THE CLAIM: "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!"
INGREDIENTS: WATER (AQUA), PARAFFIN, POLYBUTENE, STYRENE/ACRYLATES/AMMONIUM METHACRYLATE COPOLYMER, BEESWAX (CERA ALBA), BIS-DIGLYCERYL POLYACYLADIPATE-2, C18-36 ACID TRIGLYCERIDE, PALMITIC ACID, STEARIC ACID, TRIETHANOLAMINE, VP/EICOSENE COPOLYMER, ACACIA SENEGAL GUM, HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE, PHENOXYETHANOL, TETRASODIUM EDTA, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, SODIUM LAURETH-12 SULFATE, GLYCERIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE, SERICIN, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, TILIA TOMENTOSA BUD EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID, BHT, SORBIC ACID. [+/-: IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), ULTRAMARINES (CI 77007), CHROMIUM OXIDE GREENS (CI 77288), CHROMIUM HYDROXIDE GREEN (CI 77289), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891)]. N° 05827/N
REVIEW: I've been using this mascara for a couple months now and my initial thoughts on this mascara were bad and with continued use, my thoughts still have not changed. I've tried everything to like this mascara, but the only thing that has helped to make this mascara better is by using my Dior Maximizer as a base, and I don't believe I should have to use a base in order to actually like a mascara, it should stand alone. There is so much hype over this mascara, and I can't see why. Yes, this mascara gives length and is truly long-wearing, but it gives absolutely NO volume, and you can't even layer this stuff to get volume because it clumps up after 1.5 coats. In general, I have really loved Benefit mascaras in the past and Bad Gal is one of my HG high-end brands, but They're Real ended up being a massive miss for me.
The brush looks like your typical plastic spiked bristles that have been quite popular since the launch and popularity of Cover Girl Lash Blast, however, it has one exception: the spikes on the end which can reach those hard to reach lashes, such as the inner corner.
I decided before giving this a bad review, I would try it again and again to see what I could do to make this work for me. I've been using this the past week and found that I'm starting to like it more ONLY because I've been using Dior Maximizer as a base. Initially, I was using this like any other mascara, two coats and done. However, you can only really get away with one coat, one and a half if you are very careful because the formula doesn't layer well. Over top of my Dior Maximizer Lash Primer my lashes look long, seperated, and defined without the clumping I was experiencing in the early stages. I've heard mixed reviews about this mascara not holding curl well. It held curl well for me, so that has never been an issue. The mascara also lives up to its claim that it is long-wearing. I didn't experience flaking after wearing this for 17 hours. However, this did smudge one my upper eyelid, and a little under my eye. This could be attributed to the wet formula. Another downside to this mascara is the price: $24 for a mascara is a little to rich for my blood since I find drugstore mascaras work just as good, if not better. Also, another downside is that it does not give me the amount of volume I would like from a mascara. That being said, this is a great mascara for daytime because it gives a naturally defined effect, but not my cup of tea for night as I prefer my lashes with a little more "oomph"/volume. Overall this is a decent mascara if you use it over a base and are VERY careful when layering, but if I were to choose a Benefit mascara to spend my money on I would choose Bad Gal Lash handsdown as I prefer the big bristle brush and the amount of volume it gives vs. They're Real. I feel as though I shouldn't have to put so much work into a mascara to get it to work for me, therefore, I would not repurchase this again.
Has this mascara lived up to the hype, in your opinion?
