Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner
After a PR campaign to rival that of a presidential election (take note Obama) and a plethora of blogger reviews (there's been a serious divide), Benefit's latest launch is finally available to the masses. Behind all of the faff, Benefit's They're Real Push-Up Liner* product is essentially a gel-liner in pen form. Now I'm a pen-liner gal through and through - it really is the quickest and easiest way to apply (in my opinion) - but it has to be said that gel-liner always looks the best. So this is the best of both worlds, surely??
This little product has some seriously big claims to its name, with 91% saying it was long-wearing (I concur), 81% saying it was waterproof (God knows what the other 19% were doing because even with Bioderma this was hard to budge), 86% saying it hugged the lash line (yes...once you've gotten the hang of it), and 84% saying it made eyes look larger (personally I think this completely depends on how you apply it). I've used this a fair few times since it landed on my doorstep and suffice to say that whilst it is a darn good eyeliner, it's not without its flaws....
I'll start with the good points because once you've gotten used to it, this liner is a dream to use. It really does give the appearance of a gel-liner - a really bold pigmented line, and makes that Alexa Chung-esque cat-eye 957399 times easier to perfect than any product I've used before (sorry Eyeko). The wide-angled nib means you don't really need to go back and thicken the line, and also avoids the wobbliness that comes inevitably with a narrower applicator. The thick gel consistency applies really smoothly and I found that I could do my entire eye without having to go back and double up - it flows out really cleanly and evenly, not too much but not too little. The look lasts flawlessly throughout the day and doesn't fade or budge in the slightest (it takes me a hella lot of Bioderma to get it off).
However...whilst that wide-angled nib has reams of benefits, it does not (in any way shape of form) allow for precision application. This pen is perfect for a wide, bold lined look and cat-eye, but anything more subtle and delicate is difficult. This also means that if you make a mistake, its very hard to go back and touch-up. You really do have to nail it the first time with this pen. As I said before application becomes easier with practice, but to start with I found this really hard to perfect. Because it has such a wide nib you have to get as close to your lash line as possible to avoid having that dreaded gap. I also found that whilst the majority of applications were smooth, occasionally a big lump of product would burst out and completely ruin application - might just be my pen, but a bit of a pain.
If you're an eyeliner kinda gal then I would absolutely recommend picking this up because it really is a whole new approach to eyeliner and after a few practice sessions even newbies will be able to perfect the winged look. However, if you prefer a subtle or more precise liner look then I'd stick to a standard pen liner.
If you have any questions do let me know, and I'd love to know what you think if you've tried this liner, or if there are any that you'd recommend! To stay updated on future posts you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bloglovin.
*PR sample