - I'm pretty sure in the second picture that there is a thick line of black liquid liner on the lid which gives the lash have that nice thick look at the bottom!

- Lisamarie -