Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner Review and Swatches

I think Benefit's They're Real Push-Up Liner may have been one of the most-promoted new makeup releases yet. But then, I could say that about most new releases. Benefit always has a quirky way of doing things though, so they tend to stand out. 

Benefit creates products designed to solve beauty problems. Their first ever product was the Benetint Lip and Cheek Tint, but it was originally created when an exotic dancer needed something to enhance her nipple colour. The They're Real Push-Up Liner joins their popular They're Real Mascara in the They're Real collection. Along with the Push-Up Liner comes the They're Real Remover since the Push-Up Liner is waterproof and designed to last, and last, and last.

What's different about about this eyeliner pen is its applicator. It's called AccuFlex and its' custom soft, angled tip is designed to closely hug your lashline so there is no gap between the liner and your lashes. It's also meant to be easy to use, even for those who struggle with liquid and gel eyeliner application. 

It's $29 CDN and 0.04 oz. It is available only in black. You can find it at Sephora and Sephora.ca, in Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques and online at Benefit Cosmetics. 

This is a gel liner in pen form. The pen has a twist-up base and the gel liner emerges from an opening in the tip of the applicator end. 

The tip is also very narrow, making it easy to draw a thin line and to control. It took a while to get the first bit of product up into the tip of the pen but if you go slowly and carefully, you won't overdo it. 

The opening in the tip of the pen.

After the first time, it should only take a single twist to get enough product for one eye. 

The texture of the gel liner is on the dry side, but it is nice and black. Here are some swatches, done on the back of my hand. 

On the back of my hand.

The pen is remarkably easy to use. The flexibility of the tip makes it easy to apply both a thin line and to angle the line as needed. I drew an eye on the back of my hand to show how the Push-Up Liner creates both thin lines and thick lines. As you can see as well, the gel liner is quite dry and patchy in areas. Going over the line twice give it a solid appearance. Going slowly can help as well.

Instruction, inspiration and ingredients.

I did not purchase the They're Real Remover, as I don't believe without testing first, that a dedicated cleanser is needed to remove a specific makeup product. 

So how to remove it? I tested it with a baby wipe. This is how little of the liner came up after wiping a fair bit. 

And the liner after the baby wipe. It faded a little bit, but not in any significant way. 

So I tried with my Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil. It took some work, but eventually this worked to remove it. The They're Real Push-Up Liner is very, very, very long-wearing.

And here it is on my eyes.

I did one eye with a thick flick on top and thin line underneath.

On the other eye I did a more traditional eyeliner line and flick, but I extended it down into the inner corner. 

OK, so I did not like this liner on my first try. I found the applicator easy to use and give it a thumbs up for that, but the gel liner itself is quite dry and that makes it challenging to apply. It drags, no matter how slowly I went and I could not get a clean line with it. As you can see as well, it is messy. I cleaned up the line as best I could, but I still got flecks of product on my eyelid, where I did not want it. And because it's meant to be longwearing, it's tough to clean up any mistakes. 

I was hoping, because it's meant to be longwearing, it might do well in my waterline. I've always wanted to wear liner in my inner corner, but have never been able to because my eyes water quite a bit and the liner doesn't stick at all. As you can see in the third eye photo above, I applied it to my inner corner but it started fading and spreading immediately. It continued to get worse.

I've always had trouble wearing liner on my lower lash line because it doesn't go on cleanly or last well. The Push-Up Liner doesn't go on smoothly on my lower lash line and it doesn't stay clean.

Benefit claims that the applicator is lush-hugging, allowing it to get close to the lashline. It definitely does get close to the lashline, but the gel liner is so dry, it doesn't get close to the lashline. So disappointing. 

Over the next hour or so, I noticed flaking happening. Small black flecks of liner on my cheeks and eye area. So disappointing.

When it came to removing, most of the liner came up with the rest of my makeup when I used my regular cleanser. I was able to get the rest of it off using my Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil. It took some effort. Considering how disappointed I was by the product, it was frustrating how tough it was to remove.

I would not recommend this to those who have trouble with liquid liner. I am pretty good at applying liquid liner and I struggled. It's too dry and too messy to apply, it doesn't give you a clean line and it doesn't wear nicely at all. 

So despite all the rave reviews for this liner, I have to give it a very sad, very disappointed thumbs down. 

:(

Grade: D