Faking it With Benefit's They're Real! Mascara

Ahhh, mascara, you are indeed a lazy girl's best friend. I mean, come on, we all love putting on makeup, but there are those days when it can be a chore since for one thing, it takes a whole lot of time to do makeup. What if you have other chores to do or somehow decided to take the day slow and embracing the yin of it all? For eyes that look more wide awake, I really rely on mascara. That instant definition of  curled lashes gives that wide-awake look and suddenly, you have eyes, and lashes. It's faster than putting fake lashes and much more comfortable too.

I purchased Benefit Cosmetics' They're Real! Mascara a few weeks ago after hearing good reviews from those who've tried it. The picture on the box got my un-mascara-ed eye popping because from ho-hum lashes, they instantly turned to vavoom lashes as according to the label, from a consumer-panel survey, these were the results:

94% dramatic length and volume

90% base-to-tip curl

94% saw visible lift

100% saw long-wearing results.

If it can turn eyes that are meh-level to yowza! level, then this must be worth a try.

I have to comment Benefit Cosmetics again, as they have such awesome packaging. This one looks like a spy weapon, like an elongated grenade or something.

I like the wand has got the end with bristles to get product wedged in those hard-to-reach areas. This could also be used by those with really sparse lashes or lashes on the bottom lashline to avoid those mascara speckles.

I didn't use makeup for the test here, though. Just the mascara. So that's my bare eye

Then I curled my lashes using my favorite lash curler. Sure, curling your lashes does give it a bit of definition.

To apply mascara, I got the brush, dabbed excess on a tissue, then wiggled the wand from base to tip

The bottom lashes, I used the pointy end 

Then after, you can see my new lashes.

It's not really super falsies effect. It still looks like my own lashes, except they're longer, darker, and more defined. Normally, volumizing mascaras thicken the strands so they plump up, but sometimes, they clump when you go a little too overboard. this one, I'm happy to say didn't but just to be sure, don't go too overboard with the coats (3 is fine). From my personal experience, it didn't weigh my lashes down and it still looked pretty defined and natural. Natural with impact. I could actually use this alone with no eyeliner.

Closed eye detail.

Just a reminder though, if you're a bride, and you know that you'll be crying, this isn't a waterproof mascara. it is, however, long-wearing so it can withstand probably an entire day or even a workout session (I worked out to this). Don't worry, non-waterproof formulas aren't that bad. We need them to give our lashes a break once in a while from those waterproof formulas, which can be a pain to remove everyday. Just use this if you have that extra-special occasion that you know you won't cry or submerge your face in water. We all deserve to be pretty everyday right? Even while giving our lashes a rest.

Benefit's They're Real! mascara retails for Php 1,200 and it's available at all Benefit counters. It's a bit more expensive than most mascaras, so this belongs to my treat-to-self category of mascara. It does last long, however, especially if you take good care of it. For pro use, I recommend using this in beauty shoots or editorials with natural-makeup pegs without using false eyelashes. 

Some tips:

• Never, ever, pump the wand into the bottle. This could cause air to get trapped inside, thus drying and/or clumping the product.
• For small eyes, make them appear wider, rounder, and larger, by concentrating application on the center lashes instead of the edges. 
• To elongate very round eyes, concentrate on the outer edges. It's almost like the wing-tip eyeliner or wing lashes. 
• Blot used wand with a tissue before storing. This would avoid clumps.