When my sister Alexa told me that we were being invited by Benefit Cosmetics to the special block screening of the movie “How To Be Single,” I said “yes!” in an instant. I was up for going on a movie date with my baby sister and watching a chick flick with her. Besides, even a happily married woman like me could probably learn some life lessons from a film called “How To Be Single”!
More than just the movie, I was also excited because it was an event by Benefit Cosmetics. I absolutely love Benefit! Not only are their make-up products so good, but it’s such a fun brand as well! They’re serious about creating beauty fixes for just about anything but at the same time, they also send the message that we girls don’t need to take ourselves too seriously and that glamming up should be fun! That’s why at Benefit, their motto is “laughter is the best cosmetic… so grin and wear it!” Knowing this, I knew that Benefit’s events would be quirky, fun, and absolutely pretty!
I asked Alexa what we should wear to the event and she said that we can either go as SWEET or SULTRY. I misheard her and said, “Sweet and SALTY?!” I was already thinking of what outfit to wear to resemble a bag of fries. Haha! “No, sweet and SULTRY!” she corrected me. That definitely made more sense! Haha!
Alexa, of course, was the sweet one, and I came as the sultry one. Even our make-up was sweet and sultry!
The event was held at the Central Square Mall, and as expected, the event was bursting with fun and prettiness.
Benefit’s dainty snack bar had Barbecue Chicken Nachos, Mini Gourmet Burgers, Chicken Waldorf Tea Sandwiches, and Popcorn for all the guests.
Two male models were on standby if any of the ladies wanted to have their photos taken with them!
Aside from getting first dibs on seeing “How To Be Single” on the big screen, we were also introduced to the new and revolutionary beauty product from Benefit: the They’re Real Tinted Mascara Primer!
This water-resistant mink brown primer can be worn alone to tint and define lashes for a feathery, natural look, or with a mascara to dramatically boost length and separation. It’s literally “magic before your eyes”!
Guests at the event got to try the primer for themselves. (I was too busy snacking and chatting with the other guests so I only got to try the primer when I got home!)
All guests at the event got to take home the They’re Real! Tinted Primer, plus a Roller Lash mascara. I was really excited to try it out! I use a primer for my face before I put on foundation, but I didn’t even know that there is such a thing as a mascara primer! I asked Nikki (Duque) if it actually makes a difference, and she said that she noticed that when she used the primer under her mascara, her lashes did look more defined and the mascara’s staying power improved.
The mascara comes in a silver box which shows photos of bare lashes, lashes with the tinted primer, and lashes with the primer + They’re Real! mascara. It also says:
They’re Real! Tinted Primer:
- 89% said lashes had a natural look*
- 91% said soft enough to layer on mascara 6 hours later*
Plus They’re Real! Mascara:
- 94% said it defined lashes**
- 92% said it boosted length, lift & separation**
*Consumer panel survey on 65 women over 1 week
*Consumer panel survey on 66 women over 1 week
The custom-designed ExtraFlex brushes make it easy to separate lashes and give them a natural look. The brush is quite soft but firm, and was very easy to use because the wand was long and light enough. It also did give my lashes that natural look.
The mink brown tint of the mascara also looks natural on the lashes. I once bought an eyebrow tint and when I put it on, it was so obvious that my brows were colored. The shade of brown just wasn’t right. But with Benefit’s They’re Real tinted primer, no one will even know that there’s primer on your lashes because it matches the shade of your lashes and your mascara.
So does Benefit’s Tinted Primer really give you those come-hither lashes?
I took photos of my lashes on two different days. On the first day, I used my phone camera, and on the second day, I used my digital camera.
From left to right:
(1) Bare lashes
(2) With the Tinted Primer
(3) With the Tinted Primer + Benefit’s Roller Lash Mascara
Can you see the difference?
Wearing the primer alone gave some “oomph” to my lashes. It definitely woke up my sleepy lashes and made them look thicker and fuller. I love falsies and all, but for more casual days when I just want a more laid-back and natural look, all I’ll need are a light face powder, lip balm, and this primer!
When I paired the primer with the Roller Lash mascara, my lashes look like they were ready to do some serious fluttering! Compare the leftmost photos with the last ones on the far right, and obviously, you’ll see that my lashes have more drama (this is the only kind of drama that I want in my life!). My lashes also look much thicker but still not artificial. They still felt soft, probably because it contains Pro Vitamin B5, which is known for its moisturizing effects for the skin and hair.
There is still some clumping, although not so much, and it’s quite manageable. When I saw a few lash strands (because my lashes can be a bit unruly sometimes), there was minimal clumping, which I was able to solve just by separating them with my fingers, without even using a brush. It didn’t leave a gooey mess on my fingers, and just like that, my lashes had that light and wispy look!
Benefit’s Tinted Primer is waterproof so it stays all day! I applied it at 3:00 in the afternoon as I was doing my makeup for a wedding hosting gig and took it off at 10:00 in the evening. It didn’t smudge or wear off!
Last night, I went out for dinner with Mike and my best friend Aspe. While we were going down the mall’s escalator, Mike peered closely at my face and asked me what was up with my eyelashes. I asked him, “Why? What about them?” He said, “They look longer.” I told him it was because I used the Benefit Tinted Primer and being the typical guy that he is, he asked, “What’s a primer???” Aspe also said that she, too, noticed that they do look longer. That’s two people who noticed out of the blue, without me even telling them that I used the primer!
This was me yesterday, wearing the Tinted Primer:
When you’re lazy to put on full make-up, the trick is just to give your lashes a lift. Benefit’s They’re Real Tinted Mascara Primer certainly does a good job at making your peepers pop effortlessly, and can be worn even during the day!
