[Mini Review] Benefit They’re Real Liner & Mascara

Hi everyone,

When I first started blogging two years ago, the Benefit They’re Real mascara was EVERYWHERE. I was dying to try it but $36 was more than what I was used to paying for a mascara. Lucky for me, I was able to get samples of both the push up liner and the mascara.

Benefit They’re Real review

Benefit They’re Real mascara

What Benefit say:

They’re real! lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts & separates. Our jet black, long-wearing formula won’t smudge or dry out. A specially designed brush reveals lashes you never knew you had!

There’s already thousands of reviews of this mascara but I thought that I’d throw in my two cents anyway. I was expecting a lot from this mascara, it’s considered somewhat of a cult product and is one of Benefit’s bestsellers. Here’s a quick run down of what I liked and didn’t like:

Pros

• The wand does a great job of separating the lashes. It also gave my lashes awesome length. The little ball on the end helps get to the lashes right in the corners and is good for bottom lashes.
• Very pigmented formula – gave me dark lashes
• Easy to apply, did not end up going on my eye lids or smudging through the day

Cons

• The wand takes some getting used to! It actually hurts using it for the first few times
• The effort it takes (and the eye lashes I lose) removing this mascara
• Gives “crispy” eye lashes which can sometimes flake at the end of the day

Overall, this is a good mascara but I’ve tried mascaras that are A LOT better from Covergirl and Maybelline. I like massive, thick lashes with lots of volumes but I didn’t really get the wow effect I was hoping for from this mascara.

Benefit They’re Real mascara wand

Benefit They’re Real Push Up Liner

Benefit They’re Real liner

I don’t have a lot to say on the liner, it was crumbly and I found it extremely difficult to squeeze the product out of the tube. I ended up having to throw out the product without using it, not sure if this was due to the product being a sample size? Would love to know if anyone else had a different experience!

I love Benefit Cosmetics in general, and REALLY REALLY wanted to love these products but these two just did not agree with me. If you’ve tried these products, would love to know your thoughts!

Until next time 🙂

Fatima

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[Tag] The Blogger Made Me Buy It!

I spotted this post a while back on Ellie’s Ramblings  and I’m excited to finally be doing the tag on Lipsticks & Coffee (:

The Blogger Made Me Buy It Tag

1) Who are your most influential bloggers? Who are the ones that you really rely on for reviews and swatches?

Temptalia has got to be my favorite blog for swatches as they are such good quality. For reviews, Kaushal Beauty was one of the first blogs I followed and her blog remains one of my favorites. Her reviews are always on point and her videos and pics are pretty amazing too.

2) Do you buy a product solely as a result from one review from your favourite bloggers, or do you look for more reviews from others?

If I spot a product I’m interested in buying on a blog, I do a google search to look at other reviews and swatches. I also skim through the ratings on Beauty Heaven and Makeup Alley, my two favourite websites for beauty reviews. I tend to do this for almost all products I buy, I think I enjoy the ‘research’ almost as much as the actual purchase!

3) What is your most favourite item that you have ever bought as a consequence of blogs?

My Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation, which deserves every bit of love and rave reviews that it receives from bloggers ♥ I also love my Real Technique Expert face brush which I probably would not have picked up if I hadn’t read about it on a blog.

4) What is your least favourite item that you have ever bought as a consequence of blogs?

Maybelline Colossal Volume mascara! I have read SO MANY rave reviews on this mascara but I’m far from impressed, it doesn’t provide huge volume like the Falsies did and tends to get all over my eye lids.

5) Name 5 products you have bought recently as a result of blogs.

• Trilogy rosehip oil antioxidant plus
• Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water
• Maybelline Volum’ Express Falsies Flared
• Maybelline Baby Lips
• Benefit’s Do The Bright Thing (purchased for the mascara!)

6) Have you ever given into blogger hype? If so, which hype?

The Revlon Matte Balms. And I’m glad that I did because ‘Sultry‘ has been my to-go-for shade since I purchased it.

7) Have you ever avoided blogger hype? If so, which hype?

There was a stage a few months back when every blogger was reviewing Benefit’s Gimme Brow. It does seem like an amazing product but not something I really need so I’m glad I didn’t succumb to the hype.

8) Is everything you buy based on blogger reviews or are there some items you buy without checking out a review?

I’m careful with my spending so I don’t often impulse buy, I usually know what I want and then wait for it to go on sale. That being said, I do tend to pick up smaller items like shampoos and makeup removers and without checking out a review first.

If you’re reading this tag, I tag you to do it too! Let me know in the comments if you’ve done this tag so I can read your answers 🙂

Fatima

Mascara Swap- Benefit They’re Real!

It’s back! Benefit are currently running their mascara swap promotion again where you take in one of your old mascara’s (any brand and any size) and swap it for a deluxe They’re Real! mascara sample.

