Benefit They're Real! Mascara

Benefit has a great track record for me with their mascaras.  I have used BadGal Lash for years and it is one of the very few that I repurchase time after time.  In fact, I still compare every new mascara that I try to this formula and see how it stacks up.  BadGal Lash has been a clear winner in almost every single case so when I found out that this company was releasing a new mascara, I was both excited to try it out and very curious to see how this one compares to BadGal Lash.  I couldn't imagine a better formula and I quickly bought a tube of it the next time that I went to Ulta.  I had to finish up my tube of Clinique Lash Power in the humid days of the summer but as soon as the weather didn't call for a formula that stays in place through a hurricane, I quickly switched over to this product.  I have only read great reviews of this product and my one friend is completely in love with it, so I was very excited to use this for the first time.  And this is one of those products that really does live up to all the hype!

Sephora states that this is "A jet black mascara that lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts, and separates lashes for a spectular "out-to-here" look."  This is one mascara that does it all, most mascaras do the work of two or three of the functions of this product. 

"This mascara features an exclusive brush specially designed to maximize the performance of the long-wearing, glossy formula revealing lashes you never knew you had!  Staggered bristles grab close to the root, boosting length and volume beyond belief.  The precision bristles on the custom-domed tip lift, define, and curl even your tiniest lashes.  The end result is luxurious, silky lashes that won't smudge, clump, or dry out."  Since this is a very different looking brush, Sephora has also provided usage instructions to help ladies use this product to the best of its ability.  The brush should be positioned first at the base of the lash horizontally and then the brush needs to be wiggled from side to side, from the base all the way to the tip.  This product than needs to be stroked from base to tip to fully coat and separate the lashes. 

Clinical trials proved that this is a great mascara in all aspects.  "94% saw dramatic length and volume.  90% saw base-to-tip curl.  94% saw visible lift.  100% saw long-wearing results."  How did my experience coincide with the trials results?  I agree with the dramatic length and volume, the lift provided by the product, and the all-day wear that I got from the product.  The curl aspect is where I have a bit of a differing opinion.  As I have stated earlier on this blog, mascara is not made to curl the lashes, it is made to hold the curl that is already in place.  So this mascara will not curl my lashes if I don't use a separate curler before use.  I can state that it works very well to hold the curl that my lash curler creates.

The brush is such a unique aspect of this product.  It reminded me a bit of a combination between that of the Dior DiorShow Iconic brush and the Givenchy Phenomen'eyes ball brush.  It is a rubber brush with spikes, think of the DiorShow Iconic brush style with longer rubber spikes.  This brush is much bigger than the one that I had been using with the Clinique mascara and that took a bit of getting used to.  The first time that I used it, I poked myself right in the eye but I quickly got used to it.  Luckily, the technique that was suggested on the Sephora website is very close to how I normally apply mascara so I didn't have any issues using it the correct way from the very beginning. 

I have to conclude that this mascara is as good as BadGal Lash but there is a difference between the two products and I can't pick one over the other.  BadGal Lash creates huge lush lashes but does not lengthen, this product is best used to create major volume at night or anytime major drama is wanted.  They're Real! defines lashes more than BadGal Lash and lengthens them.  It creates a great amoutn of volume but it doesn't have the over-the-top look of the BadGal Lash.  I could place They're Real! as a daytime mascara for ladies who love high volume lashes and BadGal Lash is better for use at night.  This mascara definitely falls into my Top Ten mascaras and might even fall into my Top Five over time.

Wow...They're Real!  (sorry I couldn't resist!)

photo courtesy of Sephora