Benefit

Benefit They're Real! Mascara.

Eye Makeup

About this product

A lengthening and volumizing mascara from Benefit Cosmetics, designed to coat and extend lashes for a dramatic, defined look.

Full ingredients

Aqua (Water), Cera Alba (Beeswax), Paraffin, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Polybutene, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Steareth-21, Cera Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax), Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Steareth-2, Silica, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Laureth-12 Sulfate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Kaolin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ammonium Hydroxide, Sericin, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77007 (Ultramarines)

Guru Score

74%

Mixed

3 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

Length is what this mascara delivers, even though it isn't a tubing formula. Most of the gurus who weighed in enjoy it, and the praise runs as far as calling it some of the best mascaras around. The dissent is firm, though: it's not one to reach for by itself ever again.

Synthesized from 3 expert reviews · most recent take December 2024

What they liked

Adds lots of length
Not a tubing mascara
Loved in the past

What they flagged

Not enough on its own

Type

Eye MakeupLiquid

Key actives

Hyaluronic acidVitamin E

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Sephora → Ulta → Amazon → Google →

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Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

~Yay

"They have a really good brow pencil, highly recommend it. It's quite good. So anyway, speaking of mascara, I have been using this, and I'm actually pleasantly surprised. It's by Benefit, which is a makeup brand that, in contrast to Mooney, I feel like is a little bit of a letdown sometimes. They're Real! Mascara, I've actually really been enjoying. It's not a tubing mascara, but it really does give a lot of length."

Abbey Yung

886k subs

~Nay

"It's not like Benefit They're Real! is that much more amazing in that sense, so you're not going to see me reaching for this by itself ever again. I actually think this layers really well, and I end up with great length, good to great volume, and average to good separation. The formula is wet, not too thin and not too thick, but it's definitely one where you're going to want to scrape product off and wipe off the wand, otherwise so much of it clings to the wand itself."

AliceintheRabbitHole

59k subs

~Yay

"I used to love Benefit's mascaras, They're Real as well as Roller Girl, some of the best mascaras."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Frequently asked.

What is Benefit They're Real! Mascara?

A lengthening and volumizing mascara from Benefit Cosmetics, designed to coat and extend lashes for a dramatic, defined look.

Is Benefit They're Real! Mascara worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 74%.

What is Benefit They're Real! Mascara's Guru Score?

Benefit They're Real! Mascara holds a Guru Score of 74%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 3 expert reviewers we have collected.