Review! Benefit's They're Real! Push Up Liner

Brought over from my previous blog

I did it. I took the plunge. I sepnt $29 dollars on eyeliner.

Say whaaa?

My defense: I have been lusting after Benefit products ever since I was a little baby. Ever since I was an angsty 19 year old sitting in my bedroom, first discovering YouTube videos on my duct-taped back together laptop, trying to re-invent myself after graduating high school, but my slew of retail jobs ensuring I was broke.

Well. Times have changed.

I went to school, got married, bought my own house, upgraded in the car department, totally got a really good job... that on that particular day was making me want to pull my hair out, so I said to myself, "Frig it, Courtney, you've made it life, you deserve this stupid $29 dollar eyeliner!"

So I freakin' bought it. And boy it felt good to kiss old broke, high school me behind.

Was it all the magic my teenage self imagined? Let's see:

I heard all those guru's talking about this when they totally got sent it for free before it hit stores in Benefit's promotional plan. Whoops, did that sound bitter? Either way, I totally fell for it so, meh. Basically, its eyeliner in their whole "They're Real!" collection, and supposed to be revolutionary in how it applies and hugs really close to your lashes, yadda yadda yadda. I'm like a gel/cream eyeliner whore, so, I thought this would be the best purchase for me other than blush that comes in a box. (Like 30+ bucks for a blush that comes in a box?? Kay, I need to stop I'm sounding terrible. I just don't get some expensive brands' thinking)

On first opening it, the little bugger is pretty high quality. Nice, thick plastic, wont explode or smash easily in my purse, so I was excited. Things kind of went downhill from there. I didn't know how to work the darn thing to begin with, come to find out you twist it from the bottom to get the gel to come out of the top slanty bit that looks like a sharpie. After twisting for what felt like 9 hours, some eyeliner finally came out.

It came out kind of weird, much thicker than I anticipated. They way I can describe it, is gel liner that's kind of gotten old and gloopy, really not all that creamy. I tried to put it on my eye, and it was like a mechanical pencil you try to write with when you have WAY too much lead with, it just breaks off and makes a mess and really pisses you off.

I've tried practicing, everything, the only way to get enough eyeliner out is when there's too much, and it breaks off and gets all over your face and is just stupid.

To combat this, I pump some out, put it on my hand, and dip the applicator in it like you would any gel liner with a normal-ass brush. 

Can you tell I'm kind of dissapointed?

Kinda?

As far as formulas go, if this crap was sold in a pot, and the tube as an applicator, I'd be all over this like stink on a pig. Though thicker, it's still workable (if its on your hand) and the applicator thingy really does get in between your lashes nicely. The applicator is rubbery too, so easy to clean, and doesn't gunk up like a brush would. The formula is really really long lasting too, I notice no flakes at the end of the day, and its pretty decently water resistant. I have really watery eyes, and it's stood up to them nicely, but wouldn't have a chance to a The Fault in Our Stars cryfest. (I haven't seen that movie and refuse to, ahem, Cancer survivor myself, but my friends all said it reduced them to blubbering messes. The way I seen it, I blubbered enough myself when I heard the "C" word at 20)

All that aside, it makes a winged line on your eyes like nobody's business. So I guess, Benefit achieved what they were going for, even if they stretched the truth on how exactly you'd get there. But I digress, we'll let the pics do the talking.

 

No, my eyelashes are not natrually that fabulous. I took these pictures before heading off to a wedding, when I wanted my eyes to look Beyoncé fierce, so that called for They're Real, even when they weren't.

Pretty nice wing for a tube full of LIES!

Sooo that's it that's all. I'd give it a 5 out of 10 I guess. I'm glad it's not a total waste. I like the applicator, I like the formula, just not together. When the eyeliner inside runs out, I'll totally just wash the tube really well and dip it in my trusty rusty E.L.F gel eyeliner pot. Because apparently, what $29 dollars does half-assedly, $3 dollars hits a home run.

I also don't want to sound like I'm bashing, because I'm not. I have a few other Benefit things that I totally LOVE, such as the Eye Bright pencil (that thing makes EVERYTHING look good) and the cute little Powderflauge ball that is my precious baby that is now discontinued, thus saved for only special special occasions.

Like anything, some things fizzle, and some things hit it out of the park.