Product Review: Benefit's They're Real! Push-Up Liner and Remover

A couple of weeks ago I purchased Benefit's They're Real! Push-Up Liner as part of a high end makeup haul (which you can read about here), as well as the They're Real! Remover. I asked the woman at the counter if the liner was especially hard to take off, as I have astringent toners and the like at home, but she was adamant that the liner would not budge. Let's be honest here, while I nodded and said, "Ah, okay", on the inside I was laughing. I might not be a Beauty Yoda by any means, but I've never used an eyeliner I couldn't take off. Either way, I decided that I didn't want to risk it, so into my shopping basket it went.

Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner

The liner comes in a pen-type device that has a clicky end on the bottom -- yep, those are technical terms. The lid screws off (don't try pulling it like I did, you just make yourself feel foolish) to reveal an angled dispenser. When you first buy the liner and take the lid off, the dispenser has a little orange plug in it. The girl at the Benefit counter recommended keeping the plug and using it if you found yourself not likely to use often -- this is to prevent the gel liner inside from drying out.

Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner -- close up

She also said to be careful when clicking it the first time -- it does take several clicks, but you want to go about it slowly, because if you go nuts like a squirrel on coffee, you will end up with a big blob of liner. From there, she recommended two clicks at a time when using it, for much the same reason. I'm not sure how many clicks it took me before I saw any product on the nib, but I do remember standing there going urging it to hurry up already -- keep in mind, however, I was going slowly.

A close-up of the nib.

Does the liner hug the lashline? That depends on whatever "hug the lashline" means -- personally, I don't really know. I had the impression that it wouldn't go where I wanted it to if I tried to use it like gel liner brush, so I made sure to position it closer to the lashline than I might've otherwise. As a result, I find that I have been able to get a generally neat application, and I've been able to achieve a more natural look with ease.

Swatches!

On the downside, I have noticed a little wastage. The product can get on the sides of the nib when you're applying -- and because both are black you can't really see it -- however you could just use the sides of the nib to help colour in your wing or go over your cat-eye, if you're feeling up to it.

What's the staying power like? For me, it has been absolutely incredible. I used this when I was at Comic-Con last weekend and it stayed on all day -- in fact, on me it was intact for eighteen hours! I applied it at 5am and I came home at about 11pm, and not once did I feel the need to retouch. I had to re-powder my face, I was constantly touching up my lipstick, but my liner? Didn't need to. I have had liner fade or smudge on me on a normal day at work -- this was a day of nerd convention madness! I was very, very impressed.

Wearing the Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner

It is true, a product like this doesn't budge that easily when you first apply it, and if you make a mistake then water simply won't cut it. But is the They're Real! Remover necessary? It really depends. If you put it on at the beginning of the day and take it off at the end, then I think a cleansing water or a makeup wipe does the job perfectly fine -- so what's the point? That being said, if you make a mistake, the remover really does make an easy job of it, but I'd suggest using a cotton bud instead of a cotton pad.

Benefit They're Real! Remover

I can see myself running out of the liner before I run out of remover, so forking out $25 for something I won't use too often might be something that people don't want to do. That being said, I think it would work great on waterproof makeup, so people who find mascara hard to get off might definitely get some use out of it. I think I would've preferred to have seen a smaller tube with a lower price.

A close-up of the tube nozzle.

So, do you really need Benefit's They're Real! Push-Up Liner and They're Real! Remover? I think the liner is definitely Beauty Padawan-friendly, just as long as you keep in mind the cautions about your first use. I think it's really just a more convenient version of using a gel liner with a brush -- and if you're perfectly happy with the latter, then you might find that this isn't a necessity. Whether or not you need the remover depends on practicality -- I doubt Beauty Yodas will think it's a must-have -- but it does do a great job.

The results of using water (left), Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (middle) and Benefit They're Real! Remover (right) to remove the liner approximately two minutes after swatching.

From what I've gathered on the internet, one either loves these products or one hates them. If you want to see an opinion from the other side, Danielle has written her own review, which is rather less glowing than mine.

Padawan Product Rating (Liner): A

Padawan Product Rating (Remover): A-

Would you buy either of these products? What do you think of them?

Sarah xo