BENEFIT THEY’RE REAL MASCARA REVIEW

My Estée Lauder Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara went dry after just a few weeks (just saying!) so I decided to give the mascara du jour a try.

Benefit’s They’re Real! Mascara (£18.50) has become the UK’s best seller since its release last year, and as it specifically claims not to dry out, I thought this would be a good next step! It is said to deliver the whole shebang: length, curl, volume, lift, separation… Read on to see if I think it lives up to the hype

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I really like the brush – the bristles are very dense, but well separated. This means you get a full application without clumping, which is perfect for the left-to-right wiggling application technique. The result is a full, voluminous lash effect.

Benefit also recommends stroking the mascara upwards for more curl and separation – this is the technique that I’d use day to day, as I prefer a more natural lash.

The formula is very durable. Mascaras often seem to run with me (the slightest breeze and my eyes are streaming to the point where I look like someone’s died), but this has the kind of ‘lash tube’ formula that L’Oreal has brought out previously with their Double Extension Beauty Tubes mascara. It coats the lashes and hangs tight all day. The only issue with this is if you’re looking for a really full effect: applying more than one layer is doable, but just don’t wait for the first to dry completely because you’ll end up clumping the first layer. The best method with this mascara is to leave it a couple of seconds to part-dry, and then apply a second layer that will both build on and blend with the first.

The formula also makes the mascara pretty difficult to remove – I normally use Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Wipes (£3.20) or Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser (£8; admittedly never intended for mascara removal!), but you’d definitely need an eye makeup remover with this one. Alternatively, one of the most effective ways of removing the mascara is just with a bit of warm water. Soaking the lashes softens up those tubes, and they come away without smudging all over the eye area or taking half your lashes with them.

At the moment there is unfortunately no waterproof version or any shade other than black, but as an isolated product this really delivers. Plus, three weeks on it shows no sign whatsoever of drying out (Estée Lauder!).

Have you tried the Benefit mascaras? What do you think of them?