Benefit’s New Magnet Mascara Is So Good, It Made My Lashes Look Fake

Makeup has taken a backseat during the pandemic for many of us, but there's one product that never fails to make even the most exhausted reflection staring back at you from the Zoom call look instantly pulled together and more awake in seconds: mascara.

From the Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara that sparked a TikTok craze to Victoria Beckham Future Lash Mascara, new formulas are launching left, right, and center. Most recently, however, it's Benefit's new They're Real! Magnet Mascara that deserves the limelight.

It's fair to say that Benefit has the mascara category nailed. When its first They're Real! product launched a few years ago, it assumed cult-favorite status fast — but its latest launch in particular is causing quite the stir. I know what you're thinking: Magnet? While brands have jumped on the bandwagon lately, launching everything from magnetic false eyelashes to magnetic face masks, magnetic mascara is still pretty new. According to Benefit, it's all down to the clever brush, which has a "magnetically charged core." The brush then attracts the formula, which is enriched with magnetic minerals, and pulls the product up and out through the lashes without any effort at all. The result is apparently long, defined, and voluminous lashes in a couple of quick swipes.

As a mascara fanatic whose makeup bag boasts everything from luxury to drugstore products, I was sold and had to give it a go. At first glance, the magnetic version doesn't look any different from Benefit's first They're Real! mascara. The plastic brush is similar to, if not a tad thicker than, the original, and the teeth are very short so that you can wedge the brush into the root of your lashes and easily grab even the tiniest of hairs.

As I combed the brush through, I actually let out a gasp. It lengthened and thickened my lashes faster than any other mascara I've tried, without the dreaded clumps. My lashes are straight and I usually use a lash curler to enhance them, but I didn't need one here as the product lifted my lashes instantly. In fact, they stayed curled until the end of the day. My lashes were so jet-black and voluminous, they looked like my trusty Ardell falsies.

One of my biggest gripes is formulas that take ages to dry or transfer onto my eyelid when wet, but this mascara didn't do either of those things. It also made my lashes feel flexible and elastic, rather than brittle or hard. I applied the mascara to my bottom lashes to really open up my eyes, and throughout the day I found that it did smudge a little. That said, the product doesn't claim to be waterproof, and it removes very easily with micellar water.

At $27, it's pricy as far as mascara goes — but, as I discovered, one swipe really is enough to make a noticeable, impressive difference to lashes, so it'll last you a long time. Overall, Benefit's They're Real! Magnet Extreme Lengthening Mascara is a must-buy if you're a lash obsessive.