Benefit They’re Real Mascara Swap

 

 

The timing for the promotion was perfect because my tube of Maybelline Falsie’s was reaching it’s end. I popped into Myer at lunch and the Benefit counter was surprisingly quite! From the comments on the Benefit Instagram page, I expected all the girls to be lined up there for their free mascara haha (:

I swapped my mascara and was given my sample mascara, it’s tiny but absolutely cute. The promotion entitles you to a free ‘Eye Prep, Prime and Perfect’ service but the lovely assistant at the counter asked me to choose what type of makeover I wanted. I settled on a neutral eye and she used the ‘Big Beautiful Eyes’ kit to give me a stunning look.

I love everything about the Benefit brand, their advertising is adorable and the products are gorgeous. If you haven’t already done this, I recommend heading down to your nearest counter to enjoy a relaxing ten minutes in the Benefit chair. Definitely worth it!

From the Benefit Facebook page:

Take your mascara from now to WOW!
Step 1: Bring in your old mascara (any brand/size)
Step 2: Receive an eye Prep, Prime and Perfect make up service
Step 3: Fill out a celebrity file card

Receive a deluxe they’re Real! mascara sample*

*Offer ends Friday 2nd May. While stocks last. One deluxe they’re Real mascara sample per customer. Offer available at Benefit Cosmetics counters at the following stores: Myer Melbourne City, Sydney City, Brisbane City, Perth City, Adelaide City, Bondi, Canberra City, Carindale, Castle Hill, Chadstone, Chatswood, Chermside, Doncaster, Garden City, Highpoint, Northland, Pacific Fair, Parramatta and Townsville.

Until next time,

Fatima xx

[Review] Benefit Do The Bright Thing

 
Benefit is one of those brands that I’ve always wanted to try so when I saw this baby on Strawberrynet, I grabbed it immediately. I’ve purchased some Estee Lauder and perfumes from Strawberrynet before and haven’t had any issues with the quality or authenticity of the products received, so was happy to purchase this kit from there.

My order arrived within four days, can we just take a second to appreciate the way Strawberrynet packages it’s orders? It’s like a gift to me, from me ♥

 

What Benefit claim

Bright up your total look with our brilliant beautifiers! These luminous bestsellers will give your face and cheeks a supermodel glow…and open your eyes with sexy definition.

Product details

Kit includes:

• “that gal” brightening face primer 7.5ml
• dandelion a brightening face powder 3.0g
• they’re real! beyond mascara 3.0g
• high beam luminescent complexion enhancer 4.0g
• BADgal liner waterproof extra black waterproof eye pencil 0.5g
• powder brush

 

 

 

 

My thoughts

The packaging of this kit is absolutely adorable, the products are packaged neatly and the mini size products are perfect for travelling. The kit also comes with a little booklet on tips for using the products.

‘That gal’ brightening face primer, is a nice primer for those who like a dewy look. High Beam is a liquid highlight which has a gorgeous pink sheen to it. Dandelion is a pale pink color and is better suited to fair skinned ladies, it hardly shows up on my NC 44 skin. The Bad Gal Liner is super soft and is really black, not the blackest that I’ve used but a good product overall. I have yet to use the They’re Real Mascara, which is probably the sole product that I purchased the kit for. This mascara is supposed to be absolutely freaking AMAZING so I’m kind of waiting for the right moment to try it haha. I’l probably do a follow up post on whether it’s worth the hype.

Overall, I think that this is such a cute and lovely gift to spoil yourself or someone you love with. Trying out the mini sized products is also a good way of testing how well the products work on you before splurging on the full size product.

From top to bottom- They’re real mascara, bad gal eyeliner, high beam, dandelion and that gal

What are your favourite Benefit products?

Fatima xx

2014 Wishlist

First post of 2014! I hope that everyone has been having a fantastic year so far. I’ve been busy reading all the “best/favorite beauty products of 2013” posts, which inspired me to start a list of items that I would love to try in the upcoming year.

Benefit They’re Real! mascara

I love dramatic, voluminous lashes so I’m keen to find out if this mascara is really worth the hype.

Sleek Makeup Contour Kit

This kit has got the thumbs up from some of my favorite beauty bloggers so it’s definitely one of the items I’m hoping to try this year.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

I currently apply foundation using my fingers because I’m not comfortable with foundation brushes. This brush apparently makes blending easier and gives a flawless finish. I’ve already placed an order for this brush so expect a review soon 😉

Maybelline The Colossal Volum Express mascara

I have the Maybelline Falsies mascara and it’s working really well for me, I’d like to try this mascara for comparison purposes.

MAC lipstick in Rebel

This might be my first MAC lipstick ever! The color is gorgeous and it’s a shade I can see myself wearing often.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion

I have dark marks on my face from acne scarring, think my skin could benefit from a bit of this product.

Benefit Benetint

I haven’t tried anything from Benefit before but this renowned item makes it to my wishlist.

Have you tried any of the products mentioned? What products are you hoping to try in 2014?