Georgia:
I hardly ever wear mascara. Not because I don’t like it, but because my hooded eyes get in the way and I’m left with a black under-eye smudge only a few hours later. Smudging is just inevitable with my eye shape so I have become accustomed to checking the mirror every few hours. For me, testing mascara is about having to check it less, and not necessarily about having zero fall out. What can I say, I’m a realist.

But by some miracle, Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Magnet Extreme Lengthening Mascara works a charm for these hooded peepers. Application was seamless, thanks to a wand that features lots of tiny zig zag bristles to separate each lash. The wand, combined with no excess product, meant less clumping and smudging.

For the first test, I applied the mascara to one eye for the day, just to take a comparison photo, but I ended up forgetting about it and going to dinner with mascara on just one eye - oh, the things I do for a review. For the second test, Sophie and I both popped concealer and powder under the eye and applied mascara to both eyes.

I was able to go all day without a smudge, and that’s really saying something. The only other mascara that might beat Benefit, in my eyes, is the M.A.C Extended Play Giga Black Lash (a long time favourite). It wasn’t until 5pm when I started to see some fall out appear, mostly caused by me running around in the evening heat.

I'm not sure if the powder had much of an effect as I still experienced some smudging, but again it wasn't until the evening which is a huge feat for hooded eyes.

Sophie:
Benefit BadGal BANG! Volumising Mascara was one of my favourite formulas, much more so than the original They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara. However, this new Magnet Extreme Lengthening Mascara has far greater volumising effects than BadGal BANG! but also creates out-the-gate length and lifts the lashes up, which is so bizarre to me as the lashes are heavier but defy gravity somehow. It’s one of those mascaras that make your real lashes look like falsies. If you like a natural look, this one is not for you but if you want your wee eye hairs to go from 0 to 100, you’ll want to nab a tube.

Eye shape - I’ve got almond shaped eyes and double eyelids. The first time I tried it, it was on bare skin and I applied it on both the top and bottom lashes but I quickly realised that this formula was indeed too extreme to apply multiple layers and also too thick to apply on the bottom lashes as I kinda gave off this ‘dumbstruck deer in the headlight’ look. After a few hours, the mascara had smudged on my under eyes.

The second time around, I applied it only to the top lashes and applied concealer and powder on my undereyes. I think it may be due to my super straight and quick-to-sag lashes but on the bottom outer corners, there was a very light patch of grey by the mid afternoon. Nothing major - very manageable amount of smudging and there’s no flaking.