Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner Review & Swatches

I have never heard of such divided reviews on a product before! It sounds like you will either love or hate the new They’re Real! Push-Up Liner from Benefit! To be honest, I think it’s one of those products that you just really have to try it for yourself to see if you’ll like it. I have tried mine and am ready to share my thoughts with you. :D

Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner

They’re Real! Push-Up Liner is basically a twist-up gel eyeliner pen; you twist the bottom to “push” the gel “up” and through the opening at the top. It is supposedly superior than a regular gel in a pot in the sense that the gel is packaged in a convenient pen and you don’t need a separate brush to apply. The tip of the Push-Up Liner is already shaped like an angled liner brush for your convenience. Another advantage over a pot liner that I see is only a small amount of product is dispensed each time from the Push-Up Liner and the rest of it is kept inside, unexposed to air, and therefore lessening the chance of the entire product drying out quickly.

The fun part is the “AccuFlex” tip!

The AccuFlex tip is made of flexible rubber (or silicone?) material. The slanted tip at the top has a small opening to dispense the gel and right below the opening is a small “curve” feature to “hug” lashes as you line. The tip comes with a small orange stopper that I recommend you keep it and plug it back in after every use to keep the gel “moist” for next use.

I actually really do love the feeling of the AccuFlex tip against my skin! It is soft and glides on smoothly without tugging the skin on my lid. The angled tip is precise, perfectly-shaped, and makes creating sharp wings easy. There is no guess work here, just point the tip up to the desired angle, “stamp” the line on the lid, and flick the tip just slightly to draw the line inwards to complete the wing shape. It may take a few tries but eventually you will get a hang of it! :)

This specialized tip is also superior than traditional felt or brush tip when it comes to the ease of cleaning. After you’re done, just wipe the tip on a tissue/makeup remover pad a few times and it will be clean and pristine again for your next use.

Note: I have seen reports that some people have to twist the pen countless of times in the beginning before the gel comes out. Mine didn’t take more than 5-6 twists. :)

Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner

Consistency

There are some things I like about the consistency and others I think can be improved.

Likes:

  • It has the same consistency of a gel liner that you are probably already familiar with: creamy, smooth and opaque.
  • The black is jet black and is completely matte without any shine or sparkly particles.
  • The wear time is incredibly impressive. The formula sets to a dry finish that is truly budge-proof. No smearing, fading, smudging, or transferring until you remove it (my oily, hooded lids love this!).
  • A great product for tightlining! The intense matte black really does create an illusion of fuller and thicker lashes!

Dislikes:

  • It dries way too fast; as in within seconds, which means no time to play (or make mistakes!). You have to move quickly.
  • The formula will flake and crumble if you over-apply or go over the already-dry spots. Attempting to correct will only result in jagged lines and bumpy/uneven finishes.
  • The gel can come out in globs or appear gloppy, making it difficult to draw crisp lines.
  • For those who have crepey eyelids, I have a feeling this will not go on smooth at all. I imagine the formula will be skippy and you may have to stretch the skin at the outer corner during application (which I do not recommend at all).
  • It is impossible to create razor-thin lines. I usually end up with medium or thick lines most of the times.
Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner

Usage tips

I posted the following picture on my instagram and Sunny asked me how I managed to get such a clean line. Here are my tips! :) (Oh and by the way, she also wrote a very extensive review of this liner on her blog as well, read it here.)

  1. I don’t know if this makes much of a difference but I like to pinch the tip of the liner with my fingers to “warm up” the formula just a little bit before use.
  2. If the product comes out too much, I will wipe the tip on the back of my hand to rid of the excess. The warmth from the skin will also help the formula to glide on smoother. You only need just a tiny, tiny bit of it to line. One click is generally enough for me to line both eyes.
  3. With a steady hand, try lining in short strokes because you want to perfect the line as you go and only when the formula is still “wet”. If it’s already dry, don’t try to go over it or it will flake.
  4. If you need to even out bumpy spots or jagged lines, follow with a liquid liner or use a pointy brush (defeating the purpose of having a pen but there is no easy way around it).
  5. After each use, clean up the tip thoroughly so there is no “dry gunk” left behind, and also put the orange stopper back on to ensure a fresh formula for next use.
Wearing Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Wearing Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner
Wearing Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Wearing Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner
Wearing Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Wearing Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner
Wearing Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Wearing Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner

The look!

