Review ★ Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner

Hello everyone!

I decided to pick up the They're Real eyeliner yesterday at Sephora, since it was its official release date. I've watched a bunch of youtube videos about this eyeliner, and it seemed pretty good from what I could tell. However, there seems to be really mixed reviews about it. I didn't get to try it out in the store, since everyone was scrambling around and the tester was often not in its spot. It was really crowded, and there was a lot of Benefit(?) associates advertising the product, and doing people's makeup. But yeah, Sephora has a really great exchange/return policy, so there really isn't any harm in just purchasing it; although, don't get me wrong, I feel bad when I return things there LOL.

So is it worth the hype? Read more to find out!


The eyeliner basically embodies convenience. You don't have to worry about using or purchasing a brush, especially if you're not particularly savvy with it, and it has the ease of use of a liquid eyeliner. I find liquid eyeliner and pencil eyeliners a lot easier and less time consuming to use than a brush and gel eyeliner.

Through the statistics provided from a consumer survey on the side, I expected it to work similarly to the run of the mill gel eyeliner.

In general, gel eyeliners have a matte finish when dry, where as liquid eyeliners usually have a shiny finish. Personally, I feel like gel eyeliner is a lot more versatile, because you can achieve a really soft, natural look (lining close to the lashline and feathering out the end) or a dramatic look (winged eyeliner). Whereas liquid eyeliner appears more harsh and precise. Gel eyeliner is basically the best of both worlds, between a pencil eyeliner and a liquid eyeliner.

The packaging is pretty much like the They're Real mascara. It's really bold and bright, from the colour to the font choices. I personally don't own the mascara, but a lot of people like that mascara too (except for the fact that it's really difficult to remove with a normal makeup remover).

On the orange side, it has the French text. As for the English, it says, "91% said it was long-wearing, 81% said it was waterproof, 86% said it hugged the lashline, 84% said eyes looked visibly larger."

"Custom soft, angled tip gets the matte black smudge-proof liner close to your lashline."

It comes with a little tips and tricks slip in the box, that shows different looks that can be achieved with the eyeliner. It says the following (since the subtext is too small to read):

Tip 1: Prep the pen: For frst-time use, remove the AccuFlex tip protector and discard. Activate They're Real! Push-Up Liner by twisting around until gel is delivered to the tip.
Tip 2: "Push up" the gel liner: For daily use, just twist the base once for both eyes.
Tip 3: Hug your lashes... every time!: Resting the AccuFlex tip on the base of your lashes, slowly guide along your lashline from either the inner or outer corner. The angled AccuFlex tip works both ways.
Tip 4: Looks you'll love... for real!
Trick 1: Put your stamp on it!: Stamp along the lashline for total control... and a straight line every time. Go steady!
Trick 2: Double the real!: Wear They're Real! Push-Up Liner and They're Real! Mascara together for beyond longer lashes AND bigger-looking eyes.

The text on the black side is the same as the above, but in different languages. Gotta love that advert for their mascara LOL.

The eyeliner comes with a screw-on cap, so you don't have to worry about the cap coming off if you're taking it on the go. That way there's no mess in your bag, and it won't dry out! 

That is what the product looks like after twisting the end a few times. The flexible tip makes it easier to apply the product close to your lashline since it follows the curve of your eye. The tip also helps to achieve a smooth, feathered out wing. 

The eyeliner comes off as a nice opaque, matte black. It looks a little streaky in the swatch photo because that was my first time swatching it. However, it's fine after drawing a few lines. I like that it is actually black, since some black gel liners appear dark grey, instead of black. The texture is creamy, and it applies very easily. Honestly though, there isn't anything super spectacular about it, compared to other gel liners except for the ease of use. As for what it claims... I don't think it's anything different the aspects of a good eyeliner. It is long-lasting, smudgeproof, and waterproof. It lasted me the whole day without smudging, and the swatches on my arm were fine after I ran them under warm water.

Although the idea of it is great, I have my qualms with it too. Although the formula is great for a single line, I feel like the formula isn't too great when it comes to going over the line repeatedly, because it seems to create little dry clumps. Also, it's somewhat difficult to remove, and you will need to use a good oil-based eye makeup remover (or a cleansing oil) to remove it. I don't think buying the makeup remover from the They're Real line is absolutely necessary, so you should save yourself the ~$22CAD.

I feel like it's a little on the pricey side, but I guess it's practically the equivalent of buying a high-end eyeliner and a brush. While I think the formula is good (would be great if it didn't clump up a bit, but that could of been because it was new), I don't think there's anything super amazing about it. The gel liners by Mac and Bobbi Brown are great alternatives that are slightly cheaper, and there is also the Tony Moly and Etude House ones that are a fraction of the price and come with a brush.

I would recommend using a black or dark brown eyeshadow to feather out the edges if you want a more natural look! I think the eyeliner alone may look harsh to some since it comes off very sharp and black, however eyeshadow is a good way to make it look more wearable or soft.

EDIT: After using it a couple more times, it doesn't clump up anymore. I guess it just had to break in a bit LOL.

P R O S
+ Long-lasting
+ Smudgeproof
+ Waterproof
+ Convenient
+ User-friendly/easy to use
+ Opaque, matte black

C O N S
- Price
- Difficult to remove

R A T I N G
★★★★

W H E R E   T O   B U Y
I purchased it at Sephora for $29CAD. You can find it at the Benefit counter at any makeup or department store~

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