The future of eyeliner: the Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner
The beauty blogging world is divided on the subject of the groundbreaking Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner (P1,200). Some people love it, while some hate it with a passion. And I? I love it. I love what Benefit tried to do here and how, as far as I'm concerned, they succeeded.
This "lash-hugging gel liner pen" is the first of its kind with a bendy, rubber tip where the black gel is discharged. You need to twist up to get the gel out - I had to do it dozens of times to get the product going - but once it's out there a few twists is all it takes to get the right amount.
I love the bendy tip because it can draw the finest of lines, and thicken them up if I wish. Once this dries, it stays. It might flake a little after five or six hours, but this has NEVER smudged on me after almost two months of using this! I also like that the pen delivers a velvety matte black line that's immediately dark on the get go. No need to layer repeatedly to make it dramatic.
The top photo shows the Push-Up Liner, freshly applied. Looks lovely eh? The photo below shows it after eight hours - that day, I've been out since 9am working on an event, and after (literally) sweating it out for seven hours, I got home by 5pm. You'll notice that the liner's tail end has sort of faded a bit, but there is zero smudging. My eyes look tired and the concealer has creased, but the liner is intact and clean!
The Benefit Push-Up does have a learning curve, however. It's not instantly easy to apply the product if you're not used to the tip yet. But once you learn the right combination of the amount of product, pressure, and angle, it'll be a breeze!
So how do I use it? I find that a tiny amount peeking out of the tip is enough for one eye. I don't actually need to apply a lot of pressure, although my instinct initially told me to rub it in since the formula is quite thick, like your typical gel liner in a pot! But I only get skid marks on my lines when I glide the tip on too hard. I only need to use a gentle hand to get a smooth, even line on my eyes.
We're living in the future.
The formula dries up quickly so it's important to work fast. Once it sets, it's a pain to remove. I must mention that the formula is non-washable which means that you need a proper makeup remover to take it off.
A few more tips: clean the rubber applicator with a tissue or wipe after every use. It's tougher to apply when the product has crusted on the top! You also must screw on the cap tightly once you're done. The gel liner inside dries up too easily so exposing it to air might ruin it.
Overall, I highly recommend the Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner to anyone who loves the matte, intense, and easy-to-control look of gel eyeliner but has so far not mastered it using the traditional brush and pot setup. This liner makes the whole thing a lot easier, IMHO, after a bit of practice.
The formula is long-wearing on me but it bears to know that some women have complained about it smudging like crazy. IDK how that could be when this sets into a solid crust! Well. Different strokes for different folks I guess!
Love this stuff. Let me know what you think!