Technically this liner is ideal for creating intense cat eye looks. However, I just wanted to show you that you can still get a medium thick line that is not too dramatic, too! For an everyday look, pair it with a soft color on the lips and keep the rest of the face makeup minimal! Tada! :)

Wearing Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner
Wearing Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner

Well, I hope you have learned a few things or two from my review. I do apologize for the super long post but I tend to over explain things sometimes. :) Obviously this liner is not easy to use from the get-go and it does take a lot of patience and practice to get it right. I wouldn’t write it off based on first try, though. It has the potential, you just have to work with it a little bit. If you are not quite willing to pay the full price yet, Sephora is currently offering a sample size with any $25+ order and I believe the code is “pushup“. Doesn’t hurt to try! :)

Purchase

US$24 at SephoraMacy’sBirchboxAmazonBenefit

฿1,050 at Sephora Thailand

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29 Comments

  1. says: Sunny

    Hey Jaa, thanks for the post and the shout-out! I agree with you. This thing just dries so fast, and absolutely no correction is possible! Strangely enough, I gave it another go today and it’s working well! I managed to get a clean line and it’s not flaking off. I have to keep experimenting to see if I can get over the learning curve. I do like how intense it is!

    1. says: Jaa

      Yay! Glad to hear you’re getting a hang of it, Sunny! I firmly believe it is a decent liner, it just needs lots of practice! :D

      I also love how intense black it is! Like, WOAH!

  2. Hi Jaa,
    thanks so much for the detailed review. I have seen it at the counter today but there was no one there and I couldn’t get the liner working. Now I know you have to push up lol. On you it worked very nice and you could achieve a more natural look compared to a pin-up cat eyed one. I don’t think I will get one to try out though since I don’t wear black eye liner very often. Still I find your review very helpful.

    1. says: Jaa

      LOL @ counter!! I’m sure we have all had that moment! What brand do you think has the best eyeliner formula, Sara? I’m always looking to try new things! :)

  3. says: Laarni

    Pretty FOTD! Great review, Jaa! It’s true that this product has positive and not so positive feed backs, which makes me want to buy even more. Thank you for the tips, I will keep them in mind. XD

  4. says: Carolyn

    Such a helpful review, Jaa! I’m not the most steady-handed when it comes to eyeliner, so I don’t think this liner and I would get along! I often end up fixing uneven lines too, so the flaking on this would be a no-no for me. I LOVE the eye look you did with this, though! Beautiful shadows and you did a great job with the liner! May I ask what you’re wearing on your eyes besides the liner? :)

    1. says: Jaa

      Thank you, Carolyn! Yeah… I wish the formula wouldn’t flake!

      On my eyes are Silver, Navy, and Light Brown from the Lorac Pro 2 palette (aka my new love!) ;D Will you be getting one?

  5. says: Krithi

    Wow such a detailed post and you also have given tips to work it out
    I had decided not to buy this , after your review I will at least give it a try ;))

  6. says: Erin

    Jaa, I agree with you! Once you get past the learning curve it’s a solid liner. I don’t like that it’s so limited in it’s looks but I do like the look it gives. I’ve always been rubbish with razor sharp thin lines anyhow!

  7. says: Divya

    You look so cute in the picture Jaa!! :-) I totally get the mixed review thing! There is so much publicity of this at every Sephora here!! It looks great on you btw..

  8. says: Fiona

    You are looking so pretty!!Thank you Jaa for the wonderful review. I was having my own doubts about buying this. I am not a fan of gel liners mainly bz of the packaging and this has scored a point on that. After reading your review I will for sure give this a try.

  9. says: Izzie

    Your review hit every nail on the head. I love the pen form, but as you pointed out the consistency/formula needs improvement. Hopefully we will see some other gel eyeliner pens pop up on the market!

  10. says: Sylirael

    Jaa, you haz the SKILLZ. LOL, I can barely get a gel eyeliner straight with the traditional pot+brush situation, let alone this pen setup.

    Love what I’m seeing of this LORAC business… :-D The Navy is such a great shade – if we had LORAC here, I’d be demanding a single of it!

    1. says: Jaa

      Haha. Well, I line my eyes everyday so I had better be good at this!!! ;D

      I’m hoping to have the review of the new Lorac Pro 2 up by next week! The Navy shade is matte and really beautiful!

  11. says: Dee

    Wow Jaa – as pretty as this looks on you and as gorgeous as the product photos are it seems like too much work to get this to work the way Id want it to lol. I love me my pointy tip ink /liquid liners! I seriously love the macro photography tho!! Nice work!!

  12. Super fun picture of you! You are so pretty and fun! I am tempted to pick up the mini sample Sephora version since this liner is like the biggest thing since cheese balls. Isn’t it my duty as a beauty blogger to try?? ;)

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