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Benefit’s New ‘Magnet’ Mascara Gives Me Insanely Long Lashes

A magnetic mascara? It's no gimmick.

February 18, 2021

With mascara, there's not a whole lot you can do to reinvent the wheel. Sure, there are things companies claim are brand-new discoveries like double-sided brushes and pigments from outer space, but at the end of the day, the results are all roughly similar. I'm not knocking these things—some of my favorite formulas rely on them—it's just rare that a new mascara comes along and is actually groundbreaking.

That's why I found the Benefit They're Real! Magnet Extreme Lengthening Mascara so intriguing. The brand's newest riff on its iconic They're Real Mascara uses magnet technology to stretch and lengthen lashes by 40%. At first, I was convinced this was just another gimmick to get me to add to my ever-expanding mascara collection. But after a week of testing, I'm convinced that it's legit.

Here's how it works. The core of the brush—which is similar to the spiky rubber original—is magnetic, and the formula is enriched with magnetic minerals. Because of the magnets, the brush is able to pull the formula past the tips of your lashes, and not only make them look longer but actually extend them. Benefit used 3D-printing technology to custom-make the brush to grab every lash at the roots, as well as to attract the perfect amount of formula to the brush.

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After sweeping it on, I couldn't deny that my lashes look way longer. I love the way the brush really grabs every lash (thanks, magnets!) and fluffs and fans them out. Crucially, they didn't have that crispy look that so many lengthening formulas give me.

Even without the magnet technology, I'd be very impressed by the formula on its own. It has a lightweight whipped feel, and though I haven't put its 36-hour-wear claim to the full test, it does. not. budge. However, it's pretty easy to remove without tugging or scrubbing.